Chance Meetings
by AlyssaConnor
Summary: When John and the team are searching the city, it's just his luck to find a woman in a stasis pod. But who is she? John doesn't know and was already head-over heels  cliche . What trouble does she bring with her from the past? Just read and find out. R&R
1. Chapter 1

**AN:/ I DO NOT OWN anything other than my OC and her unborn child. **Anything** bolded and **_**italicized **_are** (roughly translated) **Atlantian words**. When there are prentices after the word, which is its English meaning. **

"All right, we're done with the living areas." Major John Shepard told Doctor Rodney McKay over the coms.

"Whoa, are they better than our current rooms?" McKay asked, fixedly staring at the screen ahead of him.

"A few," Shepard was saying, shinning the light mounted on his gun along the walls; Lt. Ford walked a head. "Pretty nice, actually."

"What kind of square footage are we talking about?"

"What am I, a realtor, Rodney?" Shepard snapped at the other end, turning his head about. "I'm here to unlock the secrets of Atlantis."

"Yeah, well I'm looking for a one bedroom with a den, preferably with a balcony, but I'm not married to it." Up ahead of Shepard and Teyla, Ford turned the corner. "Look-"

"Sir, check this out!" Ford called.

"Shut up for a second," Shepard said to McKay before sprinting to Ford who was leaning on the doors edge. Shepard stood before it; gun raised, and singled Ford ahead of him. In a line, they entered the lab room, lights turning on and blinking as they did so.

"What, what is it?" McKay asked over the radio.

"Some sort of laboratory." Teyla said, looking around. There were consoles surrounding one of those beds you lay on at your local clinic. Ford was carefully picking at one of them in the back.

"We've crossed dozens of those; the cities _full_ of them." McKay scoffed. "Is there something unusual about it?"

Shepard stopped at the console Ford was at and waved his hand over the large circular device in the middle of it. When he did, the console's light turned blue and a pod lit up in front of them. It looked like a normal stasis pod except…

The woman inside it.

She was beautiful, a goddess, in the eyes of John Shepard. Her light chestnut brown hair cascaded around her face and flowed like a river to about mid stomach. Her face was oval; freckles, so light you could barely see them, were sprinkled over her nose and cheeks. She was dressed in (in earth standers) a modest white cocktail dress. She was barefoot. John couldn't take his eyes off her.

"I'd have to say," Shepard gasped after Teyla hit him in the shoulder. "Yes."

҉

"We could stand here looking at her all day. What we got to do is get her out of this box." McKay was standing in front of her chamber with Beckett at his side. Teyla, Ford, and Shepard were leaning on the controls when Doctor Weir walked in and headed straight for the woman.

"Rodney, we can't take that chance, we don't know how long she's been there or if she's even alive." Beckett argued.

"Which is why every second counts!" McKay turned to the Scottish man. "She could drop dead while we stand here arguing."

"How could she drop dead, you said she was frozen?" Shepard asked McKay, stepping off the consoles.

"She's in a state of metabolic stasis; she ages slowly, if at all, which extends her life." McKay explained in a bored tone.

"You are saying this woman is still alive?" Teyla asked. Shepard looked over his shoulder to see her giving confused glances.

"Yes," Both Doctors Beckett and McKay answered. "Life signs systems indicate viability. Data says she's been in that chamber for _at least_ 10,000 years-"

Everyone's head whipped from McKay for answers. "10,000 years?" Ford asked thinking people usually are dust by now.

"Doesn't look a day over 38, let alone 10,000," Shepard said, respectively eyeing her up and down.

"Systems must have kept her from aging. The only way to tell if she's going to die is from taking her out and checking her on the insides." He looked at Beckett who was walking closer to the tank to stand next to Weir. "Which brings me back to my original point."

"She's so old I'm afraid the process of reviving her might kill her." Beckett told Weir

"We cannot let this chance to talk to a living and breathing ancient slip through our fingers," He turned and looked at Shepard. "Again."

"And who knows what state of mid she'll be in, not to mention the fact that she might be carrying some horrifying contagion." Beckett logically put out.

"And who knows what she knows about our city, more importantly does she know about any Zed PMs lying around." McKay shouted at the doctor.

"Now there's a thought." Shepard put in. He was hoping they got her out soon; he wanted to meet her. Never would John Shepard have thought that he would fall in love at first, let alone with one 10,000 years old and in a comma. But hey, they're in another galaxy, what do you expect.

"Revive her." Weir commanded, nodding towards Beckett.

"But Doctah-"

"It's my call, Carson. Rodney, do it."

"Thank you," McKay turned around and fiddled with a few buttons and knobs. Beckett took off to get his team ready.

"This whole time we thought this city was abandoned." Shepard sighed, still looking at the woman.

"Is it possible the Atlantians left her behind when they abandoned the city for Earth?" Teyla asked.

"I think she wanted to stay behind."

"Maybe they forgot about her?" Ford said, a slight smile coming to his lips.

"Then she's going to be really pissed when she wakes up." Shepard said making the others smile.

"If she remembers anything at all." Weir wisely said, turning back to the woman.

҉

She was lying on the bed right in front of her stasis chamber having Beckett listen to her heart beat and breathing.

"Breathing is shallow, pulse rapid. I'll run a few tests to determine any brain activity." Something in her hand caught the doctor's eye. He unclenched her fist and took out a piece of paper.

"What is that?" Weir asked.

"I don't know." Beckett turned over the slip of paper and then handed it to Weir. Weir unfolded it and was shocked that there were symbols on it.

"They're gate addresses." McKay informed them. "There's five of them. This one….this was the addresses we dialed for Teyla's planet, Athos."

"Doctor Weir," Teyla said nodding her head to the woman-

Who was awake.

Beckett's mouth dropped slightly; John and Weir's eyes widened. The woman had the softest blue eyes, most like the ones in an afternoon sky. Everyone unconsciously stepped forward a little bit.

"Hello?" Doctor Weir said, leaning forward. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing happened. The woman continued to look out at nothing.

"Just what I thought," McKay said, running his hand over her eyes. "Freezer burned." He did it a few more times.

"I thought she wasn't frozen?" Ford asked.

"10,000 years, do ya expect her to dance a bloody jig?" Beckett snapped.

"It's the eyes, Carson, gotta look at the eyes," McKay said, getting very close to the woman to peer over her. "The lights are on but no body's home. It doesn't take a professional to know that-"

The woman's eyes snapped to McKay.

"Of course she can see us." Weir smiled down at the woman who was now looking at her. There was fear in her eyes. "And hear us. Hello, how are you feeling?" The woman's eyes drifted to the window, past Weir, and smiled at what she saw. The morning sun lighting up the once sunken city that she had known since birth.

"_**It oaolkit**_," she whispered, smiling.

"What was that?" Rodney asked.

Speaking Ancient, Weir lifted her gaze from the women to translate. "She said '_It worked'_."

"What does that mean?" McKay mumbled.

"It means something worked." Shepard replied. Again, he found himself not being able to look away from her.

"Yes, that's very sharp." McKay cracked.

"Thank you." Shepard whispered back.

The woman rolled her head back, her eyes closed. "Hello?" Weir said, lightly touching the woman's shoulder. She smiled and said to the others, "She fell asleep. Once she's more stable I want her brought to the infirmary. And I want video on her at all times, recording everything. We might not get a second chance on anything she says." With that she left the room.

McKay took her place and crossed his arms. "Let's hope we get it first."

҉

"Too big, huh?"

"I'm not saying it's too big, I'm just pointing out its dimensions."

"Well," Shepard said, shifting his feet that were propped up on the control board. "It's not that big."

"Gentlemen," Weir said, approaching the two men.

"We were just wondering if there were any other frozen bodies in Atlantis that we haven't discovered yet." Shepard explained.

"And I was just saying there's no way of knowing, in the short term. It'll be like searching every room in every building in Manhattan. It'll, uh, take a while." McKay said, crossing his arms. "God knows what other things aren't showing up on the sensors."

"Well, that's what we're here to find out." Weir put her hands in her back pocket.

"Doctor Weir?" Beckett said over the coms. He sounded troubled.

"Yes?"

"I need you to come to the infirmary."

"Is our patient awake?"

"No, but there's something peculiar I'd like to show you."

"On our way." Weir turned and walked off; McKay struggled out of the office chair he was in before joining her. Shepard slowly got up, hoping that the woman was going to be alright.

"Carson, what'd you want to show me?" Weir asked by way of greeting as she walking into the medical room. Beckett was sitting next to the woman, lightly stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"How old do you think she is?" Beckett asked, not stopping what he was doing.

"Stasis kept her the way she was put in, she was basically sleeping-" McKay said, but Shepard butted in.

"About 10,038-ish." Weir looked at him funny, but he just shrugged. "What? I'm adding 10,000 years."

Carson nodded. "How many lives can one chamber sustain?"

"One per chamber; gets a bit cramped over 10,000 years for two people," McKay's brow furrowed and took a step forward. "Why? We only found one person in the chamber; did she say there was another?"

Carson smiled. "Not in so many words." He saw the confused looks on everyone's faces and got up. He walked to a large screen white a black and white image on it.

"What exactly are we looking-" It was Shepard's turn to be interrupted.

"Oh my God…" Weir sighed and looked back and forth from the machine to the woman lying in the hospital bed. She looked back up at Carson, her eyes wide. "It can't be…it would have…"

"Like Rodney said, the stasis pod kept her the way she was put in."

"What? What are we looking at?" Rodney asked, both men turning their heads and squinting at the image on the screen.

"She's pregnant, Rodney." Weir said, slight smile lighting up her face.

Shepard audibly gulped. "How long?"

"Few weeks," Carson chuckled. "Give or take 10,000 years."

Weir walked over to the woman and shakily brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "Would she have been aware of her pregnancy before entering the chamber?"

"Doubtful, but there is always a few women who just…._know_." He walked back over to the woman and resumed stroking the back of her hand. "Besides the pregnancy, she's in perfect health."

"You called us down here to tell us she was pregnant? You could have-"

"The pregnancy wasn't the peculiar part, Rodney, it was her health."

"You just said she was in perfect health. I find nothing wrong with that, Carson." Weir said.

"Ah, but everything's wrong with that. She's in _perfect_ health. No, human can be that healthy after thousands of years in stasis."

"Maybe it's an Ancient thing?" Shepard asked, pulling up a chair to the foot of her bed.

"If only we could ask her."

"When she wakes up, you'll be the first I call-"

"She's awake now, Carson." Weir said, smiling down at the waking woman. Her eyes were fluttering, not yet used to the light. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the overhead.

"She's been in and out since we got her here, still very weak." Carson said softly, sitting down next to.

"_**Xaillo **_(Hello)," Weir leaned over and softly spoke Atlantian to her. "_**Xaooa ali ioo piilink? **_(How are you feeling?)"

The woman looked around her, confused at the machinery but quickly recognized where she was. "_**I an in Atlantis…. **_(I am in Atlantis)"

"_**Iis, in txai inpilnali. **_(Yes, in the infirmary.)" Weir placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "_**Oaoat is iool nani? **_(What is your name?)"

The woman looked at Weir as if she were crazy to not know her name. "_**Ip ioo to not knooa, toin oaoo ali ioo? Oaoat ali ioo toink in ni kiti? Oaon to ioo silpi? **_(If you do not know, then who are you? What are you doing in my city? Whom do you serve?)" The woman began to struggle, trying to get out. Carson took hold of her arm and Shepard raced to get hold of her as well.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Shepard yelled.

"I asked her for her name. She said 'If you do not know, then who are you? What are you doing in my city? Whom do you serve?'." Weir said, backing away.

"Talk to her! Calm her down." Carson said.

"_**Ni nani is Toktos Weir. Oai ali iksplolils oaxao kani to Atlantis. Oaxain Oai kot xaili, txai siti oaas tiat; pot oai plookxat it pakk to lipi. **_(My name is Doctor Weir. We are explorers who came to Atlantis. When we got here, the city was dead; but we brought it back to life.)"

That seemed keep the woman from struggling violently, but she still fought. "_**Oaxaat apoot ni piopli? Oaxaili ali txaii? **_(What about my people? Where are they?)"

"_**Koni, txai siti oaas apantonit. **_(Gone, the city was abandoned.)" Weir whispered.

The woman just….stopped. Stopped everything and looked at Weir like a puppy that's been kicked one too many times. "_**No….Txaat kannot pi. Txaiy Oaoolk onli apantonit Atlantis is ip oai lost txai oaar…..**_(No….That cannot be. They would only abandon Atlantis is if we lost the war...)" She looked from Weir to everyone else in the room, he eyes lingering on Shepard. "_**Till ni it is not tloi….pliasi…**_(Tell me it is not true….please…)"

"_**In an solli, iool piopli kani to Earth. Txaat is xaooa oai knioa xaooa to kit xaili. **_(I am sorry, your people came to Earth. That is how we knew how to get here.)"

"_**No….pliasi….no….**_ (No…please…no)" She whispered, her lips quivering. Shepard sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms, allowing her to cry into his shirt. She cried herself to sleep in his arms.

"Gently….gently lay her back down." Carson instructed. "Wait for me in the hall."

Rodney, John, and Weir left Carson to the woman and waited. Minutes later Carson came out, his face red. "What the hell did you say to her? I told ya to _calm_ her, not almost kill her! She's weak, venerable!"

"She had to know why her people weren't here-"

"_Her_ people?" Rodney questioned, taking out his tablet.

"Yes, that's what she kept referring them to, 'her people'." Weir gave him a strange look as he went back in and snapped a photo of her.

"What in the hell are you doing, Rodney?" Carson fiercely whispered as he came back out.

"Taking a picture."

"Well, obviously."

"I'm going to run it through the ancient database and see what pops up. When we first started snooping through the files, I noticed a lot of texts saying 'her people'. I wonder if she has anything to do with it."

"Good work, Rodney." Weir praised.

"No one is to come near her, got it? Not unless I call ya down here. I don't want any more stress on her than need be."

"I agree." John said, nodding.

"Here we go, Captain Kirk shows his colors." Rodney whispered.

҉

"Queen?"

"That's what I said. She is Queen Illyria of Atlantis and all its ancients. So technically, the woman in the infirmary is our boss, not Doctor Weir." McKay stated.

"How do you know this?" Teyla asked.

"Put her picture in the database and see what popped up. Did you know she-"

"Okay, we have the _Queen of Atlantis_ and all its glory…..in our infirmary….pregnant….." Ford summed up. "I met the _Queen_ of Atlantis!"

"Where's the father of the kid? The King or whatever?" John asked, drumming his fingers on the conference room table.

"That will be a question you can ask her when she wakes up again." Weir said.

"If she ever wakes up again…" John muttered.

"Let's not be quick to exclude the possibility that the woman might be, what's the clinical term, nuts?" Rodney said, rolling his wrist back and forth.

"Considering her age of 10,000 or so, she might be senile, yes, but that doesn't matter. She's the Queen, Rodney; she would know more of this city better than anyone." Weir countered.

"What are the odds of actually finding her and she be….alright?" Ford asked, leaning into the table.

"Well, considering that we found her and she can speak…..although, the shock of finding out everything she knows has changed and everyone she knew has died, I would say not well." Rodney answered, giving Weir a pathetic glare.

Carson walked in, his tablet balanced on his forearm. "Results of the DNA test, Rodney wanted. It's a match to the DNA in the database. She is Illyria, the Queen."

҉

The door to the infirmary opened, beeping and swooshing. John was standing next to Illyria's bed, arms crossed.

"I know what you're thinking." Weir said, standing behind him.

"That her people must have betrayed her and stuck her inside that pod for the chance for someone to come along and save her? Then, yeah, you know what I'm thinking." John harshly replied.

"Someone did finder. Someone did save her." Weir put a hand on his shoulder. "If you hadn't been so keen on wanting to explore that part of the city, we may never have found her alive. Carson said we got her out days before her system would start to shut down."

"How weird is that?"

"Very….some people might even call it fate." Weir smiled at the look John threw over his shoulder.

"I had a feeling…"

"As I said, fate."

"I have the ATA gene, which makes me one of her descendants."

"No, that makes you one of her people. Friend, not family, John." Weir went around to the other side of the bed and sat down. "Looking at someone so old, yet so young, is truly quite amazing. And what she can teach us is even more so!" Weir sighed and imagined-

"She's waking up!" Carson called, rushing into the room, Rodney close behind him.

They watched and waited as her head moved and her eyes fluttered. "_**Toktos Weir? **_(Doctor Weir?"

"_**Iis, in xaili**_. (Yes, I'm here.)" She reached across the bed and held Illyria's hand.

"_**I notisit txaat txaili oaili txalii oxtail nin, pipoli. Oaxaili ali txaii?**_ (I noticed that there were three other men, before. Where are they?)" She shielded her eyes from the lights above her.

"_**Txaii ali xaili nooa. Txaookxa, txaei kan't ontilstant os.**_ (They are here now. Though, they can't understand us.)" Weir smiled up at the men surrounding her bed.

"Then perhaps, for their sake, we should speak in your language." Illyria spoke, in English!

"Y-you understand us? You understand English?" John said.

"Is that what it's called? The yes, I understand English." Illyria smiled, opening her eyes. "What are your names?"

"I'm Major John Shepard, this is Rodney McKay, and Carson Beckett, your doctor." John pointed them out.

"I thought, Doctor Weir was….?" Illyria looked at Elizabeth in puzzlement.

"I'm a doctor of medicine, lass; the best kind in my opinion." Carson smiled and took out his stethoscope. "This is going to be cold…"

"What are you going to do?"

"Listen to your heart beat and breathing, checking to make sure everything is working properly." Carson smiled at her again before lifting up her shirt. Illyria jumped when the metal touched her.

"It's cold."

"It'll warm up in a second…Take a deep breath for me…that's in, in and out." He straightened up and pulled her shirt back down. "Everything's working wonderfully."

Illyria smiled. "Thank you for tanking such good care of me while I was….asleep."

"It was my pleasure, dear." He smiled back.

"Back on topic here, you can speak English?" Rodney repeated.

"Yes."

"How?"

"I could still hear you when I was sleeping. It takes me minutes to understand, and hours to actually understand enough of it to speak. It was an ability I was born with and came quite in handy during diplomatic meetings." She smiled to herself, thinking of a now long-gone race.

"That's amazing! If I could-"

"Rodney," Shepard warned.

"Shepard,"

"She's still weak, there's no need-"

"It's quite all right, Major Shepard. He wishes to learn."

"See, she said it was okay."

"Still, I think-"

"Boys…." Weir warned. What caught everyone's attention was Illyria giggling softly.

"You scold them as if they were children. I take it, you are in charge of the expedition team that discovered my city?"

"Yes."

"So I take it, you know who I am?"

"Illyria, Queen of Atlantis and all of its colonies." McKay said happily enough.

Illyria nodded her head. "You are explorers, new to this place. If you found my name then I assume you know of the great danger you face being here. In this city."

"Oh, the Wraith? We know all about them, fought a few even. And won." John proudly boasted.

"You had said they won the war…." She looked to Weir.

"They had, but their numbers were so low, they went into hibernation for a very long time."

Illyria sigh and leaned back into the pillows, closing her eyes. "My people did not die in vain then. The Wraith are no longer a threat."

"Actually….the kind of still are." Rodney muttered. Illyria's eyes flew open.

"You had just said-"

"Yes, but we woke them up rescuing our people from one of their ships. Now-"

"Now they are awake and awfully mad." Illyria growled. "Ah!" She yelled, griping her stomach.

"What is? Where is the pain?" Carson said, pushing John to the side.

"My stomach…so much pain!" She yelled, curling up in pain. Her face grimacing.

"Leave! Now, go!" Carson yelled at everyone in the room and call for him medical team. "Go!"

҉

"Isn't there something you can give her?" Elizabeth said, pacing back and forth in her office.

"She's in an extremely fragile state. Her blood pressure is low and her heart is very weak; the baby won't survive much longer if this keeps up. If I administer a stimulant, I'm afraid it may induce the danger of coma or worse!" Carson explained.

"I'm not talking about a strong stimulant, just enough to keep her from dosing off from the pain and keeping her alert. We can hardly get a couple of words out of her before she feels pain and doses off."

"It's not uncommon for a woman of 10,000 to dose off, let alone feel the pain of waking up!"

Weir sat down across from Beckett. "Carson, I understand your hesitance, but trust me when I say I believe she can handle it. And I know she'd want it."

"Okay…once she becomes stable again, then will I give it to her."

҉

Carson was checking her blood pressure when she woke up. "It's okay, Doctor Beckett. I'm just freaked out by all this as you are." She smiled.

"Yes, but you lived here since you were a wee baby. We came here a few months ago. For all I know, this is common for you." Carson smiled and watched as Elizabeth wheeled in a wheel-chair.

"How's she doing?"

"Don't you mean 'they'?"

"What do you mean?" Weir asked, coming to sit beside her on the bed.

"Doctor Beckett informed me that I'm with child." Illyria happily anounced, smiling up at the good doctor.

"That so? Well, congradulations."

"Her pressure's improving, so she should be much more alret. That baby is health as well."

"Good. So, Illyria, are you up for getting out of here?" Weir asked.

She sighed and nodded. "As you would not believe."

҉

E;izabeth rolled Illyria up the ramp and into the gate room that busuled with activity. Some people whisperd, some stared, at Illyria. They knew who she was since news in Atlantis travles like a wildfire. Illyria asked to stop and looked around.

"It's changed…."

"How so?" Weir asked.

"There's no plants."

Weir laughed and helped her up out of the chair, slowly walking up the steps and towards the conference room. "Yes, well, ten thousand year old plants don't do much for the décor."

"It didn't do much in the first place." Illyria said back with a smile.

"What didn't do much?" John said, opening the conference room doors and took hold of Illyria's other arm. She smiled up at him and he returned it.

"The plants," Weir and Illyria said at the same time. They shared a look and laughed, making John smile.

"I got it.." John told Weir. Weir let go and let John support and guid Illyria to a chair. Rodney, Teyla, Ford, and Carson were already waiting.

"Seeing the city like this, sitting on the serface of the ocean, you can't image how relived I am." Illyria smiled at all of them in silent thanks.

"What are you saying?" Rodney asked, getting up out of his chair to lean on the table next to Illyria.

"The city was in very serious trouble, from the very moment the war began. We couldn't alow the Wraith to get their hands on the city. So, as defult, we sunk it. If anything were to happen to the city, it would sink and shut down. Essentually slumbering until we came back, stronger with more people to defeat the Wraith. Or, at least, that was my origonal plan."

"You say it as if something else happened." Teyla commented.

"Something else did happen. My husband, Breen, was leading the war. A strong general he was, very strong. Nothing could keep him away from a fight, not even I…..and that would lead to his death," Illyria softly finished. "Anyway, after his death, the war was placed onto me. I was overcome with greif, I could not preform my duties as queen. I tried, but my council could tell I was weak. The war was placed into their hands, and soon…it seemed like the war grew in size. More ships were needed, more men and boys needed to fly and fight."

"What happened next?" Ford asked, leaning his elbows onto the table.

"What do you think of the Wraith? Have you actually met any of them, spoken with them?" Illyria asked.

"Yes," Shepard piped up from next to her. "A queen-"

"And what was she like?"

"Ruthless, mean, hunry for….whatever it is they suck out of us."

Illyria nodded. "They weren't always like that, at least the ones I knew. As hard as it is to hear this, I was friends with the Wriath. Not all, but enough of those in power. We tried to come to an agreement, but there were to many in the opposing fraction. Me and my diplomatic team barly got out of the meeting chamber alive."

"You were friends with the Wraith. The Wraith?" Rodney asked, unconsiously rubbing his chest.

"Yes. I grew quite fond of one. Though I wonder where he is today….." Illyria stared out the window, wrapped up in her one world of memories.

"Is that why you were in the chamber? You friends with the Wraith?" Weir asked.

"No, it wasn;t uncommon for some of us to be. I was put in there for….safekeeping. As their queen, I was their most presiouse tressure, to be protected at all costs. The council knew the war was coming to a close, some many dead and dying, we knew not of a solution that ended in us winning. So we fled. I refused to leave the city I played in as a child, the one where my husband died protecting. They knew I wouldn't go, never, so they put me in a chamber and promised to come back for me. When I was pulled out of my chamber by you and your team," Illyria nodded to John, "I thought it was my people coming back, fufilling their promise. But they never came back. They left me. Why….." Illyria's breathing became labbored, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Weir and Carson rushed over to her.

"This is Beckett, I need medical assistance in the conference room A.S.A.P!"

҉

Shepard stood behind Weir this time, watching over Illyria sleeping.

"How's she doing?" John asked, crossing his arms.

"Stablized, but still very weak." Weir answered. "Carson said the stress of remembering all those awful things set her back in recovery."

"I can't imagine how she must be feeling…" John whispered.

"Very unsettling."

"And I thought this place couldn't get any weirder."

The doors opened and Rodney came in. "How's she doing?"

"Why don't you ask her?" Illyria whispered, opening her eyes. "What happened?"

"You had a mild panick attack. Carson say no more Q & A until you're better, which should be in a few days."

Illyria nodded. "The question now is, what will happen to me now?"

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked.

"What will you do with me? I am from a time far diferent from now, everything is so strange to me. I can't possiably be of use when your methods and technology…I can't understand."

"You'll be with me." John said. Rodeny, Weir, and Illyria stared at him as if he really were Captian Kirk. "On my team, helping us against the Wraith and finding a way to bring Atlantis to it's former glory."

Weir nodded and Rodeny stared at Shepard in shock. "I am not in power here, not anymore. The dissision is not up to me, Major Shepard."

"But it is up to me." Weir said.

"No, not until she is better. Which isn't now." Carson said. "No serious desions until then."

"I can respect that, Doctor Beckett." Illyria nooded and leaned back into her pillows.

"But if Weir says yes, would-"

"Major, I warned you."

"I know, but if she would-"

"Major…."

"In a few days time, I'll give you my answer, Major Shepard; depending on what Doctor Weir says." Illyria delegated.

"Alright, she needs her rest. Out with ya, out." Carson shooded them away.

"Before we leave, I've been meaning to ask you, what was on the piece of paper we found in your hand?" Rodney asked.

"Gate adresses," Rodney rolled his eyes. "Of outposts containing what you call 'Z-pm's'." Illyria supplied before the infirmary doors shut on their surprised faces.

҉


	2. Chapter 2

_**An:/ **_**I do NOT own anything, except Illyria and her child (boy or girl? You choose) Takes place in season one and grows from there. Please comment when finished, I LOVE feedback! **

** Previous chapter: Season one episode 15**

** This chapter: Season one episode 16**

"Good morning, Illyria. How are you feeling?" Carson asked, standing by her bedside.

"As well to you. And I feel very well today. Is it possible to feel the baby moving this early on?" Illyria asked, rubbing her stomach.

"You're what, four weeks pregnant? Give or take a few thousand years. But anyway, the embryo should be around 1/25 inch and weigh less than 1 gram-"

"Can you tell me what's going on…inside me?"

"I'm no child doctah, but I'll try my best." Carson sighed and sat down in the wing chair Major Shepard usually occupied these days. "Once the embryo implants in your uterus and the placenta starts to grow, your heart starts beating more quickly. You might be putting in an extra 15 beats per minute. Until your blood volume catches up to all that extra pumping ,which it won't do for a number of weeks, you're likely to feel tired most of the time."

"Why is heart beating so fast?"

"Besides me being around you? A lot of that extra blood is heading straight for your breasts, resulting in tenderness and the tendency for your…. nipples to show." Carson smiled uneasily and ducked his head.

"It's alright Doctor Beckett." Illyria patted his hand.

Carson lifted his head and held her hand. "How many times do I have to tell ya? Please, love, call me Carson."

"Alright…Carson. What's happening with the baby?"

"The embryo is now made of three layers that will transform into the different parts of your baby's body. The inner layer will become your baby's intestines, liver and lungs. The middle layer will become your baby's heart, sex organs, muscles, bones, and kidneys, and the outermost layer, will develop into your baby's hair, skin, eyes, and nervous system. Believe it or not, your baby is already starting to look like a tiny little being, not necessarily a _human_ being, complete with a head, a mouth opening and a primitive brain and heart."

"That's completely…fascinating, Carson. Thank you."

"What's fascinating, Carson?" John walked in, smiling at Illyria.

"I'm in the know, as you say."

"Oh, so you know what we need you for in the conference room?" Illyria looked confused, glancing between Carson and John. "I guess you don't. Well, I've been sent to come and get you."

"Thank goodness, I've been wanting to get out of here." Illyria looked at Carson. "I didn't mean-"

"I know, love." Carson smiled, going to the desk on the other side of the room. HE came back with a pair of scrubs. "You're going to have to wear these until I can find some clothing for you."

"Thank you, Carson." Illyria turned to John. "Give me a minute to change, Major, then we can be on our way."

"My name is John. You can call me that, you know."

"I know."

"Then why are you calling Beckett 'Carson'?"

"Because his name is Carson; I can call him that, you know." John smiled and shook his head, knowing that there was a reason he loved this girl.

҉

"Do they have any idea where the Z-pm could be?" Weir asked.

"Now, according to legend, an ancient from Atlantis came through the stargate and entrusted a sect of Sudarian priests with a 'rare treasure' or a potentium, as they call it. The Atlantian told them to keep it from the Wraith at all cost. The Sudarian people worshiped the ancients; they consider the potentium their most sacred artifact."

"The potentium being…?"

"The Z-pm," John said from his seat next to Rodney.

"So they wouldn't have used it?" Weir said, a smile hinting at the corners of her mouth.

"From what I can tell, they only brought it out to be displayed on high holidays. I won't even be surprised it they didn't know it could be used. And that is good news."

"If they didn't know how to use it, chances are it's still completely powerful." Weir said this time smiling.

"The bad news, however, is that after 10,000 years of Wraith culling's, the society is eventually extinct. The planets inhabitants are in a breadbox level of development. But with some of our gear, I really think we could make some head-way."

"Alright, I'm sold. Major, take your team back to Dugan, see if you can get us a ticket home."

"Elizabeth, I was wondering if Illyria could come along. Seeing as how-"

"No, absolutely not." Carson said, putting his hand down on the table.

"Why would that be, Carson? If she could help us find a way home…?"

"Yes, I'm all for that, Elizabeth, but I have not yet cleared her medically fit. Why do you think I'm in this room watching her like a hawk?"

"Well, then, Major, I guess you are going to have to do without." Weir nodded to everyone, before leaving the room.

"I'm sorry, major." Illyria stood and placed a hand on John's shoulder. He covered her hand with his and looked up at her.

"It's all right. Get well soon so I could use you…" Illyria, Carson, and Rodney all raised their eyebrows. "That's not what I meant. I meant, so that you could-"

Illyria placed a finger on John's lips. "I know what you meant….John." With that, Illyria and Carson left, Illyria throwing a glace back at John before the doors closed.

҉

"We have deep space sensors?"

"Yes, cannot believe you didn't know? You have come so far and yet…" Illyria said. She, Weir, and a Russian scientist, Radek Zelenka, were sitting in Weir's office. Doctor Zelenka was fixing a malfunction in the gate room when he discovered the sensors.

"From what I can tell, they've been running silently in the background along with the primary systems."

"In the background?" Weir asked.

"Yes," Zelenka nodded.

"The why the sudden leap to the foreground?"

"Excellent question…"

"You don't have an answer for that, Radek?"

"As of yet, no. Maybe Queen Illyria?" Zelenka looked uneasily to Illyria.

"It could either mean a malfunction or something serious. We were always on high alert during the war, so the sensors were on screen at all times. But then again, this could just be a malfunction."

"Let's hope it's a malfunction, then. Zelenka, keep us in the loop?" Weir said.

Zelenka got up and said, "You are the loop."

"Well, isn't that a nice thing to say?"

҉

"It's very beautiful, isn't?" Weir asked, looking over Illyria's shoulder at the waves crashing against the city.

"Yes, it is. Reminds me of so many things." Illyria smiled and turned around. "Elizabeth-"

"Doctor Weir!" Zelenka yelled, bounding through the doors and running onto the balcony. "Doctor Weir, I was finally able to interface our computers to the Atlantian long-range sensors."

"That's excellent!" Weir said, beaming.

"There's an unidentified craft, about the size of a Wraith dart, heading for the city."

"What?" Weir said storming off with Zelenka and Illyria into the control room.

"Yes, I'm sorry, the sensors picked it up days ago, but it's taken me till now to decipher all this data" Zelenka sat down In a chair and began pounding away on the keys.

"A dart. How's that possible?"

"Well, perhaps it was modified to get here as quickly as possible?" Illyria supplied.

"The hive ships are light-years away, still!" Weir said.

"They could have used a neighboring stargate and is now flying towards us at maximum speed since the Wraith discovered we were here." Zelenka pushed up his glasses and looked up at Doctor Weir. "At its current velocity, it'll be here in twenty-seven minutes."

"We need to get jumpers in the air."

҉

"I've got the general population confined to their quarters; let's hope they're out of harm's way." Weir laced her hands together to keep them from fidgeting.

"Have you gotten hold of John yet?" Illyria asked, perched on the control console.

"No, haven't been able to reach him. His entire team is off radio."

"They are still closing in very fast." Zelenka said, eyes glued to the screen. "Who are we going to get to fly the third jumper?"

"I can barely make it to the main land and back without crashing!" Carson was yelling at Bates. "For the last time, I'm a doctor not a bloody fighter pilot!"

"A Wraith dart is going to be all over this city inside of ten minutes! Our only real fighter pilot is off world. I, for one, would like to mount the best defense we can!"

"Then let me pilot." Illyria said, boarding the craft.

"Oh, no you don't lass!" Carson jumped out of his seat.

"You said you want to mount the best defense. I grew up with these ships, my family invented them! I am the best you have." She said to Bates.

"As much as I would love to have you pilot this, you can't. I do not doubt your abilities, but you're pregnant and a valuable resource we can't afford to lose." Bates said, getting up and lightly pushing her off the ship. "I'm sorry," He shut the door and commanded Carson to fly.

҉

"Jumper on, you should have visual in thirty seconds." Zelenka spoke into his ear piece. All essential personnel were gathered in the control room, sitting on the edge of their seat for any good to come from this. "Coming right at you."

Moments ticked by.

"Atlantis, Marcum and Smith have been taken out…" Bates reported, his voice shaking slightly.

"It's heading for the city!" Carson called.

Outside, military personal gather on balconies to shoot down the ship if they had a clean shot. One team reported something peculiar.

"What's it doing?" Weir said, looking around from monitor to monitor.

"It's scanning us…." Zelenka said, puzzled at why a ship bent on destruction would be doing scanning.

The ship finished scanning and pulled up, trying to leave the city. Our jumpers chased after it. They were clear of the city when…..the ship blew up.

"Atlantis…we have a kill!" Bates confirmed via radio.

"Good news jumper two. Now head on home." Weir said, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. It seemed to be like everyone was doing that out of relief.

҉

"So what happened out there?" Weir asked Carson and Bates once they entered the control room. When Illyria spotted Carson, she immediately ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?" She asked, her hands cupping his face.

"No, love, I'm fine." Carson smiled and Illyria nodded, pulling her hands away and stood next to him.

"As soon as we had a clean shot, it self-destructed." Bates reported.

"Why?" Weir crossed her arms and looked between Bates and Carson.

"Ma'am, I have no idea! I don't think it came her to fight; it didn't seem that interested in the jumpers, except when we were blocking its way to the city."

"Darts aren't long range fighter. The fact it came so close….it was a scout." Zelenka said, running a hand over his tired face.

"Why would it self-destruct? Scouts are used to relay information."

"But it did." Zelenka turned back to his computer and pulled whatever was on it to the main screen. "Look, just before it exploded, it was transmitting data."

"I don't suppose…?" Weir said, looking at Illyria.

"Give me a while, but yes I can translate."

"Do we know where it was sending it?" Bates asked, looking at the screen of Wraith writing.

"I could direct long-range scanners to that area and see what shows up? Give me a couple hours?"

҉

"Did you try to explain-"

"I tried, believe me, I tried." Rodney asked, coming up the steps to the control room, followed closely by the rest of the team.

They came back without the Z-pm.

"Could have used it." Weir huffed. "No, you don't understand. While you were off world, a Wraith dart flew over our city."

"I'm sorry?" Rodney asked.

"We lost a jumper along with Marcum and Smith." Weir leaned against the control console and crossed her arms.

"You what?"

"And it scanned us."

"You lost two of my men and a jumper and this is the first time I'm hearing about this?" John yelled.

"I tried to reach you, but you had been out of radio contact for over twelve hours. Now, the dart sent a transmission deep into space, but it self-destructed before we could get to it."

"We scanned the area with our deep-space sensors-"

Zelenka was interrupted by Rodney asking, "Wait, we have deep space sensors?"

"Yes, it's a long story."

"And we found something else. Something unsettling." Weir said.

"I'm already unsettled. Show me." John demanded.

Zelenka walked over to the main monitor and pulled up the image.

"What are those?" Rodney asked, squinting his eyes.

"Wraith hive ships," Illyria said, walking over to the group to stand next to John. "Three of them."

"Where are they headed?" John looked down at her, his worry evident.

"If they maintain direction and speed, they'll be over our planet within two weeks." Illyria whispered, looking at the screen. She'll be six weeks by then, one and a half months pregnant. It scared her more than anything to think she might lose this child. Her one link to the people she left behind. And have it all come to an end….


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:/ I own nothing, but Illyria and her child (**BOY OR GIRL, YOUR PICK**). Please review, I love hearing from you. Takes place during Season one episode 17.**

"Well, we knew they were coming, and now we know when." Weir was saying to us all. Doctor Weir was sitting at the head of the conference room table; on her left went Teyla, Rodney, John, Illyria, Carson, and Ford.

"That's something." John said.

"That's _something_?"

"That means there's still time, Rodney. There's no reason to panic….yet."

"Where there is time, there is hope." Illyria said to Rodney.

"Agreed, so recommendations?" Weir addressed the room.

"Other than panic?" Carson put in, rubbing his hands together.

"Other than panic, yes."

"I realize this might not be cool, but we should consider M7G677." Ford said.

"As a possible evacuation site?" Weir leaned back in her chair.

"No ma'am. I'm suggesting we take their Z-pm."

"Their only means of protection from the Wraith?" Weir asked. "A planet populated mostly by children?"

"He raises a valid point." MaKay backed him. "We already established that the Zed-pm is nearly depleted, but it could be a bit of use to us."

"You asked for suggestions. It's a matter of survival." Ford said.

"I see. We're not _quite_ there yet! And as long as I'm in charge, we will never be there."

"I agree, Doctor Weir," Teyla said. "If this is to be our end, we will face it with both dignity and honor."

"Actually, I have an idea in addition to panic" Rodney said, waving a finger.

John leaned forward on the table. "Let's hear it."

"It's a long shot, but I think it's mostly worth the effort. Mostly my efforts-"

"What is it?" John cut him off.

"I think we can send a message back to Earth, through the Stargate."

"'Scuse me?" Carson said.

"I thought we didn't have the power?" Ford asked.

"Not to send a person, no. We'd never be able to maintain the worm-hole long enough. I think if we were able to tie together all our power capabilities we might, I emphasize _might_, be able to establish a worm-hole long enough to send a message."

"How much time are we talking about?" John asked.

"Approximately? Uh, about 1.3 seconds, give or take."

"That's not much time." Carson said, shaking his head.

"Time enough to say S.O.S." For said, a smile on his face.

"Don't be so analogue. 1.3 seconds is enough time to send a message if it's in the form of a high-compression data burst. Now I helped refine the encoding for the U.S air force a few years back. Cornel Carter should be able to, uh, decipher it on the other side."

"You're suggesting this now?" John asked.

"Because it probably won't work and there's a very good chance it might over load our naquda generators in the process."

"Then we can't take the risk! No power, we don't have a chance in hell."

"There are three Wraith hive ships on the way, major. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, I've spent the last few days minimizing the risk."

"Assuming it's possible, how much information could we send?" Weir asked, drawing the attention back to her.

"Anything. Mission reports from all senior staff, a ton of stuff on Atlantis, things from Pegasus, all that." Said it casually enough.

"All that…in one second?" Illyria doubted.

"1.3." John corrected.

"If I were to adjust the compression ratios, you can be looking at things to add."

Everyone looked at were in the tense moments leading up to her decision.

"Do it."

With those two words, Rodney was off and everyone was leaving the room.

"John, I-"

"Hold that thought." He said and rushed past her to stop Weir. "Elizabeth, you realize if Stargate command was able to send help-"

"I know, they would have. But we still have the responsibilities to report what we've learned here, about Atlantis, about the ancients."

"About the Wraith?"

"Exactly. We have to warn Earth."

"Even if it's the last thing we do?"

"Especially if it's the last thing we do."

҉

"Illyria! Illyria, you wanted to talk to me?" John said, jogging up the hall to reach her.

"Yes, but if you're busy-"

"Not at the moment." He stopped beside her and smiled. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Now may not be the time to ask this, considering the hive ships…"

"Illyria spit it out." John smiled and they started to walk.

"When I went to the cafeteria to get some food, I overheard some of the women talking about how they sometimes share food and get to know another person. I believe it's called a 'date'? And I was hoping to get to know you better, John. But since the Wraith are on their way I doubt you have time-"

"A date; you're asking me out on a date?"

"Yes, I would believe so. Am I doing it wrong? Is there some certain way to ask one out on a date?" Illyria stopped and looked up at him, her blue eyes wide.

"I wouldn't say there was a certain way to ask someone out. I was just…shocked."

"…You don't want to go on a date with me?"

"No! It's just-"

"So you do?" Illyria smiled.

"Yes, but-" John sighed and smiled down at her. "I'll make you a deal."

"And what deal is that? Is it apart of the dating thing?"

"No, but anyway, if we both come out of this thing alive, I'll take you some place special for our first date. How about that?" John didn't realize he was stroking her arm until he saw himself. He tried to take his arm away, but she stopped him.

"No, don't. It feels nice." She smiled. "You said 'first date'. Are you planning for another one?"

"Well, I guess I am." He said. They were both smiling like idiots at each other when Weir's voice came onto his radio calling him to the control room. "I've got to go."

"Yes," Illyria nodded and began to walk away when John lightly grabbed her wrist.

"Unless you want to some with me?"

҉

"They don't seem threating, those dots on the screen, do they?" Weir commented, looking at the space sensor's monitor.

"Which is why we need to re-con and see what we're up against first hand." John said, crossing his arms.

"How?" Illyria asked, knowing that those ships were far from here.

"I've tracked their progress. The Wraith ships apparently go in and out of hyperspace periodically. Either because their hyperspace technology is limited-"

"Or they're stopping to feed along the way." John said interrupting Zelenka.

"The point is, the pattern is predictable. I can guess with some certainty they will be making stops here, here, and here." He pointed to three dots on the screen, running across the zig-zag line that was their flight course.

"Even so, those ships are light-years away. How do you except to reach them by jumper?"

"Fly to a stargate on route to one of the world's Zelenka thinks they're going to stop at and we watch them pass by."

"It's good, John." Weir whispered.

"I have my moments. Teyla, Illyria, and I were just deciding which planet to go to."

"Check with Carson about Illyria before heading off, is all I can say."

"I am familiar with the people of this world," Teyla said, pointing to the second world. "Their stargate is in the open and accessible by ship."

"And you think you can remain undetected by the Wraith as they go by?"

"Cloaking, they won't even know they're there." Illyria said.

"Go, get what Intel you can and get back before Rodney sends his message. I need the both of you here. And remember, check with-"

"Carson before leaving, I heard ya."

҉

With the gate powered up, John's puddle jumper descended from the ceiling.

"In the off chance you have the idea to take the Wraith ships on yourself, major, I'm here by ordering you not to." Weir stood in the control room, looking into the puddle jumper.

"Believe me, you don't have to." John said, looking at Teyla, who was sitting shot gun.

"Still-"

"Don't take on an alien armada single handedly. Understood."

Illyria walked up to the balcony, overlooking the stargate, and pressed her hand to the glass of the puddle jumper. "Be safe, John. Remember your promise."

John put his hand on the glass, too, and promised he would before backing up through the gate.

"What promise?" Weir asked.

"A promise he better come back to keep."

҉

"Okay, we have our city's specs, mission reports, and tactical assessments all ready to go." Weir said, back in the conference room. "What else?"

"We included a lot of data that Illyria has helped us decode from the data-base." Rodney added.

"Really? That's incredible."

"Well, the algorithm I devised is extraordinarily efficient."

"Oh, please." Carson said under his breath.

"Well, it must be. In order for all that data to fit in 1.3 seconds." Weir told him.

".3 seconds, actually."

"We have a whole other second to fill?" Weir looked at him, astonished.

"Hm, a whole extra one, yes."

Weir looked around at everyone before saying, "Is it enough to include personal messages."

"Uh, sure. Several hours of video and more that's strictly audio."

"It'd do wonders for moral, especially now."

"I can tell my grandma what I've been up to all this time." Ford said.

"Well, if your grandmother had security clearance, yes you could. But for now, you can tell her that you're well."

"This is all….very charming, but I have work to do." Rodney butted in.

"Lieutenant, maybe you would like to handle this. Give everybody a few minutes on camera to send a personal message to their loved ones."

"I'd love to ma'am." Ford nodded.

"Alright, go!"

"As soon as Zelenka and I can get jumper four's engines tied into the grid, we should be able to do a low powered dry run." Rodney said, leaving along with everyone else.

"Rodney? You don't want to send a message to anyone?" Illyria asked, catching up to him.

"You know what, with my spare time; I'll record a message myself."

"That's good."

҉

"Are our guests comfortably settled in?" Weir asked John and Teyla as soon as she got inside the conference room, Illyria not far behind.

"Yes."

"Good. So tell me," Weir leaned onto the table, her arms bracing her. "How bad is it?"

"Bad. Each hive ship acts like a carrier group, with cruisers and hundreds of darts escorting it. Groden's downloading the sensor readings right now." John somberly said.

"I have never witnessed a culling that took so many." Teyla bowed her head.

"We saved a few, that's worth something." John told her.

"Rodney, are we ready to send our message?"

"Ready when you are." He told her then left to prepare. Weir nodded to Teyla signaling her to leave. John stood up, but Weir stopped him.

"There's one message I'd like for you to do. Cornell Sumner." John nodded. Illyria waited for her to leave before she approached John.

"How are you, John?"

"Considering I had a fight with Teyla, almost didn't go back for those people, watched a whole village get vaporized, and was almost picked up by a Wraith dart, I'd say-" John didn't get a chance to finish. Illyria placed her lips on his, soft and sweet, only for a second.

"You did good today. Remember that." Illyria left, leaving the major with his fluttering heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:/ I do not own SGA, only Illyria and her child (**boy or girl, please choose!**) Comment, please, if you can manage. Season one episode 18**

It was night in Atlantis. Men patrol the grounds, keeping eyes and ears out for anything…hinky. Two scientists sat at the control panels, watching the movements of the Wraith. Rodney drank his last drop of coffee in search of a solution to their crisis. Men and women around the city listlessly struggled and fought from sleep to come. But it did not. Unfortunately for Illyria, it did. Unfortunately, you ask, why is that?

Illyria was dreaming of the Wraith. Hoping her night terror would end.

He stalked predatory like down the halls of Atlantis, searching for something. No, someone. He walked and walked and yet found no one. Until he found the infirmary. Yes, there must be people there. Only there was one. One, single, female lying in one of the beds, sweat gleaming off her forehead. She was in the throes of a nightmare; no doubt he was the cause. The thought of that gave him and almost human joy. He walked to her, standing at her bedside and just watched. Her light brown hair was splayed across her pillow; her face drawn and tight and her eyes madly went about underneath her lids. Human joy indeed. He raised his hand and as quick as a viper, he brought it down to her chest. Illyria thrashed, hitting and clawing the Wraith, his grip was strong. Why wasn't anyone here trying to help her? What of the child?

As quick as the dream started, it ended with Illyria tossing about in the infirmary bed. She sat up and looked around, tossing off the sheets. She needed John. She got up and ran to the nearest transport, pushing where she needed to go, and ran to his room. There were tears in her eyes as she called his name.

"Major Shepard? John!" No answer. She waved her hand over the panel and went inside. She threw back the covers on his bed and did not find John Shepard, yet a husk of someone wearing his clothing. Illyria screamed and turned to run, but the Wraith was behind her. This wasn't a dream, you cannot wake up from this! She told herself, fighting him with all her strength as he drained hers and her child's life.

Illyria opened her eyes, finding herself in the infirmary once again. Had that been a dream as well? She sat up and looked around. No wraith, only a slumbering Carson in the wing chair next to her bed.

҉

"You okay?" John asked. He and Illyria were walking down the halls, nowhere to be, just walking.

"Yes." She nodded, faintly realizing he was there.

"You sure? Because it's me who's usually not talking." John joked, nudging her with his shoulder.

"Truthfully? I have not been sleeping much, but when I do I have been having awful nightmares about the Wraith."

"Well, you're not the only one." He said, staring straight ahead of him.

"It has not been so bad since my…since Breen was killed." She said silently. John didn't know what to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut and continued to walk with her, taking her hand in his.

҉

"According to Doctor Zelenka's calculations we have less than one week till the Wraith arrive." Weir was saying to a conference room filled with a handful of people from each department. "I want options."

"You mean besides crying ourselves to sleep? Well not me! I haven't slept in days." Rodney said, glancing at Zelenka next to him.

"And what do you have to show for your sleepless nights, Rodney?"

Since we got here, we've uncovered a number of defensive weapons systems besides the shield-"

"We think our best option is the control chair." Zelenka butted in.

"I was getting to that."

"Yes, but you were taking too long as usual."

"But the point is, that may not be our best chance!"

"Name a better one!"

"Gentlemen." Weir called.

"Of course, like the shield, power will be our biggest problem." Rodney said.

"We haven't even able to initialed the chair yet, much less determine the power requirements to run it." Zelenka finished, pushing his glasses up.

"Okay…keep me posted. Sergeant Bates, where are we with our Alpha site?"

"We've completed the ground and aerial security sweep and we're ready to begin establishing base camp. We're just waiting for final inspection by Major Shepard."

John nodded. "Right after lunch."

"Good. Teyla, are the Athosians getting prepared for an evacuation?"

"Yes, but many believe there is no other world that is safe from the Wraith."

"They want to stay?"

"We have heard from our alias and seen for ourselves that there are culling's happening all over the galaxy. My people have spent their lives hiding from the Wraith."

"Yes, the difference here being we do intend to destroy the city, rather than it fall to the Wraith. And if it comes to that, anyone left on the mainland will be cut off from the stargate for good. Now, thanks to Rodney's discovery of the gate's crystal, we at least know we will be able to take that with us and hopefully use it to access earth on day in the future."

"We understand that, Doctor Weir."

"I'm sorry-"

"I am merely saying that the people of Athos wish you to know that if we are going to stay and fight, they too will help defend the city of the ancestors."

"Well that's very honorable, but I-"

"Ah, please!" Cavanaugh yelled. "We can't possible consider staying and fighting."

"Well I disagree. I think it's entirely in the realm of possibility." John said.

"There are tens of thousands of life sucking aliens in highly advanced spaceships on their way here to destroy us!" He somewhat sing-songly said. "And we have, what, two hundred people who most of which are scientist who've never fired a gun before?"

"Shockingly, that's the first time I ever have to find myself agreeing with…..Cavanaugh." Rodney pointed behind himself and at the incredibly annoying man.

"All I'm saying is let's not give up hope…just yet." John said.

"What is it; we're supposed to always remember that's important? Oh, yes, that's right: The Alamo." Rodney said, rolling his eyes.

"Granted you guys are scientists, no one's considering putting you guys on the front line, but science can turn the tide of war. Look at the…A-bomb."

"Not, exactly, our proudest moment." Zelenka said.

"The fact is, the Wraith aren't here quite yet, and until that moment, I want everyone to remain focused on what it is they do best. Like I said off the top, if there are any options I want them. That's all."

҉

"Mind if I join you?" Illyria asked, her tray in hand.

"Of course." John nodded his head towards her tray full of food. "How's the baby?"

"Carson says she's 1/8 inches in size and weighs less than 1 gram." Illyria smiled, picking up the Jell-O.

"She? Carson tell you that?"

"No, he says he can't tell for a few more weeks."

"SO how do you know?"

"I…just _feel_ it, I guess."

"You look tired. Is that from not sleeping or…?"

"Both. I feel super-tired and nauseous and your breasts are killing me. Carson says it's due to the myriad of hormones raging through my body at levels rivaling a teenage boy's."

John dropped his Jell-O back onto his plate and said, "I know how that feels…kinda."

"Extreme exhaustion is often one of the first signs of pregnancy, so my body will probably regain some of its strength by the time I enter my second trimester. If I put my head in my hands and stare down at my desk, it'll look like I'm working really hard and nobody will know I'm actually sleeping."

John laughed. "Yeah, that'll do most of the time. What about the baby?"

"This week starts a period of rapid cellular development for my baby-to-be, who looks like a mini tadpole, with a tiny head and tail. Her eyes, ears and mouth have begun to form. Other exciting milestones include: my baby's heart is now beating to a regular beat, although it's still too faint to hear. Her arm buds are _just_ beginning to, well, bud. They look like teensy swollen bumps at this point. In a few days, they'll resemble flippers."

"How big is a ⅛ inch?" John said, taking a bite out of his cupcake with sprinkles.

"About the size of one of the chocolate sprinkles on your cupcake." Illyria smiled as he stopped chewing and swallowed it whole.

"I just ate a tiny baby…" He muttered. They both jumped when Bates voice came on the radio, telling him he had to leave for the Alpha site. "Walk with me?"

҉

"Come on, it wasn't all that nasty."

"You weren't the one eating it-"

"Major." Teyla called, coming around the corner, geared up and ready to go.

"Teyla."

"What did you tell Doctor Heightmyer?"

"Maybe I should…" Illyria tried to walk away, but john stopped her.

"No, stay. I told her exactly what you told me."

"I confided in you."

"You are a member of my team, Teyla, which makes you my responsibility. And I told one person who's job, by the way, is to deal with exactly this sort of thing."

"There is nothing wrong with my mind."

"You said there was."

"I have a hard enough time getting your people to respect me which out them thinking I'm crazy!"

"Nobody thinks you're crazy." Illyria said. "And everybody respects you."

"That is not the point!"

"Look, Teyla, you may want to sit this one out."

"What do you mean?"

"Rodney is staying back; Ford and I are just going to check out the Alpha site on more time before we have to move in."

"Should we evacuate, my people would be forced to live on that planet as well."

"And I'll make sure it's safe for everyone. Look, Teyla, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you, God forbid. But you yourself admitted you were a little of your game, you snapped at Doctor Weir this morning in the briefing room for no good reason, now your biting my head off for caring that you might need help dealing with the fact that it's been three days since you had any sleep."

"I'm sorry, but I do not need any help. The Wraith are coming, what I need is to do something!"

"Yeah, good. I suggest you take a nap." Teyla glared at him one last time before leaving.

"I'm guessing that went well…?" Illyria asked, rubbing his arm up and down.

"As well as it could have gone." He turned to her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "And that goes for you as well. Take a nap and I'll see you as soon as I get back."

҉

"Still wearing scrubs I see." Carson smiled as she walked into the Infirmary.

"I went looking for my clothing a few days ago, but they were either washed away in the flooding or aged by time." She told him sitting down on her bed.

"Once this whole Wraith ordeal is over, you and I can go searching for some actual clothing. God knows I need some too." He joked and sat down beside her.

"You seem hopeful that we'll come through this." She noted, smiling.

"You don't?"

"I did not say that, Carson. In my experience with war with the Wraith, the most hopeful of us all almost always comes through. And I have a good feeling that _you_, Doctor Carson Beckett, will come through this kicking and screaming."

"Aye, kicking and screaming. So it's a date, once all this is over?"

"Aye, it's a date." She mimicked. The look he gave her sent her over the edge in a fit of laughter. That's when Teyla came in, asking about tests he did on her people.

"I ran tests on all of you from the get-go. Physiologically, you and your people are the same as we are. I have no explanation for any of your special super-powers."

"We have one."

"I've seen you fight, my dear."

"I have traced this ability as something passed down through family lineage. Would that make it biological?"

"It would seem so, but without genetic samples from everyone one in your family tree, I would have little to no chance at identifying the specific characteristics that causes the anatomical response." Teyla and Illyria both looked puzzled at what he just said. "It'd be difficult."

"Any chance you would have time to fly me over to the main land?"

"If you're willing to take your life into your own hands." He joked. "I'd love a break. Illyria, are you coming, lass?"

"I would think it best I not. Major Shepard gave me orders to nap. I think it best I follow."

"And as your doctor, I agree with the Major."

҉

John sat on the bed, next to Illyria, as she slept, stroking the side of her face lightly with his finger.

"You'll scare the poor girl, if you keep doing that, thinking bugs are crawling all over her."

"Speaking from experience?" John smiled with Carson. "I came in to see how she was doing before I left off-world."

"Again? I thought you just got back from the Alpha site?"

"I did, but Teyla found out a about this planet her people were taken and it can't hurt to look if it'll get her to sleep. What'd you give her anyway, she's not tossing and turning?"

"Who, Teyla?"

"No, Illyria. She has nightmares almost every night she told me."

"Well, it seems they go away whenever you're here, lad. Seems to be fate." John just raised his eyebrows at the good doctor. "Anyway, I think I've gotten farther with her than you have."

"Oh, really? Did she tell you I'm taking her to a special place off-world for our first date once we kick the Wraith's asses?"

"Won't be your first, lunch and breakfast count."

"No they don't! Anyway, what makes you think you've gotten farther?"

"I'm taking her out shopping when the whole Wraith crisis is over."

"Crap, you are farther…"

҉

"Rodney, Elizabeth." Illyria said, walking into MaKay's lab.

"Illyria."

"John says you think you might have found a Wraith laboratory?"

"It looks that way, some hidden secret facility. It's obviously been abandoned for a very, very long time. I was able to, uh, pull this data recorder from one of the computer consoles."

"You think the Wraith were experimenting on the people, _my_ people, of that planet?"

"We have no idea, maybe this thing will tell us." Weir said, looking over Rodney's shoulder. "Why the need for secrecy, the Wraith can take people at will and do whatever they want with them."

"Here we go!" Rodney announced, the data transferred onto the screen in Wraith writing. "Now that, uh….that means absolutely nothing to me. Last time I saw the contents of one of these things, it showed a galactic positioning system for ships. It was more pictures than symbols."

"Wonder-" Weir said, before cutting off.

"Just so you know, you never finished that sentence…out loud." Rodney said.

"Illyria, could you possibly…?"

"Of course, but from the looks of it, it has changed since the last I saw of it."

"Well knock yourself out; I have to get back to the control chair anyway."

҉

"Gentleman, how's it coming?" Illyria walked into the chair room to see Rodney and Zelenka fight…again.

"Not good!" Rodney said.

"Well, I'm sorry this won't help. Carson, I need you."

"Oh thank God!" Carson sighed, jumping off the platform.

"Hey, we're using him!" Rodney yelled after him.

"What is it; are you and the baby alright?" Carson glanced her over.

"You were right."

"Lovely, about what?"

"I heard you theory about the Wraith evolving after my people arrived in the Pegasus galaxy."

In the background, Illyria saw Zelenka stick his hand out to Rodney, "Pay up."

"How'd you know?" Illyria raised an eyebrow and Carson smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry, stupid question."

"It's okay. The Wraith language is a derivative of 'Ancient' as you so call it. I didn't tell you before, because they changed it around a bit since the last I saw of it."

"That doesn't categorically meaning-"

"Rodney, please! That's not why I need to see you. I've translated the first part of the Wraith data device."

"Really?"

"I'm ashamed to say it took longer than expected."

҉

"Good morning." Teyla said, bringing Illyria and Carson's eyes away from the computer in the infirmary. "You look like I feel."

"Well, we've been up all night." Illyria snapped. "Sorry, hormones."

"You wanted to see me?" Teyla asked, ignoring Illyria's outburst.

"You better sit down." Carson said.

"What is it…?" Now cautious, Teyla moved slower. Illyria and Carson looked at each other.

"Well, I translated the first part of the log you brought back and….are you sure you don't want to have a seat?" Teyla shook her head and gestured for her to continue. "The Wraith were doing experiments on your ancestors. It was just one Wraith, doing it against the wishes of the other, which is why he was doing it in secret. Your people were under my protection, it should have never happened, and for that I am sorry."

"What was he doing?"

"I think he was trying to make their food source more compatible with their species." Carson gently said.

"I do not understand."

"It was very easy to miss; in fact I couldn't even make the comparison necessary in order to isolate this specific strand. We needed Wraith cells, which we eventually got, but then we need the full mapping of the genetic code contained within those cells, which wasn't even 50% complete-"

"Please…tell me."

"You have some Wraith DNA in your genetic makeup."

҉

"You're saying Teyla's part Wraith?" John asked. He, Rodney, and Ford stood shoulder to shoulder when Illyria, Carson, and Weir broke the news.

"A very small part." Carson reassured him.

"Which makes her about as different from us as you." Weir put in. "With the Ancient gene you possess."

"And some other things." Rodney said.

"Still, Bates is going to go nuts over this." Ford said,

"Let's get this one under our hat." John said, shaking his head.

"Obviously, Teyla is concerned at how everyone will act." Illyria said.

"What, so you think this Wraith scientist was trying to make humans more, what, tasty?"

"The logs seem to indicate that he was trying to make the feeding process more efficient." Illyria said, shaking her head.

"I thought you said they had a number of genetic characteristics similar to humans?" Rodney asked.

"They do, but they're still much closer to the bug that attacked Major Shepard than us." Carson said.

"Hey, I thought we weren't going to mention that anymore." John said.

"What bug?" Illyria whispered to Carson.

"I'll tell you later, love, if he won't" He whispered back.

"What's interesting, is that the Wraith language appears to be a derivative of Ancient." Weir told them. "Which means the Wraith evolved after the Ancients arrived in Pegasus."

"My theory is that the ancients, no offense Illyria, unwittingly allowed humans to evolve on a planet with the…insect species…on it. At some point, it feed on humans and breaded our DNA into theirs. The Wraith are an evolution of the combination."

"So what you're saying is that the Ancients actually created the Wraith?" Ford asked, looking to Illyria.

"I would say so." Carson avoided eye contact with her.

"Or negligence." Rodney said, defending her.

"Either way, it doesn't matter." Illyria kept her eyes on everyone for a moment or too, making sure they dropped the subject.

"Ultimately, the more we know about Wraith physiology, the closer we get to a biological weapon that can attack the Wraith and leave humans unharmed."

"Yes, but for the moment all we know is that the ancient might have accidently created the Wraith and that's why Teyla can sense them coming. Fabulous mystery solved, but none of this helps us in any way to stop them from coming!" Rodney rebutted Carson.

"He's right. Let's get back to work." Weir said, standing up.

"Thank you."

҉

"Alright, even with John in the chair we weren't able to, uh…" Illyria held up a finger to silence him, something she learned from one of the botanists. Rodney raised a finger to mimic her. "What? What is that?" Rodney noticed the tablet in her hands and came around to peer over her shoulder.

"Yes, something you said made me wonder."

"I thought it was decided that there are more important things-"

"Why did the Wraith scientist stop the experiments?"

"What did I say that would make you think that?"

"Can't remember."

"No, no, it's a good point. I just- What do you have?"

"Weel, at first I thought it was because the other Wraith caught him."

"They didn't?" John asked.

"No, based on this he stopped on his own."

"See now you've got me wondering why the Wraith didn't want these experiments take place in the first place." Rodney mused.

"Exactly."

"Especially since it was _supposed_ to improve things for everyone."

"That's what I'm saying."

"I just said it."

"Will you stop?" John cut in before Rodney went out on a full-out argument with Illyria.

"Alright, here's the most interesting part. The Wraith communicate with each other using some sort of telepathic network."

"I know that…" John said.

"Thankfully, to you, they can't read the minds of humans though."

"That's good, but what does that have to do with the Wraith stopping the experiments?"

"Patience, John. By combining small amounts of Wraith DNA with humans, the scientist was going the humans Wraith mental abilities. The subjects of his experiments were able to hear the Wraith communications."

"The stories that Teyla told, the voice that they heard…"

"Were Wraith, exactly. Must have driven them mad. The Wraith scientist couldn't find a way around it, so eventually he gave up."

"I don't understand…why let them back in the general population then?" Rodney asked.

"It seems he thought that interbreeding with normal humans might dilute the effect."

"Ah, before he realized he was wrong it was too late."

"When the other Wraith did find out what he'd done…they whipped out all the people on the planet. But not before several of the test subjects were out casted and forced to leave."

"Okay, so how does this help us?" Rodney asked, skeptical as always.

"Teyla may have more than the ability to sense the Wraith coming."

"What you're saying, you think Teyla might be able to tap into this Wraith physic network?"

"If she can, we can gather all the Intel we ever needed about them." John sounded positively mad with joy.

҉

"Do you think she would do it?" Illyria asked, sitting on the balcony with John.

"She's strong, noble, willing to do anything for her people. If it'll save them…"

"She would."

"I hope so."

"You going to eat your Jell-O?"

"How many have you had?"

"….."

John sighed and handed over two containers of Jell-O. "Beckett's going to kill me."

"Not if he doesn't know."

҉

"How'd it go with Teyla?" Illyria asked, sitting on the edge of John's bed as he washed up.

"First time we had to shocker her out of the hypnosis she was in."

"Was Teyla okay?"

"Yeah. Teyla was pissed that she was yanked out and so was I."

"She wanted to be there? Why'd Weir pulled her out?"

"Teyla was watching one of the Wraith feed. She said it felt like she was the one feeding."

"My god, and she wants to watch that again?"

"Illyria, if it'll help us save the city-"

"I know, John. It's just….never mind. Continue."

"Teyla said she could handle another go and we put her back under. She was walking through the ship, stopping in a control room. We thought she pulled herself out, opening her eyes. But it wasn't Teyla."

"You mean it was a Wraith inside her head?"

"Yeah, it told us we were pathetic and we were going to die. But If you ask me, that's nothing new when talking to a Wraith. It took Beckett a while to get her out of there, but once we did she didn't remember anything."

"Shock?"

"Maybe…"

"What was the situation in the gate room earlier today?"

"Oh yeah, Bates dialed in hot from the Alpha site. Wraith attacked the planet and dropped some sort of device next to the gate. Looks like that planets out for the Evac.."

"How did they know we were there? I thought it was uninhabited."

"It was. Bates said it was almost as if they knew we were there. He's blaming Teyla for the attack. That's when Ford came in and said Teyla wanted to do it again."

"I don't think any of you would have stopped her from trying again. It was probably better you were all there."

"I agree. So here we are, back in the infirmary. A few minutes in, it looked like Teyla was having a fit so Carson tried to break the connection. Only, it didn't work. She sat up punched him in the face and destroyed the monitors with her IV pole before hitting Carson in the back with it. Ford tried to bear hug her but she just threw him across the room. She was heading toward Weir when Bates shot her twice with a Wraith stunner."

"Is she okay? Is Carson okay? I swear to-"

"Illyria, calm down. He's fine, just has a headache. When she woke up she couldn't stop apologizing. We were concerned that the Wraith could connect to her at any time, but Teyla said she had to make the connection first. Bonus is, she saw their battle plans and the route they're going to take to get here."

"That's amazing John! But…why do you not seem happy?"

"The Wraith just don't want Atlantis, they want Earth."

"So that is why they all are waking up. Atlantis is the only way to get to Earth…."

John came back into the room, clad in green flannel pants, smelling clean shaven. "Hey, stop that now." He sat next to her on the bed and pulled her into his arms when he saw her begin to shake with tears rolling down her cheeks. "It'll be okay-"

"How can you sit there and say that so calmly!" She pulled away and punched his shoulder. "Why aren't you scared?"

"I am scared, believe me, I am. But punching the nearest person doesn't help anything."

"I-I'm sorry. It's just these hormones…." She collapsed into his chest, letting his heat engulf her.

"I know, Carson warned me. Promise me this, no more worrying about Teyla, the Wraith, or anything else. Just focus on the here and now. Think you can do that?"

"Yes, if you promise me something in return."

"What?"

"Hold me for the night?"

John smiled and leaned back in the bed, pulling the covers down, before pulling Illyria in with him and getting comfortable. "I think I can manage."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:/ I OWN NOTHING besides Illyria and her baby (**boy or girl, please choose**). Shocking scene at the end :3 I hope you'll enjoy it. Comment if it was shocking, or comment anyway. I'll even throw in John Shepard half naked (**you choose which half  **) holding a baby unicorn.**

"Not only has Teyla been able to ascertain that the Wraith are more interested in Erath than Atlantis, which is, you know, terrifying. She realized that the hive ships will go past the only surviving satellite."

"The last of, we assume, of dozens of defense satellites during the Ancients last stand with the Wraith." Zelenka added to Rodney. Rodney walked from his place at the screen to stop in front of Zelenka.

"Yes, yes, the point is I think we can use it to our advantage."

"Rodney, it is dead." Illyria said from her place next to John.

"Yes, but I think we can bring it back."

"If we are right about what is wrong with it." That earned Zelenka a glare from Rodney.

"Of course we're right about what's wrong with it. If we're right, and it's just out of power, the Wraith have simply just been ignoring it."

"Our piliminary estimates indicate a single naquada generator will be enough to bring it back on line."

"I thought we use those to get the weapon systems of Atlantis working?" Ford asked.

"Those systems were designed to be powered by a Z-pm, as you call it. The satellite isn't" Illyria nodded. "It is powerful enough, once working properly, to take out all three Wraith hive ship when fully charged."

"Mind you, Illyria's people only lost the war because they were outnumbered." Rodney said.

"Please do not remind, Rodney." Illyria asked, looking up at him.

"Sorry…"

"Rodney, _we're_ vastly outnumbered!" John said.

"And out gunned." Bates added.

"But, _they_ don't see satellite as threat." Zelenka happily said.

"In military lingo, surprise is…an…element on our side."

"What do you need?" Weir asked.

"The satellite is 15 miles away by puddle jumper. I recommend we put together a small crew, say myself, Groden, a pilot-"

"I'll go." John offered

"No, Miller can handle it. Major, I need you to keep searching for alternate Alpha sites." Weir said, leaning onto the table. "Just in case this fails."

"And Illyria."

"I do not know of how it works, Rodney."

"But you're an Ancient?" Ford asked, as if it were clear.

"Adian, can you, a military man do the work of brilliant scientist?"

"The hive ships will be in rage of the hive ships in forty-nine hours. We're going to need every last second of that time." Rodney continued, glaring at Carson.

"Questions? Okay, let's get on it." Everyone got up and left the room, some grumbling at the work a head. "Well, Rodney, no un-do pressure, but at this moment, that satellite is the only thing standing between the Wraith and Atlantis."

҉

Bates, John, and Illyria were sitting at the conference room table searching for Beta sites. So far, nothing has come up.

"MA59393?" Bates asked.

"No. We've only been there at night and it gets ridiculously hot during the day, so no." John said, flicking through some more addresses.

"We wouldn't be having this problem if the damn Alpha site you picked hadn't been marked by the Wraith!" Illyria complained, slamming a finger down on a key.

"They're a little pain in the ass aren't they?"

"Yes they are."

"How about M4H212?" John asked.

"Nah, crawling with Genii spies."

"You know that for a fact, Bates, or is you Spidey-Sense just tingling?"

"Fact, sir."

"Here we go, M1M316. Stackhouse reported lush surroundings and, as far as his team could tell, it seemed uninhabited." Illyria looked at John for confirmation.

"I'll get my team and check it out."

"Remember, Major, we don't need ideal. We can settle for close." Weir reminded, walking by to room.

"I'm on it."

"Wait, John!" Illyria called, chasing after him as he left the room. "Teyla can't go, she's still on bed rest and pending her physic evaluation."

"I know that, Illyria. What's your point?"

"I want to come."

"John stopped dead in his tracks. He was about to say something when he stopped Bates. He grabbed Illyria's arm and jogged down the stairs.

"Major, is Teyla coming with you?" Bates asked.

"You aren't seriously asking me that?"

"I think that's a bad call, sir."

"Here we go again."

"All I'm saying is that we don't fully understand her connection to the Wraith. My opinion, I don't think we should expose her to information we don't want the Wraith to have. The least of which is the location of our Evac. site."

"We're done, here, Bates." John said, ditching the man in the hallway.

"But, sir-"

"Done, Bates!" As soon as John and Illyria were in the transporter alone he said, "Fine, suit up. But at the first sign of trouble, even a leaf falling to the ground, I want you back at the gate. Do you understand what I'm saying, Illyria?"

"I do." Those two words coming out of her mouth sent shivers down John's spine.

҉

John, Ford, and Illyria backed through the gate, firing everything they had. They dialed in off schedule saying they were coming in hot after a tangle with some resistance. No doubt Bates would think Wraith. As soon as the gate was closed, they lowered their weapons.

"I told you Teyla was a liability, sir. Now I'm not going to let your personal feelings endanger this facility any longer! Look, I'm not accusing Teyla intentionally, but the Wraith must be getting information from her." Bates charged.

"What the hell are you talking about? We ran into a, uh…what was that?" John asked Ford.

"Looked an awful lot like a T-Rex, sir."

"A T-Rex! Wasn't even Wraith. So why don't you check your accusations." Dismissed, Bates left.

"I take it you don't recommend the planet as an Alpha site, Major?" Weir asked.

"The planet isn't my first choice, no. If McKay doesn't get the satellite online, we're screwed."

"And what is Illyria doing in gear? On a hostile planet no less?"

"I offered my help, not knowing it was hostile, none of us did. Now, Major Shepard gave me clear orders to head back to the gate at the sign of any trouble-"

"Even a leaf falling," John pointed out.

"Then why didn't you?"

"We were surprised. We didn't know the…T-Rex?...was there until it was all most on top of us."

"Tell you the truth, Doctor Weir, Illyria saved us back there." Ford said.

"How so?"

"She tackled me out of the way. If it wasn't for her, I'd be in its stomach. She even got to the gate first, dialing in before we even reached her."

"Hmm, I guess you owe Illyria, Ford." Weir smiled nodding to Illyria. "Nice work."

"I guess I do, ma'am." Ford smiled at Illyria. "What would-"

"Jell-O; the answer is always Jell-O." John said, patting Ford on the shoulder.

҉

The three of them were rounding the corner of a hallway when they saw Teyla swing a punch at Bates, not that he didn't have it coming.

"What the hell's going on here?" John yelled, grabbing Teyla while Ford got Bates, both struggling to get at each other.

"I was simply stating an opinion, Major." Teyla said,

"She attacked me!"

"And for good reason!"

"Yeah, and what reason would that be?" John asked, shoving Teyla away.

"My guess would be the Wraith!" Bates yelled, fighting against Ford. John almost didn't catch Teyla as she tried to doge past him.

"Walk away, Bates."

"Sir!"

"Walk away!"

Bates shoved away from Ford and pointed a finger at Teyla. "This isn't over."

"I would be disappointed if it were." Teyla shot back.

"What the hell are you doing?" John turned on her when Bates was out of site. "You don't go around decking the head of security!"

"He said-"

"I don't care what he said! He says a lot of things. You just stay away from him." Teyla nodded before leaving in the opposite direction of Bates.

҉

"Holland, hello." Doctor Weir said as Holland and three other Athosians entered her office.

The strangest thing happened, at least to the eyes of Doctor Weir. Holland and the others bowed when they saw Illyria in the room. "Queen Illyria, we are most honored to be in the presence of someone so wise." Illyria nodded for them to stand up.

"The same with you, Holland. Your people look up to you as a strong leader when Teyla's not around to guide them, I sense that."

"Thank you." Again he bowed. "Doctor Weir, may we speak?"

"Please have a seat." She gestured to the wing chair in front of her desk.

"I will take my leave. Holland," Illyria stood and nodded to him before the others.

"You may stay if you wish; I have no quarrel with you being here, my queen." Holland stood.

Illyria considered it and nodded, resuming her seat on the couch and Holland did the same.

"How has the evacuation on the main land coming?" Weir asked.

"We'll be ready."

"Good."

"Doctor Weir, there is word that there is a plan in place to destroy Atlantis." Holland said.

"What?" Illyria said standing up.

"Illyria-"

"Is that why you called me in here, to tell me you were going to destroy my city without my permission? Doctor Weir-"

"There are concerns. The Wraith will be able to make it to Earth if the city is left intact. But I assure you that plan will only be executed in a worse case scenario."

"Such as three hive ships flying towards Atlantis." Illyria asked, coming to stand next to Holland.

"Illyria, you know we believe we can destroy them before they arrive."

"No, you hope to."

"I understand-"

"No, Elizabeth, you _don't_. I understand you fearing for the wellbeing of your people, but it is not reason to destroy Atlantis. You do not know of what this place means to some."

"My queen is right, Doctor Weir. The City of the Ancestors should not be destroyed. Atlantis is a sacred place, to even consider destroying it for merely self-preservation-"

"Merely for self-preservation?"

"This place and my queen is all that remains of the greatest race ever to inhabit the stars." Holland said.

"You prefer it fall into the hands of the Wraith?" Weir asked. "After all that you have said to me?"

"I have faith that the ancestors will not allow it to happen."

"And your faith is well placed, Holland." Illyria took her eyes off Holland and placed them on Weir. "I will not see my city fall. I have been able to preserve Atlantis for 10,000 years, is it not possible-"

"No, I don't think it is possible." Weir cut her short. Holland looked astonished that Weir would do a thing like that. "Not if you're suggesting that you alone will save the city."

"You cannot know my plans for Atlantis." Illyria said. "I have been kind, allowing you to keep you position as leader. But I am Queen-"

"You have made all the plans you are going to make." She said. "Now it's up to us. I have to do everything I can to ensure the power and technology of Atlantis does not fall into the hands of the Wraith. And yes, to make sure they will never make it to my galaxy."

"Even if it means sacrificing the future of this one?" Illyria asked, placing a hand on Holland's shoulder. As Illyria left, the Athosians went with her.

"I thank you for your thoughts Holland, It was better to have heard of their plans from someone who would not have the city fall." Illyria said.

"I am sorry it has come to this, my queen." Holland turned and faced her, placing his hands on her shoulders and touching foreheads. "The city will prevail as it has always had. I have faith it will."

"Your faith is most comforting, Holland."

"Anything for my queen."

҉

"John!"

"Not now, Illyria, Bates has been attacked."

"Did you know they were going to destroy Atlantis?" John stopped and adverted his eyes, before he began to walk faster.

"I don't have time for this-"

"Then make time!" Illyria yelled, grabbing his arm and sling him to face her "Did you, or did you not, know they were going to destroy Atlantis."

"Yes, I did." He whispered, not looking at her. He finally looked up when she felt her hand drop his arm as If it burned her, tears streaming down her face. He tried to grab her, but she shoved him away.

"Don't!" She backed away from him, hurt. "Don't touch me."

"Illyria-"

"Why didn't you tell me? I trusted you, John."

"I couldn't! I wanted to, so bad, but I couldn't." He pleaded.

"For two weeks, we have known the Wraith would come. For two weeks we have lied in bed together talking about the weather, even the rules of football! Anyone if those times you could have mentioned it. Any number of times!" She yelled.

"I couldn't…"

"Go. Tend to Bates' attack; he will most likely blame Teyla." She turned to leave.

"Illyria, don't go."

"I'm not the one who's doing the leaving, John."

҉

Illyria was inside Teyla's room, talking to her in soothing tones, when Ford and John walked in. Teyla knew why they were here, courtesy of Illyria and the armed guards outside her room.

"You don't think I have anything to do with it?" Teyla asked.

"Of course not." Illyria and John said at the same time. John look at her but she ignored him, tear tracks still evident on her face if you knew what you were looking for.

"But you and Bates did get into it pretty good yesterday." Ford said.

"You know me Adain; I never would have taken it that far."

"I know; let's just see if we can't rule it out all-together. Where were you last night?"

"I was here, in my room."

"The whole night?"

"Yes."

"So there's no way of knowing if you blacked out or not." John said.

"Yes there is. I was with her last night." Illyria spoke up.

"If you're lying-"

"I am not, Lt." Illyria said sternly.

"The whole night you were with her?"

"Yes, Aidan."

"What were you doing?"

"Talking"

"About…?"

"Of things that do not concern you. Or you for that matter, Major. Teyla did not leave this room last night, I am sure of it."

Ford nodded, looking to John.

"I did not leave this room."

҉

It was night in Atlantis, everyone was on lock down. Teyla was not the one who attacked Bates, but a Wraith.

There's a Wraith in the city.

"Someone tell me how this is possible; how can a Wraith get into the city." John asked, coming into the conference room trying to strap on his P-90.

"They didn't gate in." Ford said.

"The dart, right?" Zelenka asked Illyria who nodded somberly.

"What?" John asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"The Wraith dart the scanned us. It made its way through the city, scanning for data. The second it was done, it self-destructed."

"It beamed into the city." Illyria said.

"Can they do that?" Ford asked.

"The same technology the is used to sweep people up into the ships must work in the opposite way." Teyla explained.

"So the Wraith scanned us, transmitted the data, beamed down, and destroyed his ship?" Weir concluded.

"Seems plausible," Zelenka nodded.

"That is precisely the time I started to sense the Wraith continually."

"No wonder you've been having nightmares." John joked.

"What's he been doing all this time?" Weir asked.

"Well, Bates was attacked near the naquada generator that powers this tower." Zelenka said.

"Wraith was doing recon. Maybe his job is to knock out the power before the hive ships get here? Leaving us dead in the water." John said.

"Or trying to make sure our self-destruct wouldn't work?" Ford asked.

"Maybe a combination of both." Weir said.

"Exactly," Carson agreed.

"What we know so far is that we have a Wraith intruder in the city to track down."

"…I have an idea." Zelenka said, looking as if a light bulb suddenly appeared in his head.

҉

"This is a biometric sensor we had online for the past month or so. If detects irregularities in biometric rhythm, it reports them."

"Wouldn't have picked up on the Wraith?"

"It requires significant amount of power, so we've narrowed its field focus to scan solely in the gate room, figuring that that was the only place the Wraith," Zelenka hit a few buttons and lettering appeared on the board a head of them. "or any other alien, would enter the city from."

"Okay, that was wrong." John said.

"Yep." Zelenka keyed in a few more things and brought up the map of the city; the dots on it were spread out. "Now, if I can expand the scanning field to- My God!" Zelenka said, spotting the red hexagon on the screen.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"That's him, look." Zelenka pointed to the only yellow dot in the field of white.

"It's pretty much like the life signs detector." Carson noticed, "But it's able to distinguish different life forms."

"That's him?"

"That's him." Zelenka confirmed.

"You can track him in real time?"

"Yes,"

"Ford, Teyla, we need two teams. Let's go get him." John ordered.

"Yes, sir."

As John walked by her, she stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Be careful, John." She looked up at him, eyes pleading. He could tell no matter how mad at him she could get, she still cared. And that was why he's fighting so damn hard.

҉

"Is he still in place, doc?" John asked armed with his P-90, while his other three companions held stunners.

From the control tower, Weir, Zelenka, and Illyria watched to board. "Yes, he's still in the same room. Hasn't moved since we located him."

"Let's hope he's still sleeping. Ford, Teyla, you in position?" John asked.

"Almost." Teyla answered through the radio they were all sharing.

"My team's ready." On the screen you could see John's team on one end of the room and Teyla and Ford's on the other. "We're going to breach the room, the same time from different directions. If he tries to get out any door, take him."

"Understood , sir." Ford said. "Shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes."

It was unsettling to watch the dots on the screen moving around and only be able to hear their voices over the radio. None of us knew who was who on the screen.

"Alright, standby." The dots on the left side of the screen froze, assuming that's John's team, while the right side of dots kept moving.

One the other end of the radio, they heard a door open, Wraith stunners firing, grunting and falling. Then….silence. John and his team were hit! Seconds ticked by before heavy breathing fell upon the radio, "Nothing can keep us from our new feeding ground." The Wraith tore open a jacket and growled. Illyria knew this meant he was about to feed. She was imagining John, lying on his back, while the Wraith reared back his hand and-

A wraith stunner sounded the radio along with something falling.

"We heard the whole thing and double-timed it, sir." Ford was saying. John….John was then one the Wraith was coming after then…..Illyria covered her mouth with a trembling hand and seared for a seat with the other. She had to sit down before her legs failed her. She continued to listen to the radio.

"It's fine, Major, you are going to be okay." Teyla was telling him.

Goddess help him.

҉

It was the next morning when Illyria went to visit the Wraith, taking the place of John. He was still in the infirmary; Carson wanted to keep an eye on him saying he had a pretty nasty concussion on top of a Wraith stun.

Illyria opened the doors, but did not enter, standing to the side so the Wraith could not see her. She beckoned Ford and Teyla out.

"How's the Major?" Ford asked.

"Pins and needles as he calls them. He hates being stung by those things. Has he said anything yet, the Wraith?"

"Not yet." Teyla said.

"Let me have a try."

"Ma'am, I don't think-" Ford was silenced with a stare. He just nodded and moved out of her way.

"Ford, tell your men to have their guns ready. Teyla, you do the same. Once he sees me, he will act…violently."

"Why?" Teyla asked.

"Please, do so now. I do not have much time before John wakes up and sees I'm not there." Teyla and Ford nodded, telling their men in hushed tones to have the guns ready. When that was done, Ford nodded to Illyria, telling her it was clear to come through. Once she did, the Wraith recognized her. He hissed and flung himself at her, but the shielding in the cell prevented him from coming trough. He tried hard though, skin peeling off his fingers to show bone, blood oozing down his clothing and onto the floor to pool.

"Enough!" Illyria commanded and the Wraith obeyed, pulling his hands away. "You will answer all of my questions. Is that clear?"

"Yes…Queen Illyria." The Wraith bowed his head, keeping eye contact.

"What have you been doing here the past few weeks?"

"Watching," He answered.

"Who have you been watching?" He did not answer. "Tell me!" She yelled. As she did so, he flinched. Teyla and Ford exchanged looks; Teyla had never seen a Wraith act as such. It seemed as if the Wraith…was afraid of her.

"You. I've orders to watch…you." He said, breaking eye contact with her.

"Why?" Illyria said softy, approaching closer.

"I-I cannot say…." The Wraith looked around at the men surrounding his cage.

"And why not?"

The Wraith looked at her, understanding between them. "You do not want you secrets shared…my queen."

Teyla looked up at Illyria. Only Teyla's people called her that anymore, and during Illyria's time only her subjects. Why was the Wraith?

Illyria nodded, keeping her eyes on the Wraith, but speaking to Ford. "Open the doors."

"Ma'am?" Ford asked.

"Open. The doors, Lieutenant." Illyria sternly said.

"But-"

"He will not harm me." Illyria said, turning to Ford. "Now open. The doors."

Reluctantly, Ford did so. The doors opened ….and the Wraith backed away from them. Another curious thing. Illyria stepped in and stood in the middle of the cage, her side facing Ford and Teyla. The Wraith took a step towards her and Ford pulled out his gun.

"Lieutenant, there is no need for that." Illyria said, looking at him. She nodded towards the Wraith who was glancing between Illyria and Ford. He stepped closer, only a few centimeters apart, and placed either hand on the sides of her head, touching her temples with his index fingers. He breathed in and out, in and out. Then the connection came. The others could tell because the Wraith and Illyria both gasped, their heads going back.

"Get her out of there!" Teyla yelled and Ford rushed into the cage.

"Stop….Ford, don't." Illyria whispered, her eyes fluttering behind her lids.

Ford looked back at Teyla and she nodded her head for him to leave. The minutes ticked by. On the overhead, Weir gave and announcement,

"_May I have your attention, please? This is Doctor Weir; our plan to stop the Wraith armada has failed. They will make it to Atlantis. There for we must begin out evacuation plans. I wish I could tell you all this is a fight we will win, but I can't do that. I wish I can tell you that we will find a safe harbor when we leave here. I can't promise you that either. I can tell you this, up to now, you all have accomplished extraordinary things. And I believe, in the face of an uncertain future, as long as we stay together we still have a chance to continue to do so. Now we all have our evacuation duties, so thank you and I'll see you on the other side." _

Teyla and Ford's attention was brought back to the cell when Illyria and the Wraith both gasped and fell to the ground.

"Illyria?" Teyla shouted, running to her. She kneeled next to her and checked her pulse. It was weak, but still there. The men came into the cell and surrounded the Wraith. He tried to lift his head, but he couldn't manage. He looked at Teyla and whispered, before dying,

"Save our Queen….."

_**To be continued…**_

**AN:/ **Shocker! Comment to share your thought on how this chapter played out


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:/ Shout out to: **sheppardlover928**: You gave me an awesome review so I hope not to disappoint! **

** I own nothing except Illyria and her baby (**please choose boy or girl**).**

** Final episode of Season one :3**

**Illyria inside the Wraith's mind-**

* _He was over her at once, his foot stepping down hard on her leg. She heard the sickening snap before she felt it. But then she _did_ feel it, and she couldn't hold back her scream of agony. She twisted up and reached for her leg. He was standing over her, smiling at the joy of knowing he was the cause of her pain. _

_ "Would you like to rethink your tone with me, _my queen_?" he asked pleasantly. He nudged her shattered leg and she heard a sickening scream. She was later told that scream was her own. "Your husband cannot save you, dear queen. For I have killed him, the taste of him still lingers in my mind." _

_ "No!" She croaked. "No, Breen…You will pay for this Wraith-" Something smashed into her face, causing her to fly back into the broken glass._

_ Over the pain in her leg, she felt the sharp rip across her back and head where the glass cut into it. And then warm blood began to spread through her hair and clothing at an alarming speed. She could hear the drip-drip-drip of it hitting the floor._

_Through the nausea and dizziness she saw something that gave her sudden hope. His eyes, the Wraith's eyes, now burned with an uncontrollable need. The blood pooling around her was driving him mad with guilt. Not matter his original intentions; he couldn't draw it out much longer. Like she heard it from under water, she heard the final growl of the hunter. Through the fog, she could see his dark shape come towards her. With her last effort she whispered, "I do not blame you." _

_She closed her eyes and drifted._

**Present day—Carson wheeling her out of the cell.**

As she drifted, she dreamed. Where she floated, under dark water, she heard the happiest sound her mind could conjure up- as beautiful, as it was uplifting. It was a snarl, almost, that rang with fury. She was brought back, almost to the surface, by a sharp pain in her upper arm. She couldn't find her way back far enough to open her eyes. She knew she was dead.

Illyria, Queen of the Ancestors, has finally perished.

How she knew, through the heavy cold water, she heard the sound of an angel calling her name. Calling her away to a higher plain. She felt all warm, tingly inside, like this was right somehow. That this was the way to go.

"No, Illyria, no!" the angel cried out in horror. Why would an angel do that? "Illyria, please! Illyria, listen to me, please, Illyria, please!"

She wanted to say yes, but she couldn't find her lips.

"Carson!" The angel called agony in his voice. "Illyria, Illyria, no, please, no!" The angel was sobbing tearless, broken sobs.

It was wrong, angles shouldn't be weeping. She tried to find him, but the water was too deep, it was pulling her down. She couldn't breathe, there was too much pressure. Behind the Angel's voice was another noise- an electronic sound going flat. A flat line, she believed it was called.

There was a point of pressure on her head. That's when the pain broke through the water, hitting her at full force. She cried out, gasping, breaking through the water.

"Illyria!" the angel cried.

"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep." A calm voice informed him. "Her fall to the floor cracked her head open like an egg shell."

She felt a sharp stab in her side. This couldn't happen after ascension, could it? After ascension came no pain.

"Maybe a rib, too, I think." The accented voice continued.

But the sharp pains were fading. There was a new pain, a scalding pain in her arm that was overshadowing everything else.

Someone was burning her.

"John…" She tried to tell him, but her voice was so heavy and slow. She couldn't understand herself.

"Illyria, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Illyria?"

"John," She tried again, her voice was a little clearer.

"I'm here."

"It hurts," She whimpered.

"I know, Illyria, I know" He pulled away from her and said something to the accented man, Carson. "Can't you do anything?"

"I have. I've given her pain medication so she wouldn't feel a thing."

"Well she is!"

"I'm sorry, John, but-"

"Carson, my arm…." She tried to tell him.

"I'll give ya something, love. It'll stop."

"My arm is burning!" she screamed, breaking through the water and opening her eyes. She couldn't see his face, just a dark, wet mass. Why did they burn her?

John's voice was frightened. "Illyria?"

"The fire! Somebody stop the fire!" She screamed as it burnt her. She flailed the arm, but felt more pain and she was sliced open.

"Damn, she sliced up her arm tearing her IV out!" Carson said, his mass moving over to her arm and wadding it with gauze.

"John!" She screamed. She realized her eyes were closed again. She opened them, despite to find his face again. She finally found his face, twisted in a mask of pain. She felt her consciousness slipping as the pain subsided. She was afraid to fall back into the waters again, afraid to lose him in the darkness.

"John." She tried to say, but she couldn't hear her voice. "Stay, John, stay with me…."

"I will," He promised, taking hold of her hand and kissing the back of it.

She sighed contently. The fire was out, the pain was gone, and sleepiness was seeping through her body.

"What'd you give her?" John asked from somewhere far away.

"I'm putting her into a medically induced coma." Carson said quietly. "Who knows what the Wraith did to her while he was in her head. Illyria?" He called to me.

"Mhhhhm?"

"Is the fire out?"

"Yes," she sighed. "That was a very big hose."

She heard one of her favorite sounds: John's quite laugh, weak with relief. The last words she heard were, "I love you."

҉

Her eyes opened to a dim, yellow light. She was in an unfamiliar room, a tent. Around her were walls of long vertical blinds; overhead, the dim lights temporarily blinded her. She was propped up on hard, uneven bed- a bed with hide covers. The pillows were flat and lumpy; they too were covered in hide. The only thing modern inside the blinds were two annoying beeping sound somewhere close by. She hoped that meant she was still alive; ascension wasn't this uncomfortable.

Her hands were all twisted up with clear tubes, and something taped across her face, under her nose. She lifted her hand to rip it off.

"No, you don't" And warm fingers caught her hand.

"Carson?" She turned her head slightly, and his Scottish face was inches from hers, his chin resting on the edge of her pillow. She, again, realized she was alive. "Oh, Carson, I'm so sorry!"

"Hush, love," he shushed her. "Everything's all right now."

"What happened?" She couldn't remember anything other than what happened inside her mind. Other than that, her mind rebelled against recall.

"I was almost too late. I would have been too late," He whispered, his vice tormented.

"I didn't mean to get hurt. I was just trying to help."

"I know."

"Where's John?" Through the haze, she realized he wasn't here.

"Back in Atlantis, prepping the last of the evacuations." He whispered.

"Back in…We're on the Alpha site?" She tried to sit up, but the spinning in her head accelerated, and his hands pushed her down gently back to the pillows.

"Yes, we were the first to be evacuated, in fact. The Major made sure of it." He chuckled. "He'll be back soon, I promise. And you need to stay still."

"What about the baby? Is she-" Illyria panicked, her hands flying to her stomach. She had no intention of being soothed.

"Yer baby is fine, Illyria. Congratulations, you just entered your eighth week." Carson smiled and patted her stomach, then sliding up to hold her hand. "You now need to take prenatal vitamins in order to assure proper growth and nutrition for your little one, yet every time you swallow the thing, it'll comes right back up thanks to your woozy stomach. Don't panic.  
>First, try taking prenatal vitamins at night or with food. Having something in your stomach to help absorb those horse pills can sometimes help. Iron is important, but it's also a common cause of nausea. If so, ask me about a vitamin with less iron, or try a liquid or chewable form that might help with the queasiness. If you're still barfing after that, check back with me and we'll see if we can prescribe you a vitamin that is specifically formulated for women with severe nausea."<p>

"And the baby?"

"This week, your little tadpole is starting to look a little bit more human. Other exciting developments include your baby's eyelids, ears, upper lip and the tip of his soon-to-be adorable button nose are forming. Junior will also sprout webbed fingers and toes this week—which you'll be well aware of in a few months, as baby starts early gymnastics classes inside you. The baby's tiny heart has separated into four distinct chambers and is really ticking now—at a rate of 150 beats per minute. That's more than twice your resting heart rate. Your baby is now a little more than ½ inch long, about the size of the rock in Nicole Richie's engagement ring, and is about as heavy as the check Joel Madden wrote to pay for it."

"….Who?"

Carson lost his smile and shook his head. "Never mind," He sat back up and tried to stand, but Illyria's hand shot out to stop him, gripping his wrist.

"Please don't leave me," she cried, an irrational surge of panic flooded through her.

He read the terror in her eyes for a short second. "I won't," he promised solemnly, and then he smiled. "I think I'll take a nap. I deserve one."

He moved from the hard plastic chair by my side to the hide covered recliner at the foot of her bed, leaning it all the way back, and closing his eyes. He was perfectly still.

"Don't forget to breath." I whispered sarcastically. He took a deep breath, his eyes still closed.

"As long as you do the same, my dear."

҉

When John dialed the Alpha site, ordering all military personal to come back to Atlantis to fight, explaining that men from Earth came through the gate bearing weapons to defeat the Wraith armada, Illyria had to go.

Against the wishes of Carson, of course.

"Illyria, ya just woke up from a medically induced coma after a Wraith attack. I thinks its best ya otta stay here."

"I wasn't attacked, he was sharing information. Information I needed." Illyria said, taking off her scrub shirt. As soon as Carson saw her lift up her shirt, he turned his back like a gentlemen.

"And what information you needed was so important that you had to have a Wraith mess with ya head?" He asked.

"My information." She quickly changed into the grey and yellow medical uniform jacket and pants that Carson supplied her with. "Now, you can let me go….or come with me?" She tempted. Carson looked uneasy before sighing and nodding his head.

"Let me get my bag."

҉

When they entered the city, it was abuzz of strange men dressed in black and white camo with red berets. Unloading crate after crate of machinery and weaponry.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Rodney called from the control room, looking down on them.

"Nice to see ya too, Rodney." Carson rolled his eyes, placing his hand on the small of Illyria's back, and walked toward him.

"Yes, hello, but what are you doing here? I thought you were attacked by the Wraith in the cell?" Rodney looked her over.

"I wasn't attacked, Rodney."

"Uh, huh, sure."

"Where's John?" Illyria asked. She faintly remembered him saying something before she drifted out, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember.

"Uh, off with some jar heads or Cornell Everett. Carson, come with me." Before Carson could say anything, he was dragged off to the chair platform. Illyria shook her head and went up to the control room, wondering what a jar head was. None of these men seemed to have heads shaped like jars.

"You must be Illyria." A confident voice spoke from behind her. She turned and saw a middle aged man in military wear, his arms crossed.

"And you must be Cornell Everett?" She asked.

"Major Shepard spoke very highly of you in his report. Of course, a more recent report has me a little concerned." He uncrossed his arms and folded them behind his back.

"You think I might once again fall have a Wraith fall into my mind as done hours ago?"

"Major Sheppard assures me that won't happen again, but I do need you to stay out of the way."

"Do you not need every able body to help defend Atlantis? _My_ Atlantis?"

"I think we can handle it. Besides, you're with child. The last child of the Ancients and it'll reflect bad on me if I were to let it die."

҉

Illyria, Weir, and the Cornell were in the control room when Rodney came sprinting up the steps.

"Elizabeth! Excuse me," He slid past the Cornell and stopped in front of the women. "I've hooked up the generator and the chair platform is operational."

"That's good news!" The Cornell said.

"Not so much."

"Why, what's wrong?" Weir asked.

"We're down to just a few dozen drones." Rodney reported.

"You're just finding this out now?" The Cornell raised his voice.

"There was no way of determining that until the chair was initialized and that was only possiable when the Marc-2 was tied in."

"The chair in Antarctica controlled thousands of the damn things!" The Cornell yelled back.

"Yes, I know. They were probably used up defending Atlantis the first time the Wraith attacked the Ancients. Isn't that right, Illyria?"

"Yes, you are correct, Rodney."

"Why didn't you tell us, then!" The Cornell turned to Illyria.

"I was never asked. I was told to stay away, remember?"

"Even a few dozen, it'll help us keep them at bay for a while." Weir optimistically said when the alarm sounded. "What is it?"

"Incoming. I don't know where they came from; they just appeared all of the sudden!" One of the techs said.

"What's going on?" John asked, bounding into the room almost running over Illyria. "Illyria-"

"Not now, John!" Weir said. "We just detected a wave of objects approaching the planet."

"How many?" The Cornell asked.

"100 plus." The tech said, looking up at the man towering over him.

"How come they weren't picked up by the sensors?" John asked.

"Because they're rocks!" Rodney said, typing away at the computer. "Asteroids. The Wraith must have harvested them from the asteroid belt and accelerated them towards us from a safe distance. The main frames taken this long to determine them as a threat."

"Can they do much damage?" Illyria asked.

"Oh, yeah. Maybe most of them will blow up in the atmosphere, but that's not what they're doing…"

"They're heading towards the mines." The Cornell watched on the screen as hundreds of asteroids hurtled to his clever weaponry.

"Can they be deactivated?" John yelled.

"No."

Rodney pulled up the 3D version of the scenario. Six blue dots, the mines, were at the bottom of the screen. The red dots above, asteroids, were coming down fast. Beep after beep was sounded, signaling the destruction of the asteroids and all six mines.

"Well, that's that. Your mines make one hell of a bang, Cornell. I'm sure the Wraith's ears are ringing." Rodney sarcastically jested.

"What's the status of the hive ships?" John asked, leaning over the console.

"We have no way of knowing. The mine destination knocked off our sensors."

"How long till they're back up?" The Cornell grumbled.

"There's a lot of residual radiation." The tech announced.

Rodney sighed. "It'll keep us blind for hours."

"Yeah, and they're still out there. And we just lost our primary line of defense." John concluded.

"Well this day has turned out wonderful." Illyria mumbled.

҉

"What's happening?" Cornell Everett stepped out of the teaching room with John behind him.

"McKay was right sir, we didn't see them until they were right on top of us." The tech said.

"Are the gunners in position?"

"Yes, sir."

"How about our damage control-"

"They're in position." Weir nodded.

"Alright, darken the city." The Cornell commanded. The tech hit a few buttons and all the light in the city went out. Since it was night, it got dark fast.

Outside we could hear the machine gun fire attacking the Wraith darts and the zooming of the chair's missiles. Illyria had to plug her ears, the noise was defining.

"Cornell, it's Ratner!" A voice yelled in the radio, bringing gunfire with him.

"Go head."

"Looks like some of them are starting to make kamikaze runs." Seconds after he said so, the sound of explosions echoed through the room.

"What happened?" Weir asked.

"We lost primary systems!" The tech said, eagerly typing away to bring them back.

Illyria followed the Cornell outside, onto the balcony. It was happening all over again. The sky was a blaze of fire, men shouted and screamed, guns fired until they could fire no more. We leaned against the balcony, watching from above. A Wraith dart zoomed by one of our gunners and his noise stopped.

"One of our gunners have gone dark," The Cornel said. He picked up his radio and spoke into it, "Cornell, why aren't you firing?" No one answered. "Darrel, report!"

"Cornell, this is Lieutenant Ford. I'm near Darrel's position. I'm on it." Ford said into the radio.

"Be careful." she told him.

"Always am, ma'am."

Minutes later they saw Ford's guns firing. Above, more darts came they're way. Two of them were heading for the balcony. Ford shot one down, and the other he clipped before it hit the tower. It blew up inches from the balcony. Cornell ducked Illyria under him, using himself as a shield in case any debris went flying.

And then, all together, the firing stopped. Illyria and the Cornell looked over the balcony to see many part of the city on fire or damaged from the fight. In the morning, black smoke will rise, singling the death of many.

҉

"Power's out in sections of the city; long range and internal sensors are down, but we're working on it." Rodney reported.

"I want to know the status of those hive ships A.S.A.P." The Cornell said.

"They're coming, that's their status!" Rodney snapped, turning to the man. "Tomorrow, the day after, the day after that. Eventually they'll get here! Whether we're here to greet them is another matter!"

"Rodney," Weir warned.

"Look, the chair is out of drones. How do you expect to handle the next wave?"

"I'm open to suggestions." The Cornell said, straightening his back.

"Really?" Rodney crossed his arms, Zelenka look at him sideways.

"We target the hive ships." John said. When he, Rodney, and Zelenka came into the room, she ran and jumped at him. John caught her in midair and hugged her tight. Now he wouldn't let her go, he was holding her hand firmly.

"With what?"

"We fly the puddle jumpers in stealth mode right down their throats."

"You volunteering for a suicide mission?" The Cornell asked.

"Well, it's not a suicide mission if Zelenka and McKay can figure out a way to remote control the jumpers." John said, smiling that he was the first to think of something that cool.

"Can you do it?" the Cornell said, looking back and forth at McKay and Zelenka.

"I knew this was going to happen…" Rodney muttered.

"Is that a fact?" The Cornell sarcastically remarked.

"It's a fact! Look, you show up here with your guns and you brush cuts, but when it comes to actually saving the city, you turn to the scientist!" Rodney ranted, turning back to the computers. "Every time, what you ask is impossible…"

"When was the last time you slept, Rodney?" Illyria asked.

"Shhhhzz," Rodney waved her down, his eyes glued to the screen. "Shut up, I have an idea."

"The chair?" Zelenka asked.

"Of course the chair! The problem is tying it to the jumper systems-"

"Without overloading the generators-"

"Possibly using the drones in the jumpers themselves as a means of repulsion-"

"While increasing inertial dampening to maximum-"

"Not very maneuverable, but possibly." Zelenka and Rodney exited the control room, going on like to the stairs.

"Is that a yes?" The Cornell called.

"No, it's a possibly."

"I'll take it. How much damage can one puddle jumper do?" The Cornell asked John.

"I've got an idea like that too. I think I know where we can get another neuc." John said, looking at Weir.

"Major, I don't know how sympathetic the Genii will be to our situation."

"Genii?" The Cornell asked, the name familiar on his tongue.

"They want to test their weapon, now's their chance." John said.

"Let me pass!" They heard Teyla yell from down below. All four of them went to the balcony. "I need to talk to Doctor Weir!" Teyla was being restrained from going up to the control room.

"Teyla?" Weir called. "What's the matter?"

"The Wraith. They are in Atlantis."

҉

Below in the gate room, men in uniform gathered, strapping on their guns and talking over plans.

"The Wraith piloting the kamikaze ships beamed in before they hit." Ford said.

"So, they can take the city intact." The Cornell nodded. "How many we talking about?"

"How many darts crashed?" John asked, knowing the answer.

"Between twenty and thirty. And internal sensors are still down."

"Well, we have this." John said, pulling out a life signs detector. "Can't differ between Wraith and human, but it can find all base personal in designated areas. Blimps out of bounds show the likely targets."

"Can I see that?" Cornell Everett asked.

"Won't do you any good, you need the gene." John said, looking around. We he looked back at the Cornell, it was working.

"I got the gene."

"We wish to help." Teyla said a hand full of Athosians behind her. The Cornell turned around to face her. "This is quite a large city, Cornell. You need as many people searching as possible."

"She is the one who sensed the Wraith presence in the first place." John added.

"Captain….get some weapons for these people." The Cornell finally decided, nodding to Teyla.

Before John left, he look up at the balcony and smiled at Illyria. "Remember our promise. You better be there when I get back!"

She smiled and nodded as he turned to leave, whispering as he left, "I should be telling you that."

҉

"We just revived a response from the Genii," The tech said from behind Illyria, talking to Doctor Weir.

"Let's hear it." Weir said. Illyria got up off the banister rail and followed Weir to the Tech's station.

"_This is Prenum of the Genii, we welcome the opportunity to open a dialogue between our two people. Send your representative, one person, unarmed._"

"Is that all?"

"Yes ma'am." The tech said, switching off the recording.

Weir nodded and tapped on her radio. "Cornell Everett, this is Weir. As we hoped, the Genii had asked us to send a representative. I'm set to go. In my stead, Illyria will take over."

"Good, I can't imagine anyone more qualified."

Weir switched off her radio and told the tech to dial the gate.

"Elizabeth, this is a trap. You and I both know it." Illyria told her before she reached the stairs.

"The Wraith are at our doorstep, Illyria. Capsulitis are expected."

҉

"Incoming!" The tech shouted, an hour or so after Weir had left.

"Who is it?" Illyria asked, pacing the balcony.

"I'm reading Doctor Weir's IDC."

"Open it!" Illyria commanded and rushed down the stairs to greet her. Weir stepped through the gate, a huge box trailing behind her.

"Give me a radio." She asked. Illyria handed it over. "This is Weir. I've got the prototypes."

҉

Later, after Rodney had come to collect the prototypes, Illyria and Weir were walking to her office when they spotted Cornell Everett sitting in her chair.

"Cornell."

"Well done, Doctor Weir. I-I have to admit it, I'm impressed."

"Well maybe there's hope for me yet." Weir stepped in and stood at the base of her desk.

"I'm in your chair." The Cornell said, getting up.

"I thought it was your chair?" Weir asked.

"Yeah, well I-I don't sit much. I was going over the-" Just then, the doors opened and in walked Rodney, a very not happy look on his face.

"We have a problem."

"We have a lot of problems." The Cornell said.

Rodney ignored him. "I just finished examining the Genii nuclear devices. They're incomplete. I can finish it, but it's going to take time."

"How much time?" The Cornell asked, crossing his arms.

"About a day?"

"We don't have a day, doctor."

"Like I said, we have a problem." Rodney left and the rest of them followed.

҉

They were on the control room's balcony, overlooking the evacuation of the severely injured and all others who wished to leave to the Alpha site.

"I'm sorry you lost some of your people." Illyria said to Teyla, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Many have died, Illyria."

"_This is Everett,"_ The Cornell said on the city wide speaker. "_Jumper four has just informed me that the Wraith hive ships are approaching the planet. Defense team, to you positions."_ He looked over at Doctor Weir and nodded.

"Thank you," she said before switching on her radio. "_This is Weir. Now I know how tired you all are, and how much we have asked from you these past few days. Hopefully the Daedalus will arrive soon, but until that happens our fate is in our own hands. If during the course of this battle our mission fails, I will give the order to evacuate. Now we all hope it will not come to that, but if it does, don't hesitate. That is all._"

"_Cornell, we're heading to the jumpers with the bomb_," John reported.

"I'll meet you there," The Cornell looked at Weir and pointed. "I owe you that drink."

҉

"Shepard, are you ready?" Weir asked but got no answer. Then the sound of the alarm came, warning them that the Wraith were here. On the screen it showed 15 dots, 2 were huge and red, and 2 were blue. "They are sending in another wave, Major we _need_ to go!"

Outside, it was like last night again. Only it was day and there was less men.

"Why are they no jumpers in the air!" Weir yelled into the radio.

"We must have exulted the Marc-2's energy output! It's dead." Rodney yelled back.

On the other end, John mumbled something before McKay yelled, "Major!"

"Cornell, we have a problem."

"What is it, Doctor Weir?"

"We made need to give the order to evacuate."

"Elizabeth, wait!" John yelled, coming into the room and heading for the stairs.

"You can't." She said. All this was lost on Illyria, she looked from John to Weir, but still din;t get it.

"I have to and you know it." He said, not looking at Illyria.

"John-" They stared at each other moments longer before she whispered the single word that broke Illyria's heart, "Go."

John nodded and turned to Illyria, sweeping her into an earth shattering, ground moving, kiss. Only then did she realize what he was about to do.

"John, no. You can't!" She held his jacket close, never wanting to let go.

"Illyria, I have to. It's the only way." He whispered.

"Then find another way…."

"Illyria, Illyria look at me." When she didn't he lifted her chin so he could stare into those beautiful blue eyes of hers. Illyria had never seen John with tears in his eyes, but they were there now. "It's the only way to save the city, to save you, to save the baby. I have to."

"John- John, please don't…don't…" This point, Illyria was sobbing broken tears. His closed his eyes tight and kissed her forehead hard, letting his lips linger there.

"I love you." He whispered, he too was crying now. Before she could stop him, he left.

He left to die.

҉

Illyria was curled up on the steps, not crying, not moving. Just staring out into space. She couldn't find in in herself to cry. Weir stared at her, pity in her eyes. Illyria was in shock. Soon, all she would want to do is cry.

"What's the status on the damn jumper!" Everett yelled into the radio. At the mention of the jumper, Illyria flinched.

"It's coming."

҉

"Doctor Weir, Major Shepard has taken the Jumper out!"

"I'm aware of that, Zelenka. Start prepping jumper two." Over the radio, she heard the sound of gun fire. "Teyla, I'm hearing gun fire, what's you status? Teyla can you hear me? Teyla?"

҉

"Go! Go! Go! Go!" Carson was yelling at people who were running towards the open gate. He sprinted up the stairs to the control room where he was meet with Rodney and Weir. "We can't stay here Elizabeth!"

"He's right, they're beaming in all over the place." Rodney backed him up.

Weir nodded and looked at Carson. "Go check on her."

"Check on who-" Then he spotted Illyria on the steps, her knees pulled up to her chest, rocking back and forth with tears tracks running down her face. "Good Lord! What happened?" He rushed over to her and pushed back some of the hair from her face. "Illyria, can ya hear me love?"

"Carson…?"

He sighed with relief. "Illyria, love, we have to go. We can't stay-"

"We aren't going anywhere." She looked up at him and then at Weir and Rodney before settling her gaze back on the screen. "Not yet."

In the mist of all the red dots was one single blue dot.

John….

҉

"You know, if this works, somebody might have to do it again." John said into the radio. At hearing his voice, Illyria snapped out of her trance and stood up, moving to the monitor.

"Understood," Weir nodded.

Rodney pushed past the girls and put the screen in 3D, the planet on the bottom, the ships on the top, and the single blue dot making its way there.

"You let Shepard fly the jumper?" Rodney asked. He glanced and Illyria before returning to the screen. Carson sighed, closing his eyes, and wrapped Illyria in his arms. No wonder the lass was a mess, he thought.

"Help me arm the self-destruct if all else fails." Weir and Rodney made their way to the computer, silently typing in their codes. Illyria and Carson watched John's progress; he was almost there. Overhead, the alarm sounded.

"They haven't detected my approach." John said slowly. "Weapon is armed and ready. I'm going in."

҉

**TO BE CONTINUED….**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:/ Hold your breath no longer…..anonymous person who messaged me saying they held their breath…..? **

** Aaaaaanyway, this is technically the first chapter of season two episode one. **

** Previously (What I haven't wrote) Teyla is not responding, Cornell Everett was attacked by a Wraith, Ford is surrounded by them, Illyria is a wreak, and John is on a suicide mission.**

** Enjoy :3**

*_"You know, if this works, somebody might have to do it again." John said into the radio. At hearing his voice, Illyria snapped out of her trance and stood up, moving to the monitor. _

_ "Understood," Weir nodded._

_ Rodney pushed past the girls and put the screen in 3D, the planet on the bottom, the ships on the top, and the single blue dot making its way there._

_ "You let Shepard fly the jumper?" Rodney asked. He glanced and Illyria before returning to the screen. Carson sighed, closing his eyes, and wrapped Illyria in his arms. No wonder the lass was a mess, he thought. _

_ "Help me arm the self-destruct if all else fails." Weir and Rodney made their way to the computer, silently typing in their codes. Illyria and Carson watched John's progress; he was almost there. Overhead, the alarm sounded. _

_ "They haven't detected my approach." John said slowly. "Weapon is armed and ready. I'm going in."_

"Detonation in five, four, three, two," The watched as the Blue dot joined with the red and finally….disappeared.

"Oh God…." Illyria gasped, burring her face into Carson's chest. He could feel the cold pin pricks of her tears. All he could do was rub her back soothingly and watching the screen as if some miracle would happen.

"Target has been neutralized." The tech said.

"He did it." Weir said,

"Yeah, he did it…" Rodney said, sounding defeated. He kept thinking to himself, what if he worked harder, worked fast, then this wouldn't have happened. The computer near the tech beeped. Beeping computers were never a could sign to Illyria.

"Doctor Weir, I'm picking up another ship." The tech said.

Illyria quietly sobbed harder into Carson's chest, thinking all John had do was for nothing. In vain.

She realized something. She had never told him she loved him. Maybe if she did then he wouldn't have gone! He wouldn't have left her all alone. For the first time in ten thousand years she has never been more so alone when she watched that blue dot disappear.

"Another hive ship?"

"I'm reading an IFF." The tech brought the coms online.

"Atlantis, this is Shepard."

"John?" Illyria picked her head up, thinking she's gone mad. But when she looked up at Carson, she knew he had heard it too.

"What other Shepard's do you know?"

"Oh thank god!" Carson said, hugging Illyria tight around the waist.

"No, that can't be. We saw the Wraith hive ship blow up."

"I assure you Doctor McKay, that Major Shepard is alive and well." A strange man;s voice said. He was not Wraith, but human.

"Who is this?" Weir asked.

"Cornell Steven Coldwell, commander of the Daedalus. We are ready to assist you."

"Oooooh, thank you!" Rodney sighed.

"We are very glad to hear that Cornell!" Weir sad, disarming the self-destruct. "And I assume we have you to thank for saving Major Shepard?"

"We've been monitoring your transmissions since we came out of hyperspace. We couldn't beam him in until he decloaked his jumper."

"It didn't take much convincing."

"Doctor McKay?" Coldwell called.

Rodney jumped out of the chair he collapsed into after he found out who they were. "Present, yes."

"I trust you know what to do with this?"

Just then, two military men beamed down, white light surrounding them. One of the men had a box in his hands. "You Z-pm, sir."

"How did they do that?" Carson asked.

"The Daedalus is loaded with Azgaurd technology." Rodney said, taking the case out of the man's hands and placing it on the floor. "The beaming technology is the first part. They've got-"

"McKay, let just get the shields back up." John said.

"Yeah," Rodney sighed as he pulled out his Z-pm. "Let's say we."

"We still have Wraith all over the city." Weir informed them.

"After we deal with this other hive ship, we'll assist you as soon as we can. Coldwell out-"

"Wait!" John said the sound far away so it was probably directed towards Coldwell. "Illyria, can you hear me?"

"Yes, John." Illyria nodded, smiling. "I was beginning to think you broke your promise."

"I don't break promises-"

"Oh, really?" Rodney asked, rolling his eyes at air.

"Private conversation, McKay." John said.

"Then-"

"McKay!"

"Fine, fine, fine."

"Alrighty then. Like I was saying, I don't break my promises."

"You better not, John Shepard. And by the way,"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to smack you as soon as I see you." With that, she signaled for the tech to turn off communications. Everybody was looking at her; Carson was smiling. "What? It's not like he doesn't have it coming."

҉

Zelenka came running down the stairs from the jumper bay.

"I've brought up the shield's subroutine. When I give the word all you have to do it punch in-"

"I know what to do. GO!" Rodney got out of his chair and grabbed the Z-pm case, heading for the stairs where he was met with the two military men who brought the Z-pm. "Whoa, what is this? This is my security escort?"

"Well we are spread a little bit thin right now." Weir told him, squinting her eyes.

"Fine. What you need to know is that when we come under fire, you need to put your lives on the line to protect me."

"Rodney," Illyria smiled.

"The Zed-pm! You need to protect the Zed-pm at all costs!" Rodney corrected himself. "And me. Am I wrong?" He looked back at the base of the stairs.

"Doctor Weir?" The tech said, approaching them.

"Yes?"

"I've lost contact with some of our people."

"Who?" Weir and Illyria followed the tech up to his computer.

"I can't get hold of the teams led by Radner, Teyla, or Ford."

"Well keep trying."

҉

"We have a kill! Last hive ship has been neutralized." The tech called out. All around there were smiles. On the screen, many of the larger ships cleared out but many of the darts regrouped-

And were heading for Atlantis.

"Elizabeth, you have a problem." John said.

"Yes, we see that, Major."

"They're moving to intercept; I don't think we can get there in time." He told them.

"Not a chance. They're coming in too fast." The tech called.

"My god, their approach is ballistic." Zelenka said from Rodney's computer.

"What exactly does that mean?" Illyria asked, eyes on the screen.

"Their impact velocities will be an excess of 10,000km. No part of the city can withstand that."

"Better get the damn shield up!" John said. Illyria could tell his anger stemmed from the possibility of her getting hurt. Even in this chaos, she smiled.

"How much time do we have?" Weir asked.

"45 seconds…" Zelenka looked up from the screen, eyes wide.

"Rodney we need the shield up in forty seconds or we're dead!" Weir yelled through the radio.

"Are you kidding me?" His voice squeaked.

"No!"

"Are you trying to push me to the point where I completely snap?"

"Rodney!"

"That should do it!" He called. "Fire it up!"

Zelenka pushed the button but nothing happened. He looked up, shaking his head. On the screen the red dots were advancing.

Fast.

"That didn't do it." Weir told him.

"What?"

"Twenty seconds!"

"Okay, SNAP! That's it, are you all happy now?"

"Rodney!"

"Okay. Okay. OKaaaaaay- Try it NOW!"

Zelenka pressed the buttons again and it dinged. Dinged! Not beeped. Zelenka leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Yes!"

` Illyria ran to the balcony and watched as her city's shield raised to protect itself. In the sky, it was like fireworks, the whole world seemed to light up as the Wraith darts imploded as they hit the shield. Static came through the coms.

"*static*…Illyria!...*static*" It was John. "Repeat *static* this is Shepard, what is your status?"

"Explosives must have disrupted radio signals." Zelenka explained.

"We're still here, John." Illyria happily called. "That's our status."

"Don't scare me like that." He sighed.

"Now you know how it feels."

"Har har, very funny."

"What about the Wraith fleet?" Weir asked.

"The remaining Cruisers have withdrawn from the battle."

"Thank you, Cornell Coldwell. Thank all of you."

"Glad to be of help. We're going to stay in an orbit around the planet, for the time being. Can we be of any further assistance?"

"We could use some help with the Wraith in the city."

"We're sending some people to help with that. Coldwell out."

For the first time since the Wraith appeared, it seems like Weir could now take a deep breath and close her eyes.

"Rodney, you can take the rest of the day off." Weir told him, a smile on her face.

"I'm going to curl up in bed with the largest sandwich I can find." We heard before his coms went offline.

҉

"John!" Illyria yelled, running towards him as soon as he appeared in the beam of light. He caught her before they both fell onto the floor. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck, her face nuzzled into his neck, breathing him in. John closed his eyes and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist.

John kissed her temple, withdrew, and looked at the two men with him. "Secure Stargate operations." He looked back down at Illyria and said, "Honey, I'm home."

She stepped up on her tip-toes to kiss him lightly, and then it got deeper once their lips net. It started off slowly but it took them by surprise with how intense it felt. It kept going and going, they wanted to be so close that they don't know what to do with themselves. When they stopped for breath, they can barely open their eyes, both breathing really hard.

"Yes. Yes you are." Illyria withdrew her hands from his neck and took his hand instead. "I truly thought-"

"Yeah, I thought the same thing about you a minute ago." John nodded, swallowing hard. "We gotta stop that."

Illyria smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

When he noticed Weir approaching, he asked, "So, where are we?"

Weir nodded in the direction of the control room, hinting that they should fallow. "Well, most of our sensors are still down, but at least we do know that there is still a hand full of Wraith still in the city."

"So, I've got some work to do."

"Before you do anything, Cornell Everett insists on speaking with you. He's in the infirmary."

John nodded, rubbing Illyria's back and kissing her head before leaving.

҉

"Ordinary count is forty casualties, maybe more. I'm still trying to analyze life sign readings with actual people." Zelenka was telling John as they entered the gate room.

"There are no Wraith life signs?"

"The last on was trapped in one of the deeper parts of the city. He died trying to damage city with one of their grenades."

"Three of your men were injured," Illyria added, ascending the stairs with them. "On the bright side, there was no flooding."

"Have we been able to locate Lt. Ford?" John asked.

Zelenka sighed. "Sorry, no. We searched everywhere in the city. It's possible he may have been beamed up into one of the Wraith darts."

"Let's not make that assumption." John told him.

"Major, we seared everywhere inside the city."

"How 'bout outside!" John said, waving his hand to the window.

"I…don't understand."

"Expand the sensors. Maybe he's in the water?"

"Even if that was the case, there's no chance-"

"Look, I'm not asking you to swim out there! I'm asking you to press a few damn buttons." John yelled at the man.

"Even if you're right, I don't see-" Zelenka stopped short after hitting the button.

A dot appeared on the screen.

Ford was in the water!

"Oh my god…" Zelenka said.

"Cornell Coldwell, one of my men is in the ocean outside our shield. Most likely injured. Can you beam him up to your ship and then down to the infirmary?" John asked into his radio.

When the Daedalus beamed Ford down into the infirmary, he had a Wraith attached to him. One of them was dead.

҉

"How is he?" John asked, gripping Illyria's hand as he starred down at his Lt. lying in his hospital bed motionless.

"I gave him a mild sedative to help him rest. But he should be dead." Carson was telling them.

"Well, he's a tough kid."

"Not my point, Major. He was lying, face down, in freezing water for over an hour. I don't care how tough he is."

"So what are you saying?" Illyria asked.

"We still have no idea how it works, but during the Wraith feeding process, the victim is injected with a special enzyme that strengthens the human body temporarily. Or as long as the heart continues to beat."

"Why would they want to make you stronger?" John asked.

"So that the victim doesn't die immediately." Carson said, looking down at Ford. "The feeding process is so traumatic, that without the special enzyme, we shut down far sooner than they like."

"They make you stronger so they can take more time to kill you." Weir concluded.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Carson shook his head. "In most cases, the enzyme is released slowing into the bloodstream through the feeding process. I can only ascertain that the Wraith died quite suddenly and that Lt. Ford's system became flooded with it."

"And that's why he was able to survive in the water for so long." Weir nodded.

"Exactly, now the problem is the enzyme is breaking down in his system. Eventually, there'll be none left." Carson said.

"That's not good?" John asked.

"No, in fact, I'm quite certain it'll kill him. It's possible that his body has become dependent on the enzyme to function."

"What's the treatment?" Weir looked to Carson, hopping that he would have one.

"We wean him off it and sneak his body chemistry back to normal incrementally."

""So we're going to have to get more of this enzyme." Illyria said.

"Aye. With your permission, Doctor, I'd like to harvest it from the Wraith bodies in the morgue. I know it's a wee bit creepy but-"

"_Elizabeth. Major Shepard_." Rodney said.

"What is it?" Weir asked.

"_You're going to want to get up here."_

҉

"Aren't you supposed to be getting some sleep Rodney?" John asked.

"I was trying to do just that, but someone thought I should know the deep space sensors were back up and running."

"Yes, and?" Weir asked.

"We picked up twelve more hive ships traveling at hyperspace." Zelenka said, pointing to the screen.

"Their course and speed will bring them here in…36 hours." Rodney said, pulling up the image.

"For the love…." Illyria sighed, banging her head on John's shoulder.

҉

"Twelve hive ships?" A balding man in a grey/green jumpsuit asked, pacing the briefing room.

"Cursers that got away probably called for reinforcements." John said.

"Our research shows there are at least 60 hive ships in this galaxy." Rodney told him. "Who knows how many more could be on their way."

"At least the shields are up and running…" John shrugged.

"That only buys us time." Rodney snipped.

"I like time."

"Look, the first siege of Atlantis lasted for years. I mean with one functioning Zed-pm, we can't expect to hold on that long!" Rodney yelled.

"Can we submerge the city again?" Coldwell asked. He was the bald man.

"It's a city, not a yo-yo." Rodney sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Look, I don't even know how they did it the first time!"

"Don't look at me, I'm not a scientist." Illyria held up her hands.

"How long till they arrive?" Coldwell asked.

"A little over a day." Weir told him.

"You know what? I'm sick of this!" John said, standing by the screen.

"I'm sorry…?" Weir asked.

"I mean, sitting around, waiting for them to show up. Why don't we take the fight to them?"

"We got one ship, Major." Coldwell shook his head.

"One ship with an Azgaurd shield, an armory full of nucs., and beaming technology. That evens the odds a little bit."

"Twelve ships and their escorts." Coldwell demanded.

"I'm telling you, we gotta send these guys a message! We're not like the Ancients, no offense Illyria, but we're not going to sit around and wait. If they don't back off, we have the capacity and the will to go kick their asses for a change!"

"How do I fight a ship in hyperspace?" Coldwell said, coking his head knowing he had John beat.

"The Wraith's hyperdirve isn't as advanced as the Azgaurds on board the Daedalus." Rodney got up and stood in front of the screen. "Not only are they slower, they need to travel in a series of jumps. So, if my calculations are correct, they'll make one last stop here," He pointed to a dot on the screen. "50 light-years away, before they make the final jump to Atlantis."

"Doctor Weir?" Coldwell asked.

"It would feel good being on the defensive for a change." She nodded.

"Alright then, let's do this."

҉

"They are angry, I can feel it." Teyla was saying sitting in a wing chair next to Illyria in Weir's office. "Word of our success has spread to other worlds. They want us silenced."

"You can sense that?" Illyria asked, amazed.

"The Wraith warriors were in so close proximity-" The door opened and-

Ford walked in. "Excuse me."

"Ford?" Weir seemed stunned, as did Teyla and Illyria, that he would be up.

"I'd like to report for duty ma'am."

"Doctor Beckett released you?" Illyria stood and faced him, a smiled on her lips. But once she saw his face, his wavered.

"Why wouldn't he, I'm fine."

He wasn't. His left eye was all around black, no white showing, the skin underneath dropped like…like one of those dogs John showed Illyria….a basset hound she thinks they were called? Teyla and Weir shared a look.

҉

"_It didn't work_." Coldwell was telling Rodney, Teyla, Weir and Illyria, huddled around the control console.

"At least you gave them something to think about." Weir said.

"_We'll see. I doubt if that tactic will work again and the Daedalus has sustained damage_."

"_It was still the right thing to do_." John said. "_Should make it home before they do_."

"I hope so. We'll keep the porch light on for you." Weir said, breaking communications. She looked around. "Okay, what are our options?"

They stared walking back to Weir's office. "Let's see, slow death, painful death, slow _and_ painful death, cold lonely death-"

"Okay, you said it-" She looked over and saw Ford. "it should buy is some time."

"Where do you want me?" Ford asked in the doorway of her office.

"Lieutenant, I-" Just then, Carson stormed through the other doors.

"Lieutenant!" He walked over to them, his strides heavy and fast. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"I'm fine, Doc., really. It's cool."

"The hell you are! You should be back in bed."

Ford turned to Carson slowly. "I feel great, just drop it." He warned him before turning back to Weir.

"I will not just drop it. Not twenty minutes ago you were at deaths door. Now I don't care how spry you're feeling, you need to be under medical supervision."

Ford looked at Weir, pleading. "I'm good to go."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Adian, but-"

"I'm serious, just let me prove it. Just give me something to do."

"I don't think so." Carson said, grabbing Ford's arm. Once he did so, Ford swiftly turned and chocked Carson, lifting him up off the ground.

"Don't push me around!"

"Lieutenant!" Illyria said. "Put him down, Adian, he's trying to help you." She took a step closer and quietly said, "Adian…"

Slowly, Ford lowered Carson, his grip still strong. He only released him when his feet hit the ground. When they did, it's like something snapped inside Ford's head. He was looking down at his hands, fear and confusion in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Doc. I didn't know why-"

"You need to be under medical supervision." Carson rasped out, leaning heavily on Illyria.

"He's right, Lieutenant. We just want to know why you're suddenly feeling this way." Weir said, stepping closer.

Ford nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. I'll go back."

"Good, that's what you should do."

"Yes, ma'am." Ford nodded and Teyla escorted him down to the infirmary.

"Sedate him if you have to." Weir said to Carson.

"Aye," He nodded, untangling himself from Illyria. When he tried to walk away, he faltered. Illyria quickly wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Not without you, you don't"

҉

"It's starting to affect his brain chemistry." Carson said the Teyla and Illyria after putting Ford in a brain scanning machine.

"There's no way you could have known that Carson."

"We need to be more aggressive. Wean him off quicker than I expected to. I'll be painful, but it's our only option. Now I've sedated him, but he has to be under secure supervision."

"I've already stationed a guard at the door." Teyla said.

"_Teyla, the Daedalus has just arrived on the east pier_." Weir said. "_Have Illyria meet me there_."

"Will do, Doctor Weir."

҉

"Welcome back to Atlantis, Cornell." Weir said as John, Coldwell, and almost everyone else on the ship entered through the door.

"Wraith are right behind us." John said.

"I wasn't expecting you to land." Weir said.

"While Hermead completes the repairs, the Daedalus is staying in Atlantis. We need Atlantis's shield as much as you do." Cornell Coldwell said.

"_Doctor Weir, Wraith ships are emerging from hyperspace_." The tech said.

"We're on our way."

҉

The stupid alarm was sounding by the time Rodney, Illyria, John, Weir, and Coldwell entered the control room.

"They're getting into formation." The tech told Rodney who pushed him out of his chair.

"Move, move, move." Rodney began to type something into the computer. Outside, the Wraith were attacking the shields with everything they had. It looked like fireworks going off from the inside.

"The shield is holding under the bombardment, but it's under incredible strain." Rodney told them.

"How long will it hold?" Weir asked.

"When they stop firing at it, it'll last indefinitely-"

"Are we talking months? Weeks?"

"Days. At this rate, the Zed-pm will be depleted within days."

"Seems pretty, isn't it?" Illyria asked, looking up at the shield from the balcony with John.

"Almost, not quite." He said, they both turning around and heading back inside for the briefing.

"-I think the next engagement will have the same result." They caught the end of whatever Coldwell was saying.

"Even if we were able to destroy these ships, this instant, more would be here in a few day; even more a few days after that. We're we are standing, I don't see how we can win this?" Weir said.

"Well, now you know how we felt for year, Doctor Weir." Illyria nodded.

"Atlantis is the only way to Earth," Zelenka said from his place next to Rodney. "As long as they know we're here, they're just going to keep coming."

"AS long as they know that we're here…." John repeated slowly.

"What do you mean?" Illyria asked, turning in her seat.

"Zelenka just said 'As long as they know we're here, they're just going to keep coming.'"

"Yes, he said that." Rodney said.

"Well, what if they thought we were gone?"

"Then there would be no reason for them to stay." Teyla said.

"Exactly!"

"Exactly, what?" Rodney leaned forward on the table, bracing his hands on the edge.

"We disappear."

"Destroy the city you mean?" Coldwell asked.

"My city- destroy my city? I thought we've been over this, John!" Illyria huffed.

"No, of course not Illyria! We just make it look like we did." John rubbed his arm where Illyria had slapped him none too softly.

"How?" Weir asked and Rodney snapped his fingers.

"We cloak it." He turned to Zelenka.

"Yes! Yes, the jumpers are equipped with cloaking technology, which renders them invisible to the naked eye and to Wraith scans. If we just simply remove one of the cloak generators from the puddle jumper-"

"Ah, I wouldn't say simply." Rodney cut in. "But yes, by interfacing a jumper's stealth mode in with the city's shield, we should be able to render the city invisible."

"That's all well and good, but I think if the city just up and disappeared, they'll be able to put one and one together." Coldwell shot back.

"Not if we fake a self-destruct. Have the Daedalus beam a nuc. right above the city's shield and then detonate it. While their sensors are blinded, we cloak the city and then it's an all clear."

"Nothing but ocean." Weir smiled.

"What about hard radiation?" Coldwell asked.

"I should be able to calculate with reasonable accuracy how long before we switch over to the cloak."

"What about the displacement issues?" Zelenka asked.

"That's the easy part."

"Okay, what about the hard part?"

"Hard part?" John asked.

"The cloak will replace the shield…which means we'll be completely unprotected…once the cloak is activated."

"You mean we'll be completely exposed?" Weir asked.

"Well, yes." Rodney said slowly.

"So, if they're not fooled by the ruse-"

"Then they destroy the city." John finished for Coldwell. "Which, I remind you, is what we were going to do anyway."

"What about the Daedalus?" Weir asked.

"If it doesn't work, our shield should be fully charged to break through their lines and escape. We know we can out run them."

"Right," John said. "Let's get as many non-essential personnel as we can onto your ship….just in case."

"I love this idea. I really do, but the Wraith are aware we have cloaking technology." Weir said.

"They are close. Close enough for me to connect to them. If I can convince them that we intend to destroy Atlantis than rather it be taken, just before the explosion occurs." Teyla said, determined to make this work.

"How will we know whether or not they belie you?" Weir asked.

"Once they stop the bombardment, we'll know." John huffed.

"He's right. If the Wraith believe we intend to destroy the city, the last thing they would want to do is help us do it." Illyria pointed out.

Weir looked around, smiling. "How much time do you need?"

"Oh, week-"

"Couple hours." Rodney said of Zelenka, glaring.

"I'll take the second answer. Go!"

On their way out, Carson came running up the gate room's stairs. "He's escaped!"

"What?" Weir asked.

"Who?" asked John.

"Ford; He disarmed one of the Marines and got away with all the Wraith enzyme I had left."

John hit his radio. "Ford, this is Shepard, come in."

Silence.

"Ford…I need you to come back to the control room buddy. We're all going home."

Silence.

"Lieutenant, do you copy?"

"_You're just afraid of me, Major. You're afraid of what I can do now_." Ford responded. "_I'm not listening to you."_

"I'm going after him." John said to them, running off.

"Now's not the right time!" Weir called after him.

"John!" Illyria yelled.

҉

"_We're all set down here_." Carson said into his radio. His was in the infirmary, preparing Teyla.

"Almost ready up here." Weir told him. "Rodney?"

"Ready!" He called from the control console.

"_Ready_!" Zelenka said, down in the jumper bay. "_Ready to go_."

"Cornell Coldwell?"

"_Your people are securely aboard. War-head is ready for deployment on your mark."_

"Thank you. Stand by." Weir changed channels. "Doctor Beckett?"

"_We're good to go_."

"Alright, send our message."

"And Teyla," Illyria called. "Be careful?"

"_Always am, my queen_."

Seconds later, Carson reported back. "_Elizabeth, it's done_."

Outside, the fireworks stopped.

"Seems that they heard Teyla loud and clear. Rodney?"

"Yeah, think I'm ready."

"You think?" Illyria asked, slapping him upside the head.

"I am defiantly ready." He grumbled.

"Daedalus, launch the weapon!" Weir told them before turning to the tech. "Give me city wide.

_Attention all personal, prepare for destination flash!_"

"Shut 'em down!" Rodney called and everyone began shutting down all their equipment and burying their heads. Rodney even put on some dorky goggles. When the insanely bright light was gone, they picked up their heads and Rodney turned on his computer.

"Rodney…." Weir spoke slowly, silly enough to think that if she spoke, the Wraith would hear.

"If we switch to cloak before the radiation if finished, we'll all be incinerated! Five seconds!" Rodney held up his hand, fingers spread.

"Okay, that was definably five seconds!" Illyria called, standing up from her hiding spot behind the console.

"We're cloaked…" He whispered, turning to another console.

"How can you tell?" Weir asked.

"They're scanning for us." He whispered.

"I don't think they've detected us."

"Why're you whispering?" Illyria whispered.

"I-I don't know, just seems like the right thing to do." He shook his head, puppy eyes wide.

"Is it working or not?" Weir yelled.

Just then the gate activated. Really wrong timing for that!

"What the hell?" Weir said, jogging to the balcony that overlooked the room, watching the jumper descend from the ceiling.

"Where's Ford?" John asked, running up the stairs and stood by them.

"I assume that's him in the jumper?" Rodney snipped.

"Can they detect that?" Weir asked, John running by her to get to the main floor.

"I don't know!" Rodney yelled back.

"Shut it down!"

"I-I can't; the jumper's in control!"

"Ford, stand down; this is an order!" John yelled, standing beside the gate. Ford ignored him, Illyria assumed, because he went through the ring. The connection breaking. John looked up and yelled, "Where the hell is he going?"

"I won't matter if the Wraith detects the gate activity through the cloak." Weir called back.

"There's only one way to know…" Rodney looked up at the ceiling, watching and waiting.

"_This is the Daedalus; our sensors confirm that the Wraith fleet is breaking up._" Coldwell's voice came through load and clear, ringing through the room. Rodney raced to his computer.

"I can confirm that! They're headed for hyperspace. Look, I can keep the cloak up for a while, just to be sure, but…I think they bought it!"

Around the room men whooped and hive fived as Illyria walked past to stand next to John.

"The gate address would be in the log. There's still a chance-"

"It doesn't matter where he goes, the second he gets to where ever it is he's going, he's going to ditch the jumper, turn around, and dial another address. One we can't trace."

"We'll find him." Illyria laced her fingers with his. He looked down at them and partially smiled.

"Maybe."

"Hey, at least we're still around to try."

"Yeah." He sighed.

"So….any interesting planets come to mind on that….what was it called?"

"Date?" He cooked his eyebrow.

"That's the word!" She snapped her fingers. "So how 'bout it, Cowboy?"

"Cowboy?"


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:/ Episode two, chapter 8, season 2 of SGA. I own Illyria and the thing inside her. **

Illyria was sitting in the mess hall of the Daedalus, twirling her cup between her hands, watching hyperspace fly by out the window. She was dressed in pink/white/red flannel p.j pants and a gray long sleeved t-shirt that she bought with Carson, fulfilling the shopping promise he had made to her. Quite frankly she enjoyed being out of the scrubs and the yellow medical uniforms like the one Carson wears.

She was sipping her tea when John walked in and grabbed a cup himself before sitting down across from her. Unlike her, John had changed back into his uniform. "Hey, what are you doing up so late?"

"Couldn't sleep." He sighed and sipped his coffee. "Must be the burden of command; you know, ever since I was promoted to Lieutenant Cornell."

"Alright, John, it's been almost a month, I'm eleven weeks pregnant, when are you going to stop bringing that up in every single conversation?"

"You gotta understand, there are a lot of people in the Air Force who never thought I'd make it past captain."

"Well, obviously, the peoples who opinions matter the most thought otherwise."

"Who about you, what are you still doing up? I woke up and didn't see you."

"I've gotten used to falling asleep to the sound of the ocean. And I have to pee every ten minutes."

"Well, McKay says we're already at the edge of the Pegasus galaxy. You'll be fine once we get back to Atlantis….and once the baby's born in a little over six months." He sighed and leaned forward. "You know, I've spent the past year wondering if I'd ever see earth again and as soon as I got there…"

"I think I know how you feel. It was extremely convenient to step through the gate and be at Stargate Command in an instant. Now this," She looked around her at the ship, "feels extremely inconvenient, eighteen days cooped up in a ship to get back."

"Until we find another Z-pm to power the Earth gate, that's just the way it has to be-"

"Cornell Shepard, Queen Illyria," An airman called, jogging into the mess hall. "There's been an accident."

They followed the airman to a group of officers surrounding Carson as he leaned over someone from the ship, checking their pulse.

"That's Doctor Monroe." Weir said, joining them. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Carson said, looking up, "but he's dead.

҉

Carson zipped him up and lifted the body bag onto the gurney, letting the ship's medics wheel him away as Cornell Coldwell turned the corner into the room.

"How'd he die?"

"I'm not 100% certain, but there were burn marks on his fingertips."

Coldwell nodded for everyone else to leave except Carson, Illyria, Rodney, Weir, and John, who was now looking at the control pad.

"Obviously there was a short. Panel's opened, circuits are charred."

"There's not enough juice in those circuits to kill anyone." Coldwell stepped towards Carson. "Doctor?"

"I'll know more once I've had a chance to examine the body more thoroughly." Coldwell nodded for him to leave.

"Do you know what he was working on?" Weir asked Rodney, sitting at the control screen.

"Computer diagnostics, strictly routine." He pointed up and the bigger screen. "I've got security camera footage."

On the footage, it showed the doctor typing and pressing buttons before it all went fuzzy.

"What happened?" Weir asked.

"I don't know, camera malfunction."

"Right before he was killed? Interesting coincidence." John said.

"Actually, it makes sense. Look, Cornell Coldwell was right. There isn't enough juice in those circuits to kill someone, at least not normally." Rodney spun around in his chair to face them.

"What are you thinking?" Illyria asked.

"It's possible there some sort of isolated power surge in this section that would explain the lost camera footage and the malfunctioning door."

"So," Coldwell said, looking back at the door. "He took off the door panel to bypass the circuits, and then received a fatal jolt?"

"Like I said, it's possible. We need to drop out of hyperspace, run a full diagnostic on the power distribution-"

"No, we drop out of hyperspace now, we risk being detected." Coldwell said.

"Well, that's true, but I just think-"

"We'll be back in Atlantis in two days. You can do your diagnostic then."

"Cornell, you think that wise?" Illyria asked.

"With all due respect, ma'am, you headed back to earth in the Stargate. This is my third trip on the Daedalus between galaxies."

"I understand that, but this ship is fairly new. There might be some problems-"

"Ma'am, I word please?" Coldwell stepped back and outreached his arm towards the door. She nodded her head and followed.

"I know the chain of command can get a little fuzzy on Atlantis, but it's not going to happen here. You got a problem with my orders; take it up with me in private. Otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself."

"Are you sure what this is all about?"

"I've got a job to do, ma'am."

"But not the one you wanted."

҉

The ship dropped out of hyperspace and Rodney was in the power room, checking all possibilities with Hermead, the Azgaurd on board.

"How's it coming Rodney?" John asked, walking in. Hermead caught his eye, they both starred at each other. Well, Hermead kinda glared….

Rodney walked over to him and whispered, "Don't stare. He hates it when people stare."

"Am I the only one who thinks it's strange we're working with an Alien?" He whispered back.

"Hold your tongue, Lt. Cornell. I hope you're not forgetting where I come from." Illyria said, walking in. As soon as Hermead spotted her, he got off his platform behind his Azgaurd control console and bowed deeply to her.

"It has been long since I have seen the _true_ queen and ruler of Atlantis."

Illyria dipped her head. "It has been too long, in deed to see someone as powerful in knowledge as the Azgaurd."

"There was great sorrow amongst my people when we heard of what had befallen you ten thousand years ago, thinking you were dead. We came to Earth to watch over your people, thinking it was what you would have wanted."

"Thank you, Hermead. I truly am in the Azgaurd's debt."

"Wait, the Azgaurd knew of Atlantis. You knew and didn't tell us?"

"It was not our place to tell."

"You knew we were looking for it!"

"Rodney, do not yell at him. He is helping you, after all." Illyria sternly told him.

Rodney rolled his eyes and left the room, calling for one of the crew. "Langstrom!"

John walked out with Illyria, holding hands. "You have a question for me?"

"Yeah, is he supposed to be naked like that?" John asked.

҉

"I already told you, I'm fine." Rodney spoke through an oxygen mask Carson was holding over his face.

"He's right. It appears he didn't inhale enough toxins to cause permanent damage. Though a few more seconds of exposure, and it'd be quite a different story."

Coldwell nodded. "Thank you, Doctor." Carson patted Rodney before leaving with the medical crew. "I assume, this time, we can rule out any random malfunctions?"

"Langstrom found something; he was trying to tell me what it was when leak happened. I ran out the doors and he ran to the other set of doors in the back. I tried talking to him, but communications went down. Then….the-the ship's outer doors opened and…and Langstrom was vacuumed suck into space."

"What were you looking for?"  
>"We were trying to trace the source of the power spike that killed Doctor Monroe."<p>

"Who else knew about this?" Coldwell asked.

"Well, a lot of people knew we were running diagnostics, but nobody knew we were in that particular room at that exact moment."

"Security camera," John said, stepping away from the screen that allowed Rodney to see Langstrom die. "If the person that killed Monroe was able to get into the system to erase evidence, there's no reason he wouldn't do the same thing to keep tabs on the investigation."

Rodney took off the oxygen mask to say, "Assuming it's a he," and placed it back on.

"How many on board would have the technical skills to do this?" Coldwell asked.

"Everybody; That's what you get for assembling a team of brilliant scientists."

"Now, I can't believe it'll be one of our own people." Weir said. "There might be a possible intruder on board."

"Nah, we used the life signs detector to get a head count. We didn't spot any extra signals." Coldwell said.

"Well, hibernating Wraith don't come up on scans." Illyria said.

"We've seen that tactic before. Beam in, lay low, look for the chance to wreak havoc." John said.

"That was on Atlantis. It's been almost two months since the ship in countered the Wraith." Coldwell. "I don't think one could stay onboard for that long."

"He's right." Rodney said. "I did a full decontamination sweep back on Earth, we would have found something."

"Alright," Coldwell turned to the airman behind him. "As of this moment, I want all civilian personnel confined to their quarters."

"What?" Weir called.

"Present company accepted, of course."

"With all due respect, Cornell, some of those people could be helpful in the investigation." Rodney said.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I can't trust any of them for the simple reason that I didn't have any say in their selection. Somebody else was in charge of that process."

҉

"A Wraith computer virus?" Weir asked in the ship's bridge, looking up on the screens at the virus Rodney translated.

"It was probably downloaded during our last little encounter."

"If it's been there this long, why are we noticing it just now?" Coldwell asked.

"Well, in all likelihood, it was transmitted in a compressed format. It took a while to spread to the point where it could adversely affect our systems. I think it happened on your return flight to Earth; since then, it's remained dormant, waiting for some kind of a trigger."

"Like what?" John asked.

"Possibly, once again, we're in proximity to Wraith territory." Rodney snarkingly said. "I think it was untimely designed to take control of the navigational systems and fly the ship right to them."

"If they get their hands on the Daedalus, they'll not only have access to the intergalactic hyperdrive technology, but the navigational data to lead them straight to Earth!" Weir said.

"What they wanted all along," Illyria whispered. "A new feeding ground."

"This still doesn't explain who killed Monroe and Langstrom." Coldwell said.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, it's the virus. It's A.I, Artificial Intelligence; it can think on its own, adapt itself to new situations-"

"Protect itself." John said, nodding.

"Exactly. It new Langstrom and Monroe were going to expose it so it got rid of them."

"Can it take over the ship?" Weir asked.

"Not entirely. You have to remember that there are hundreds of individual computers on board. Ah, a lot of them are interconnected to make one big machine, but that's not really the case, There are dozens of back-ups, redundancies, and some systems, like life support, are deliberately isolated."

"So they can't kill us all by venting the atmosphere?" John asked.

"That was the good news. The bad news, some systems like navigation and propulsion, require some degree of interconnectivity to function properly. In all likelihood, the virus has spread so far through those systems that to isolate it make this ship impossible to fly. If we don't figure out how to get rid of it, we're stuck here."

Just then, one of the computers beeped. "Cornell Coldwell, sir, we just began broadcasting a distress call!"

"What are you talking about, airman?"

"It just came on by itself, sir!" The five of them rushed over to the airman's stand.

"Shut it down!"

The airman tried, but nothing worked. "I'm locked out, sir."

"It's the virus! It's adapted itself into a new situation. It doesn't have enough control to fly us to the Wraith, so instead it's making the Wraith come to us! Right now, we're sitting ducks."

҉

"What are you doing?" John asked Rodney, looking over his shoulder.

"Theoretically, we should be able to cut power to the long range transmitter. We won't be able to send messages, but, ah, neither will the virus."

"Theoretically?"

"It's pretty smart, so far everything we've tried it's been one step ahead of us. Try it now." He called over his shoulder to the airman that located the distress signal.

"It's not good sir, we're still broadcasting."

"Alright, that leaves us one choice. We need to do a full system shutdown; we'll wipe everything and reboot."

"Will that work?" Weir asked.

"Absolutely…..I think."

"How long will it take?" Coldwell asked.

"It's not like this ship's got an on/off button. We need time to prepare, say an hour or two?"

"Every minute we wait, we increase our chances of being detected. We need to turn off the transmitter array now!" John yelled.

"Do you have an idea?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He sighed and looked at Coldwell, "But you're not going to like it."

҉

"Alright, Cornell, we evacuated all sections surrounding the array and sealed the bulkheads." Coldwell was telling John through the radio. Not too long ago, John left the ship in a 3.02 Fighter and was going to shoot the array.

"Understood," John told us.

Coldwell was in his chair, barking orders. "All personal prepare for impact!" Rodney, Illyria, and Weir were bracing themselves near the scanners. A few moments later, the ship shook and lights flickered. "What's our status?"

"Transmitter is off line, distress signal has been deactivated."

"Well done, Cornell, return to the ship."

"With pleasure," John said. On Illyria's side, they could hear clicking. "Uh, we've got a problem. My controls aren't responding."

"Say again?" Coldwell asked, turning his chair to face McKay.

"Well, the ship is behind me and I can't seem to turn around…I am however picking up speed."

"I should have seen this coming," McKay said, smacking himself in the head with the heal of his palm. "The virus must have uploaded itself into the fighter."

"What about the transporter beam?" Illyria asked, her eyes wide.

"That should work, those systems were unaffected."

"Do it," Coldwell ordered. McKay turned around and began typing.

"John, this is Elizabeth," Weir said, touching the radio in her ear. "Rodney seems to think the virus has taken over your ship, so we're going to try and beam you out."

"Acknowledged."

"Stand by,"

"Ahhhh, slight problem," McKay said, turning back around slowly.

"What?" Illyria said. She was ringing her hands together to keep from worrying.

"The transport beam is tied to an Azgaurd Sensor we used to lock onto targets?"

"So?"

"So, that particular piece of equipment was located near the array we just destroyed." McKay snapped his fingers. "I can lock onto his radio signal. That's what they used to do one the Prometheus before they had Azgaurd sensors."

"Better do it quick, because in three minutes he's going to be out of range." Coldwell informed them.

"John, we've run into a slight snag," Weir informed him. "Rodney just needs to make a few adjustments before we can get you out of there."

"Okay…?"

"Don't worry," Weir smiled, "we're not about to give up on you just yet."

"How about not at all?" Illyria told her.

҉

"Cornell? Cornell! John are you still there?" Weir was calling into the radio.

"Go ahead,"

"We're going to use your radio to tie you to the transport beam. We'll have you out of there in just a minute."

"Sounds good, so I'm still in range, right?"

McKay turned around and covered his radio so John couldn't hear him. "Truth is, it's never been tested from this distance."

"Rodney seems to think you'll be okay."

"Well, that's good. Wouldn't want to leave any parts behind." John snapped.

"We're ready!" Rodney told the bridge. "I'm beaming him directly to the bridge."

Everyone watched and watched in silence, holding their breath. Then a marvelous bright white light appeared on the ship. The light transformed into John. Illyria rushed over to him and hugged him tight.

"Are you all right?" She asked, releasing him.

"Two arms, ten fingers…I'll check the rest later." John said and secretly smiled down at Illyria.

Coldwell turned in his chair again to face Rodney, "All right Doctor, I've had enough of this, I'd like to have my ship back please."

"Right," Rodney sighed and Weir patted his back, beaming at John and Illyria.

҉

"Move," Rodney was telling people, pushing people out of his way as he went from panel to panel in the control room. "Do you mind?" He asked John when he got in his way.

"That's what I do when I have problems with my laptop, turn it off and turn it back on again."

"I think this is a little more complicated than that, John." Weir told him.

"John saying, if you were going to pay for the John Sheppard Computer Book of Repair you're really desperate."

"Alright!" Rodney shouted, standing up. "Coldwell, we're ready."

"Thank you," they heard through the radios. "All personal, this is Coldwell, prepare for all systems shut down."

"All right, doctor, go ahead."

"And…." Rodney waved his finer to Hermead to signal cutting the power.

Within a few seconds, everything went dark and Illyria grabbed John's hand-

afraid of the dark.

҉

The power came back on and Rodney started typing.

"Engine room, what's our status?" Coldwell asked.

"All systems are functioning normally; no signs of the virus…looks like it worked, Cornell."

"May I suggest we vacate this system? Our current position may have been compromised." Hermead was saying.

"Can you give me hyperdrive?" Coldwell was asking.

"That will take longer to get back online."

"I can get you sub light," McKay told him was as given the command to do so. The engines fired up and they were off.

That is until the computers started to beep.

"What's wrong?"

"We're veering off course. Navigation's not responding." The Helmsmen was telling Coldwell.

McKay rushed over to a console to his left and yelled, "Damnitt!" once he saw what was on screen. He was running back and forth from Hermead's station to his.

"Engine room, what's happening?"

"The Virus!" McKay shouted. "It's back and it's got full control of sub light and navigation."

"I thought you said all systems were clean?" John asked.

"They were!" Rodney shouted. "When we did the reboot, there were no signs of the virus. This shouldn't be happening."

"Sir, we've got a new problem," The helmsman was saying. "Our new heading is putting us with a collision course with the nearest star."

҉

"The virus returned almost instantly after we restored power to the systems," Hermead was telling McKay.

"With the risk of repeating myself, I thought you said we whipped it out?" John said.

"We did," MacKay was leaning over the console in front of John. "We must have missed something."

"And it's going to crash us into the nearest star." Weir said.

"Not exactly; a more precise calculation of our heading shows us we will not collide with the star, but make a rather close approach near its outer rim. The ship will survive, but the radiation will kill everyone on board."

"Why kill everyone if they have navigational control?" Illyria asked.

"Virus has access to our database, knows our tactics, our tendencies-"

"Knows we'll destroy the ship before we allow it to fall into wraith hands." John interrupted Rodney.

"Wait a minute," Rodney said, standing straight. "There was a situation similar to this at Stargate Command, I remember reading the report. An Alien entity took control of the base computer, so they did a system shut down to destroy it. It survived by outputting itself onto a Malp."

"Okay, we don't have any Malps," Weir said.

"No, but we've got a bay full of F3.02s We already know the virus can upload itself onto the ships navigational computer, so it could have used one of those ships as a hiding place as we whipped some of the systems clean! It's the only possible explanation."

"So?"

"So, we physically pull the memory storage modules from the fighters, we do another shut down, and that should do the trick."

"Contact the bridge, tell Coldwell we're on our way to the bridge now," He told Weir.

Illyria felt cold when Johns hand slipped out of hers.

҉

"Bridge, this is Shepard, are there any open paths to the 3.02 bay?" Illyria heard John say as she stepped onto the bridge.

"That's a negative Cornell, it looks like the entire section's been sealed off. We're trying to override it, but we're not having any luck." Coldwell said, sitting down in his chair.

"You're going to have to beam us in."

"Whoa, wait," Illyria head McKay say, "transport beam wasn't design to beam from one point to another inside the ship. We could end up half materializing inside a wall!"

"Well, we're just going to half to take that chance."

"Right, 'course, why not."

"Cornell, we're ready." John told them.

"Stand by, Hermead says we need to make a few adjustment s first."

Seconds ticked by-

"Activating transport beam, now."

Once the sensors reported that they were in, Illyria let go of the breath she was holding.

"Sir, bay doors are opening!" Someone on the bridge yelled.

"Bridge to engine room, beam them out now!" Coldwell yelled.

҉

Weir sent word that Hermead raised the fighter bay shields to prevent the atmosphere from escaping. But the Virus has breached the system and it was only a matter of time before the shield collapsed.

John and Rodney were working as fast as they could.

"Shepard, how's it coming?" Coldwell asked.

"We're getting there," John mumbled, like something was in his mouth.

"Sir, the shield is down, cargo bay is decompressing!" a airman reported to Coldwell.

"Shepard, come in!" Coldwell yelled. Illyria closed her eyes and sat down. "Cornell Shepard do you read me? Cornell Shepard do you read?"

"This is Shepard, we're okay," Illyria sighed and silently thanked the Gods. "We managed to get to the last 3.02 before we lost atmosphere. Any chance you could beam us out?"

"Sorry, John, we lost the transport beam," Weir said. "You're going to have to sit still for a while."

"We pulled all the memory and another shut down should work!" Rodney said.

"Understood-"

"Sir!" Helmsmen pointed to her screen.

"I see it," Coldwell said. "Engine room, this is Bridge. We don't have a lot of time before we approach lethal radiation levels."

"Most of the shutdown protocols are still in place form our first attempt." Hermead was telling him. "This will only take a few minutes."

"Let's hope we have a few minutes."

҉

"All hand, this is Coldwell, we're going to give this another shot. Initiating total systems shut down, now." Colwell announced over the ships communicators.

Once again, it went dark and John wasn't there for Illyria to cling to.

After a few minutes, Hermead said, "Re-initializing," and the power came back on.

"I'm getting real tired of that," Illyria muttered. Coldwell turned to her and smiled.

"This is Shepard, what just happened?"

"Stand by, we're trying to figure that out." Coldwell told him.

"Sorry sir, we had navigational controls for a second, but we just lost them." Helmsman said.

Through the window, they could see the star, bright and burning.

"It didn't work; we're still on course for the star." Coldwell said.

҉

"Engine room, this is Shepard, prepare to initiate another shut down on my command!"

"John, what are you doing?" Illyria asked, standing up, and gripping the back of Coldwell's chair.

"Getting rid of the last place the Virus can hide."

"Better make this quick, Shepard, radiation levels are beginning to rise in the outer haul." Coldwell told him.

"I know," John responded.

"Be careful, John." Illyria whispered.

҉

"John can you read me? Rodney?" Weir was calling to them.

Hermead had said that they had been in the radiation too long, that they might be gone.

Illyria couldn't handle that.

"Come in, John!" Illyria shouted.

"Daedalus, this is Shepard, target is destroyed. I repeat, target is destroyed. If you try one more shut down, I think it might just work."

"Well done both of you. You had us worried there for a little bit." Weir was telling them.

"Sorry, about that. Oh, and, Illyria? Can you try not shouting at me? I almost just died-"

"Well, stop trying to kill yourself and I will." Illyria smiled.

"This is Coldwell. We'll meet up once we eradicate the Virus once and for all."

"Rodger that, Shepard out."

҉

BACK IN ATLANTIS

"Doctor Weir, Doctor McKay, Doctor Beckett, welcome back," Teyla greeted them in the control room, a clipboard in her hand. "Queen Illyria and Lt. Cornell Shepard? Congratulations."

"Thank you," John beamed and wrapped his arm around Illyria's waist. "Anything happen while we were gone?"

"There has been no sign of the Wraith. They continue to believe that Atlantis has been destroyed. But as I understand it, your trip was not so happily uneventful?"

"No," Weir sighed. "not exactly."

"My nose is burned!" McKay said, turning the attention towards him. "Do you have the moisturizer?"

"Yes, Rodney." Carson sighed.

"Sh-should we-"

"Yes, Rodney." Carson said again. He kissed Illyria on the cheek before leaving with Rodney.

"Any word from your off world contacts?" John asked Teyla.

"We have received several intelligence reports. However, as of yet, there is no news of Lt. Ford."

"I'd like to read those reports, if you don't mind."

"I thought you might, I prepared you this copy." Teyla picked up a tablet from the console next to her and handed it to John. "Ladies," He said, kissing Illyria on the cheek Carson did and left.

"I'm sorry your trip was so eventful." Teyla told both Weir and Illyria.

"Well," Weir said, walking towards her office. "We got here, that's what counts."

"Still, it must have been pleasant to return to earth, to reconnect with loved ones."

"Doctor Weir," Zelenka called, walking into the office after the ladies. "Doctor Weir I'm glad you are back, the same with you Queen Illyria. We have several reports with new information on the city. Ever since we installed the Z-pm we've made many interesting discoveries." Zelenka said, trying to hand the tablet to Weir, but Teyla stopped him.

"Can this not wait? She has only just arrived."

"No it's fine, really." Weir said, taking the tablet. With that Zelenka left.

It was quite a few moments before Teyla said, "There is something I must tell you, Doctor Weir."

"In that case…" Illyria got up from the chair she was sitting in, still in her .

"My Queen, this involves you too. Please stay."

This got Weir's attention. "Alright, please, Teyla, sit." Once everyone was seated, Weir asked. "What seems to be the problem, Teyla?"

"I was hoping to do this earlier, but since the Wraith now thinks Atlantis is gone, there is no better time to say this than now."

"Teyla, what-"

"I must take my leave."

"Leave? You need to go Off-world to trade-"

"No," Teyla interrupted Weir with a wave of her hand. "I must leave Atlantis….

For good."


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:/ Illyria is now 12 weeks ^-^ and Ronan is heeeeeeeere! **

** Sorry for the long wait to get the new chapter, but school's been busy and it's hard to find free time.**

John tried not to listen to them but it was hard because losing Telya would mean losing a dear friend and a vital member of his team. Teyla would never leave her people when they needed her the most, never and the thought of her leaving Atlantis felt like ripping his heart out.

But then nobody had ever said leaving would be easy.

"I don't want you to go." Illyria sniffled and wrapped her arms around Teyla's neck while burying her face in the other women's neck. Teyla would have like to comfort her but there was really nothing she could say. John's eyes found Teyla's as Carson carefully tried to extract Illyria from Teyla.

John wrapped an arm around Teyla's waist and held her close, their foreheads touching in the traditional Athosian greeting.

They had nothing left to say to each other.

The Jumper to the Main Land was opening its doors to leave and slowly everyone who would not leave with Teyla left the Jumper bay.

John and Teyla held their gazes for as long as possible and Illyria tried to smile and wave at her before she entered the jumper when in truth John would have given everything for not having to let them go.

"We'll see her again, right?" Illyria asked John, holding his hand tightly as she watched her friend leave through the top chamber.

"Of course we will, she's just on the mainland." McKay said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, we'll see her soon," John whispered.

҉

"Is the gate covered?"

"Colin and Reed, yeah." Major Even Lorne was telling John and Weir in her office.

"Found a dead Wraith," John told Illyria once she walked in. "Shot several times."

"Looked like bullets, but…it's hard to say, the guy was a mess." Lorne told her, stepping around John to shake her hand.

"The Genii use such weapons," Illyria commented.

"Doctor Beckett is preforming and autopsy-" The doors opened and the doctor stepped in. Weir smiled at the timing. "Here he is now,"

"I'm not done, not nearly. But I thought you might like to know this; the enzyme sack on the right arm has been removed."

"Ford," Illyria and John said together.

"What's going on?" McKay asked, walking in and taking his place next to Illyria in the doorway.

"Thanks for coming, Rodney." John said.

"I-I was right in the middle-"

"On planet P3M-736 we found a dead Wraith." Weir informed him. "Maybe killed by Ford."

"He could still be there." John said, bracing his hands on the edge of her desk.

"W-Wait, 736? The UV spectrum there is like 1,000!" McKay griped.

"Bring your sunscreen, be ready in ten minutes." John instructed. He moved to make his way past Illyria, but she stopped him by placing a hand to his chest. "Illyria-"

"I want to go."

"What?" The men in the room said. Illyria was looking at Weir whom said nothing.

"I want to go. Ford was my friend too and I'd like to help look for him. With Teyla gone, you're missing a spot on your team, Colonel."

"In case you've forgoten', love, you're pregnant!" Carson said.

"I know that all too well, Carson. That's not the issue here-"

"Not the issue? Illyria, that is the issue! I can't have you out in the field-"

"Yes, you can John! And…it's not your call." Illyria turned from Shepard to Weir. "Knowing Ford, he probably lured the _lone_ Wraith away to this P3M-736 knowing what we know about it. Elizabeth, please, I want…I _need_ to do this. Please, let me do this for Ford."

It was silent while Weir made her decision, sitting down behind her desk and strumming her fingers. "Alright, you can go."

"Elizabeth!" Both John and Carson shouted, going off at the same time about how she shouldn't let Illyria go.

"Hey. Hey!" Weir shouted. "Illyria goes _only _if at the first sign of trouble hauls ass back to the jumper and waits inside under the cloak. Illyria, those are my terms, take them or leave them. If you're going, you're to stay with John. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

҉

John was jogging down the corridors towards the armory when Coldwell's voice called out from behind him. John stopped so that the Colonel could catch up.

"Something urgent?"

"I think we have a beat on Ford." John told the other man, both of them making their way toward the transporter.

"So I heard,"

"That was fast,"

"Protocol dictates that senor officers be notified on situations code orange and above." Coldwell pressed and button, watched the doors shut, and was blinded by a beam of white light before stepping off into another part of the city.

"How does that go again, red orange blue or the other way around? Mind if we could go over that when I get back?" John said, walking away.

"Colonel!" Coldwell chased after him.

"You don't have to remind me of our respected positions or your rank-"

"I was wondering if I needed to remind you that Lt. Ford," Coldwell said, ascending the stairs after John, "presents a significant threat to the security of this base."

"He's also a friend in need."

"His condition forces him to seek out the Wraith and if he's caught it would compromise-"

"Look, I'll find him. And I'm ganna bring him back." John said at the top of the next flight of stairs.

"According to Doctor Beckett's report, there might not be anything that can be done to help him."

John stepped down a few stairs so he was at eye level with Coldwell before saying, "With all due respect, sir, I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"Lt. Ford has already proven that he's resourceful enough to penetrate security and escape the city. I'm saying if you encounter him and if there's any chance what so ever that his capture might prove elusive, you are duty bound to eliminate the threat." John looked down and bit his bottom lip. "Lt. Ford may have been your friend, but he's not anymore. I understand you'll do what's right. You didn't seem to have a problem with mercy when it came to Colonel Sumner. Dismissed."

҉

It was night on the planet when the jumper flown by John came through the wormhole and set down in the field bordering the tree line. Cole and Reed rushed across the field from their positions at the DHD to greet the new arrivals. In the cockpit sat McKay in shotgun, Illyria behind him, and Lorne bringing up the back after letting his men inside. John brought up an image on the screen.

"Life Sighs Detector is useless," John said as the image began to go on the fritz.

"Ah, well, I told you so." McKay said.

"Protecting your streak of being right?"

"Doctor Parish believes that the plant life retains enough residual radiation during the daylight to, well, screw up our sensors."

"Making it a perfect place to hide." John said, getting up and moving to the back after helping Illyria up.

"Yes, well, or the perfect place to be exposed to dangerously high levels of solar radiation!" McKay yelled after them.

"Any activity while we were gone?" Lorne asked his men once he stepped out of the jumper, hooking his radio onto his vest and putting in his earpiece.

Reed shook his head. "No, sir."

"Start a sweep, teams of two." John announced. He stood next to Lorne while he adjusted his P90. "Radio contact every twenty minutes." John sniffed the air and turned around. "Kind of smells like I'm on vacation."

"Mhhm, could it be the stimulated tropical aroma of coco butter?" Rodney smiled, lifting up the jar of sunscreen he was rubbing on his face.

"Strong enough for anyone in five miles to smell you." John said. Illyria smiled and went back to trying to figure out how to work the vest she was in. John saw her struggling and made his way over to her, fixing her problems.

"If they haven't already been tipped off by the Agua Velva?" McKay shot back, rubbing more onto his neck.

Illyria smiled up at him as he tugged on her vest. "I like it."

"It's dark, McKay," John said and smiled at Illyria. They both walked out of the jumper and watched Rodney apply his cream.

"Yeah, well, sunrise is in 2 hours, 43 minutes and…10 seconds."

"It's raining!"

"So we'll be cold and miserable. Look, the cloud cover will decrease a small percentage of UV rays, but 95% id deadly is still deadly."

"Dr. McKay," Lorne called. "Parish said a day or two of exposure won't kill us."

"And Dr. Parish has a PhD. in what? Right, botany!"

John sighed. "Illyria, you're with me. Reed's with Cole; Locklin you and Sherman cover the gate. Major," John smiled and pointed at Lorne, "you've got McKay."

"Oh, lucky me," Lorne sighed.

"Here, try some," Rodney offered. "SPF 100."

"100?"

"Yep, you can't buy this kind of protection so that's why I make it myself. Water proof, too."

"Great,"

҉

They arrived at the scene, eight little glow sticks all in a circle. John bent down and picked up a little silver ball that was next to the Wraith stunner.

"Have any idea what a lone Wraith would be doing out here on foot?" John asked, looking around.

Illyria was doing the same, but from a few feet away. "No, it is unusual. Perhaps, like I had said, Lt. Ford was able to lure him through the gate."

John rolled the ball in his hand a few more times before putting it back down. Illyria stopped and slightly kneeled down, shinning the light on the ground. "It looks like someone may have headed off in this direction."

She got up and lead the way briefly, before John sprinted up and placed himself in front of her. Illyria just rolled her eyes and kept her head on a swivel.

҉

They were in the thick dense of tree foliage when Illyria stopped, raising her gun and looking around.

"What is it?" John asked, doing the same.

"I heard something."

John lowered his gun. "Ford?" he called out loud. "Is that you? It's John!"

"Aidan, listen to me!" Illyria called. Behind her, John was moving his flashlight over everything. "We want to help you, please! Please come out, we only want to talk!"

Just then, a shadow ran across them a few feet away. Their guns snapped up and Illyria began running towards it before John could tell her to head back. He swore under his breath as he ran behind her.

҉

"Colonel Shepard, it's Major Lorne! We're pursuing a suspect!" Lorne called through the coms.

"Yeah, so are we. Where are you?"

"Two clicks out from the Stargate. Where are you?"

A head of him, John saw Illyria get hit by a stunner. The only difference was that the beam was red. She cried out before she hit the forest floor.

"Illyria!" John called out, stopping at the edge of the path. He wanted to run out to her, the check if she and the baby were alright, but he couldn't risk it. With his gun raised and his eye on his sight, Shepard looked around.

"Colonel Shepard-"

"Standby!" Shepard whispered and hit the radio on his vest. "Illyria's been hit."

Slowly, John walked his way towards her, making sweeping movements with his gun. Out of nowhere it seemed, John was hit with the same red stun. With a gargled cry, john fell back.

"Colonel Shepard, say again, what's your position?" Lorne's voice came through the radio. "Colonel Shepard, please respond! Colonel Shepard come in, please…..Colonel Shepard."

҉

**Back in ATLANTIS**

"We haven't heard from him since….26:30 Atlantis Standard time." Lorne reported through the radio to Weir. She stood on the balcony, overlooking the gate, wringing her hands together.

"I know the life signs detector doesn't work there, but can't you use the Jumper to search from the air?"

"No, ma'am. The foliage is far too dense for that."

Weir nodded. "I'll send another team to assist."

"Anyone you could spare would be great."

"Anything else you need?"

"Elizabeth, its Rodney. Yes, hi, there are, um, four class one radiation suits in med lab storage. We'll need them all."

"Any sign of Lt. For yet?"

"Uh, no, ma'am," Weir sighed, "nothing that we can confirm. We don't even know if this is Lt. Ford we're dealing with."

҉

John woke up slowly tied back to back with Illyria inside a cold, musty cave. Outside, John could see the sun shining brightly and a large man rifling through their bags at the entrance of the cave.

"Ford?" John muttered.

The man whipped his head around, his brown dreadlocks sporting various rings was left swinging. His eyes were a dark brown with a perpetual scowl on his mustachioed and bearded face. Once he saw that Shepard was a wake, he turned back to the gear. Behind him, John could feel Illyria stirring.

"John?" She asked, turning her head slightly to try and get a look at him.

"You okay?"

She sighed. "My head is pounding."

"The baby? Can you feel it moving?" John whispered.

Illyria shook her head. "Carson said I shouldn't be able to feel it move until about 16 – 22 weeks. I'm only at twelve." She leaned her head back to rest on John's shoulder. "Where are we?"

"I dunno, but I was just about to ask him," John nodded toward the doorway. Illyria turned her head enough to see a 6'5" man get up on the ground and walk towards Shepard, noticing the P90 in his hand. "You might want to be careful where you point that thing…looks like you've got the safety off." The man turned the gun to get a better look at it before cocking it and pointing it at John. "Okay, be that way. But my guess is if you wanted us dead, we'd be dead right now so why don't you tell us who you are and what you want?" John asked calmly. When he got no answer he said, "Alright, I'll go first. I'm Lt. Colonel John Shepard."

"I am Illyria-" she was about to tell Ronan her title when John nudged her, signaling to keep quite.

"Colonel?"

"It's my rank. Military designation."

"Specialist Ronan Dex," The man said. His voice was rough, low rumble.

"That's you?" John asked.

"Name and rank." The man, Ronan, said. He lowered the gun and went back to kneel before the bags.

"Military?"

Ronan turned his head. "I used to be." He shook his head and turned back to the bags. "It was a long time ago."

"And now?"

"Now I'm deciding on killing you and your friends."

҉

Ronan dipped his hand into a shallow bowl and rubbed a type of dark paste on his skin. Mud perhaps?

"Look, the men guarding the gate are highly trained soldiers armed with deadly weapons."

"Stargate?"

"Stargate! The, uh, big circle thing," John made the shape by moving his head.

"I've always known it as the ring of the ancestors. No matter, I'll make it through."

"Look, we didn't come here looking for trouble and the whole killing thing is unnecessary-"

"If your friends try to stop me-"

"They won't….if I tell them not to. Untie us, we'll go to the gate together and you can be on your way."

"And why should I trust you?"

"…That's a good question. Illyria, why should he trust us?"

"We mean you no harm. We are only here searching for a friend."

"I saw him," Ronan told us as he stalked like a predator around us in a slow circle, "your friend."

"Where?"

"He killed the Wraith that was hunting me,"

"Hunting you?"

"Why you looking for him?" Ronan asked. He stopped in front of Illyria and slung his tattered knapsack over his shoulder.

"His name is Aidan Ford and he's sick. He needs our help." Illyria told him softly.

"Thought he'd been in the sun too long," Ronan made his way back towards the front of the cave. "It can make you sick here."

"We know that," John hurriedly said. "That may be true, but that's not all that's wrong with him."

"Then why's he running from you?"

"He's not, exactly."

"Then what is he doing, exactly?"

"It's…complicated." John said, nodding his head to the side.

Ronan squatted. "You can do better than that."

҉

"-the Wraith was feeding on him. Apparently they inject some sort of drug into you when they feed-"

Illyria tilted her head to the side to see Ronan shaking slightly as he heard this, as if he's lived this. Illyria closed her eyes and ducked her head, shaking it to try and erase images of a long lost battle.

"-he killed the Wraith and got an overdose of the drug. It kinda messed him up."

Illyria spoke over John's shoulder. "We think we can help him if we can find him."

Behind Ronan, there was a sound of a radio click and then incoherent noise. Illyria could only describe it as fuzz. "What is that?" Ronan asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Radios-"

"Communication devices," Illyria simplified.

"Our people are trying to contact us; the cave must be causing some interference with the signal." While John spoke, Ronan stood and picked up John's bag and carried it outside. John felt tugging on his hands and turned his head. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting my hand free."

John smirked and said, "It doesn't feel that way."

"If only,"

҉

Ronan was walking in slow circles, fiddling with the 'radio' when from behind him, he heard John's voice.

"Keep your hand where I can see them." John was slowly walking out of the cave with his P90 in hand. Ronan had a mix of a sneer/smirk on his face as he showed John he was putting the radio back into the bag.

"I told you I have to get through the ring."

"Why?" out of the corner of his eye, John could see Illyria moved towards them.

"Because the Wraith are coming."

"How do you know-"

"I know. They're hunting me."

"Well, join the club."

Illyria lowered her gun. "You are a runner."

Ronan nodded.

"What's a runner?"

"I was captured during a culling on my planet. I was taken to their ship and a Wraith started to feed on me. Something made him stop. They operated on me; put some sort of tracking device in my back. They hunted me. I hunted them back. I've been running ever since."

"The Wraith started this…perverse game as a sort of training. Soon, others put it to uses of entertainment." Illyria whispered. She back away and lowered her gaze. "I am truly sorry this has happened to you, Ronan."

"It wasn't your fault." Ronan said, his gaze glued to John. His right hand was slowly itching its way-

"Don't do it. Like I said, we're not here to get in your way."

Ronan nodded. "That's good." He slung the bag that was in his hand at John, causing the man to fire stray bullets. He whipped his gun out and stunned Illyria's hand that was holding the gun, doing the same for John. Once Ronan saw that their weapons were dropped, he stepped up to John and held his gun in the man's face. "You're lucky I had it set to stun."

҉

Illyria was sitting on a flat stone, her head between her hands, trying to keep from puking. John was standing next to her trying to reason with the man with the gun pointed at him.

"Look, you wanna go through the gate, go. Give me my radio and I'll order my men not to stop you."

"You can tell them in person. I'm taking you with me." He switched his gun focus to Illyria.

"You know there's a chance we can help you."

"How?" Ronan asked John.

"I know a pretty good doctor; he can take that tracking device out of you."

"You think I haven't tried?"

John sighed. "Suit yourself."

After a tense second, Ronan lowered his gun. "And why would you do that?"

"'Cause I'm a nice guy- look, I told you. You hate the Wraith, we hate the Wraith, it's something we all have in common. We just want our friend back."

"You get this tracking device out of me and I'll get your friend back for you."

"Okay, good." John nodded and looked down at Illyria. "It's a deal."

҉

"Where's Lorne?" Shepard yelled, running to the Jumper.

"He's inside, sir." A soldier pointed. John nodded and ran inside.

"What happened to you?" John saw the man being checked over by one of the soldier on his way to the cockpit.

"Eh, got hit by a dam Wraith blaster looking for you. Now, McKay's missing." Lorne told him as he got situated in the passenger seat and watched Shepard dial the gate address to Atlantis.

"Is that right?"

"What about Illyria?"

"Long story, you can listen to is while I tell Doctor Weir over the radio."

҉

**Back in ATLANTIS**

"This is a joke, right?" Carson said Weir, grabbing things here and there and putting them into his medical kits.

"I'm afraid not."

"You want me to perform surgery on an armed man holding the very pregnant Illyria hostage?"

"Yes, something like that. And you might not have that much time; the Wraith could show up any minute."

Carson froze before turning to Weir with a horrified look on his face. "Oh, it's gettin' better all the time! 'Ave the found Lt. Ford yet?"

"No, haven't talked about McKay yet, either." Carson sighed and shook his head. "Come on, pack up what you need. That goes for Illyria, too."

Under his breath Carson muttered, "Don't think an emergency room and a bloody army could fit through the gate."

҉

"This is not necessary, you know." Illyria told him. They were both sitting at the cave's entrance, on either side of the rock wall. Ronan still had his gun to her, which he now let flop in his hand. "How long have you been on the run?"

"Seven years," He grumbled.

"And you've been on your own all that time?"

"Not much choice."

"Afraid of bringing the Wraith down on anybody you were with?"

"Can't go home; can't stay in one place for too long." It was silent for a few moments when Ronan asked, "Why do you think they do it?"

"Sport, training, learn how the enemy fights to survive and build their strategy from there. I have heard of many stories, of runners like you, but I have never met one."

"One time I-I accidently came across a planet with a village near the ring."

"What happened?"

"I stayed. One night I stayed for a meal and the next day I was gone….it didn't matter. Later the whole village…"

Illyria nodded her head. "Ronan, do not think you are alone. I, too, have lost all my people at the hands of the Wraith."

"Does it get any easier, knowing that…that you're the last of your people?"

"No, but I'm not that last of my people. I thought I was, but then," Illyria smiled and lifted up the hem of her shirt to show Ronan her swelling stomach, "I found out I was not alone. Not anymore."

Ronan just starred at her stomach. He's seen pregnant women before, but none like her. She doesn't act like them or even look like she's with child. "I-I'm sorry I pointed my gun at you. I didn't know. D-Did my stunner-"

"No," Illyria shook her head. "I'm pretty sure the child is alright, but I've never heard of a pregnant woman being stunned before."

"I didn't-" Illyria raised her hand to silence him, nodding her head in understanding.

I was quite for a while after that. Illyria completely forgot her belly was still showing until she noticed Ronan starring at it. "Do you want to? Touch it, I mean. Strangely it's what people like to do."

"Is that alright?" Illyria nodded. Ronan was reaching over with an outreached hand, his fingers inches from her womb, when John's voice came on the radio.

"Illyria, this is Shepard." Ronan pulled his hand back and dug into the bag beside him, handing her the device.

"Go ahead, John."

"You okay?"

"Yes, we are fine."

"I'm here with Doctor Beckett, he's coming in."

"Unarmed," Ronan instructed, pointing his gun at her, but then soon remembering that she was with child. He put the gun down and repeated the message.

"Ronan would like me to remind you that Doctor Beck remain unarmed."

҉

John stopped the Doc on the path, looking over to check things out, before whispering to Beckett, "Alright, for what it's worth, I'd never send you in there if I'd thought the guy was ganna hurt 'cha."

"Oh, but you'll send Illyria. Is there some sort of evidence or is it just a gut feeling that this man isn't dangerous?"

"I didn't say he wasn't dangerous. He could probably kill you in the blink of an eye…I don't think he will."

"Oh, thank you, I feel much better now." Carson sarcastically said.

"Have you heard of Androcles and the lion?"

"And who are you in this re-tellin'? The romans?"

"I'll be right up there," John nodded above them and tapped the assault rifle in his hands. John ushered the Doc down and watched him turn the corner reluctantly.

҉

Carson walked with a limp, his medical baggage weighing his down as he walked down the small hill and into the semi-circle of outside cave. Ronan was standing next to Illyria, his gun pointed to her out of instinct.

"Hello," Carson said. "I usually don't make house calls like this, but this really isn't a house now is it?"

Ronan lightly gripped Illyria's arm and moved her, his gun now focused on Carson. "What's in the case, Doc.?"

"Surgical implements, diagnostic tools, various drugs, antibiotics-" Carson prattled on.

Ronan stopped them in front of the doctor and turned his head to Illyria. "What?"

Illyria sighed. "Ronan, Doctor Carson Beckett. Carson, Ronan."

Carson's mouth was slightly hanging open as he got a good look at the man. "Pleasure," He said shortly and moved to place his equipment on the rock Illyria was once sitting. "I understand that you have some sort of transmitter on your back? Well, have a seat. Off with the shirt now, let's have a look." Carson shrugged off his own uniform jack and draped it over his bag.

Ronan sat down, his right hand still holding the gun. "Little help,"

Illyria and Carson both took garments and straps off Ronan and laid them in a pile. Once Illyria got his shirt off she saw a well-defined chest littered with scars resembling a Wraith feeding. Ronan caught her eyes and looked down. On his back, Carson saw various lengths of scars on his right shoulder blade, dangerously close to his spine.

"Oh my God," Carson breathed. "Don't tell me you tried to cut this thing out yerself?"

"Yeah, I tried once with a mirror; couldn't quite reach. Most of its been from two different doctors." Illyria's eyebrow twitched when she caught the anger in Carson's eyes.

"No one I know who calls himself a doctor would do this." He turned his back and got the scanner from his kit. He place the bar over the spine and read the device carefully and it hummed and beeped.

Unbeknownst to everyone but Carson, John got his rifle into position, lining the cross hairs with Ronan's head.

"That Ancestor technology?" He asked, nodding slightly towards Carson.

"That it is," Carson replied after the device beeped, signaling the tracer's position on Ronan's back. Carson sighed and lowered the device. "Son, you're gonna have to put that weapon down and lie down."

"Not a chance."

"Now you listen to me," Carson said. "I've located the transmitter; it's in the soft tissue next to the 3rd thoracic vertebra."

"Good, cut it out."

"I can't do that with you sitting up like this! Now, I'm gonna have to give you some anesthesia to make you sleep-"

"No, you're not."

"Excuse me?" Carson look at Illyria, baffled.

"Ronan," Illyria said softly. "You need to trust us."

"I do," He raised his gun at Illyria. "That's why he's here and you're still alive. Now get to work, Doc."

҉

It was dark by the time Carson had gotten the lights positioned accordingly and all his equipment placed and ready to begin.

"Okay, I'm ready," Carson said as he got his gloves on. "Look, I want to say one last time, I don't think this is a good idea. I'm going to be cutting very close to your spine column here; if you were to flinch-"

"I won't flinch."

"Okay," Carson sighed and flipped the surgical magnified glasses over his eyes. "Here we go." He picked up the scalpel from the metal bowl Illyria was holding and made the first incision on the main scar line. Ronan's face contorted as he grunted, locking his jaw.

With every cut, his gun wavered in his hand.

John watched every cut, every flash of pain on Ronan's face from his perch up on the hill. John himself flinched at the control Ronan must have.

"Think I got it," Carson finally said, pulling the chip out from the man's back between the small retractors pushing apart his skin to keep the surgical site clear. When it was all out Ronan sighed and Carson turned around to place the transmitter in a little jar and placed it in his kit. Illyria watched as Ronan breathed deeply in and out, his eyes fluttering shut and tilting towards the right till finally his was face down on the flat top of the rock.

Carson and Illyria shared a small but brief smile.

Now it was her turn.

҉

John had come down from his perch to move the big guy onto the ground, so Illyria could have the rock for her exam, and to hold her hand. As it turned out, the baby was fine; the heartbeat faster than normal but Carson said it was due to the amount of stress Illyria had been in.

Now, Illyria stood crouched next to Ronan, John watching over her, and Carson packing up his gear.

"I'm quite certain I've disabled the device." Carson reported. John nodded and walked past Ronan. Carson and Illyria fallowed.

"We may be too late," She said.

"Well, we know at least one Wraith tracked Ronan here." John was swiveling his head around. "I'm going to go look for McKay and Ford."

"Yes, now that the lion's passed out cold." Carson said.

"We'll swing around with the jumper and pick you up-" John was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. He sprinted off, leaving Illyria and Carson wondering who was firing the shots?

Minutes later Lorne's voice came over the radios, "Colonel Shepard, we have gate activity. Three Wraith darts just came through."

"We should head back inside!" Illyria ran back from the hill top and down towards Carson. They both reached the 'surgical site' and found it empty.

No Ronan.

Carson ran to the flat rock and picked up the rifle John had had and swiveled on the balls of his feet. Illyria came running out of the cave.

"We went through there."

҉

"John, Ronan is gone. There's another way out of the cave." Illyria reported over the radio. John was running through the forest, hitting small branches and foliage.

"Get back to the jumper!" He ordered. A few minutes after he got off the radio he heard a loud collision and a McKay type shriek. John stopped and high-tailed it back, turning 45 degrees towards the right.

When he got to the scene he saw McKay dangling in the back ground and Ford throwing a knife at Ronan, who blocked it, and back up to lean down and reach for a stunner. Before his fingers to touch it, John yelled,

"Lieutenant!" Ford's eyes flickered from John to the stunner. "Don't," John said. Ford straightened up. When the darts passed overhead, Ford saw it as his opportune moment to escape when John's head looked up.

Ford ran.

"Ford!" John called as he chased after the man.

҉

John was always a few feet away, just out of arms distance. The gap increased when John stopped to look up at the darts and raise his weapon. "Ford!"

Aidan stopped at the edge of the forest, on the brink of the clearing.

"Keep your hands where I can see them." John ordered as he slowly crouched/walked towards him. Ford lifted his hands. "We want to help."

Ford shook his head. His right arm slowly inched down towards the gun holster. John raised the P-90 a fraction of an inch and fired a single bullet into Ford's left leg. The pain only phased him, if not pissed him off.

He straightened up and leveled his hand gun, getting John in his sights.

"You're not getting off this planet!"

Ford looked over his shoulder at the oncoming Wraith beam. "I'll show you…." He weakly said. "You'll see!" He yelled before he ran head on into the beam.

John's jaw dropped along with his weapon. He raised his head and searched the skies for the dart that took Aidan.

҉

**IN ATLANTIS**

"After they scoped up Ford, the darts made a bee-line for the gate. I tried to stop him but-"

"You had him in your sights and you let him get away." Coldwell accused.

Illyria, John, Carson, and McKay were in the briefing room each giving Weir and Coldwell their takes on the events that played out off world.

"I shot him once," John defended. "I didn't slow him down."

"I shot him, too!" Rodney piped up from next to Weir in the back.

"He _ran_ into the beam."

"Are you suggesting he _wanted_ to be taken?" Weir asked.

John turned to her. "I think he saw it was the only way off the planet."

"I can tell you from the quality time I spent with him," Rodney said, "he was definitely not thinking straight."

"No thanks to you, now information is in enemy hands that could compromise all of us." Coldwell cool and calmly stated. He turned his back and was walking towards the door when John stopped him.

"I don't think he'll give us away."

Coldwell turned back around. "Oh thank you so much for you assurance, Colonel. I'll be sure to include your feelings in my report." With that, Coldwell left with his airmen posy waiting outside.

҉

The doors opened with a whoosh of air when John and Illyria walked towards them. Inside the room were two armed guards standing on either side of the door. John nodded for them to leave.

Illyria sat down on the bed next to Ronan, not too close, and John leaned against the window. "How's it going?" He asked.

"This place is impressive."

"Those Ancestors sure could build 'em," John winked at Illyria but passed it off as a twitch.

"Guards aren't necessary." Ronan said, inclining his head towards the door.

"Well, with your habit of taking people hostage…" John rolled on the balls of his feet.

"If I wanted to escape, your men wouldn't be able to stop me."

John nodded. "Right."

"Were you able to contact my home world?"

"That's why we're here," Illyria said softly.

҉

The screen showed a once beautiful city that now lay in ruins, no doubt damage suffered at the hands of the Wraith. The screen glowed with the light bouncing off from the gate, combined with the static and horror movie techno color, made Ronan's home world seem….foreboding.

The scans show no life. Only wreckage.

"I don't understand," Ronan said.

"They have machines called Malps. They're capable of transmitting information and images from other planets." Illyria said, holding onto John's hand. "They sent this one to the address you gave us."

"That Sateda?" Even though Illyria hasn't know him long, she could tell his voice was off.

"I'm sorry. I didn't look like anyone survived the last attack." John said.

Ronan looked over his shoulder at John and Illyria before walking off down the stairs, trailed by guards.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:/ ****WARNING! Cute Illyria/John moment! **

** R&R's are always welcomed. Please let me know how much you liked it or what you'd like to see next.**

"Alright, I'm about ready to call it. It doesn't look like there are any survivors." John was telling Illyria over the radio.

"It seems like the Wraith culling's are becoming more and more violent." Illyria responded. John and Illyria both were walking through the woods with an SGA team with them, searching for survivors. The only way Weir and John would let Illyria would come along was if Beckett came too, which the doctor insisted upon since Illyria's last off word fiasco that lead to Ford's capture and an temporary addition to the city.

"You said so yourself, too many Wraith woke up at the same time. Too many mouths to feed…or hands to feed."

"We're heading back to the gate, meet you there?" Lorne asked, shifting the bazooka strap on his shoulder and smiled down slightly at Illyria. Before they all went off in separate directions, John had pulled Lorne aside and told him very bad things would happen if Illyria didn't get back to him in one piece and that he was personally to escort her back to the gate and dial her home if there was any trouble.

"Sounds like a plan; McKay, Beckett, having any luck?"

"Negative, Colonel," Carson told him, running his hands over an open field of waist high daisies he, Rodney, and their 'escort' were walking through. "We haven't found anyone."

"Okay, make your way back to the gate."

"Will do, Beckett out." Carson tapped his chest to turn off his radio.

Their 'escort', a female with red hair French braided into a bun named Cadman, leaned down and picked up a daisy the dropped it. "So," She turned her head back to McKay, "you should pick some wild flowers from around here. Maybe she'll get a kick out of that?"

McKay looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"You got a date tomorrow night with Katie Brown, right?" She smiled. "She's a botanist; she doesn't get to go off world."

"What's this now?" Carson smiled at his friend.

"It's nothing, nothing." McKay hastily answered.

"You have a date, Rodney? With a woman?" Carson chuckled.

"It is simply two adults sharing some- Yes, it's with a woman!"

Cadman giggled at the face Rodney was giving Carson. "Well, she's excited about it. I'm not sure why, though….?"

"How would you know?" Rodney asked.

"Girl's poker night. We're trying to teach Illyria how to play," She turned her head back and smiled. "I know a lot of things, McKay."

"I'm pretty sure it is none of your business and this is inappropriate field conversation." Rodney pointed out.

"What? I'm just suggestion you might want to pick some flowers-"

"Yes, and maybe you should just do your job which is to protect us-"

"Shut up." The 'escort' halted.

"Shut up? Let me tell you something-"

"Stop. Speaking!" She waved her hand at him. In the distance, the three of them heard a faint buzzing sound. "Dart." She clicked on her radio and broadcasted on all channels, "We have a dart incoming."

John and Illyria's teams picked up their walk to a run, Lorne stepping in front of Illyria as a sort of line of defense.

Once Cadman got of the coms she turned to both men and thumbed to the gate. "Move it!" They ran off and she brought up the rear.

"See us and it'll blow Atlantis's cover." John spoke. "Anyone who has a clear shot takes it, understand!"

The dart descended over the field where Carson, Rodney, and the escort were running. "Scatter!" She yelled and pushed Carson away. He fell to the ground; he lifted his head up high enough to see her call out McKay's name before they both were sucked up in the dart's beam.

The gate activated by the time John's team had gotten there. His men spread out around the perimeter and John took his place in front of the gate. They dart was making another drive by over the daisy field when Illyria and Lorne entered the clearing. They stopped and Lorne mounted the huge gun onto his shoulder and took aim at the skies. Illyria and the airman next to her shot off rounds as Lorne tried to get a clean shot. He fired his gun and the round exploded from the barrel, zooming after the dart but hitting a tree a dart had flown over. He ducked his head and cursed under his breath.

"It is heading towards the gate!" Illyria warned. "We damaged it, but it is still on its way."

"Wait!" Carson was yelling at John as he ran to the gate. "McKay and Cadman have been beamed aboard that dart."

"We can't risk that dart making it back to the hive ship!" John yelled back. Just then the dart in question came into view, heading straight from the gate and John that was in between the two. He and his men opened fire, hitting the underside of the ship causing it to veer off course…..and straight to Carson.

"Oh, crap…" Carson sighed and ran in the other direction. John and his men kept shooting at the dart and it kept getting lower and lower to the point where Carson had to dive out of the way for it to crash land into a hill causing an explosion of dirt to rain down on Carson. The doctor lifted his hands off his head and slowly got up on his knees.

In front of him was the crashed dart; its wreckage engulfed in flames or shattered to pieces.

҉

Carson slowly walked over to the dart with his gun raised and watched as it's shielding failed. He maneuvered around the debris to where he was standing off to the side of the cockpit. Inside, there was a Wraith badly injured and having a seizure in his seat. Blood streamed from his mouth as he made these sickening wet gurgling noises. Carson lowered his gun, his doctoring instinct kicked in.

"I'm a doctor, I can help." He said, raising his hand in what he hoped was a nonthreatening motion. The Wraith was leaning forward, reaching out his hand to his dashboard when shots rang out and red wetness shot from the Wraith's body. Carson turned to his side to see John and three of his Marines flanking him. John shot out again as he stepped forward and Carson shielded his head with his arm. "What the hell do ya think you're doin'?"

"He was reaching for the self-destruct."

"He's the only one that could get Cadman and McKay out!"

"I seriously doubt he'd oblige!" John said, peering over the dart's edge.

From behind them Illyria, Lorne, and another SGA team member emerged from the forest path.

"Well, we'll never know that, will we?"

"Is everyone alright?" Illyria shouted, coming to a stop beside Carson.

"Fine," John told her. "Hanson, radio Atlantis. I want Zelenka here A.S.A.P; we've got a problem."

҉

There were a dozen or so scientists surrounding the dart, the same number of military men surrounding them, picking apart what they thought they needed and what was utterly useless. John slowly walked around the dart, faintly hearing Zelenka saying something to Carson in a low voice, pointing to his computer screen.

"Colonel," Zelenka called him over. Once john had stepped in the crevasse the dart's landing had made, the section of the dart that was open shocked making Zelenka stand up sort of at a crouch and look around skittishly.

"First time off world?" John asked.

"Yes," He answered and looked around some more.

"Well, if there were any more Wraith, they would have attacked us by now."

"Really?"

"If it makes you feel better," John leaned down, putting his hands on his thighs. "Did you find what we want?"

"Ah, well, yes," Zelenka pushed up his glasses and crouched back down to his computer. "It's very complex. This interface controls the machine." He pointed to a cylinder that was coming out of the end with a cord running from it to Zelenka's computer. "It de-materializes people; stores their information then rematerializes them again when commanded to."

"Great, command it to." John shoved his hands at the dart.

"Uh," he slapped his thighs and looked up at the Colonel. "I can't."

"From what we can tell, the materializer is storing two life signs." Carson said. Zelenka stood with his computer in his hands and pointed to the screen.

"That's good!" John said.

"Yes, but there is only enough power in the dart's energy cell to rematerialize one of them." He pulled up an image of two blue dots on the screen. "Power to the device has been completely severed. It's been running on back-up powers."

"Okay…"

"You have to decide which one we're going to beam out."

"That's a terrible choice to have to make." Illyria said from behind John.

"It's easy; we'll beam out McKay. He'll figure out how to get Cadman free-"

"No, no, sorry. I was unclear-"

"There's no way of telling which is which," Carson said for Zelenka.

"They just read as life signs."

"Perfect," John sighed and shook his head. "Alright, that one, go." As soon as he pointed to the one in the bottom left corner, Zelenka started to type like a speed daemon. "Stand aside." Everyone that was in the crevasse either moved to the far edge or hopped up on ground. Zelenka hit the enter button and a beam of light came from the dart. Once the light had cleared it revealed Rodney McKay.

"Rodney, you okay?" John gently asked.

"Hm," was all he said before falling over.

Carson hoped down and checked his pulse. "It's stable, but I need to get him back to Atlantis."

"Lorne, you and I'll help Beckett get McKay back to the city. Zinger, Zelenka, bring as much of the dart back as possible." John barked out his orders.

҉

"All of his vitals are stable." Carson said once he had finished Rodney's brain scan. He turned to Illyria and Weir. "His body's reacting like it's been stuck by a Wraith stunner."

"Do you think once the initial shock is over, we'll have our old McKay back?" Weir asked.

Carson rubbed his friend's shoulder. "I'm afraid so. Have they any luck with the wreckage?"

Illyria shook her head. "No, Lt. Cadman is still in there somewhere." Once they had gotten back to Atlantis, Illyria had changed out of her off-worlding gear and into her more comfortable workout clothes: A long layering royal blue tank, grey French terry sweatpants, and a green Jersey fleece zip-up hoody. All the closet filling, drawer stuffing clothing she had she'd bought with Carson on Earth. He was very good when it came to retailing. "Did you know her well?"

"No, not really." Carson said, looking down at Rodney. "She was with the new batch that came aboard the Daedalus. She seemed quite lovely though. She saved my life," He looked over his shoulder at the two women next to him.

"Well, you'll be the first person I call when we find her." Weir smiled and left with Illyria.

҉

"UH," a female Russian scientist said as she pulled out the beaming device from the dart. The tech next to her covered his nostrils as a pungent smell filled the air.

"How's it coming?" John looked up and asked Zelenka. "Well, the very good news is that we've stabilized her life sign signature." He said as he was coming down the steel steps from the cockpit. "Now it's just a question of getting the machine online again."

"Great, how do we power it up?"

"That's the bad news. The machine uses a very special life signs formula to convert raw power in a very unstable, very specific stream of power." John followed Zelenka to a table where the scientist picked up a tray. "Now the transformer is a very crucial in using the machine safely and…it's been damaged." He picked up a chuck of it an handed it to John.

"Don't suppose there's any spares in the trunk?"

"We're working on reverse engineering one."

"Good," John put the transformer piece back into the tray. "Let me know the second you have something."

҉

John had swung by the control room to pick up Illyria for their lunch date in the mess hall while both of them had free time. They had their trays in hand and were searching for a place to sit Illyria spotted a Marine standing behind a large man with brown dreadlocks eating with his fingers. She looked up at John and nudged him towards Ronan. John was the first to put his plate down in front of Ronan, Illyria next to him (John). Ronan was busy shoveling lettuce and/or mashed potatoes into his mouth with his fingers.

"Not bad, huh?" John asked.

Ronan licked something off of his knuckles and picked up a piece of bread. "It's fine."

"So what do you think of Atlantis?" Illyria asked, peeling off the top of her Jell-O and scooping a spoonful into her mouth.

Ronan slurped some more food into his mouth. "It's fine."

"Have you thought about what you want to do after you're done here?" John asked, leaning forward on the table with his forearms.

That got Ronan to stop eating for a moment. "Want me to leave?"

"John!" Illyria snapped her head to John, a look of confusion coloring her face.

"No, no, stay as long as you like." John told him, stealthy sliding one hand under the table to lightly squeeze Illyria's knee. "Just saying, uh, you know your way around, you can take care of yourself in a fight, you hate the Wraith as much as we do-" Ronan shot him a look through his hair. "Okay, as much as Illyria does. The point is, we could use a guy like you around here and it looks like you could use a place to stay." Ronan picked up the nearly empty pitcher of water beside him and drank, his fingers covered in mashed potatoes.

Ronan looked over his shoulder at the guard. "I'm not sure I fit in here," he said before putting the rest of his bread in his mouth.

"There's only one way to find out," Illyria said.

"Do I need to decide now or can I finish eating?"

"Take your time," Illyria smiled and took another bite of her Jell-O.

"And," John picked up a knife and fork and held it out to him, "uh, try these. They work great."

Ronan slowly took them from his hands and after a second, he shovel more food into his mouth.

҉

Rodney held the transformer box in his hand and picked up one of the pieces. "Oh, nice work."

"We were running out of power. I knew hardly anything about the machine; who would have thought this could be one of the side effects?"

"So, instead of waiting to understand what it was that you were doing, you just sort of _mashed _on the keyboard hoping soothing would happen."

John, Illyria, Weir, and Beckett were all watching as McKay yelled at Zelenka for saving his life but getting Cadman stuck inside his head. Only Rodney was able to hear her and from he's told them, Cadman was seeing and hearing everything from his eyes and ears.

"You're alive, aren't you?"

He doesn't know how to fix it!" McKay suddenly yelled.

"What?"

McKay put down the tray. "I'm talking to her!" He pointed to his head.

"You can hear her thoughts?" Weir asked.

"No, not her thoughts, thank God. I can hear when she's speaking…trying to speak."

"Are you sure he should be discharged from the infirmary, Carson?" Illyria asked.

"According to the MRI, he's healthy as he ever was."

"Now we can't all be track stars, can we?" McKay blurted. He looked at the group and pointed to his head. "It was her again."

"Maybe there's something wrong an MRI wouldn't pick up, if you know what I mean." John muttered to Carson.

"I'm not crazy, I just have another consciousness inside my brain." McKay whispered.

"Sure does look crazy-"

"I'm sure I do, but only because Dr. Fumbles McStupid over here," he yelled, gesturing to Zelenka, "got in way over his head!"

"Yes," He sighed, "Yes, I made a mistake trying to _save_ your life. Now, do you want to try to fix it or do you want to barite me some more?"

"I am perfectly capable of doing both at the same time, now, I assue you tried to run one of our generators through-"

"It's not as simple as that. The trick is having an interface with the Wraith machine in real time. The power fluxuations are huge, if we over soot just a little….we're screwed up."

"uh, I'm sure if we, um, build an interface program with, um…" Rodney paused and closed his eyes. "Uh, here's what I want you to do…try-take a um…n-naquada generator…and um….and um- YES! WHAT?" he yelled into a nearly silent room.

Everyone stopped doing whatever it was that they were doing and looked over at Rodney.

"Well stop asking stupid questions!"

"Rodney…"Carson said.

"I will get you out of here, okay? So just be a good little girly and keep quite-….Do you have a degree in Physics? What about Mechanical engineering? Alright, huh-"

"Rodney-"

"YES!" He yelled at Weir. They both look taken aback. "Sorry, I'm sorry. W-What were you saying?"

Weir stepped forward, her arms crossed. "Why don't we let Zelenka handle this?"

"I-I'm-"

"No," John said, "you're not."

"And I'd like you to talk to Dr. Heightmeir." Weir added.

"I'd think I'd be more useful-"

"Rodney," Weir pulled his attention back to her. "I'm not asking you."

Rodney looked behind him at his science team and then back to Weir. "Fine."

҉

Illyria was standing in the back of the gym/dojo, leaning against the dummy John like to call 'Henry', watching Ronan beat up some highly trained Marines. He was surrounded on all sides and he swung his arm around, connecting with two jaws. He jumped up and punch downward on the final guy. He grabbed his ankle, picked him up and flipped him. When the other two came at him, swinging high, Ronan ducked and punched both in the stomachs. While they were leaning on their thighs with their hands, he reached for the other side of their faces and spun them into a sort of flip. They landed on their back and didn't quite get up right away.

"Alight, let's try that again." Illyria smiled and shrugged.

"Let's see you try that again," one of the men said, rubbing his leg. Ronan turned on him and decked him.

"She's the Queen; respect her." He growled. Shortly after Ronan saw his home world destroyed on the screen, Illyria went to him and told him all about her, leaving nothing out.

"Maybe that's enough for today," She nodded.

҉

John was in the armory with Ronan showing and demonstrating some of their weapons. Illyria sat on a stool beside John and watched.

"This is a P-90. Compact, light weight, incredibly sturdy-"

Ronan cocked the gun and fired at the paper target.

"Good, that's…good." Illyria smiled up at John.

"UH, alright," John bent down and picked up the next weapon off the table. "This is a 9mm. Semi-automatic-"

Ronan fired that gun too at the paper target, not missing.

"That's good, too." Illyria's smile got bigger.

"I prefer this," Ronan said and pulled out his gun from its holster and fired, taking the entire center out of the target. He twirled the gun around his finger before putting it back. John leaned into frame and said,

"I see why you would."

҉

It was night when John ran into McKay in the corridor.

"You're up late."

"Uh, couldn't sleep, trying to clear my head." Rodney said, stopping and turning to face John. "What're you doing up?"

"Illyria wanted some Jell-O. Look, I heard the transformer test didn't go so well."

"Well, you heard right."

John nodded. "UH, listen, I wanted you to know that I gave the command to take the dart down."

"AS much as I'd like to pretend this is remotely your fault, the thought of what would happen if you _hadn't _shot the dart down…."

"So, we're cool?"

"No, you're cool. I'm fine." Rodney clarified.

"You should get some sleep." John nodded as he said it.

He paused for a moment before pointing to his head. "She says she's tired."

John took a step back, "goodnight," he said and left to got bring Illyria he Jell-O. When He had gotten back to his room some minutes later, the lights were off. Once Carson had released her from his medical care, the doctor himself offered up his room to her but she declined saying she needed not special treatment. Her original room from ten thousand years ago had been in the flooding so that was lost. They didn't have time to sort out a room for her once it was time to leave for Earth, that's when things for her and John started to blossom. On the Daedalus, their rooms were right across from each other, but often he'd waking in the middle of the night to the sound of Illyria opening his door. He'd feel her pull back the covers, silently to not wake him, and then he'd feel her warmth. Unable to resist, he'd always either snuggle up against her back or pull her onto his chest. It didn't matter as long as she was touching him. Once they had gotten back to Atlantis and the whole rooming situation, they talked it over and decided to move in together, but keeping a separate room next to this one in case.

John smiled as he turned on the lights, keeping it low so as to not wake her. He shed his clothing, pulled out a pair of sleeping short, and crawled into bed next to his beautiful Queen, putting her Jell-O beside her on the night table before turning off the lights.

҉

In the morning, Illyria woke immediately aware of the decidedly male presence snuggled against her back. She smiled over her shoulder and kept still, loving the feel of his warm hand on her bare hip. She had been married once, to a wonderful man whose child now grew inside her, but she had never felt this way about him. He had even brought her Jell-O, she thought as she spotted the red on the nightstand table. The way she felt for John was unimaginable against anything she has ever or will ever feel again. Now John stirred behind her, and with his touch, she was lost…

Illyria waited a moment to before turning over to make sure he was awake. He was still sleeping, a small smiled curled on his lips. His body was like a fine work of art. Da Vinci could not have drawn a more exquisite figure, so beautifully proportioned, a perfect scattering of dark hairs covering his muscular torso. She kissed his eyelids as he slept; his strong arms were flung carelessly above his head and she ran her fingertips over his silken skin. He stirred a little in his sleep but did not wake. She kissed his chest, the wiry hairs there tickling her lip. She allowed her tongue to dart out and tenderly lick his nipple. The tiny dark rose puckered slightly and she smiled. She pulled the sheet down further to reveal more of his superb body. Softly she caressed his thighs over the fabric, kissing his stomach. She gently pulled down the tops of his pants and ran the tip of her tongue across the tender skin at the top of his thigh, feeling a stirring at her cheek as his hand rose to touch her face. She looked up into his incredible blue eyes and she felt as though her heart were melting. Such love she beheld there, surprise at the tender attention she had paid to his sleeping form and longing. His hand found its way into her tangled hair, and he pulled her up towards him. This was not a moment for smiles. His face was filled with raw passion, laced with love as his eyes gazed up at her. Her light hair fell softly around his face and within this sweetly scented cave he kissed her, his arms stealing around her to hold her close, as close as he dare. She knew he'd never let her go.

҉

Illyria and Ronan were sparring with the sticks in the gym. One of the men on base called it Eskrima, a form of stick fighting from the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons. Usually when Illyria sparred, she hardly broke a sweat, but with Ronan….

Behind her the doors opened and someone said, "I thought we were supposed to be sparring today?"

Illyria shook the hair out of her face. "You were late," She looked over her shoulder, "so Ronan and I-"

Ronan hit both sticks out of her hands lightning fast and grabbed her by the throat. He held his hand steady as he kicked out her legs with his stick and throwing her onto her back. John threw his bag and knelt down beside her, gripping Ronan's arms as hard as he could.

"The hell do you think you're doing?"

They both stood, John somewhat protectively over Illyria. "I wouldn't have hurt her." Ronan said.

Illyria picked herself off the mat as John stepped towards Ronan. "Sure as hell looked like you were going to."

Ronan pushed hair out of his face and walked over by the window seal and grabbed his stuff. John turned to Illyria. "You okay?"

"I am fine," She said, holding her right shoulder. Ronan flipped a hand towel over his shoulder and looked at Illyria before leaving the gym with his guard's in tow. Illyria rubbed her neck. "I told him he did not have to go easy on me."

"You've got to be careful about what you say to this guy," John said, pointing after Ronan. "Let's go see Carson."

҉

After John recounted the sparring to Carson, over exaggerating it, the doctor told her to take it easy. That meant no physical exertion and no distractions. So, that night John was going to stay in the briefing room until all his paper work was done, giving Illyria plenty of time to relax. Which was what she was doing, stretching (yoga) on the bed, surrounded by beautifully smelling candles when the doors opened.

She looked up from her stretch to see Ronan bracing himself against the door frame. Illyria straightened immediately.

"I wanted to apologize." Ronan said.

Illyria nodded and gestured him in. "Come in." he walked in slowly. "Do not worry, Ronan, it was….impressive." He stopped at the foot of her bed. She shook her head and gestured to the chair beside her bed table. "How are you finding your training?"

"You mean my test?" Ronan asked as he sat, leaning his forearms on his thighs.

"Is that what you think?"

"Am I wrong?"

"John- Colonel Sheppard believes you could be of great help to us."

"Why did you join them?"

Illyria sighed. "My people were string and proud, but Atlantis is the best hope for us all. I suspect you see it too or you would have already left."

He ducked his head and looked around. "I was told the Colonel lived here?"

Illyria nodded. "He does- I mean, we both do."

"You and he….?" Illyria nodded. "I thought he was like that because you were the Queen."

"Well…" Illyria smiled and picked at the covers. "It's like that…sometimes. Other times, I'm just another person."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Honestly, no. When I was a girl, I was always being told what to do and how to do it for one day I would be Queen and all my friends, family, and subjects would look to me for guidance and council. All I've ever wanted for the longest time-"

"Was to be human." Ronan finished. Illyria smiled.

"To be human."

҉

It was dawn the next morning and Illyria barely had time to put on a pair of jeans and a blue/white button up shirt when John said they had to talk to Weir and it couldn't wait. Illyria was braiding her hair into pigtails while Weir thought what John had said over.

"I don't think it's a good idea, John." She said and walked past him.

"Elizabeth, you've got to see this guy in action, he's an incredible shot. None of my guys can beat him in a fight _and_ he's ex-military."

"Yeah, not a military on Earth." Weir said, checking consoles and tapping away on her tablet.

"Ronan has no place to go," Illyria added.

"You both are not just being charitable." Weir threw over her shoulder.

"No, we're not. And I'd think he'd make a great addition to my team." John told her once she'd stopped and faced him.

"We don't know anything about him."

"What's there to know?"

"Well, anything would be helpful. He's not very forthcoming." Weir turned and headed to her office.

"He's been on the run from the Wraith the past seven years, what do you expect?" Illyria asked.

"Listen, just….talk to the guy. You owe him that at least."

Weir sighed, looked over her shoulder at the people waiting in her office and said the magic word, "Okay."

҉

Ronan took away the fake knife from a grunt's neck when Illyria and Weir walked through the gym doors. There was no way Illyria was letting Weir do this without her.

"Ronan," Weir called from the door. Ronan stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at the two women. "Can I have a word?" Ronan handed the fake knife to one of the grunts and told them to practice. "I understand Colonel Sheppard has offered you an invitation to join his team."

"Yeah, he did."

"Well, he was supposed to speak to me about that first." Weir smiled.

"Okay."

"Look, it's not that I don't trust you or value any contributions you may have to make or that you will make if you do join us, it's just a rather big decision….."

"So how do you feel?" Illyria asked.

"I'll think about it."

"Good, well, I'm thinking about it too. So I guess we'll just keep in touch then?"

"Okay," Ronan nodded and went back to his group.

"Okay…" Weir sighed and Illyria smiled.

҉

McKay was brought to sickbay after he collapsed in Dr. Heightmeir's office. He was just now waking up. "What happened?"

Carson placed a hand on his shoulder. "You had a seizer."

"Why?"

"From what we can tell, the constant fighting over the dominance of your brain is having a detritus effect on its lower functions. Heart rate, breathing, respirations, organ function."

"That's not good-"

"Of course it's not good!" McKay interrupted himself who was permeably controlled by Cadman.

"I'm not sure how long you can go on like this." Carson said.

"What do you mean?"

"The seizures will increase in severity over time."

"Okay, tell Cadman to stop trying to take control of my body-"

Carson pushed Rodney back down onto the pillows. "It's not as simple as that, Rodney!"

"One of you has to release control. One of you has to let go completely." Dr. Heightmeir explained.

"Well, maybe if someone, say you, hadn't told her to try and take control in the first place, none of this would have happened." Rodney yelled.

"I was just trying to help both of you."

"What happens to the person, the one who…lets go?"

Carson sighed. "Well, we're not certain. I've never run into one of these situations before."

"They would disappear," Rodney sounded dreamy. (Cadman) "I know they would, because I can feel it already happening to me. It's getting harder to be in here. It's taking more of an effort."

Rodney turned his head to the side. "Has it always been like that?"

He turned his head back. "Past few hours, you haven't felt it too?"

Back to the right. "Of course I have, I just thought I was fighting with you!" Rodney turned his head back to Carson. "Look, where're we at?"

"Oh, well, we've successfully re-materialized the pair of mice. They were hole and correctly put together-" Zelenka tried to explain.

"But?"

"They didn't survive." Illyria shook her head.

"I'm afraid if you of you doesn't let go," Carson was explaining, "both of you will die."

Rodney raised his hand. "I'll do it."

"Which one of you said that?" Carson asked after a moment.

҉

John yanked Illyria out of bed that night and told her that McKay had an idea. A crazy, but brilliant idea. So they both ran down the corridors, her in her teal wide-legged maternity pants and him in his uniform, down to the labs. They were met with Carson and Weir at the door.

"McKay, I thought all the mice died in testing?" John asked.

"Yeah, well, mice or men?" He smiled and clapped his hands.

"Are you sure about this?" Weir asked. McKay was going to interface the gate and the Wraith beam and hopefully that was going to create enough stable energy to separate Cadman from McKay.

"Absolutely, yes."

"Okay," Weir nodded after a few tense moments of everyone looking around.

"Just…give me a second." McKay said and backed up into the firing zone. "Well, uh, it's been…unique. UH, good luck to us both."

"Alright," Zelenka muttered and pounded away on his keyboard. "Steady…uh, I suggest you guys step back….alright-" He was about to hit 'enter' when McKay held up his finger and placed a hand on his hip.

Cadman.

Rodney turned to Carson, walked over to him, grabbed him by his lab coat and kissed him deeply. Carson just stood there in confusion as McKay (Cadman) had his (her) way with him. Finally, they parted with a smack and Rodney said, "Just in case this doesn't work." Then Cadman released control and Rodney was back, gripping Carson's shirt. He walked back to the firing spot with a look of disgust and horror on his face. "J-Just hit it…"

Zelenka fired it up and hit the enter, absorbing McKay into the device through a beam of blinding white light.

"Okay, I'm reading two life signs. Power levels are stable-"

"Get them out of there!" Illyria yelled.

Again, Zelenka hit 'enter' and the beam of light reappeared, this time depositing both McKay and Cadman. They fell on the floor as soon as they were spotted.

҉

The next morning, Weir, John, and Illyria were on their way to the gate room when John said, "Oh, did you get the chance to see Ronan?"

"Yes, I did." Weir said, turning around. "Chatty fellow, isn't he?"

"And?"

"He would be your responsibility."

"I knew you'd say yes-"

"I haven't said yes."

"Well, you were about to!"

Weir narrowed her eyes and said, "Yes," before walking off.

"There you go!"

҉

McKay slowly opened his eyes to the site of Illyria, John, and Zelenka's worried faces.

"Feeling Better?" Rodney heard Cadman's voice and looked to the left to see any empty bed.

"Oh, no…" Rodney sighed.

"Over here…." The voice called. Rodney slowly moved his head to the right to see Cadman's smiling face and her waving.

"Well, um, a little less crowed. You?"

"Same." Cadman sighed and leaned back against her pillows. "It feels nice to have my own body back."

"You're doing supremely well." Carson said.

"Good to hear." Rodney stretched and looked up at Zelenka. "Nice work."

"Well, it was your idea-"

"Of course it was, but you…you were there."

"Lieutenant, way to survive what would have been my worst nightmare."

"Thank you, sir." Cadman chuckled.

"Yes, thank you." Rodney said.

"I imagine you too might want a moment?" Weir asked.

"Uh, actually, ma'am, I think I'd like some time alone." Cadman said.

"Same here, it's been, uh, awhile."

"Alright, release them as soon as you can." Weir patted Carson on the back and they all soon left.

҉


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:/ Please, please, for the love of all that is Ronan/John/Rodney, please give me some feedback! I'm going crazy not knowing what you guys are thinking. Do you like it, do you hate it, do you want me to add or take something out? I don't know, you tell me! :3 **

** I'll even through in some SGAtlantis manly men with a side of Lorne.**

They came through the gate by jumper, taking off into the air and soaring high over the tree tops. John was driving, Illyria sat shot gun, Ronan behind her, and McKay next to him.

"Look familiar?" John asked.

"No," Ronan said.

"Me neither," Illyria said, looking around. "I do not believe I have been to this planet before."

"There's no signs of any settlement, at least nothing recent." McKay said.

"Other than the smoke from that campfire." Ronan pointed.

A head of them, grey smoke rose from the forest, a lone mountain behind it.

"Huh," McKay said. "Yes, well, other than that."

Illyria looked over her shoulder and caught Ronan's eye and they both smiled.

"Okay, we're only a few hundred yards." John said, flying the ship over a small lake.

•

They walked into what appeared to be a village: raggedy tents, metal scraps littering the floor. It look more like a village that has been hit by natural disaster…or Wraith.

"Primitive," McKay said, looking around. "Defiantly primitive. Probably not even worth making contact. What is that smell?"

"Hello!" John called out.

"It appears they left in a hurry." Illyria observed.

"They're not used to friendlies coming out of the gate."

Ronan spotted something and walked towards it. He crouched down next to a small fire with a pot over it. He picked up a spoon and put some of the liquid in his mouth.

"What are you- Oh my God, he's _tasting_ it!" McKay said over his shoulder to John. "You don't know what that is, it could be their laundry!"

"Tastes good." Ronan mumbled and lifted his spoon up to McKay before slurping up some more.

"Oh, yes, good idea. And when you're finished with your porridge, why don't we try their beds?" McKay smarted off.

Ronan took a bite of whatever it was next to the soup and held it up to Illyria. "What some?"

"How could is it?"

"Leave it be, Goldie Locks." John smiled at her.

"…I do not know what that means…"

John chuckled and his smile got bigger. "I'll read it to the both of you tonight, alright?"

Ronan's face tightened and he stood up a fraction before yelling, "Get down," and hitting the deck with the rest of them. Just then, it began to rain arrows. One landed closely between John's legs and one actually landed in Ronan's.

"Cover!" John yelled, gripping Illyria's arm and ran her to safety behind a large rock. Ronan, Illyria, and John aimed their guns, ready for the next attack. IN the trees, they could see ten or so men moving about. Another five entered the village, hiding behind some scrape metal, fired what seemed to be a small fire bomb. Illyria and John shot low warning fire. Ronan lifted his head when the next fire bomb hit and shot above their heads. He put down his gun and put his hand on his leg. That's when McKay noticed the arrow sticking through his leg.

"You alright?"

"Fine!" He said, breaking off the shortest part and pulling the arrow out on the other side.

"You know, this is not the way to make new friends!" John yelled. "But we'll leave if you want us to! I take that as a yes; let's go back to the jumper. Illyria, you take point, I'll take six, McKay you help Ronan."

"Don't worry about me, I've got point."

"I'm a worrier, let the man give you a hand. You can still have point." They started to get up when a man, their leader, gave the command to fire and the ducked for cover again.

John and Illyria again opened fire, but still only as a warning, keeping their bullets low to the ground. Their leader's head popped up enough for John to see his features; he was dirtied, black hair matted, face covered in a dark beard, and dark eyes that shined. Suddenly, the leader looked to the skies as if he heard something. Then, John and his team began to hear it too. They looked up and saw a ship, a flying ship, stop and hover over them. The wind from its engines were blowing things from the village around violently. The ship moved its engines and some of the men were actually blown back into the forest.

"Alright, move!" John yelled over the noise. Ronan go up with the assist of McKay, Illyria followed, and John laid down cover fire before joining them.

Ronan was the first to make it to the ship. He and Illyria stood at the doors with guns raised and put them down to shut the doors when John and McKay were inside. John rushed to his seat and brought everything online while Illyria stood guard at the door until it was closed and locked securely.

"Everyone in one piece?" John asked as he lifted the ship of the ground.

"Yeah," Ronan said, getting up. "Thanks to that ship."

"Be still." Illyria said and gently pushed Ronan down into his chair and lifted his injured leg to rest on her armrest and began to dress the wound.

"Got to love their timing."

"No kidding!" McKay said. "Did you see that thing?"

"Yeah, I saw that thing." John looked over his shoulder at McKay for a fraction of a second.

"Unidentified ship," A male voice came over the comms. "This is the security vehicle, Boros. Follow us immediately and we will lead you to the city."

"Understood, Boros. Thanks for the help back there." John cut off comms and said, "That's how you make new friends."

҉

The city was amazing as it was beautiful. The buildings were the same as Earth's, but with only slight changes and everything seemed cleaner. The air didn't have smoke or smog, there was actually trees and grass surrounding the city. John and his team seemed to be heading towards a Capitol Building of some kind. The outside was a beautiful garden with fountains and archways.

A woman with dark hair tucked away in a bun approached them, files held tightly in her left hand.

"Welcome to Olesia. I am Marin."

"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard." John introduced himself with a smile. McKay noticed that this wasn't his normal 'I met a hot alien chick' smile. It was more refined and strained. "Illyria, Doctor Rodney McKay, and Ronan Dex."

She nodded. "Please, follow me." She turn and led them under the stone awning covering the entrance. "I sent a security detail as soon as we detected your presence on the islands. The prisoners there can be quite hostile."

"Yeah, we defiantly got off on the wrong foot." John smiled.

"Prisoners?" Illyria asked.

"Yes," Marin said. "The island is a penal colony. Prisoners usually don't cause much trouble…as long as you don't try to land there."

"You could have put up a sign." McKay said.

"The Stargate is on the island," Illyria said. "Does this not affect your ability to trade with other worlds?"

"Yes, of course." Marin nodded. "As a result, we have learned to be almost entirely self-sufficient."

"Then why put a prison there?" John asked.

"I believe the Magistrate is better suited to answer these questions. He's very eager to meet you."

҉

"Your ship is the most intriguing design. I must admit I'm surprised to find others in this galaxy who's technology rivals out own. Aside from the Wraith, I mean."

"I was about to make the exact same comment." Rodney said.

"Where do you come from?" The large, balding man stepped forward.

"Until recently, Atlantis." John said.

"The ancestral city..." The man nodded.

"Unfortunately it was destroyed by the Wraith a short time ago."

"How tragic!"

"Yeah, we're pretty broken up about it."

"We're part of a small group of people who were able to escape." Illyria said.

"How fortunate for you-"

"Yes, yes, yes, fortunate- getting back to the technology thing," McKay rushed out, "I'm just curious, how have you been able to make such advancements without the Wraith stepping in?"

"Well, the Wraith have chosen to leave us alone." The man smiled.

John narrowed his eyes and glanced at Ronan. "Why?"

"I dunno." The Magistrate sighed.

"They've never come here?" Ronan asked.

"The Wraith have been her many times, but with the Ancestral ring on the island, the Wraith have always been….how should I put this, sated with the prisoners living there." McKay slowly turned his head to John. "The Wraith have no need to venture any further."

"Well, that would explain why you put the prison there." John said.

"The island has been a penal colony for hundreds of years. It's locations there has benefited my people greatly."

"Not all your people," John remarked.

"I assure you, only the most violent criminals are sent there." The Magistrate's voice was steel. "As you have discovered," he held his hand out to Ronan's leg.

"What's the crime for that punishment?" Ronan asked.

"Crime is virtually inexistent her in Olesia. Unlike the prisoners, we pride ourselves on being hospitable and civilized."

҉

"This section of the city is devoted to scientific research," The Magistrate was leading them on a tour following a yellow line in the center of the hall. "Our scientists have recently attained a success in enriching fissionable, yet nonradioactive material to be used in generating power for the city."

"Fissionable, yet non-radioactive, t-t-that even possible? What kind of material are you using?" McKay stuttered.

"It's an ore, extracted from a mineral plant on our planet. It's quite volatile but yields great promise. I'd be very happy to show you the laboratory."

"I'd be very happy to see it."

"I'd be very happy to go back to our ship. Our people are due to check in with us in a little while over radio. We'll have to get back within range." John said, McKay giving him a 'pissed off scientist' look.

"You can use one of our radio re-lay stations. Should be enough power to reach the island, if that's your concern."

"So we'll be speaking privately."

"Of course."

҉

**BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ATLANTIS AND JOHN'S TEAM**

"And you believe they are willing to share some of these minerals?" Weir asked from the control tower, standing next to Chuck.

"Well, they seem to overdo it; they don't get many trading opportunities coming through the gate." John said.

"Sounds promising."

John was standing on the balcony, behind him Ronan was stuffing his pockets with food, Illyria was eating it, and McKay inspected it. "Well, there is the minor moral hiccup of their form of Capital Punishment."

"I'm sorry?"

"They have an island," McKay said, coming to stand next to John. "It's their own version of Alcatraz, where they send their worst criminals."

"And the gate is on the island. So…."

"So," Weir nodded, "the Wraith feed on the prisoners."

"Yep." Weir signed and closed her eyes.

"Talk about cruel and unusual punishment."

"I prefer lethal injection, although I have a certain fondness for the electric chair. Call me a romantic." McKay said and John chuckled.

"The Wraith get what they want and the Olesians get left alone. Surprised it works." Ronan said and took a bite out of whatever it was he picked up off the food tray.

"He did, however, say that the most violent criminals get sent there and has been this way for hundreds of years." John defended.

"Do you kill all your violent criminals on Earth?" Illyria asked.

"Certain countries, yes." McKay said and looked over to John.

"Do we really need to get into this now?"

"Well we do if we plan on doing business with these people." Weir interrupted. "I want to know more before I jump to any conclusions."

҉

"We were able to speak with our people, thank you." John said once they were back in the Magistrate's office.

"Of course."

"If you're open to it, we'd like to discuss possible trade opportunities."

"We are very open. I am sure there is much we can learn from each other."

"Well, Doctor Elizabeth Weir will be the one who will open official delegations with you. That's really her thing."

"I'm looking forward to meeting her and to start a promising friendship." The Magistrate smiled and bowed deeply.

҉

They were back in the jumper, flying over the ocean, and heading back towards the gate.

"Seriously, am I the only one creped out by that guy?" McKay asked.

"Politicians, Rodney. They're all creepy." John replied.

They were coming over the island colony now, making a slow descent.

"Margaret Thatcher wasn't creepy." McKay pouted. "Okay, well, maybe a little. She actually resembled an aunt of mine, same hairstyle, facial structure. Only my aunt was much taller. Oddest thing, she had to shave twice a day."

McKay was about to open his mouth to prattle on some more when the jumper shook violently and the windshield lit up an orange color.

"What was that?" Illyria asked, gripping the armrests of her seat. Below them, something shot out of the smoke from the penal colony's fire and exploded not a few yards away from the jumper.

"They're shooting at us!" John sneered.

"The prisoners?" Illyria sounded shocked.

"With what?" McKay yelled.

"Cloak the ship." Ronan said.

John pressed a button, but nothing happened. "I can't, we took some damage. We'll be lucky enough to make it to the gate."

"How close are we?" McKay asked.

"Close enough to dial." John said and gave Illyria the signal to start doing so. From below, more things shot out of the forest and up into the air. The latest one was the closest yet.

"That was close…" Ronan said.

"Get ready to send an IDC." John commanded Illyria.

The next shot got the underbelly of the jumper, knocking it off course and straight down into the trees. The jumper was shaking.

"I've lost control systems! Hang on!" John yelled. They all braced themselves on whatever they could get their hands on.

John reached over and grabbed Illyria's hand before they crashed.

҉

John lifted his head off the steering wheel slowly, taking mental stock of what was still attached. He turned around in his seat and stood up, moving towards Ronan who nodded to signal he was fine. The he turned to McKay.

"You okay, Rodney?"

"I think I chipped a tooth. Did I chip a tooth?" Rodney pulled back his upper lip and showed John his gums. John rolled his eyes and turned to Illyria. She was just now opening her eyes and picking her head off the control console. From the light shining in, John could see the gash on the right side of her face from where the controls hit her.

"Illyria…Illyria, you alright?" John asked gently, crouching down beside her.

"Dizzy, but everything's here….." Her hand fluttered down to her small bump, covered by the vest, and waited.

"What about the baby?" John whispered, dread in his heart. John would never admit it, but every night when he's lying in bed with Illyria in his arms, he imagines that the baby is his and that once he/she is born; he could be a better father than his own. But no matter whose child it was that was growing inside her, he would always love it and bring it up like his own.

"I don't know. Carson said I wouldn't be able to feel the baby move until week 17, I'm only at week 14." She whispered back and looked up at him. "John, I need you to tell me the baby's alright."

John smiled and stroked her face with his hand. "Illyria, that vest can withstand bullets. I'm pretty sure it could've protected you and the baby from the crash. It wasn't one of my best landings…."

Illyria smiled and leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. Ronan stood, holding his right arm, and said, "The gate should still be active for a few minutes."

John picked up his gear and headed to the door after helping Illyria out of her chair. "Alright, let's go."

Once the bulkhead doors opened and they were a few feet outside, whooping calls from men came from the forest around them. In no more less than a few seconds, they were surrounded by filthy men who carried swords, planks, and bows. John held out his hand to signal lowering their guns.

"Hi, folks." John said. "I hope I didn't crash land on anybody.

҉

They were being held inside one of the shacks in the village, tied to a pole with a bamboo rod separating their arms and back. From outside they could hear gunfire, an explosion, and laughter. The door to the shack opened and the criminal's leader walked in flanked by three men and holding Ronan's gun.

"You should know our people are expecting us." John said. "If we don't show up soon, they'll come looking for us."

"Ah, is that supposed to concern me?" The leader mocked.

"Don't go getting all full of yourself, chief. A few cannons are no match for the fire power they'll be bringing with them. Although, I should complement whoever took that first shot…It was a good one."

"It was, wasn't it." The leader said.

"What do you want from us?" Illyria asked, feeling exposed without her vest on to protect her unborn child.

"Well, we've already got your weapons, your gear, now I do believe we'll take your ship. We have been planning a trip to the mainland, but after seeing you fly that thing through the ancestral ring-"

"You're referring to the ship you just shot down?" McKay asked snidely. "One that doesn't stand a hope in hell of ever flying again?"

"The ship that you're going to fix, yes."

"What am I, MacGyver? Fix it with what?"

The leader turned his head to the man next to him and told him to get McKay up. "You seem like a smart man, I'm sure you'll think of something. Maybe all you need is a little motivation." The leader lifted Ronan's gun up and shot a hole though the wall McKay's head once was.

"Maybe you should think about fixing it, Rodney." John said.

Rodney nodded and gulped. "Good idea."

"My friends all tell me I have a remarkable gift for persuasion." The leader smiled and left, signaling to one of his men to cut Rodney free and bring him along.

҉

**BACK IN ATLANTIS**

** "**What happened?" Weir asked Chuck in the control room.

"Gate activated, noting came through." Chuck reported.

"Sheppard?"

"That's what we assumed. We received no IDC, a few moments later, gate shuts down." Chuck turned his laptop to Weir and points to the screen.

"They should've returned by now. Dial the planet and try to establish a radio link."

"Yes, ma'am." Chuck began the sequence.

Weir touched the radio in her ear and said, "Major Lorne, this is Weir."

"Go ahead."

"You may have to go off world to assist Colonel Sheppard. I'd like you to assemble a team and have a puddle jumper ready and waiting to go."

"Yes ma'am."

҉

Back in the camp, the three of them struggled against their bonds. But it seemed like they only tightened.

"IS anyone having any luck?" John asked.

"Not yet," Ronan said.

"These bindings are very secure," Illyria said, tugging at the ropes.

"Who knew convicts know how to tie people up?" John sarcastically remarked.

"Eventually I will get free and when I do, he's going to pay for this." Ronan growled.

"Hold on, listen to me. When you get free, you get us free, and we all get out of here! Then they'll find out we're gone _after_ we're gone."

"You expect me to let them get away with this?"

"The operative words are 'get away'."

"After I kill him."

"That type of thinking would get us killed."

"Well, if you were returned fire-"

"The weapons systems were _damaged_."

"If you say so," Ronan muttered.

"I do say so! And right now, I'm saying _knock it off_." John growled between clenched teeth.

Ronan huffed from exerting himself at tugging at the ropes and looked over at John. "Is that an order Sheppard?"

John gave a mix of a sigh and a chuckle. "I'm beat up, tied up, and couldn't order a pizza right now if I wanted to, but if you need it to be…_yeah_, it's an order!"

Ronan was quite for a moment. "Okay,"

҉

**BACK IN ATLANTIS**

"All set?" Weir asked Lorne as she entered the Jumper's cockpit.

"Ready to go. Still no word from him?" Lorne asked as she sat down.

"Nothing."

"Don't worry, we'll find him."

"I was hoping to negotiate a trade agreement, not I'm negotiating their release."

"We don't know that."

Weir looked over at Lorne and nodded her head. "Dial the gate. Go to stealth mode the moment we're through."

"Besides, Doctor Beckett would have both our asses if we at least didn't come back with Illyria."

҉

The door to the shack opened and McKay was pushed in, behind him was Torell, the prisoner's leader.

"Choose," Torell said.

"Choose what?" McKay asked in his usual snarky tone.

"Which one of them dies first. Do it."

"I can't do that!"

"Then I'll choose for you. Either way, one of them dies unless you change your mind about fixing that ship."

"I'm sorry, but there are some things beyond my capability-"

"I don't believe you."

"I know it is hard to believe-"

"I think you're lying."

"I'm not lying, it's _broken_. Do you understand _broken_?"

"I know your type. You whine and you complain and you see to it that your every task is viewed to some impossible achievement. So that when you do succeed, your _gargantuan_ efforts are viewed as all the more heroic."

"I know that maybe true in some cases, but this is not one of them. You are asking me to do the impossible."

"Your friend's lives are in your hands." Torell said, pointing to them, and walked off. "I'll give you some time to choose."

One of the guards sat McKay down and left as well, but one of the prisoners lingered.

"Listen to him, McKay, he's killed eleven people. Eight before he was sent here and three since he's been on the island." The man nodded, speaking as if he were mentally slow, but otherwise capable.

"It's eleven, huh? You've got some catching up to do, don't you?" McKay looked over to John and said, "He's only killed one."

"Who? Him?" John nodded his head to the man standing before him.

"I told I'm here because of a mistake."

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone on this island says that." Ronan said.

"Well, as a matter of fact, some of us are innocent. Only a few like Torell are actual murders."

"You mean they put all their criminals here?" Illyria asked. "Regardless of the crimes they committed?"

"Once, only the worst of the worst were sent here, but the punishment proved to be such a successful deterrent that crime rates in Oleisa plummeted. Which meant f-fewer and fewer prisoners."

"Less food for the Wraith." Illyria sighed.

"Exactly."

"So they lowered the bar." John said and the man nodded.

҉

**IN OLESIA'S CITY**

"They have not returned to the planet?" The Magistrate was asking Weir as they walked along the winding yellow path with Lorne and his team trailing behind.

"No, we haven't been able to establish radio contact with them either."

"They didn't return to the city. Perhaps they travel through the ring to another planet?"

"No, they would have radioed first."

"Something must have happened on the island." The Magistrate's aid, a woman, said. "I'll alert our security team and have them begin a search."

"We'll join you." Lorne said.

The Magistrate stopped and lifted his hand to Lorne. "I would advise against that."

"Would you?" Weir asked.

"The island is extremely dangerous. Our ships are heavily armored, we know the terrain, as well as the prisoner's tactics." The Magistrate smiled. "Don't worry, we'll find them."

"I hope you do, Magistrate, for all our sakes."

"Of course." He said and walked off, his own security team following.

҉

Ronan cried out as he struggled against his bindings. "I think they're loosening."

"Take it easy, Chewy, you're going to cut your damn hands off." John told him.

"The more we struggle, the tighter the bindings get." Illyria said.

Behind them, a part of the shack was removed and McKay's island criminal assistant crawled through the hole in the wall he made. He stayed low as he moved to get in front of everyone, making sure to keep out of site from anyone outside.

"You need something like this." He held up his knife.

"What about the guards?" McKay asked.

"They stepped away, no one's watching."

"Will you help us?" Illyria asked.

"If you'll help me."

"How?" John asked.

"Fix the ship, let me leave with you."

McKay sighed. "Oh for God's sake, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"I know you can do it. I could see it in your eyes when you were working. You were holding something back from us."

John slowly turned his head to McKay. "Rodney…"

"Nobody could fix it." McKay kept saying. "I don't care who you think I am or what you think you saw in my eyes, but it's totally and completely impossible."

"Torell and his men are going to return soon."

"He'll fix it." John said.

"I just said I couldn't." McKay whined.

"You really suck at lying Rodney." John looked away from Rodney and towards the man. "We have a deal."

It was still for a moment when McKay said, "There is one _slight_ possibility."

"Ah see?" John smiled.

"I'm not going to be able to fix the ship to fly out of her, but I can make it to where we can dial the gate and leave on foot. When I say might, I mean probably not. It's a long shot at best, I'd have to bypass the main power-"

"Get us outa here!" John growled at the man.

He nodded and went over to Ronan first, cutting his bindings on the right hand. Big mistake. As soon as his hand was free, Ronan lifted his on blade to the man's throat.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut your throat." Ronan said.

"For one, it'll make a mess." John said and Ronan looked at him. "Look, we made a deal. Just let him go." Ronan had his knife at the man's throat a second more before cutting off his own neck tie and standing up to get John's and make his way over to McKay and Illyria.

"Careful…" McKay whispered.

"Suck it up." Ronan replied.

John crouched down by the hole in the wall and stuck his head out, making sure no one was coming. When he didn't see anything, he left, Ronan directly behind him.

What the team didn't know was that Torell had placed a radio inside the shack and had heard every word.

•

The had been walking in the forest to get back to the ship for a good while when John held up his hand and they all crouched low on the forest floor.

"Why're we stopping?" Ronan asked.

"This is way too easy." John said. "Alright, stay close and stay quite."

They got up and started going as McKay said, "What? Why'd he say that to me?"

They ran around half the clearing, ducking behind a bolder to get a clear view of the Jumper….and the men hiding in the forest.

John slowly turned to the man cowering behind him and Ronan.

"I didn't know anything about this, I swear." He said.

"We will _never_ be able to make it to the jumpers, they have our weapons!" Illyria whispered.

"We don't need weapons." Ronan said.

"There's still the fact that they seriously out number us." McKay said.

"At least we've still got the element of surprise," John said, looking on the bright side. Ronan turned his head to Sheppard and smiled a fraction of a smile.

"I was beginning to think you were afraid to fight." Ronan got up

"No, I'm just naturally lazy, but I will if I have to." John looked over at Illyria and said, "and…it's starting to look like we have to. How much time do you need to re-wire the DHD?"

"In the perfect world, two days," Rodney said.

"_Rodney_…"

"Right now…t-ten minutes give or take."

"Alright we need to create a diversion. We'll split up and flank 'em. Get them looking everywhere besides the jumper, hopefully we can buy enough time to steal back our weapons- " The gate began to make 'incoming wormhole' noises and all their heads shot up. "Or we could just dial the gate…"

"They fixed the DHD?" Illyria asked McKay.

"That's impossible," He responded.

"I don't think they're the ones who dialed it." John said and a dart came through the gate. "Get down!" John ordered as the Wraith ship shot overhead.

"It didn't see us," the convict said.

"It saw us. It didn't care." Ronan growled.

"Why not?" McKay asked.

"Who cares, they left the jumper!" John said, watching as the men in the trees scurry off. He got up from behind hid bolder and ran for it.

҉

"I'm afraid the news is not good," The Magistrate said as soon as he walked into the room Weir, Lorne, and his team were momentarily staying. "Our rescue teams have just begun their search on the island and the ancestral ring activated."

"The Wraith?" Weir asked.

"It appears a culling is underway." He stopped to give Weir time to process. "We're not sure how many ships are involved, our teams were forced to pull back. I am not giving up hope, I'll send teams back the moment the Wraith are gone. Hopefully, your friends evaded the culling. I must attend to this," The Magistrate said and left when Weir tried to push the point further.

His female aid hesitantly lingered before following.

҉

Sometime later, Ronan lumbered through the Jumper and into the cockpit to report that the jumper had gone back through the gate.

"Do you know why it did not cull anyone?" Illyria asked.

"Maybe it did." Ronan said. "It headed to the mainland when it first came through."

"Alright, keep watch." John told him and looked down at Rodney who was under the dash the consoles. "How's it coming, Rodney?"

"Slower than I expected, but faster than humanly possible." He reported with a glare and went back to work.

"Any chance of getting the cloaking power generator going too? It could really come in hand right about now."

"Okay, how about a snack? Like me to make you a nice sandwich?" Rodney snapped.

"Only if it's humanly possible."

"It would be a miracle if I get the DHD back on and even longer for the cloaking generator, and even if I could manage that the power would be intermittent at best."

"Okay, F.Y.I the Wraith are all gone, so it's just a matter of time before Torell and his boys return…_with_ all of our weapons."

"I get it!"

"Good."

҉

Weir was pacing in front of Lorne, wringing her hands together trying to come up with a solution when the door opened and the Magistrate's aid come in.

"Myrinn?" Weir asked. Myrinn slowly closed the door and walked to the two foreigners. "What's happened?"

"No one must know that I'm speaking to you." Myrinn stressed.

"Of course."

"You should leave, as soon as possible."

"Why?" Lorne slowly asked, stepping up.

"The Magistrate has just rescinded my orders to send rescue teams back to the island."

"What?" Weir said, shaking her head. "Why would he do that?"

Myrinn's eyes looked around. "Several arrests have been made. Many people around the city have been arrested upon unspecified charges to be sent to the island to increase the population there."

"To keep the Wraith fed." Lorne muttered.

"This has been going on for some time, but never as bad as this. The number of arrests- I cannot keep quite any longer, I have to speak out!"

"Lies!" The Magistrate yelled, walking through the doors. "Seeding fear not only amongst your own people, but now…our guests. I cannot allow it."

"I was only trying to understand why so many people are being arrested!" Myrinn said.

"Your job is not to question the acts of this government." The magistrate even faked a pained face when he gave the motion for Myrinn to be taken.

"No, wait!" Myrinn called out to Weir as she was dragged off. "Help me, please!"

"Where are they taking her?" Weir asked.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that."

"What kind of crime has she committed?"

"I've recently learned that Myrinn belongs to a group seeking to undermine me and the Olesian government. She's become very….incompetent, spinning lies to suit her organizations treasonable agenda."

"Did you or did you not rescind the order to send rescue teams back to the island?"

"Why would I do that?"

"That doesn't answer doesn't concern me. My first concerns are for the safety of my people and I can promise you if-"

"Everything is being done to ensure their rescue is a safe return. If there's been any hindrance at all it was because of Myrinn."

Weir nodded. "What's going to happen to her now?"

"She'll receive a fair trial in our courts."

"And then what?" Lorne asked. "Sent to the island?"

"I'm sure where you come from, treason is also considered a very serious offense.

"So that's a yes?" Lorne asked.

"Tell me, what else is considered a serious offense around here?" Weir asked.

"Anything that threatens the welfare of Olesian people."

"Are you sure it's the welfare of the people that concerns you? Or just your own?"

"Choose your words very carefully, Doctor Weir."

"Oh, I do. Why, is that a threat?"

"It's advice." He nodded. "From one ally to another."

"Well this alliance? It's just been _rescinded_." Weir turned to Lorne and his team. "We're leaving." Out of the corner of her eye, Weir could see a few of his guards move their hands to pick up their guns. "What? You plan to arrest us too? Because you do not want to do that."

Just then, Lorne and his men had their guns up and ready to fire in a second. The Magistrate nodded his head and moved back, his men following suit. Weir walked out first, Lorne covering her very fine six.

҉

Back at the jumper, Ronan could see men coming down the forest pathway leading from the settlement. "Parties over," He called over his shoulder.

"We were having such a good time." John said and walked back through the jumper to stand by Ronan at the doors. Illyria followed. "Alright, let's see if we can hold them off."

John ran back in and told Rodney, "Once you get the DHD back online, make a run for it. When you get back to Atlantis, tell them to get working on those sandwiches, we'll be right behind you."

"Two minutes!" Rodney called as John ran back out. "Hold them that long and we're good to go."

As soon as the men on the path went into the trees, John, Ronan, and Illyria moved into the surrounding bush. Illyria picked up a thick stick and broke it in half as Ronan covered them both. Jon saw what she was doing and decided to try it. He picked up a nearby branch and slammed it onto his knee. The branch was thicker than it looked. He put it back down and picked up a log. Illyria moved her hands and ran, Ronan right behind her, and two of Torell's men behind him. The two men crouched low, watching Ronan and Illyria and not their backs. Another one of Torell's men came running down the path. John stuck out the log so that man ran into it. He swung it into his stomach before coming down hard on the man's back.

The other two were still crouched behind some bushes when Illyria snuck around and tapped one on the shoulder. They turned their heads and Illyria waved and smiled before striking them with her sticks in the face. Two more were coming at her when Ronan held them back. Face shots, stomach punches, again and again, over and over with sticks and fists until the four men were down. One man actually took John by surprise and punched him in the face. He quickly recovered and decked him.

Hard.

The fight was over when Torell's other men came out of the trees with their guns and arrows raised. Ronan and Illyria raised their hands, but not before Ronan got one final kick to a man's face. John was still punching the guy when he was told to put his hands in the air.

•

"That's it! I did it! We're ready to go!" McKay yelled from the Jumper. When he got up from the floorboards, he saw Torell and his harry henchmen smiling.

"See that? I knew you could do it."

•

"No-no-no, you don't have to do that!" McKay waved as Torell pit Ronan on his knees, back facing his team, and put a gun to his head. John and Illyria sat hands behind their heads behind McKay. "What me to dial the gate for you, fine, there are hundreds of suitable planets for you to go to."

"Yeah, and there are hundreds of unsuitable planets you can send me to, aren't there?" Torell asked, getting close to McKay's face.

"Y-Yeah, b-but I won't send you to one of those."

"I think our best option is to come with you to your planet." Torell said. "I don't suppose you have more of these laying around there, do ya?" He waved his hand over the Jumper.

"Forget it." John said.

"Sorry?"

"We'll dial you another address you can go through, but we're not taking you home."

Torell stepped away from the ship and got low into John's ear. "You are aware of the fact that we have all your weapons pointed at you, right?"

"Yeah, you'll murder us the minute we step through the ate so what difference does it make?"

"You're very distrustful."

Rodney heard a familiar sound and looked around in the skies and couldn't believe it. "Oh no…"

It was a Wraith hive ship, descending quickly down to the ground.

҉

They were about midway over the ocean when something beeped. Lorne hit the button to pull a map on screen. There was a picture of the island and a red dot at where the gate would be.

"We've got a Wraith cruiser coming down on the island and I'm picking up several more waiting in the atmosphere."

"Put us on stealth mode. Let's find our guys before they do." Weir instructed.

҉

"What is that?" Torell asked, walking in front of Ronan. "What is that?"

"It's a Wraith Cruiser." John said, taking his hands off his head. "And trust me; you don't want to be around when it gets here."

Ronan grabbed his gun that Torell was holding and punched his square in the jaw. Half of the men surrounding them reacted, the other half were still staring up at the sky. Torell got up and pointed a hand gun at Ronan and he flipped on his own gun. Not bothering with stun this time.

"Wait, wait!" John said, standing up beside the two, and spoke to McKay, "Dial the gate."

"Stop!" Torell yelled.

"If all the prisoners get off this island, where do you think this ship will go?" John asked, pointing at the cruiser.

"We got a big problem in here!" McKay yelled from inside. John and Illyria ran in, Ronan and Torell followed, but with guns still pointed at each other.

"What's wrong?"

"We lost power to the DHD." McKay said, pressing one of the buttons.

"Why?"

"I told you the power would be intermittent at best. We should have dial immediately as soon as the cruiser appeared instead of standing around here talking!"

"Can you fix it?"

"I don't know!"

"They're right on top of us." Ronan said.

"We could shoot them down." Torell said.

"Neither your weapons nor ours will damage it." Illyria said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What about the drones, can you patch enough power to the-" John asked, but McKay was ahead of him.

"Maybe one given the time-"

"Then do it." John sat down in the control chair .

"One drone against an entire Wraith cruiser?" Illyria yelled.

"Maybe," John said. "If we get a lucky shot. McKay…."

"Almost, just give me one more…..okay, we're armed. Go before the power cuts out again!"

John pressed a button and shot off one drone to the underbelly of the Wraith ship, causing a chain reaction of explosions.

҉

"Did you see that?" Lorne asked.

"A drone!" Weir shouted.

҉

"We scored a hit!" John yelled, getting out of the chair. "Alright, that's either going to by us time or piss 'em off."

McKay was about to complain about power when a radio went off, spilling Weir's voice into the Jumper.

"Colonel Sheppard, you've damaged the Wraith Cruiser and it's leaving the area, but you've got two more cruisers incoming."

Torell pulled the radio out of his pocket. John walked up to him and held out his hand. Torell nodded after a slow moment and handed it over.

"Elizabeth, where are you?" John spoke into the radio.

҉

Weir smiled at Lorne after hearing her friend's voice. "We're in Jumper Two, we're cloaked and directly above you-"

҉

"-Are you alright?" She asked.

"Jumper's disabled. Right now, I need you to dial the gate to one of the backup planets to the Alpha site. Doesn't matter which one."

҉

Lorne looked questionably at Weir. She just shrugged. "Understood."

The Major took that as a signal at started dialing.

҉

Outside the jumper, the gate activated.

"Okay, whoever wanted off this planet, now's your chance!" John yelled to the people outside and saw all of them run to the gate. He turned his head to Torell and growled, "Time to go."

"Why should we trust you, huh?"

"You wanna stay, stay, I really don't give a damn, but you are _not_ coming home with us!" Behind John the prisoner that had helped them stood and John waved him down. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can go."

Torell mock saluted Ronan on his way out, keeping his gun trained on his until he was at the gate.

"Elizabeth," John said. "I need you to keep the gate open until the last man goes through then shut it down and dial Atlantis!"

"We can land and pick you up-"

"Negative, just keep the gate open an we'll take it from there. Stay in stealth mode until the Wraith have gone away."

"Acknowledged."

A minute had gone by after the gate had shut down when John announced, "Here comes another Cruiser."

҉

"Dial Atlantis." Weir ordered and turned on her radio. "We're dialing, head for the gate."

҉

Ronan slightly pushed everyone out of the jumper and in front of him so he would be the one to bring up the rear. Above them, the damaged Cruiser flew back up and another took its place, firing down upon the planet, coming dangerously close to where John and his team where running. One by one, they jumper through the gate. Ronan barely made it through before a Wraith drone impacted where he was standing.

҉

"They're through," Lorne announced.

Weir breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back heavily against her chair. She watched through the window as the Cruiser pulled back and headed for the city.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

"How is she, Doc?" John asked, his jacket draped over his arm as he walked into the infirmary and sat down next to Illyria's bed. They were all ordered to sick-bay once Weir got back and were told to take the next few days off to get their report down before the de-briefing. During this down time, Carson kept Illyria here, in her old isolated hospital bed, to keep a close eye on here and the baby to make sure everything was alright. Right now, she was sleeping peacefully so the men had to speak in soft whispers.

"Doing much better now that her blood pressure's down. Too much stress caused it ta skyrocket above normal limits, then again….she's not from our galaxy so I have no idea what normal is to her."

"So, she's going to be alright?" Ronan asked, pushing himself off the door way he was leaning against and joined John by her bed.

"Aye. Now, would you like ta hear some good news?" John nodded and reached for her hand, stroking the outside with his thumb. "In about four weeks, we'll be able to tell the baby's gender, and a week before that, the little bugger should be moving around."

"Four weeks," John sighed. "So, she'll be...eighteen weeks?"

Carson nodded.

"What's going right now? She's fourteen weeks so shouldn't soothing be happening with the baby?" John asked.

Carson smiled, knowing that John has taken the duty of soon-to-be father since he and Illyria got serious. "Aye, she's now in the second trimester. Energy levels come back up, nausea levels go down and she even has a cute little bump that's beginning to show. And you'll be surprised at how oblivious some folks are. Here you are walking around at 28 weeks with a big belly an' all along they've been thinkin' you ate too many hot wings for lunch." Ronan smiled and John chuckled, imagining Illyria with a huge stomach. "Think of it this way: She's a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the 'big stuff', like skeletal and organ development, is taken care of, the baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work.  
>The baby now has fingerprints! Believe it or not, the little tyke actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.<br>The baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements, this will help him fling food across the room later in life. The tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.  
>The baby is now at a weight of about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, she haven't done the same….but, she'll be complaining when she does, so-"<p>

"Be prepared?"

"I was going to say brace yourself, but yeah, you'll be wanting to sleep on the couch."

"Great…"


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:/ ****McKay screws up royally and is unable to save the day. This story is a great character piece for both Sheppard and McKay. Their relationship is challenged in a big way and it's a change that I think is wing-spreading for both Sheppard and McKay.**

"I'm just saying as a team Veteran to the new guy, heavy lunch before mission departure, bad idea." McKay told Ronan. "Even with the inertial dampening, this would flying thing is better done on an empty stomach."

John looked over at Illyria and saw her smiling. Before they were called to the jumper bay, he overheard Illyria talking about how many more missions she would be able to go one before she had to stay in Atlantis until the baby came. Carson had said, once the baby started to move, which would be in two more weeks before she was grounded.

"Yeah, well, I've got a pretty strong stomach."

"Hey, I can eat frozen dinners without thawing them-"

"McKay," John called over his shoulder, "Are you reading anything?"

He swiveled in his chair and hit a button. "Nothing, life signs from the planet are negative."

"It is a shame. The Durandians were a wonderful race of people." Illyria said.

"Well, you're over ten thousand years old….you can bet things have changed around here." McKay said.

Ronan slowly got up from his seat, his jaw unhinged and slightly opened. "Sheppard."

John nodded and guided the ship to where Ronan was looking. It was a battle ground. Wreakage from various ships were scattered throughout the atmosphere. John had to navigate through it like he would a mine field.

"Okay, that's not something you see every day." John said.

"There was a great battle here….." Illyria uttered, wracking her brain trying to remember if her people had fought in this space, not seeing any of her ships. "_That_ is a hive ship."

John flew the jumper above the biggest Wraith ship he's ever seen. The ship itself took up half the battle field.

"That _was_ a hive ship." Ronan agreed.

"Something put a lot of holes in it, alright." John commented, going in closer. "We should check it out."

"Whoa, whoa, w-what if whatever put holes in it wants to put holes in us?" McKay asked.

"Like you said, a lots changed in ten thousand years."

John changed course and piloted the jumper straight down into the Durandian's Capitol City. They were about as high as a helicopter would be and took in what was left of the city. The atmosphere was thunderous, the city laid in ruins, the most intact thing below was probably the ground itself.

"That would explain the lack of life signs," McKay muttered.

"This is what usually happens when you fight back." Ronan growled, thinking about his home planet.

"These folks took out a fleet of Wraith ships, I think they did a pretty good job fighting back." John said.

Outside, a streak of lightning and a crack of thunder filled the Jumper. "Hold on," McKay said, holding up a finger as he checked his readings. "I'm picking up faint energy readings coming from….there." He stood up and pointed. Ronan stood and leaned against Illyria's chair. "That would be why they were able to take a fleet."

"How?" John whispered, starring at the object in amazement.

"Because," Illyria smiled. "They were Atlantians."

Outside, connected to a seemingly untouched building, was a weapons station. A weapon that shoot into space ten thousand years ago and killed a fleet of Wraith.

A weapon Illyria's people had created.

҉

A storm continued to brew outside as the team clambered down a ladder and into the station's control room. McKay moved around his light from console to console before he stopped at one and put his gear down beside it.

"Definitely ancient by design," He said. "Their latest stuff too. Latest, being, ten thousand years old." He leaned down and blew the dust off.

"Looks like the labs we found in Atlantis." John said, walking around.

Ronan clicked on his torch (flashlight) and held it up next to his eyes. "So this is one of their outposts."

"I have no knowledge of our presence being here." Illyria said. "Why, then, is my technology here?"

"Well, let's find out." John said, coming by and rubbing her back, hopefully she would feel the gesture through the vest. "Rodney, can you power it up?"

"Working on it!" he called from the other side of the room.

John was shining his light on a console when he saw a shadow behind a console. He walked around it and saw what had caused the shadows. "I've got two bodies here."

"I've got three more over here," Ronan said from down the hall. "Whatever happened here, no one came back to claim the dead."

"Can't tell if they were fed on by the Wraith." John told him once he got back into the room.

"Yeah, something killed them."

"Something killed everyone on this world." Illyria said, holding the light over John.

"Why if this outpost, if that's what it is, still intact?" John asked, standing and taking his light back. "It doesn't make sense, what do you think Rodney?"

When they turned to the scientist, the lights came on, giving everything in the room a bluish tint.

"Ha!" He exclaimed. "Sorry, I, uh, wasn't listen, but it just struck me that….this isn't an Ancient outpost. Why would the Wraith leave it intact?"

Ronan and Illyria looked back at John who said, "Good question."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

"It's a Military research facility?" Weir asked. They were walking from the Jumper bay and through the control room and towards the briefing room.

"From what we could tell it was a ground base version of the satellite we destroyed that hive ship with." John said.

"With one major exception." McKay said. "Fire power. I mean, if the signal outpost was responsible for destroying an entire Wraith fleet-"

"And you're sure it was this weapon that destroyed those Wraith ships?"

"It had to be." John told her. "Nothing on that planet suggestion the Duandians were capable of inflicting anything with that much damage."

"If we could learn more about the technology, we could prevent more worlds from being culled." Illyria said.

"It didn't save the Durandians." Ronan said once they were all inside and the doors closed.

"Yeah," McKay nodded and held out a finger. "But at the end of the day, the outpost was still standing and that means….well, I'm not sure what that means, but it means it's definitely worth finding out."

"Colonel?" Weir looked at him and asked.

"He's right. It's defiantly worth sending a research team back."

"Good, get me Ottoman, Collins, and Zelenka if he's over the stomach flu. We'll try and access the computer's log book , see if we can't accesses the-"

"Okay, okay," Weir smiled. "Easy sell, go."

"Oh, good…" Rodney said and ran out of the room.

҉

An hour later, Illyria stepped out of her apartment room dressed in a pink dress she had a hidden away before she was put to sleep in the stasis chamber. She only wore it when she traded off world. It was trimmed with tapestry bands and a matching, detachable, snap-closed hip belt, it's cord laced on either side, with concealed back zipper and hook-and-eye closure. Full, bell sleeves; princess seams, front and back. She was a bit shocked when the dress fit nicely over her growing baby bump, making it obvious she was with child, but not _too_ much so. When John saw it before he left for the outpost he said she looked like someone out of a King Arthur story.

She was folding a course sack over her arms when Ronan came up to her, punching his palm with his hand. She nodded for him to walk with her. "Illyria, I heard you were heading off world on a personal mission."

"To Balkan, yes."

"Sounds interesting." He said.

Illyria kept walking, but looked up at him skeptically. "The Balkans possess a particular disease resistant strain called Flack seed, which would double the Athosian's yield of crops on the mainland. In exchange with the permission of Teyla, I intend to exchange Athosian man power to aid in their harvest." She looked up and smiled at his expression. "Still interested?"

"Uh, this places has everything I want, don't get me wrong, uh-"

"Sometimes you feel the need to go somewhere else." She nodded.

"Anywhere else."

"I know the feeling."

"So?" Ronan asked.

"Bring only weapons you can conceal." She said with a smiled and walked off.

"I'll keep it to a bare minimum." He smiled and ran off, back to his quarters.

҉

"The man power you are demanding is outrageous." Illyria said, getting angry. "You would turn the Athosians into no more than indentured slaves just to serve your farms."

The man across the table held his hand under his head, resting his chin upon them. His two sons were standing against the wall behind Ronan.

"It seems you have nothing more of value to trade, but your people." He said, putting his hands on the table.

"Mattis," Illyria called and a man behind the farmer came forward with a tray of cups. "You know my offer is fair."

"I'm sorry, Illyria. If you had something of more value to offer, technology….weapons." Mattis sat down at the table and shook his curly brown hair out of his face. Illyria sighed and looked back at the farmer.

"You've heard my terms."

"Then, our business is done here." The farmer said looking from Illyria to Ronan and back. Ronan shot forward from his chair and stabbed the table in front of the farmer, his face menacing ad he stood up.

"She said her offer was fair." Illyria placed a hand on his arm, but she wouldn't look away.

The farmer stood up and looked down at Ronan. "I say it isn't."

Ronan stood as well so they were now on eye level. "Well, I say it is."

The farmer looked down at Illyria.

•

The door to the outer walk way, standing above the street, opened and Illyria and Ronan stepped out. She was carrying a bag and he was carrying two. When they were halfway across and the door had shut, Illyria dropped her bag and spun to look at Ronan.

"What?" He said.

"I had the situation under control."

"It didn't look like it."

"So you came to my rescue?" Illyria coldly smiled. "You have no idea what is at stake during these negotiations. Teyla's people, _my_ people, depend on me and these dealings!"

"They were taking advantage of you." Ronan defended himself.

"No they were not. That is what I wanted them to think. A negotiation is a delicate proses, the words spoken are often meaningless."

"Illyria!" Someone called from the street below. She turned her head to see Mattis jogging up the steps to them.

"Do you want me to-"

"No," Illyria told him. "Gather our things; I will meet you at the gate." Ronan nodded, picked up her fallen bag, and left. Mattis came through the door and jogged to her.

"It was a mistake to force Handan's hand; you'll only pay for it next time."

"I know," Illyria sighed.

"Your friend is not Athosian?"

"No, Ronan is the only survivor of a world known as Satida. He saved the life of a friend of mine and in return we offered him sanctuary."

"If Satida is his home world, then he is not the only survivor." Mattis said, his eyes widening. Illyria's only narrowed. "There is a man in this village who also claims to be from there."

҉

Illyria and Ronan walked into a bar.

They maneuvered their way through the crowds of bustling bodies, beer stains, and cracked floors. Illyria went to the bar and got the barkeep's attention.

"We are looking for a man named Solin. Do you know him?"

The barkeep, a large bald man with a thick mustache, nodded his head. "Upstairs."

Behind her, Ronan took off. "Thank you," she said before going after him. At the top of the stairs, they heard a voice recount details of an epic battle.

"-was I scared, of course, but my people were counting on me. Now I was alone, low on ammo, but I was able to take out the three Wraith guards and gain access to that ship." The teller finished and the men around him chuckled and drank.

"Liar!" Ronan shouted from his perch on the top of the stairs.

The man who told the story, Solin, tensed and slowly turned. "What did you say!" He stood and the men around him stood as well. Ronan stepped out of the shadows and Solin's face erupted into a smile. "Ronan?"

"There were two Wraith guarding that Cruiser and he wasn't alone." Ronan finished before going to Solin and hugged him the way men do, tight with back slaps. Once they finished, Ronan stepped back, smile lighting up his features. Illyria couldn't help but smile as she held her baby bump. "Uh, Illyria, Solin Shenzhen, we served together in the same regime in Satida."

Illyria nodded. "I am honored."

"You two make a nice match…." Solin commented and nodded at Illyria's stomach. "Congratulations."

Ronan ducked his head and smiled at her. Illyria couldn't help but smile back as she playfully hit his arm. "We are friends, nothing more."

"For years I believed I was the only survivor." Ronan said, his face becoming serious.

"So you don't know about the others?" Solin asked.

"What others?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Before the city fell, a few of us managed to make it to the shelters, west of the capitol. Already, three hundred civilians found their way there. When we emerged, we realized there was nothing to salvage, so…we left. All of us."

"To where?" Illyria asked.

"Some came here, some went to Maneria…"

Ronan slowly smiled, coming out of his shock. "Three hundred…"

"Drink Ronan and rejoice!" Solin shouted and he and Ronan hugged once more. "You're not alone!"

҉

That night, Illyria sat on the rail overlooking the main hall of the tavern. She got off and went back to where Ronan and Solin were laughing and drinking heavily, spilling their ale every time their chalices clinked.

"Ah, man," Solin sighed. "To see Cal's face when he sees you…" Solin laughed as Ronan's jaw dropped. "Yeah, it's true."

"Cal's alive?"

Solin nodded. "And his family. They settled on Balsa, run this big trading operation over there."

Ronan tilted his head. "When were you going to tell me this?"

"Honestly I was going to wait until you drank a little more." Solin said and started laughing.

"You've seen him?"

"Yeah," Solin said, sobering up a bit. "He comes around to trade weapons with the Balkans. He's got his own private army now."

"Is this Cal a friend?" Illyria asked, sitting down to rest her tired feet.

"Oh, he's more like kin." Solin said. "He was Ronan's task master during his military training. There is no closer bond."

Ronan leaned back in his chair. "None."

"To reunions." Solin said and held out his cup.

Ronan hit his and spilled ale, making Solin chuckle. "To reunions."

҉

It was morning on this planet, almost midafternoon on Atlantis, when Illyria had to help the stumbling Ronan out of the Tavern and into an inn where they could rest.

"I'm not tired." Ronan said as soon as they were in the door. "Why did we leave?"

Illyria pushed him down on the bed and pulled his legs up next. "I believe you've had enough." Illyria said gently.

"I don't believe I've had." Ronan mumbled.

"Goodnight." Illyria said and walked to the door. She was about to shut it behind her when Ronan softly cried out her name, like a lost child might when he was scared. Illyria turned her head back and saw the fear in his eyes.

"There are three hundred of my people." He said and rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the moisture.

Illyria sighed and looked back in the hall way. Coming to a decision, she stepped back into the room, shut the door, and shed her coat.

҉

"How are you feeling?" Illyria asked down in the market at midday.

"Fine," Ronan mumbled.

"We should really be getting back; Doctor Weir would be expecting us." Illyria said, moving out of the way of an oncoming fruit cart.

"Cal's here." Ronan said out of the blue.

"What?" Illyria asked.

"He's meeting with Killen right now. Solin just told me when you were paying for the room. I have to see him."

"And you would like me to arrange a meeting?" Illyria asked.

"After yesterday, I don't think I'd get very far if I asked myself."

Illyria nodded.

҉

Ronan was watching the market's activity's through the window in the Tavern. Solin sat beside him. When the tavern door opened, Illyria got down from her stool at the bar and went to greet the men that walked in.

"I am Cal from Satida."

"Illyria of Atlantis." She nodded. "Thank you for granting us your time."

Ronan's movement in the shadow's spurred Cal's cautiousness. "If we are to trade, I wish to know all members of your party."

"Of course. In fact, that is why we are here." Illyria stepped aside and let Ronan come into view.

"Ronan." Cal gasped.

"Hello, Cal." Ronan growled and pulled out his gun. Faster than anyone could react, Ronan shot his former task master. Cal's men raised their weapons and Illyria put her back against Ronan's, raising her own knife.

"Ronan, what have you done?" She whispered.

"We all know who this man was," Ronan spoke low to the men pointing their weapons at them. "What he was. If anyone her believes he should be avenged….here I am." Ronan looked around, catching the eye of every man in the tavern.

They all lowered their guns and let Ronan walk out. Illyria looked down at the body and ran after him. They were under the archway leading out of the city and into the path that lead to the gate when Illyria pushed Ronan into the wall and held her knife to his throat.

"You just used me to murder an innocent man."

Ronan grabbed her hand and held it away from him. "He deserved worse." He dropped her hand.

"Last night when I comforted you, you said he was like a father to you."

"Cal commanded several infantry divisions in Satida. And when the Wraith came, he ordered thousands of men to their deaths just to save himself. He was-He was a traitor….and a coward. My only regret was that his death was quick." He softened his face as he looked into her eyes, regretting that he used her like she had said. Illyria was searching the ground with her eyes, as if looking for an answer.

"I understand," She sighed. "In your place, I might have done the same. But believe me when I tell you the others would _not_. We must not speak of this when we return to Atlantis." Ronan nodded and ducked his head, knowing that she was keeping a secret from John to protect him. She stepped in close and whispered, "And if you _ever_ use my friendship in such a way again, I will not be so understanding."

҉

Illyria and Ronan walked through the gate, heaved with their packs, and were met with guns pointed at them. Once the guards realized who it was and saw no threat they lowered their weapons.

"Take this grain to the storage container." Illyria instructed and handed off the bags to the guard and two Athosians. Ronan and Illyria were walking away when and argument Weir was having with McKay reached their ears from her office.

"-you destroyed ¾ of a solar system!"

҉

"How was the trading mission?" John asked that night while they were getting ready for bed.

"Not as well as I had hoped." Illyria said, putting on her light blue and stripped p.j's .

"That why you had to stay overnight?"

Illyria hesitated for a second. "Ronan caused some….problems that had to be resolved."

John nodded and helped pull down the covers. "I heard he went with. What problems?"

"Nothing more than usual." Illyria smiled and climbed into bed. John sensed her smile was off but let it go as he climbed in next to her. "How was the weapon's platform mission?"

John sighed and rubbed his face. "In short, McKay puts the team at risk when he tries to perfect unfinished Ancient technology that wiped out a civilization."

"I thought that was the goal, perfecting the technology?" Illyria asked, snuggling down onto John's chest.

"While you were gone, McKay convinced Elizabeth to allow him to return with a team to the base. He and Zelenka explain Project Arcturus, the failed experiment, to Weir and Colonel Caldwell. Arcturus would have brought together a power source the equivalent of 25 zpm's when fully powered. Instead of obtaining zero-point energy from a small universe, Arcturus would draw energy from our universe. But for some reason it failed, and the Ancient scientists sacrificed their lives in order to deactivate it. McKay believed because they were rushed to complete the weapon and end the hundred-year Wraith war they hurried themselves to their deaths.  
>Rodney and Zelenka were confident they could complete the Ancients' work on the Dorandan homeworld. But during the next test, the radiation began to spin out of control. Collins was ordered into the command access tube to manually boost more power to the field, but once he was inside the radiation spiked and killed him."<p>

"Oh no…." Illyria sighed. "Was his family notified.

"Yeah, did it myself." John sighed and got back to the story. "Despite the fact that one of McKay's officers were in the morgue, he was intent on succeeding. Rodney believed the problem was in the automatic containment protocols. If the field strength was manually adjusted, he believed it would solve the problem….He asked me to trust him, and I took the information to Weir, and with Caldwell's help she gave in. But Zelenka believed he knew why the Ancients abandoned the technology.

Attempting to extract energy from our own space-time was impossible. Eventually the matrix within the field of the weapon became inherently unpredictable, and an overload was the end result at no matter what power level. McKay refused to listen and the energy field spikes."

"What'd you do?"

"I convinced McKay to abandon the station before we were killed in the overload. The weapon continued to discharge fire in order to bleed off the overload, but eventually it would be overcome. As I was flying the Jumper toward the Stargate, the Daedalus arrived to provide cover so we weren't shot down. Then the Daedalus entered hyperspace, just as most of the solar system was destroyed in the detonation."

"McKay….blew up a _solar system_?" Illyria gasped.

"Yeah, when we got back and told Weir, McKay occupied his time with apologies to everyone involved for his…arrogance, but saved me for last."

"Why?"

John shrugged. "For fear that I would never trust in him again."

"Will you?"

"I promised him he would eventually earn it back."

Illyria knew exactly how he felt.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:/ ** Illyria is now 17 weeks in and the baby is beginning to move around. I'll be skipping around the weeks a bit to get some important 'events' in with important episodes.

It was a foggy night as the Colonel entered a village on an uncharted world. The scene is not unlike an old werewolf film that John has frequently watched, with a cold fog encroaching on the buildings lit by what might be torches, if they were flickering. The team walked single file down a village lane, looking alert. Sheppard's on point, followed by Illyria, McKay and Ronan. John and Illyria had their firearms at the ready.

"Another great vacation getaway in the Pegasus Galaxy." John commented.

"Where is everyone?" Illyria asked, looking around.  
>"There's smoke from the chimneys. They're inside." Ronan pointed out.<br>"Hmph. Can't say I blame them. Nothing I hate more than a damp cold." Grumbled Rodney.

The team arrived at the village square. They spread out in a semi-circle, still looking about alertly. Sheppard headed for one of the larger, better built structures that has an iron-bound door.  
>"Let's check this out." He said and opened the door to a candle and firelit village tavern. It looked more like dinnertime than happy hour, though. The villagers did not look happy to be disturbed, especially by strangers. Not a smiling face in the bunch as everyone in the tavern turned to stare and all conversation came to a stop.<br>"Howdy, folks." John said with a smile and a nod of his head. More silence, more stares. A younger man they saw serving dinner steps into view.  
>"Who are you?" The younger man asked.<br>"Sheppard." He gestures to the others as they come through the door behind him. "This is Illyria, Ronan, McKay..." Ronan gives a brief, abortive wave to the crowd. No one responds. While not hostile, it's clear they'd be just as happy if the strangers turned around and left the way they came.  
>The man tossed a towel over his shoulder. "You from Ratira?"<br>Sheppard exchanged a look over his shoulder with McKay, who had stayed behind the armed members of the team since they all arrived in the village square.  
>"No." John replied.<br>He gave them another look over. "Over the mountains, then?"  
>"A little further."<br>"Huh. Then you've come a long way. You'll be in need of food and drink." McKay looked interested, his head shot up and the man gestured them to an empty table.  
>"Sit." He took the towel off his shoulder and brushed off the table and pulled an extra chair over as Sheppard and Illyria took their seats.<br>The team moved in the direction indicated, everyone in the tavern was still staring at them in silence. As he closed the tavern door and followed the team to their table, Ronan was obviously surveying the room for threats.  
>McKay, gesturing to the staring guests, "I take it you don't get many strangers around here?"<br>"No." The young man replied, nearly colliding with Ronan, who is a _lot_ bigger, and pulled out a bench for him to sit on. "Especially those who travel near dark."  
>"Why's that?" John asked.<br>The young man looked up in real surprise from wiping down their table. "You really don't know?"

"Callup!" shouted an older, bearded man standing near the bar, arms crossed in more obvious hostility. "What's your business here?"  
>John, turning up the charm a little, said, "No business really, we're just travelers."<br>"Then you'd best keep traveling." He clearly wasn't charmed.  
>Illyria looked surprised at this lapse in hospitality; McKay, whose charming smile was turned up even higher than Sheppard's, fades to his usual cynical look.<br>"Yeah." McKay muttered.  
>The man did look like he was kidding. The team all exchanged looks and made as if to rise.<br>"All right, then." John nodded.  
>"Wait!" The young man, Callup, shouted and turned to the older man. "Goran, you can't send them out there."<br>Goran looked over his shoulder at Ronan, who never actually stood up from the table and was now looking dangerously bland.  
>"They look like they can take care of themselves." He said. Sheppard looked a little crushed and confused. "It may not even start tonight."<br>"It's been three months. How much longer do you think it'll wait?" Callup stressed.  
>Over Callup's shoulder, looking first toward Sheppard then back at Callup, curiosity getting the better of him about things starting, McKay gives a little wave.<br>"Hi! What are you talkin' about?"  
>Callup looked back at them, again not really crediting their ignorance, and Goran approached their table and said, "The Daimos."<br>Illyria and Sheppard looked at each other, both of whom looked puzzled.  
>"Never heard of it." John said.<br>"It lives in the forest. It'll be feeding soon." Goran said.

"And it is ... some kind of an animal, or…?" McKay waved his hands.  
>"It's a creature, that has the appearance of a man, but it can suck the very life from your bones. It leaves only a dead, withered husk behind." Goran did not miss the looks on the faces of the team.<br>"Sounds familiar." John unenthusiastically said and exchange resigned looks with Ronan.

҉

The next morning, John woke up to Illyria using his chest as a pillow again. He smiled and rubbed her back, wanting to let her sleep, but knowing they had work to do.

"Illyria…." John whispered, patting her back gently. "Wake up."

She grunted softly and snuggled deeper into his chest. He chuckled and this time patted her but. She shot up, her hair messy and her mouth slightly drooling. "John?"

"Well, you wouldn't wake up." He shrugged and gave her his best innocent face. She smiled and stretched out, pushing his side as she did so.

"How long do you think it'll take to catch the Wraith?" Illyria asked, sitting up against the head board.

"With Ronan….not long at all."

"Good, there's this-"

"You're not going." John firmly said, getting up off the bed and putting his shirt back on.

"What?" Illyria gasped.

"Illyria, the deal to have you on missions is that you stay out of harm's way. We know where the Wraith is and we know it's not going to take long, so really there's no reason to have you come along."

"But like you said, you know where it is and we have Ronan-"

"Illyria," John raised his voice. "You're not coming."

Illyria opened her mouth and closed it, shaking her head and getting off the bed. She got dressed turned away from John.

"Now you're mad at me for wanting to keep you safe…." John muttered, strapping on his gear.

"I don't see why-" Illyria gasped, clutching her stomach, leaning over slightly and bracing herself against the wall with her other hand.

"Illyria?" John shouted, leaping over the bed to get to her. "Illyria….Illyria what's wrong? Illyria talk to me…"

Illyria looked up and met John's terrified eyes. "I-I…"

He cupped her face in his hands. "Illyria…c'mon, talk to me….I can't fix whatever it is if you won't talk to me…"

"The baby…" She whispered. She watched as John's eyes escalated from terror to horror.

"Wh-What's happening with the baby? Is it okay?" He moved his hands from her face to her swelling stomach. He didn't have to wait long until he felt a flutter of movement under is hands. He gasped and almost collapsed, his legs were shaking so much.

"John?" Illyria whispered.

"It moved…I-I felt…..I felt it move…" John stammered, his wide eyes glued to her stomach. She could barely see that they were glistening.

Illyria smiled and smoothed his hair, leaning down slightly to kiss the top of his head. "Yes you did."

҉

"_Really?" _

"Yes. Look," he made a 'tchah' sound, "go away!" McKay shouted at a young boy.  
>Looking disappointed, the boy does so. McKay was staring after him when the other three team members came out of the inn, all staring at McKay.<br>"What?"  
>Goran approached from behind the rest of the team, who turned to look at him. "As far as we know, no one was taken last night, but it will strike ... and soon."<br>Ronan made impressive noises with his firearm again. "We'll kill it before that happens."  
>"You must be <em>great<em> at parties." Sheppard told him as they head out, kissing Illyria on the cheek where she stayed behind with Goran  
>҉<br>The team spread out and stalked through the woods; Ronan on point, the McKay, Sheppard bring up the rear. An impatient-looking Sheppard crossed in front of McKay, who looked a lot less alert.  
>"We're talking about a hundred square miles of forest, here." McKay gripped.<br>In a lower voice, Sheppard said, "Be patient. Ronon's been going up against the Wraith, one-on-one, for the last seven years. If anyone can track this thing, it's him."  
>"And exactly how is he going to do that, huh?"<br>From a distance, where Ronan was examining a log, he said, "It helps to have good hearing."  
>McKay looked a little shocked. "Right!" Sheppard smacked the back of McKay's head and walks toward Ronan and his log. "Carry on!" He turned and followed Sheppard.<br>҉  
>The team moved with a lot less enthusiasm. Sheppard sighed and looked up at the forest canopy. Ronan wandered around in the background, still looking for signs of their quarry. He stopped, which caught everyone's eye, but he raised his hand to forestall anyone talking. Sheppard moved to join him as Ronan pulled a firearm from under his long, tan duster.<br>"It's in there." Ronan said. Sheppard looked to a thicket ahead of them, where they saw a flash of white race by as leaves rustle. Ronan took off after it like a _shot_  
>"Ronan! Dammit." Sheppard yelled and ran after him when Ronan didn't stop. McKay stared for a beat then took off after Sheppard, looking worried. Much running through the woods and Ronan was way out in front with the others keeping up as best they could. There was log leaping and branch snapping and panting and all kinds of activity suggestive to a merry chase.<br>Ronan at last came to a halt, gun aimed steadily into the mouth of a cave. He glanced over his shoulder, looking a little surprised no one kept up with him. He crouched, gun pointed down, while he waited for the others to get there. They all charged up, panting, and Ronan gets back to his feet.  
>"It's in there." Ronan grumbled.<p>

"It was the Wraith?" Sheppard asked.  
>"Yeah."<br>"Did you see it?" McKay panted.  
>"No."<br>"So, how do you know?"

Ronan turned his head toward McKay, clearly ready with a withering take-down of his own. Sheppard and Ronan all attached their flashlights to their weapons and the team entered the cave, guns first, McKay took up the rear. They made their way through dark stone corridors, panning their lights around, until they came to an intersection and paused at the sight of a white flash around a corner, then made out a face staring at them, which quickly disappears.  
>"A female!" Ronan shouted.<p>

They all take off after the Wraith.

They saw a smallish form, at least in comparison to other Wraith, running down the corridor, bursting through a door into a lab that would do any medieval dungeon proud and into the arms of an older human man in panic.  
>"Ellia?" The old man asked. Ellia cowered as the team burst in, guns aimed at them both.<br>"Get out of the way!" Sheppard said in his 'no kidding around, someone's about to be very dead' voice. The rest of the team took aim.  
>"Please! Don't shoot! She's not what you think!" The old man pleaded. As he spoke, Ronan came up behind the bottles and vials on the work table, looking for the best shot. The old man was holding the girl-Wraith protectively. "She's my daughter."<br>Rodney look horrified, Ronan was disbelieving, and Sheppard's 'oh crap, what now?' face.  
>"She means you no harm!" The old man said.<br>"She's a Wraith!" Ronan growled.

"Maybe so, but she's different! I swear to you!" The team looked skeptical, to put it mildly.  
>"Let me guess? Wraith with a heart of gold?" John asked.<p>

"She doesn't feed. She's never taken a human life."

"How is that possible?" Ronan's eyebrow's knitted together.  
>"Please! Lower your weapons, and I'll explain it to you." The old man bargained.<br>There is a _very_ long pause. Sheppard lowered his weapon first, followed by McKay, who had pulled out and aimed a pistol. Ronan hesitantly pulls his gun back.  
>The old man turned to the girl-Wraith. "It's all right."<br>"Father!" Ellia shakily said, keeping her eyes on the guns.  
>"I won't let them hurt you." He pulled her back into a comforting hug as he turned to address the team. "I raised her as my own."<br>Ronan arched a skeptical eyebrow and stood with hid gun down, but clearly ready to pull it back into position. "You live here? Together?" He seemed to find that prospect somewhat sickening.  
>"This was part of a mine, before the last culling. It's not much to look at, I know, but we don't have much choice. The people of the village would not understand." Ellia hid her face at that.<br>"Gee. I wonder why?" Sheppard muttered.  
>McKay walked over to the workbench to stare at the apparatus there.<br>"The villagers told us that there was a Wraith in the forest. It came here in a crashed ship ten years ago." Sheppard said.  
>"Ten years ago?" The old man asked. McKay looked toward father and daughter with that doom and gloom look he does so well. "Ellia was just a child! Do you really think she could be responsible for the deaths that happened immediately after that crash?"<br>"So you know about that, then?" McKay asked.  
>"I was there." The old man said and he put Ellia away from him. She looks distressed as all get out. "I helped kill the survivors. But, when I found a young female lying unconscious some distance from the crash, I couldn't bring myself to hurt her. I brought her here to this cave to hide her from the others. To this day, the people of the village don't know ... and, and you must promise not to tell them!"<br>Sheppard and McKay looked _really_ unwilling to make any such promise.  
>"She's <em>not<em> responsible for what's been happening!" The old man yelled.  
>Ronan appeared to be pondering recipes for Wraith stew, Wraith kebob, Wraith flambé ... you get the picture. He looked ready to kill him a Wraith girl. "Well then, who is?" He asked.<br>"I believe another Wraith survived the crash." Sheppard, again, looking skeptical. "An adult. That's who you should be looking for!"  
>"If she doesn't feed, how does she live?" Ronan asked. Classic "ewwww" reaction from Sheppard and McKay.<br>"First, I fed her as you would any child, and that seemed to suffice. But then, something began to change." McKay stared at the lab apparatus again, looking less horrified and more scientifically curious. "The food no longer gave her any sustenance. There was a hunger growing in her that would not be satisfied. I ... heard the stories of the other creature, what it did to survive. And I was afraid that was what Ellia would become. And so I started to experiment." McKay's futzing around with the equipment attracted Ronan's attention. "I have extensive knowledge of the chemical properties of various medicinal plants that grow in this forest." McKay picked up a rack of test tubes with twigs and leaves in them. "Are you ... interested in science?"  
>There was a <em>very<em> predictable expression from McKay at that question. "I'm not sure that's what I'd call this, but _yes_."  
>"Ellia's hunger was growing stronger every day and I wasn't sure that I could do anything for her. But, eventually," he stepped slightly away from Ellia to pick a bottle of dark red fluid off the work bench, "I came up with this."<br>McKay looked caught between realism and wanting to believe there is something that can deter Wraith feeding; Sheppard looked reluctant to believe what is too good to be true.  
>҉<br>Back in Atlantis' infirmary, Sheppard was seated very casually across an exam bed as Weir questions him. Illyria seated next to him.  
>"A drug that allows the Wraith to survive without feeding?" Weir asked, sckeptically.<br>"That's what he said."  
>"Is such a thing even possible?" Weir asked Beckett who remained neutral.<br>"We don't know enough about Wraith physiology to say for certain, although I must admit it's intriguing that this Doctor Zaddik claims the Wraith survived on normal food for a time."  
>"Why?" Illyria asked.<br>"Well, if he's telling the truth, it might be the answer to a very puzzling question. Right now, our best guess is that the Wraith evolved from the iratus bug."  
>"Like the one that attached itself to my <em>neck<em> a year ago?" John growled.  
>"That's right." Beckett nodded.<br>"I _hate_ those bugs." The Colonel grumbled.  
>"Trust me, I know. We speculated that they evolved into the Wraith when they began to take on the characteristics of the humans they were feeding on." Beckett said. Sheppard looked as if that was <em>way<em> too much information. "Now, there are many aspects of human physiology that are quite useful: bipedal motion, opposable thumbs, large brain capacity ... but the human digestive system serves no purpose in the adult Wraith. So why have one at all?"  
>"Because they eat normal food when they're young?" Weir asked.<br>"Yes, then at some point, they lose the ability to sustain themselves with that food." Illyria said.  
>"So it's a teenage thing? Pimples, rebellion, life-sucking?" John commented. Weir was wearing her 'must you <em>always<em> joke?' face, then smiled slightly at Sheppard before turning back to Beckett.  
>"Something like that! The question is, what causes it? If it's due to some chemical deficiency, like a diabetic's inability to process sugar, then it's possible it may be addressed with some kind of drug." Beckett was looking hopeful at this point.<br>"Zaddik could be telling the truth." Weir mused.  
>"I'd like to go to the planet and check into it." Beckett announced.<br>"Is that really necessary? I'm sure we could get a sample, bring it back here for you to analyze?" Weir asked.

"It's not just the drug I'm interested in! This young Wraith could be very important for our research." That gets Sheppard and Illyria's attention.  
>"What research?" Illyria asked, weary of her friend's plains.<br>"We're working on a retrovirus that would alter Wraith D.N.A., essentially stripping out the iratus bug elements of the genetic code and leaving only the human aspects behind." Beckett said.  
>"A drug that turns Wraith into humans?" John dumbed it down.<br>"Effectively, yes! But so far we haven't had much success, partly because we lacked the living tissue and blood samples we need to test it."  
>"You think this ... girl would be willing to provide them?" Weir asked.<br>"Look, I realize we can't bring her back to Atlantis, but I could take the retrovirus and equipment necessary for the analysis with me to the planet. A few days with a cooperative test subject could be worth months of theoretical research." Weir is looked reluctantly interested in what Becket was saying. "Elizabeth, I don't have to tell you how important this could be for us."  
>Weir turned back to Sheppard. "Is she dangerous?"<br>"She's a Wraith!" Weir looked sharply at Beckett, who looked disappointed. "Although ... I have to admit ... she does seem a little different."  
>҉<br>The girl-Wraith's hands worked a mortar and pestle. Ellia concentrated hard on her task as Zaddik looked on.  
>"Now, remember ... the leaves must be dried, and finely ground." Zaddik told her as he put on his wire rimmed glasses.<br>"Like ... this?" Ellia asked.

"A little more." He walked around to the other side of the work bench as Ellia continued her efforts. "Now, why is distillation an important step?"  
>Ellia hesitantly answered, "To ... remove the toxins from the ferassin root?"<br>Zaddik smiled like a proud daddy. "Precisely!"  
>Ellia returned it with a creepy Wraith smile only a father could love, and he clearly did. It was a tender father teaching his little girl moment.<br>"We wouldn't want the serum to send you into paralytic shock, now would we?" Zaddik pointed out.  
>"Nooo, Father." Ellia sounded like a teenager that's been told something she already knows over and over again.<br>McKay and looked on from the other side of the room. He looked creeped out and let out a huff of breath. He said quietly to Ronan, "Seriously. Have you ever seen anything like this before?"  
>Ronan looked away, then back. "No. She's not like any Wraith I've ever encountered."<br>"What if it's all an act?" McKay asked. "If she were a killer, why would he protect her? Maybe the act's for his benefit, too?"  
>Ronan shook his head. "They live here together. If she were like other Wraith, he would be her first victim."<br>[Chirp of static from the radio]  
>"McKay, this is Sheppard."<br>He turned slightly so he could speak quietly into his radio. "Go ahead."  
>[Cut to exterior shot of Sheppard, Beckett and Illyria filing through the woods. All were carrying largish black cases.]<br>"Just got back with Beckett. Illyria's gonna take him up to the cave, I'm gonna check in with the villagers."  
>McKay, softly, over the radio, "What're you going to tell them?"<br>"Still workin' on that." Sheppard stopped and handed his black case to Beckett, who had a hand free, and set off.  
>҉<br>It was Bring Your Laboratory to Work Day in Atlantis, and Beckett responded with enthusiasm. He set out equipment, beginning with the all-important laptop computer.  
>"This equipment ... is remarkable! Where did you get it?" Zaddik took in the sight with wonder. Beckett didn't know how to respond.<br>"Oh, here and there. Let's start by analyzin' that drug of yours, shall we?"  
>"Oh, yes. Of course." Zaddik pointed to the vial and Ellia approached with a tray.<br>"Would you like some tea?" She asked kindly.

Beckett and McKay stared. Zaddik took some tea and softly replied his thanks. Ellia actually lifted a cup from her tray and offered it to McKay, who waved it away.  
>"No, no."<br>She would not be denied, and McKay found himself with a clay cup of tea in his hand, giving it the same careful regard he would a hissing cockroach. Ellia tried the same handing-the-cup thing with Beckett, but he turned her down more graciously, and successfully.  
>"Oh, no thank you."<br>McKay stared at him as if to ask 'how'd you do that?' as Ellia crossed the cave lab area to Ronan, who had apparently been keeping his distance on purpose. He leaned against a cave wall, not looking at Ellia as she approached.  
>"Would you like some ..."<br>"No." Ronan growled.  
>"Are, are you sure? It's very good!" She persisted.<br>Ronan came away from the wall with the sort of body language possible only by the very fit and well-coordinated. "I said no." Frankly, he loomed, arms crossed while glaring at her. Ellia turned and left quickly. Ellia went down to another room and set her tea tray on a table, then picked up a plate of something pale and pitter-patted back into the lab area, approaching Ronan first.  
>"Then maybe some biscuits? I baked them myself." She smiled.<br>Quick as a snake, Ronan hit the plate out of her hands, scaring her to death. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"  
>Ellia let out an ear-splitting Wraith shriek, scaring everyone in the room but Ronan. It was extremely shrill and creepy. Ronan had his sidearm out and pressed to her chest in one very smooth motion.<br>"Ronan!" Illyria yelled.  
>Ellia stopped shrieking. Ronan was wearing his 'dead Wraith walking' face over the steadily-aimed barrel of his sidearm. Ellia backed away to stand next to Illyria, who was holding out a restraining hand. Ellia, who looked ashamed of her own actions and humiliated by Ronan's, left the room without a word. They heard a door close behind her. Beckett was staring after Ellia in scientific frustration; McKay was staring after her the way he would a departing vanquished citrus, while Illyria glared at Ronan, who looked unrepentant as all hell.<br>Illyria was about to rip Ronan a new one, in her own Atlantian way.  
>"Was that really necessary?" She asked in a low voice, very intent.<br>"You can dress her up and teach her table manners, but that's not going to change who she is." Ronan loomed over Illyria as he edged very closely past her. He then stalked between Beckett and McKay, sort of forcing McKay to one side, and left the room.  
>[Radio chirps static]<br>"Illyria, this is Sheppard. Come in?"

Her body language suggested she was going to go after Ronan, but she stopped, resigned. "Go ahead, Colonel."  
>"Is Ellia still in the cave?"<br>"Yes."

"She been there the whole time?"  
>"Yes, why?"<br>"I just found another victim."  
>Beckett and McKay exchanged horrified glances.<br>"Apparently he's only been missing a couple of hours, which means she couldn't have done it." Sheppard was watching over his shoulder as villagers hauled a body away in a cart. "Looks like Zaddik might have been telling the truth after all."  
>John was in the village square, with villagers milling around and talking restlessly about self-defense. Goran broke away from a conversation with Callup and walked to Sheppard.<br>"Colonel Sheppard, is there any progress with this hunt?"  
>"We're workin' on it."<br>"Maybe we can help you."  
>"That won't be necessary."<br>"We're sick of doing nothing! We're sick of being afraid all the time. That thing is hunting in daylight now! We'll never be safe." Callup shouted.  
>"Just be patient. We'll take care of it!" John turned and walked away.<br>҉  
>Ronan was walking past Zaddik and Sheppard.<br>"See? I told you she wasn't responsible for the killings. The serum makes it unnecessary for her to feed." Zaddik said.  
>"Can you confirm that?" Sheppard asked Beckett.<br>"Not yet. It will be a while before I can complete my analysis."  
>"All right." Sheppard said softly, the aloud to Zaddik "Well in the meantime, there's another Wraith out there." He turned to look at Ronan, who was standing nearly in the shadows by a tunnel out of Zaddik's laboratory. Illyria approaches them.<br>"I believe Ellia may be able to help us find it." She said.

"How?" Zaddik asked.  
>"May I speak with her?"<p>

"All right."  
>҉<br>Ellia was in her room, seated on her cot, staring down at her hands in her lap, a picture of adolescent dejection. Illyria peeked around the draped brown cloth that separated the space from the rest of the caves.  
>"May I join you?" Ellia looked over her shoulder and shrugged wordlessly. Illyria takes that as a yes and comes in. "Ellia, we need your help."<br>Long, wordless stare between the two.  
>"You can sense the other Wraith." Illyria told her.<br>It was more a statement than a question, and Ellia looked away from Illyria, still not speaking.  
>"It is all right." She moved to sit beside Ellia on the cot. "There's nothing to be ashamed of ... in fact, I have the same ability." I fudged the truth a little.<br>Ellia looked up hopefully. "Really?"  
>"I sensed that you were ... different." Ellia lowered her eyes at that. "Your father has raised you well, he has taught you right from wrong."<br>A faint smile formed on Ellia's lips, nearly a human one.  
>"You are <em>not<em> like the other one."  
>Ellia looked to be near tears, slightly shaking her head. "I don't let him in." She looked away. "I don't like what he shows me."<br>"I know." She inhaled deeply. "But you have to try now. We need to find him."

Ellia looked back, shaking her head. "You don't understand."  
>"I have tried myself, but I can get nothing." A long pause, and a faint lip-twitch of a smile from Illyria. "Please."<br>"All right."  
>"Good." She took another deep breath. "Now concentrate."<br>Ellia stared into the middle distance, and then slowly let her eyes close. Ellia was in clear emotional distress and nearly hyperventilating after a few seconds.  
>"Try again." Illyria coaxed.<p>

Ellia almost said '_you_ try again', but took a settling breath and closed her eyes again. Ellia snaped out of it, breathing a little more evenly than last time, and looked a little sweaty but triumphant.  
>"I saw a river." She said.<br>҉  
>Zaddik was in the foreground, across a workbench from a stone-faced Ronan, standing next to Sheppard and watching Beckett peer through a microscope at the end of the workbench. Over Beckett's shoulder, McKay was examining the contents of some shelves along the back wall. All but Beckett were standing. Illyria entered the room at a brisk walk.<br>"Zaddik? Is there a river nearby?"  
>"Yes, just to the east."<br>The guys have all turned to look at Illyria, who reached past Zaddik to recover her weapon and ready it. Sheppard and Ronan follow suit.  
>"All right, let's go. Illyria, stay here and help Beckett. McKay, that goes for you too." John said, and took the gun out of Illyria's hands and placed it on the work bench.<br>"Ah, medical research? Not really my thing." McKay said.  
>"And hunting Wraith?" McKay looked extremely chagrined.<br>"Uh, I could stay ... and ... help ... Beckett."  
>Sheppard then followed the long-gone Ronan out the door. McKay heaved a sigh and headed back to the workbench.<br>"Never could get into biology. It's just too much information about the human body. One time I took it as an undergrad, I diagnosed myself with half a dozen separate medical conditions before I had to drop the class." McKay offhandedly commented.  
>"Really?" Beckett said, still looking through the microscope.<br>"Yeah. Believe it or not, back then, I was a bit of a hypochondriac."  
>"Y'know, this does require a certain amount of concentration."<br>"What? Am I _bothering_ you?" McKay asked, getting snarky. Beckett finally looked up from the microscope, patience clearly taxed. McKay headed for the door.  
>"I'm gonna go get some air."<br>Zaddik exchanged a sympathetic glance with Beckett and Illyria as McKay left.  
>҉<br>Sheppard and Ronan were by the river Ellia saw in her vision, making their way over the rocky riverbed.  
>"This must be the river she saw in her vision." John said.<br>"Assuming she's telling the truth." Ronan said.  
>John give him a look. Ronan knelt down to examine tracks in the dirt.<br>"Just because there's another Wraith doesn't mean you can trust her." The cave man said as he gently poked the edges of the imprint in the dirt and looked up and around.  
>"What've you got?" Sheppard asked.<br>"Fresh tracks. It's him."  
>"Now do you believe?"<br>"I still think there's something more to this than she and Zaddik are telling us." Ronan rose to his feet and gesturing. "He's headin' upstream, into the hills."  
>They began to move briskly in that direction.<br>҉  
>Back to Zaddik's lab, Beckett looked very busy with his equipment.<br>"Let me ... ask you something?" Zaddik said. Beckett looks a little reluctant, but nods. "If you can prove to everyone that I'm telling the truth, that Ellia no longer needs to feed, do you think the villagers would accept her?" Beckett's expression says it all. "That's what I'm afraid of."  
>Unknown to them, Ellia was hiding around the corner from Zaddik and Beckett, listening to everything they said.<br>"No matter how hard we try to convince them, they will always see her as a monster." Zaddik said. Ellia looked down in dejection. "I'm getting old, Doctor."  
>"Oh, you've got lots of time." Illyria comforted him as she walked into the room.<br>Zaddik scoffed politely. "Never have as much as we think we have!" They share a rueful laugh. "And when I'm gone, she'll be alone. I, uh ... tried to teach her about love and human companionship, but that's exactly what she'll never have."  
>Ellia looked very bleak.<br>"Zaddik, there's something I want to show you." Beckett walked around the workbench to one of the black cases. "I didn't say anything at first, because I didn't want to get your hopes up." He opened the case and pulled out a syringe. "It's a retrovirus. Something I've been working on."  
>"I, I don't understand." Zaddik stammered.<br>"Ah, God! How'm I goin' to explain this?" Beckett softly said to himself then aloud. "Part of Ellia is human." Zaddik nods in understanding. "And part of her comes from a creature we call the iratus bug." Zaddik looked less understanding. "It's the part that makes her look the way she does, and where her desire to feed comes from."  
>Ellia looked faintly hopeful.<br>"Now, it's possible by means of this retrovirus, we can strip away those parts, and leave only the human parts behind."  
>Ellia looked thrilled.<br>"You mean ... she'd be like you and me?"  
>"Yes! Now, I must warn you the retrovirus is still experimental. In fact, it's only been tested on cell cultures in a laboratory, so far without much success." Beckett put the syringe back in the case and snapped it closed. "I'm hoping that what we can learn from your daughter will help me perfect it."<br>Zaddik grinned broadly and in delight. Beckett gave him a comradely pat on the arm, then all three of them were startled as McKay charged into the room at a full run, breathing heavily.  
>McKay pointed back the way he came. "We, we got a problem!"<br>Beckett followed him out at a run. "Why didn't you just radio me?"  
>"Yeah, I could have, but ..." McKay's voice fades.<br>Zaddik ran out after them and Ellia came out of hiding. She checked around to make sure everyone' was gone, she tiptoed over to the case and carefully opened it to reveal four or five syringes in foam padding. Her hand reached for one, then up to her expression frightened but very determined.  
>҉<br>Outside the cave, McKay, Beckett, Illyria and Zaddik ran bent over to seek cover toward the growing sound of approaching villagers. They dropped down to watch from over a rise in the forest floor. Villagers went by carrying their farm implements and speaking loudly.  
>"Looks like they decided to join the hunt." McKay said.<br>"If they find Ellia, they'll kill her!" Zaddik loudly whispered.  
>҉<p>

[radio chirps static.]  
>"Sheppard, this is McKay."<p>

"What is it, Rodney?"  
>"The villagers are on the move, and it doesn't look like they're goin' to a picnic."<br>Sheppard was hiking through a denser part of the forest with Ronan. "They headin' for the caves?"  
>McKay watched the villagers head off down a trail.<br>"Not at the moment, no."  
>Sheppard watched Ronan look more alert. "All right, get back there and sit tight." He closed radio connection and looked over Ronan. "We're losin' time."<br>҉  
>Back in Zaddik's lab, the open case was in the foreground.<br>"Ellia?" Zaddik called out and he began to search the other caves for her. "Ellia?" He came back to lab. "She's not here!"  
>McKay stopped just inside the lab and stood with his arms crossed defensively. Carson came around the workbench and discovered the open case, then the spent syringe.<br>"Good lord!" Beckett exclaimed, picking up the syringe.  
>"What?" McKay asked.<br>"She took the retrovirus!"  
>"You said it wasn't ready?" Zaddik asked.<br>"It's not! Not by a long shot!"  
>They all exchanged very worried glances.<p>

"What'll it do to her?" Zaddik asked the good doctor, wringing his hands.  
>"To be honest? I have no idea!"<br>҉  
>In the exterior forest, Ronan made his way alertly through the trees with Sheppard at intervals behind him.<br>[Radio chirps static]  
>"Colonel Sheppard, come in!" It was Beckett<br>"Go ahead."  
>"We've got another problem. Ellia's gone, and she's injected herself with the retrovirus."<br>Sheppard was still staring around sharply. "Why would she do _that_?"  
>"She must've overheard us talking about it. I told Zaddik it might be the key to makin' her human."<br>"Please! You've got to find her before the villagers do." Zaddik pleaded.  
>McKay looked up from the end of the table. He and Beckett both looked horrified at the thought of what would happen to her.<p>

"Look! Ronan says we're close ... If we lose the trail now, we may never catch the Wraith!"  
>"Rodney and I will find her!" Illyria shouted over the radio. McKay looked disbelieving.<br>They could hear Sheppard grumble. "All right, but be careful! Take Carson with you."  
>"Understood."<br>"I'll come with you!" Zaddik shouted.  
>"No, I think it's best if you stay here." Illyria told him.<br>"Look, is there anywhere she liked to go? Any favorite, uh ... hiding spots? Or favorite places?" McKay asked.  
>"Yes! She often goes off for hours at a time, up into the hills. I don't like it, but she doesn't listen to me.<br>"It's a start!" Beckett said.  
>The three of them ran out of the cave.<br>҉  
>Beckett, Illyria, and McKay were hiking through the woods, puffing over a hill.<br>"Y'know, I thought it was pretty nuts when Ronan was trying to track a Wraith through this forest." McKay said.  
>"Now that it's just us, do you feel any better?" Beckett asked.<br>"Oh, yeah. Supremely confident." McKay had his pistol out and was hiking while holding it in both hands.  
>҉<br>Ronan was examining detritus inside a makeshift shelter. "Sheppard?" He hurried over from where he had been keeping watch. "This is where he's been making camp." He stood up. "He was here less than an hour ago."  
>They stare around, looking for signs of where the Wraith had gone.<br>҉  
>Beckett, Illyria, and McKay made their way through the hilly part of the forest. McKay still has his pistol out. He paused, staring around intently. From a slight distance, Beckett looked back to see what's become of him.<br>"You hear anything?" Illyria asked  
>"No." Beckett answered.<br>"Huh."  
>An adult Wraith dropped out of a tree behind Beckett, who got swatted aside and went flying about a dozen feet into the underbrush. Illyria rushed to check on him, thinking that McKay would handle this. McKay had run up and was firing more or less at point blank range with the pistol, but the Wraith knocked that out of his hand and swatted McKay to the ground at his feet.<br>҉  
>Sheppard and Ronan heard the single shot McKay squeezed off. They headed in that direction at a dead run.<br>҉  
>The Wraith loomed over McKay in a creepily anticipatory manner. Lunch!<br>McKay scrambled backward desperately, and the Wraith was cat and mousing him a little. Too bad for the Wraith, as a shrieking white figure appeared out of nowhere and knocked the adult Wraith to the ground. It's Ellia, still out of her head, but apparently helping the team. Illyria and McKay, Beckett being knocked out by the toss, looked on in shock as Ellia proceeded to beat the _tar_ out of the adult Wraith, eventually snapping his neck and killing him.  
>McKay was back on his feet and Illyria got up as Ellia approached McKay, snarling and growling.<br>"Easy, now! You went to all that trouble to save my life, be a shame to kill me!" McKay said.  
>A shot rang out, hitting Ellia in the shoulder.<br>She snapped around and Illyria got a clear look at her face, which was gaunt, and half of it was the color of a bruise. Illyria was in a crouch with her pistol out, surprised either that she hit what she was aiming for or that it did not drop her where she stood. Ellia shrieked defiantly, then ran into the brush; McKay starred after her in shock.  
>Illyria ran up to McKay. "You all right, Rodney?"<br>McKay was nearly hyperventilating. He put his hand over his heart where Wraith feed, and looked as if he was having a hard time not fainting ... er, passing out.  
>McKAY said, nearly incoherent at the near miss, "He, she ... reaching out ... what the hell was that?"<br>Beckett, getting up and rubbing the back of his head, chagrined. "The retrovirus is having the opposite effect from what we intended."  
>"I guess <em>so<em>!" McKay shouted.  
>"Ah, God!" Beckett said to himself.<br>McKay was having some inaudible, adlib dialog that indicated his continued distress at nearly being lunch for a couple of Wraith. Beckett patted him on the arm.  
>"You're all right."<br>McKay lifted the hem of his uniform shirt and jacket and ... well, basically feels himself up in panic. Beckett made an exasperated noise and turned away to leave him to calming down on his own.  
>҉<br>The team members in various parts of the forest paused as they heard the eerie, chilling sound. Everyone was worrying about those who were not in sight. All headed in the direction of the shriek.  
>Zaddik was on the ground, bleeding from his mouth.<br>"Zaddik!" McKay shouted. They raced over and Beckett pulled off his backpack.  
>"Y'all right?" Beckett asked. Zaddik moans and shifts a bit. "Don't try to move."<br>Weakly, Zaddik said, "It was Ellia, but it wasn't her fault."  
>McKay and Illyria exchanged a glance over Zaddik, unsure of what to say. The sound of approaching villagers attracted their attention.<br>"No-no-_no_! You people need to go _back_ to the village! It is _not_ safe here!" Illyria shouted at them.  
>Goran looked at Zaddik as he approached. "Who is that?"<br>McKay and Beckett stare as Goran came up to stand over Zaddik.  
>"Don't you remember me?" Zaddik asked Goran<br>"No. No, it can't be!" Goran said. McKay, Illyria, and Beckett look at both men, then at each other, confused. "You were taken by the Daimos!"  
>"No, Father." Zaddik spoke softly.<br>"Father? I don't understand. You're his son?" McKay said. The villagers craned to look at the man on the ground, who was clearly older than Goran.  
>"If my son were alive, he'd be thirty four years old!" Goran horsey whispered.<br>"Precisely." Zaddik whispered. The three team members looked appalled, Goran still looked confused.  
>Sheppard and Ronan have arrived. Callup moved briskly from a group of villagers to the Atlantis team and Goran, still near Zaddik. The latter is looking worse.<br>"There's another one of those things out there. Look what it did to Zaddik! I say we go after it _now_!" Callup said.  
>"No one's goin' <em>any<em>where. We'll handle this! Stay calm." John turned to Beckett. "How is he?" The team looking uneasy as Beckett approached Sheppard.  
>"I've given him something for the pain, but his injuries are too severe." Beckett took a deep breath. "He's not goin' t'make it."<br>Goran was still standing over Zaddik. "This can't be happening. It's not possible."  
>"I'm ... sorry. Don't ... blame Ellia. It was my idea." Zaddik said. Goran was still not catching on. The following speech was over Goran and the Atlantis team reacting in ways from confusion to disgust to horror. "You ... have to understand that when I found her, I'd just lost my own wife and son to a fever. She was just lying there, helpless." Zaddik's voice was weakening. "When I saw her, I knew what I had to do. As I told you, in the beginning ... she survived on food and water like <em>any<em> young girl. Then the hunger came."

Zaddik was still on the ground, barely able to move, even to look at whomever he's speaking to.  
>"She took ... what she needed from me ... to survive ... until ... I perfected the serum." Sheppard and Beckett looking <em>very<em> uncomfortable.  
>"She never fed on anyone after that?" Sheppard asked.<br>There is a very long pause.  
>"No," Zaddik firmly stated. He flinched a little, as if in pain. Sheppard, Beckett and McKay were exchanging 'what now?' looks.<br>"All right. Illyria? Ronon? You're with me. The rest of you stay here." Sheppard ordered.  
>"Colonel, the retrovirus is acting quickly. The human part of her is almost gone." Beckett said.<br>"You said she killed the other Wraith and saved McKay's life." Sheppard said.  
>"Yes, but I'm not sure she knew what she was doing. She's operatin' on a purely animal level right now." Beckett said.<br>"Is there nothing you can do for her?" Illyria whispered, holding Zaddik's hand.  
>"I might be able to reverse the effects, if you bring her back alive, but I doubt she'll cooperate. She's also stronger and faster than any Wraith I've ever seen." Becket replied.<br>"Great!" Sheppard squeaked.  
>The Wraith hunting team headed out.<br>All this time, we thought you were dead!" Goran said to Zaddik.  
>"There was no other way. They," Zaddik cut his eyes toward the villagers, "never would have accepted us ... and I couldn't abandon her."<br>"Why?" Goran asked.  
>"She ... needed me." Zaddik whispered.<br>҉  
>Sheppard, Ronan and Illyria were the misty woods.<br>"Colonel? This is Beckett." He said over radio.  
>"Go ahead."<br>"Zaddik's dead."  
>Sheppard and Illyria exchange a look.<br>"Understood."  
>They walk on, then Sheppard paused when he saw Ronan stopped off the trail, staring away.<br>"She knows we're here." He approached Sheppard. "She's watchin' us." Ronan had his Wraith sensing face on, which is to say, his eyes were eerily unfocused and he looked a little stoned.  
>"Ellia? We want to help you! Doctor Beckett can make you better, but you have to come with us! We won't hurt you!" Illyria yelled.<br>Pause, while he looked around for any reaction. A twig broke and Illyria turned around in time to face Ellia as the Wraith leapt from the underbrush and knocked her to the ground with a shriek, which attracted the men's attention and they rushed toward the scuffle. Meantime, Ellia was crouched over Illyria and it looked and sounded as if they're having a slap fight.  
>As the men come over a rise in the forest floor, Illyria tossed Ellia off of her and Ronan seamlessly fires his energy weapon at her. Ellia paused, then scrambles away out of sight. Illyria was unconscious on the ground, and both men crouch by her.<br>"Aww..." Sheppard groaned. He looked up to catch where Ellia was headed as Ronan checked Illyria for injuries. Ronan's fingers came away from her head wet with blood. Sheppard strips out of his jacket and puts his vest back on.  
>"She took a blow to the head when it hit her." Ronan growled.<br>"Stay with her!" Sheppard yelled, indicating Illyria.  
>"Sheppard!" Ronan called after him.<br>"That's an order." Sheppard ran off after Ellia as Ronan placed the rolled up jacket under Illyria's head, then stares grimly after him. Sheppard made his way through the woods, very grim and purposefully.  
>Back to Ronan and Illyria, as she regains consciousness.<br>"Illyria!"  
>Illyria sat up. "What happened? Where's John?"<br>"He went after the creature!"  
>"You let him go alone?"<br>"He wanted me to stay with you."  
>Illyria said, with an exasperated breath. "I am <em>fine<em>. Go!"  
>"Aren't we supposed to follow his orders?"<br>"Sometimes, we are allowed to make exceptions."  
>"And who decides when it's one of those times?"<br>"_We_ do."  
>Ronan sprang to his feet. "That's good enough."<br>Ronan ran off after Sheppard who was sneaking around large fallen logs. A roar and a growl bring him around to aim at Ellia, who was pacing down a fallen log over his head, looking hungrily intent.  
>"Ellia?" He paused as she continued to stalk toward him. "Don't make me do this."<br>She stopped, shrieked and postures as if about to jump. Sheppard fired, but she was in the air before the bullets started to hit and brought him to the ground. They grappled, Ellia looked for a way inside that vest and Sheppard pulled out a wicked looking combat knife.  
>Ellia grabbed his knife arm and Sheppard was pushing her away with his free hand. Quick closer look on Sheppard's knife arm shows that Ellia's transformed claw-hand was drawing blood. It looked like a stalemate until a blast from Ronan's energy weapon blew her off of Sheppard. Ronan fired again, hitting her.<p>

She got up again.

It took four shots from Ronan's energy weapon and one from Sheppard's pistol to kill her. They stared at her body for a few moments to make sure she was really dead, then Ronan cought sight of John's bleeding arm.  
>"You ok?"<br>"Yeah. She tried feedin' on me." They looked at Ellia's crumpled form again.  
>"She wasn't gonna let us take her back." Ronan said.<br>Sheppard wanted to believe, but was having trouble. "Yeah, I know."  
>Ronan clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. John stared for a moment more at Ellia and then lifted his injured arm, which was now covered with blood.<p>

Her claw hand made quite a wound.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	14. Chapter 14

Sheppard was being wheeled into the infirmary on a gurney, Beckett beside him doing all sorts of doctor things.  
>"This really isn't necessary, Doc." Sheppard told him.<br>"Yes, it is. You've got a serious laceration on your arm and you've lost a good deal of blood."  
>"Yeah, enjoy the ride, Colonel. They're makin' me walk."<br>"You have a splinter, Rodney!" Beckett shouted.  
>"Yes, a very nasty, painful splinter." McKay hopped up onto an infirmary bed as the nursesorderlies wheeled Sheppard's gurney to a stop.

"What about Illyria? Where's she?" John asked, fending Beckett off until he got his answer.

"She's in her-your- quarters." Beckett stumbled.

"She hit her head pretty hard!" John yelled, trying to get up.

"And I've sent a whole team of nurses to do as they see fit. Illyria wanted to be in her quarters, says it was going to be crowded in here. Now, let's have a look at this." He stripped off the field dressing to reveal an angry red abrasion on the inside of Sheppard's right forearm. Beckett took a large swab that had been dipped in that yellow-brown stuff that stings like a son-of-a-, um, you know.  
>"This might hurt a wee bit." Beckett warned.<br>"OW!" McKay yelped as a nurse extracted his splinter.  
>"I'm sure it will." Sheppard said, watching them.<br>"This doesn't sting?" Beckett asked as he swabbed the wound.  
>"No." He said simply.<p>

Beckett picked up a wipe and started to clean the wound. "I know y'have a high threshold for pain, but this..."  
>"This is what?" Sheppard asked.<br>Beckett froze mid-wipe and stared at Sheppard's arm. Now that he had wiped off the blood, the anticipated wound underneath just wasn't there.  
>" ... gone." Beckett finished in a whisper.<br>"What?"  
>"The feeding mark. It's completely healed."<br>All three men look alarmed.  
>҉<br>Beckett was taking multiple samples from Sheppard.  
>"Maybe the wound wasn't that bad." Sheppard said.<br>"Then where'd all the blood come from?" Beckett replied.  
>"I don't know, maybe it just looked a lot worse than it was."<br>"I don't see evidence of any cut at all."  
>"That's weird, because it hurt like hell."<br>"You're sure the skin was broken?" Beckett wrapped up his samples.  
>"I'm pretty sure. There was a lot of blood! Maybe it was hers?" John said, folding his arm back to stop the bleeding from the needle puncture.<br>"It was definitely human."  
>"I don't know. Maybe it was a nosebleed." He got off the exam table and put his jacket back on.<br>"Is that supposed to be a joke, Colonel?"  
>"Believe me, this isn't funny."<br>"Give me half a day to run your bloodwork and analyze it with the data we already have. We'll figure it out."  
>"And until then?"<br>Beckett grinned. "You're welcome to look over my shoulder."  
>Sheppard smirked. "That's tempting, but ..."<br>"Just go about your day. Oh, and don't forget to bring Illyria in sometime this week."

John was half way to the door when he stopped and turned around. "Why? Nothing's wrong-"

"Oh, no Colonel, just the opposite. This week we can see what gender that wee one inside her is." ҉

Sheppard and Ronan were running fast on the metallic catwalks, out for a little exercise; Sheppard in the lead. They came to a halt at the end of the catwalk. Sheppard looked around alertly for the reason Ronan stopped and then down to where Ronan was draped over the railing, panting for breath.  
>"I thought you said you were a Runner!" John smiled.<br>Ronan, breathing heavily as he glared over his shoulder. "That's funny."  
>"I can usually barely keep up. What's with you?"<br>"What's with _you_?"  
>Sheppard handed him a bottle. "Water?" Ronan took it and chugged it. "All right, sore loser. I don't act like a jerk when you beat me!"<br>"Yes you do."  
>"OK, then we'll go around again." He said that exactly as if he expected Ronan to get a second wind and beat him. Ronan handed back the water bottle and walked away.<br>"You go ahead."  
>"OK, grumpy. I will." Sheppard headed back up the catwalk at a faster run than when he came down it.<br>҉  
>At sunset, Illyria was in a martial pose with her fighting sticks in their workout room. Sheppard was in an equally alert pose with his fighting sticks. Judging by the glow, they've been sparring for a bit. They spar some more, moving faster than they've done in the past. Sheppard actually seemed to be on the offensive, though Illyria was holding her own. She ducked as he nearly landed a good one and stared hard at him.<br>"Not bad, huh?"  
>Yes, yes. You're doing very well."<p>

More sparring. It sounded as if they were hitting harder than in the past, too, though Illyria was blocking everything Sheppard sent. So far.  
>"You have been practicing."<br>Sheppard tossed one stick aside. "Not really."  
>They now sparred with Sheppard down to one stick and Illyria still held two. It didn't slow him down a bit, as he spared with one hand literally behind his back, not even breathing hard. Illyria more or less held her own, grunting with the effort, until Sheppard executed some feint and she found herself pressed against the wall with Sheppard's stick pressed against her throat, meeting his fierce glare a little nervously.<br>Illyria carefully chose her words. "You are showing ... a considerable leap in ability, Colonel Sheppard."  
>John said intently, not releasing her, "You can call me John when we're off the clock."<br>Illyria, with an arched eyebrow, replied, "Very well ... John."  
>John was still intent, hint of a grin. He liked foreplay. "There y'go."<br>He kept staring at her, not releasing her from against the wall. She was much calmer than one would expect under the circumstances.  
>"Should we continue, or do you..." Her voice trailed off uneasily. John dropped his stick on the floor, grabbed her face with both hands and lays one <em>hell<em> of a kiss on her. It took a second or two, but Illyria responded enthusiastically. When they broke apart, they were both breathing hard, but from their expressions, it's pretty clear neither knows what to make of that aberrant behavior.  
>"I'm not really sure just what happened." He said in his normal voice.<br>Illyria's hand was at her throat where his stick was. "John..."  
>Sheppard interrupted, a smile on his face. "That was interesting!"<br>"Colonel Sheppard, please report to the infirmary!" Beckett said over the radio.

She looked frankly relieved, which seemed to put a dent in his obliviousness to her reactions since he pinned her.  
>"You OK?" He asked.<br>Illyria pasted on a reasonable facsimile of her normal serene smile, though the gasping breath rather spoils the effect. "Doctor Beckett will be expecting you."  
>"Yeah."<br>Her smile slipped fast. He clearly wanted to stay and sort this out, but it was equally clear there might be some urgency to that conversation Beckett wanted to have, and Sheppard left. Illyria remained propped against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief after he's gone, along with any pretense of her aplomb.

That wasn't the John she knew….  
>҉<p>

In the infirmary, Sheppard sat on an exam table with Weir standing beside him. Weir had a look on her face as if wondering why Illyria wasn't glued to his side.  
>"The good news is, we can now say with some certainty that Ellia didn't drain away any of your life." Beckett announced. As he spoke, he sat in a chair facing the other two and a computer screen.<br>"We already knew that." John said.  
>"I suppose."<br>"That's the best good news you could come up with?"  
>Beckett looked uncomfortable. "It looks like you've been infected with the iratus bug retrovirus. The one we were working on to turn Ellia into a human."<br>Weir gave a slight nod as if to prompt the bit about how they're going to fix this.  
>"You mean the one that <em>didn't<em> turn her into a human." John said.  
>"Ellia administered the treatment prematurely. It wasn't ready, it wasn't even supposed to be ..."<br>Sheppard interrupted. "I'm not blaming you, Doc."  
>"But you're right. The transformation was into a creature closer to the iratus bug than to a human, and I know how much you ..."<br>Sheppard grimaced "...hate those bugs?"  
>With a sigh, Beckett replied, "Yes."<br>"But, for one ... Ellia was a Wraith._And_ she took a massive dose of the retrovirus. I mean, do we know how the Colonel's system might respond to the drug?" Weir asked.  
>"I have no idea. It was never engineered to be given to a human. It was never intended..."<br>Sheppard's tone rose. "Doc ..."

"...to be given to anyone!"  
>Sheppard half-whispered, "Let it go."<br>"The problem is, I have no idea how your body will react! I can't even begin to guess."  
>Sheppard briefly looked as if that were way too much non-information. "Well, if how I feel is any indication? I'm fine."<br>Beckett tried not to sound straw-grasping. "It's certainly possible that it's already breakin' down in your system. Ellia's transformation _was_ extreme, and immediate."  
>Sheppard said to Weir, who was looking wigged. "See?"<br>Beckett sounded worried. "But the wound on your arm healed unnaturally fast!"  
>"If there <em>was<em> a wound." Sheppard was now diving headlong into denial without a helmet.  
>"There had to be! Otherwise, I don't see how you got infected in the first place!"<br>"She was spitting an awful lot!"  
>Beckett looked both mutinous and worried.<br>"So what, we just monitor it for now?" Weir asked.  
>"Aye." Beckett said and then to Sheppard. "You'll need to check in every six hours."<br>Sheppard nodded reluctantly. "I can do that."  
>"And you should probably ..."<p>

"... suspend my off-world activities until we know more?" He interrupted Weir.  
>"Thank you." She nodded graciously.<br>Sheppard hopped off the exam table, the picture of good health. "See ya in six hours!"  
>Beckett nodded as Sheppard bolted out of the infirmary, slapping the doctor on the back as he went. Beckett and Weir stared after him, looking worried.<br>҉  
>Sheppard abruptly stripped off his uniform jacket as he entered his living quarters. He sat down on the bed and reached back with his left arm to remove his T-shirt and froze, staring at the inside of his right forearm where it was resting in his lap.<br>There was a pale, scaly patch of skin surrounded by the same bruise coloration he saw on Ellia, located in the same place her transformed claw-hand pierced his skin. Apparently, it wasn't at all painful since he hasn't noticed it 'til now. Sheppard prodded at it hesitantly, then reached for his radio earpiece.  
>[Radio chirps static]<br>"Hey, Doc? This is Sheppard."  
>"Yes, Colonel?"<br>"We may have to bump up our first check-in."  
>҉<br>Sheppard was lying in the infirmary, being scanned. Beckett in a lab coat and another guy in an Atlantis science uniform were watching and looked concerned. Beckett turned and walked toward Illyria, who is gnawing a thumbnail over by the wall. Even though she had her suspicions about John, she was still going to be there for him. She stopped as the doctor approached and tried to look prepared to hear anything. Their whole conversation took place in fairly low voices.  
>"The retrovirus isn't breaking down in his system like we hoped it would." Beckett said very softly.<br>"You're positive?"  
>"Yes. In fact, it's beginning to alter his D.N.A. If this is allowed to continue, he'll devolve into a creature similar to what Ellia became." Beckett moved to sit at his desk as Illyria let out a worried breath, er suspicions confirmed, then turned to him.<br>"How long do we have?"  
>"I'm not sure exactly."<br>Illyria, still in a low voice, but sharply, said. "Ballpark! Months, weeks?"  
>Beckett, even more softly, replied, "Days. We have days."<br>Illyria leaned over his desk, looking intent. "OK, what's the plan?"  
>"I've injected him with a viral inhibitor. It should slow down the retrovirus as far as his cognitive abilities are concerned, but I'm afraid that's it so far. We're exploring various treatments that may or may not be effective, so ..."<br>Illyria shook her head vehemently. "No, Carson, we don't have any time to explore." She gestured toward his computer. "C'mon, there's _gotta_ be something in my database that can help you find a treatment!"  
>"I know that, Illyria. We're doin' our best!"<br>She stood up, looking away uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I know. Of course you are."  
>Sheppard was still on the exam bed, alert in the foreground, Beckett and Illyria in the background. Sheppard was staring rather fixedly at the ceiling, looking grim.<br>"You should talk to 'im. He's hiding it very well, but if I was him? I'd be scared to death."  
>There was a pause, as if Illyria would love to put this back on the doctor. Sheppard's profile popped into the shot as he sat up on the bed and looked toward them with bird-like speed.<br>"How'm I doin'?"  
>Illyria exchanged a somewhat desperate-to-get-out-of-this glance with Beckett, who nodded at her. She went over to Sheppard's exam bed. Sheppard looked her up and down, then frowned, but sounded like himself for this conversation.<br>"Anything that has you speechless has me concerned."  
>Illyria said with a not-quite-smile, "You're gonna be fine."<br>"Wow. That's dead man talk."  
>"No, it isn't."<br>Sheppard turned up his right arm, showing that the scaly patch has grown a bit and changed to an ickily shiny, carbuncle-looking thing. "Have you _seen_ this?"  
>"Beckett is gonna figure this one out."<br>"I think I already have. You know who I'm starting to feel like?" He paused for emphasis. "_Ford_."  
>Illyria too quickly said, "Now, what happened to you is <em>completely<em> different."  
>"I know, I know. Still, I can feel it. I mean, I can feel it changing me inside ... like he did."<br>"I don't think that's even possible. Look, you're very worried ..."  
>"No, no. No, it's ... .uh..." he paused to find a comparison. "One of the best weeks of my life was when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was on codeine for a full seven days. This is kinda the same. I know I should be in <em>pain<em>, or at the very least freaked out by this, but hey! I'm not ... and that freaks me out more than anything."  
>Illyria shifted on her feet. "We're gonna beat this."<br>"'We're gonna beat this'? 'Beckett'll figure this _out_'? 'You're gonna be _fine_'? You really suck at the whole bedside manner thing."  
>Illyria looked away in embarrassment. "I know, I'm sorry."<br>"But I appreciate the effort." It was silent for a moment. "Illyria….what happened in the gym…that wasn't me- I mean, it was, but-"

"I know…" She placed a hand on his cheek and he leaned into it. "I know." ҉

McKay in the now-empty conference room, walking around a desk.  
>"The Ancient database has quite a lot of information about the iratus bug. We know what planet it's on, we know that it likes cool damp dark places to lay its eggs."<br>Weir, Illyria, Beckett and Lorne leaned against other desks in the conference room as Rodney came to a halt, facing them and leaning on one of his own.  
>"It shouldn't be that hard to locate." Lorne said.<br>"Wait a minute! The last time we ran into _one_ of these things, we almost lost Sheppard. How do you expect to just walk right in to one of their nests?" Weir said.  
>McKay clearly wasn't looking forward to that.<br>"I don't see that we have any other choice. We need the iratus stem cells ... the best stem cells come from embryos! With them, we actually have a chance of saving Colonel Sheppard. Without them, he'll die!" Beckett argued.  
>"And this is the only option we have?" Illyria asked.<br>"And time's an issue as well."  
>"You've no idea what will happen."<br>"There's only one certainty: what will happen if we do nothing." Beckett covered her hands with his.  
>"We all understand the risks, Doctor Weir, and I believe that Colonel Sheppard would do the same for any one of us." Lorne said.<br>McKay still looked hesitant over the bug part, but definitely seemed to agree with the no alternative to saving Sheppard part. Weir looked down for a moment, then nodded her head. "Permission granted."  
>The men sprang to their feet and head out, Beckett giving Lorne a pat on the arm. "I need an hour to get my things together."<br>Lorne nodded. "OK, gear up! One hour."  
>All exit, leaving Illyria alone in the room, still looking after them thoughtfully.<br>҉  
>The door opened to Illyria and John's quarters. Illyria entered her room, engrossed in an open file folder. Sheppard entered quietly behind her, followed by an armed Marine. Sheppard's neck was a lot bluer than when she last saw him.<br>"Look!" He said, pointing to the Marine with a fake grin. "I made a new friend!"  
>Illyria looked up, hesitated at the sight of his face and then put her file folder down with no other visible reaction to his altered appearance. "Doctor Weir said it was only protocol."<br>"That's her answer for everything."  
>"You look well." She looked down, where she saw that Sheppard's right hand had gone crinkly and claw-like, though not as much as Ellia's had, but there were definitely evil hand issues. Sheppard put it in his pocket. "Should you be out of bed?"<br>"I was goin' a little crazy down there, so they said I could walk around for a bit."  
>"That's good." She said softly.<br>They stared at each other for a moment, Illyria clearly wished he was back under medical supervision, or at least not being unnervingly blue and mutated in their room. Sheppard stepped forward toward the bed where she had sat down and she managed not to flinch.  
>"Look, what I'm trying to say is that I want to go on this mission-"<br>"Hey, you said it yourself. You are not fit for any off world activity."  
>Sheppard sat down and ducked his head, then looked up. "The inhibitor that Beckett's got me on, the one that's keeping me lucid? They keep having to up the dose."<br>"I know. They told me." Illyria whispered.  
>Sheppard clenched his teeth. "I don't know how much <em>time<em> I have, but the last thing I wanna do is sit on my..." he raised his right hand from his pocket and his voice "... mutating _hands_, while my team puts their lives on the line trying to find me a cure."  
>He paused while Illyria dropped her gaze to follow his hand back down and then looked him in the eye again.<br>"I should be with them!"  
>"John, no. Doctor-"<br>"What's the worst that can happen? I, I ... die?"  
>"You could compromise the mission. They have enough things to worry about ..." She lowered her voice and touched his face, her eyes swimming. "And don't say things like that."<br>John shook her hand off and gestured with his evil hand. "Oh, no no ... so, what? Suddenly I'm a liability?"  
>"Your condition can change rapidly."<br>"I _know_, and I know I can do this!" John raised his voice.  
>"I'm glad ... you feel that way. But it would be irresponsible of Doctor Weir..."<br>"This is _my_ life we're talking about."  
>"I know that."<br>Another stare down.  
>"I'm going on that mission."<p>

Illyria raised her voice a bit. "No, John! You're _not_."  
>"<em>DAMMIT!"<em>  
>His face twisted in rage as he turned and smashed his evil fist into the metal headboard, defiantly denting it. Before John pulled his hand out of the crevasse, the Marine has his sidearm out and aimed steadily at Sheppard. People come running from the corridor and their rooms, other weapons being drawn. They were, after all, in the 'Military housing section'. Illyria stood up, a restraining hand up to the Marine.<br>"It's OK! Put it down."  
>The Marine lowered his sidearm, and the others reluctantly went about their business. Illyria turned back to John, who looked chagrined.<br>John said softly, "I'm betting that didn't sell you?"  
>Illyria arched an eyebrow. "No. No, not really."<br>John, still speaking softly, said, "I should go back to the infirmary."

Illyria firmly nodded. "Yes." John went quietly and after a few heartbeats, Illyria went after him. When she had caught up to him, she laced her fingers in his, much to his surprise. But Illyria could tell that he was relieved he hadn't scared her away.  
>҉<br>An armed guard was standing in front of a door, sidearm out. He nodded as Illyria approached and stepped aside. She opened the door and paused in the doorway, looking around the dim area on the other side.  
>"John?" She called out. She turned to the guard, who nodded toward the wall. Illyria reached for a light switch.<br>"Leave 'em off." John said. He was sitting on their bed, his back to the door.  
>"What?"<br>"The lights. Leave the lights off." His voice was harsh. The light dimmed even more as the door shut behind Illyria.  
>Illyria clasped her hands together hesitantly. "OK." Silence "I thought I should come by and practice my bedside manner." Silence "How are you?" She softly asked as she paced slowly toward him.<br>"My body's mutating into a _bug_. How are you?" He replied levelly.  
>"Would you like an update on your team's progress?" Silence as she continued to slowly pace around the bed. She came round to where she would've normally seen him in profile, but he turned his face away. "They found an iratus cave and they've headed in."<br>"Good." He said very softly.  
>"They should locate some eggs and be back here in no time."<br>John had looked so far away from her, she expect to hear his neck crack. "No time?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Then what?"  
>"Honestly? I don't know." Long silence, as he conspicuously didn't look in her direction. "John, are you all right?" Silence. "Would you like me to call someone?"<br>"Who would you call?" John said, cutting her off.  
>"If you need to see a doctor ..."<br>"I need a bigger security detail."  
>"Excuse me?" She walked right up to stand within touching distance. He kept his face firmly averted. She could see the whole left side of his face, which looked perfectly normal.<br>"At least two men, stationed at our door, sooner rather than later."  
>Illyria looked very worried. "What are you talking about?"<br>John still rigidly faced away. "Just trust me, Illy. You're going to need it."  
>"Listen, John ... if ..."<br>He turned sharply full face to show that his right eye has gone all slit-pupiled and yellow-gold. The blue bruise color on his neck showed a blackened ridge crawling up from his collarbone line. He looked very worried, too. Illyria shifts uneasily, but stood her ground.  
>"Oh, my God." She whispered, tempted to reach out her hand.<br>"They need to hurry."  
>"You should be in the infirmary."<br>"The infirmary isn't secure. The inhibitor's only keeping me lucid; it's not slowing the retrovirus."  
>Illyria kept a firm voice. "Still ..."<br>Sheppard leapt to his feet and got right in her face. She didn't flinch… much.  
>"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME! I'm not safe to be around anymore." There was more light on the right side of his face, now. The blue bruise color had gone Wraith-gray and quite ridgy, nearly up to his cheekbone. "Get some more men at my door and get the hell out of here."<br>She nodded and left the room to speak with the guard. "Double the detail."  
>The guard activated his radio. "Code 1-6."<br>Behind him, John sat back down on the bed. The guard closed the door and stood with his back to it.  
>҉<br>It was night in Atlantis when Beckett was reporting to Illyria in his office. "The nest is incredibly well protected. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. I just don't think it's possible."  
>"So where does that leave us?" Illyria asked numbly.<br>"Without the stem cells, our plan is not promising."  
>Illyria looked devastated. "OK. I'll tell him."<br>҉  
>Illyria approached the armed doorway and spoke to one of the two guards. "How is he?"<br>"I wouldn't go in there, ma'am."  
>Illyria looked around at the other guard, who is holding a Wraith stunner. "I'll be fine." She opened the door and went inside. It was still dark inside. There was no immediate sign of her lover anywhere. "John?"<br>She looked around for a while, then turned and nodded to the guard, who closed the door behind her. Although she still couldn't see him anywhere, she talked to him anyway.  
>"So this is when I usually ask you a stupid question, like 'How are you feeling?'" She walked deeper into their room, looking for him. "John? John? Our team got back from the mission."<br>There was a thump behind her. She turned, and John was standing right behind her. She gasped at the sight of him. The blue/gray ridging had now travelled up into both of his cheeks and ears and had wrapped around his forehead, although the area around his eyes and nose was still clear. Both of his eyes had now got slit pupils. His neck had ridges on it and there were small tentacles (for want of a better word) growing out of it.  
>"The nest was too well protected. We were unable to retrieve the eggs. They tried their best ..."<br>"Best?"  
>"The bugs attacked ..."<br>"Try again."  
>"Can't do that."<br>"Why?"  
>"John ..."<br>"No."  
>"I understand ..."<br>"If you won't, then kill me now."  
>"John." Illyria whispered.<br>"It's better for the both of us."  
>"I can't do that." She choked out.<br>He stepped closer to her. "Then try again."

Illyria stares at him in anguish, then her face became more resolute and she shook her head minutely. Memories of her past came flooding: Her in her court, telling her husband firmly not to go out on the mission that killed him. Illyria did not want the past repeating itself where John was concerned.

Sheppard suddenly surged forward, grabbed her by the throat with his right hand,

pushed her backward and pinned her against the wall. His hand was blue/gray and ridged. Illyria seized his wrist with both hands, trying to hold him off.

"We lost Walker and Stevens. Weir won't send another team!" She gasped for breath. "_I _won't risk more lives!"  
>As she continued to struggle for breath, Sheppard glared at her for a moment, then released her, dropping her to the floor. He walked away and as he approached the door, it automatically opened. As Illyria laid on the floor coughing, she heard the guards cry out, grunt and drop to the floor as John apparently knocked the living daylights out of them. Illyria scrambled to her feet, activating her radio as she headed for the door.<br>"This is Illyria. We have a security breach! Colonel Sheppard's quarters!" She reached the unconscious guards and checked the first one to make sure he's alright.  
>҉<br>The main screen in the Control Room showed the message "Biometric sensor activated". The message disappeared and an image of the city could be seen the showed many white dots and one red one.  
>"OK. We've got a lock on him." McKay said.<br>McKay, Caldwell, Ronan, Weir and Illyria stood together with some Marines, watching the screen. The red dot moved across the screen.  
>"That can't be him - it's moving too fast." Caldwell said.<br>"That's him." Ronan nodded. Once he heard about what Sheppard had done to Illyria, he wanted to kick some mutated bug ass.  
>"Alright." Caldwell turned to the Marines. "Four teams. Surround him and close in. I want him stopped. And gentlemen - use whatever level force you deem necessary. Move out."<br>As the Marines started to head out, Illyria turned to face them.  
>"You will <em>only<em> use such force as a last resort."  
>"That's not Sheppard any more, ma'am." Caldwell said.<br>Illyria still spoke to the Marines. "You heard me."  
>The Marines nodded in acknowledgement and headed out. Ronan started to walk away but turned to Illyria.<br>"You coming?"  
>Illyria looked at Caldwell for a moment, then turned to Ronan.<br>"You bring him back, Ronan." As he left, she turned back to McKay. "Lock down the Stargate."  
>"Right."<br>҉  
>Sheppard walked towards a transporter. As the door opened, a scientist in a white coat was inside. Sheppard grabbed him and threw him out of the transporter, then went inside. Back in the Control Room, Illyria and McKay watch as the red signal jumps from one part of the base to another.<br>"I thought you said that he couldn't use the transporters." Illyria asked.  
>"I said I doubted he was lucid enough."<br>Since Caldwell and Weir were disusing their options in her office, Illyria took control. "Shut 'em down. He's not doing it again."  
>"Thus stranding the search teams. Nevertheless, he did what he was told.<br>Over comms, Illyria said, "Bravo Team, you're on deck. Tango is right below you."  
>McKay watched as their signals get very close to Sheppard's.<br>"Bravo Team and Sheppard are in the same room." McKay said.  
>"Stay sharp. He should be right in there with you." Illyria told them through over radio.<br>҉

In the Infirmary, Sheppard was lying on a bed. He had attacked the team and was trying to escape when Ronan had snuck up behind him and shot him in the back with is gun while he was distracted. John's left hand was withered and ridged and very Wraith-like.

The hand was held in restraints.  
>"I put him in a medically-induced coma for now. I was afraid he might break through the restraints." Beckett said.<br>"That's a good call, Doctor." Caldwell nodded.  
>"So what now?" Weir asked.<br>"The retrovirus has wreaked havoc on his system and it's taking over." He sounded tired.  
>"What does that <em>mean<em>?"  
>"It means if we don't find a way to stop the retrovirus in the next twenty-four hours, what's left of the John Sheppard we know will be gone."<br>Illyria sat down on the next to John on the bed and held his hand. Even though she and the other people in the room were crepped out that she was rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb, but Illyria couldn't care.

She wanted her John back and if this was the way to do it, then by Goddess she was going to do it.  
>҉<br>McKay was sitting at a table the commissary while Ronan leaned on a balcony just next to the table. Illyria came in and went over to them. "You guys are up late."  
>"Can't you sleep either?" McKay asked. "Any progress?"<br>"No. He's still in a coma. At least he isn't in any pain."  
>"Maybe if I went alone, maybe ..." Ronan suggested.<br>"It's not open for discussion." Illyria stared at him with fearful eyes.  
>"I'm not good at sittin' still."<br>"I understand. Believe me, I appreciate how you feel." She looked at him for a moment, then addressed McKay as well. "Look, we have closed down that section of the Infirmary but if you feel the need to ..." She pauses for a long time. McKay realized what she meant and looked down. "What I mean to say is, if you would like ... to have a private goodbye, you should probably do it soon."  
>McKay looked at her in dread. "Are we really there?"<br>"I think we might be." She whispered, letting a tear streak down her cheek.  
>Beckett's voice came over comms. "Illyria, I need to speak to you immediately.<br>"What is it?"  
>"Meet me in Doctor Weir's office. I think I have an idea."<br>Illyria looked at the team hopefully, then headed off. The other two followed her.  
>҉<p>

Beckett was heading towards Weir's office when he meet up with Illyria and the team as they came up the stairs and they talk as they entered the office.  
>"I'm sorry, it just came to me. The fact that his mutation has progressed as far as it has may be his salvation."<br>"Explain that." Weir asked and stood as they all entered.  
>"His sweat glands are actually producing trace amounts of their signature pheromone."<br>"And?"  
>"When we were in the cave, those bugs knew we didn't belong there, so they didn't really fancy us getting close to their nest."<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. I see where you're going with this. If we can artificially create the pheromone, it might be able to confuse them enough to leave us alone." McKay said.  
>"Aye, that would work."<br>"Well, that's an excellent plan, Carson!"  
>"Aye, I wish it was."<br>"You can't do that in time." Ronan said.  
>"No, it'd take days."<br>"But you said John only had twenty-four hours before the damage the retrovirus was causing him would be irreparable." Illyria said, trying to keep her cool.  
>"Exactly."<br>"Well, then, that's a _terrible_ plan, Carson!" McKay mended.  
>"There's only one person on this base that wouldn't need the artificial pheromone."<br>The team looked at each other.  
>"Sheppard?" Weir asked.<br>"He could walk right in that cave and those bugs wouldn't pay him any mind."  
>"I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but Colonel Sheppard's not feeling very well." McKay sarcastically told Carson.<br>"He stopped taking the inhibitor we were administering. It was able to keep him lucid."  
>"I thought its effectiveness had worn off." Weir asked.<br>"True. But I believe if we give him another massive dose, he may be clear-headed enough to complete the mission before we lose him completely."  
>"Yeah, but won't giving him that much inhibitor, like ..." McKay drifted.<br>"Kill him? Yes, it's a definite possibility. Even if I knew it was for certain, I'd be tempted to offer him one last hour of lucidity."  
>"Do it." Weir turned to Ronan and McKay. "Gear up, take him as far as the cave."<br>҉  
>Back in the Infirmary, Sheppard awoke with a start. His eyes snapped open; he looked horrified that he was still alive. As he stared around in shock, Illyria approached his side.<br>"John? John." He looked at her. "Hey. You're in the Infirmary."  
>"Sorry about the headache. It's a side effect of the inhibitor." Carson said as he walked over.<br>"Did I hurt anyone?" John asked, his eyes drifting to the discolorations on her neck.  
>"No, not seriously." She told him.<br>"Did Ronon shoot me?"  
>She smiled slightly. "You had it coming. Look, we don't have a lot of time. This dose of the inhibitor drug will only last about an hour. How would you like to go on a mission?"<br>҉  
>In Gateroom, the Gate was open and McKay and Ronan came up the stairs into the room geared up. McKay turned to Dex.<br>"Now, you realize that you may have to, uh ...?"  
>"It's already set to stun."<br>As they walked towards the Gate, they turned and stared as Illyria came in from another doorway. With her was a Marine and Sheppard, who was wearing a floor length gray cloak with the hood pulled up around his face.  
>"He's ready." She told them.<br>"Ah! Good to see you up and, uh ... about." McKay said, but Sheppard ignored him and headed for the Gate.  
>"Alright, come on, we don't have a lot of time." Carson shouted as he entered the room. He followed Sheppard to the Gate. McKay shared a concerned glance with Weir, who was up in the Control Room, then followed them through the Gate. Illyria watched her men leave.<br>"Good luck." She said quietly.  
>҉<br>Several hours later, the team returned to Atlantis victorious. In the Infirmary, Beckett came out from a screened-off area. Weir, Caldwell, Illyria and the rest of the team were waiting anxiously for him.  
>"It's not gonna happen overnight - you can bet on that - but the transformation has begun to reverse itself."<br>"So eventually he'll be back in uniform?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Eventually."<br>"Well done, Carson, for once again elevating medicine to actual science." McKay smiled.  
>"Well, thank you, Rodney!" Carson sighed.<br>"We'll all finally be able to get some sleep." Weir turned to Beckett. "Keep me posted."  
>"Aye."<br>Weir left the room and Caldwell followed her. The team didn't budge.  
>"We might, uh ..." Ronan began.<p>

"... stay a while." Illyria finished.  
>"Well, if that's alright." McKay shrugged.<br>"Of course." The doctor said as he walked away. The team looked through the gap in the screens at Sheppard lying unconscious in bed.  
>҉ <p>


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:/ note:::: Breen (Illyria's hubby) is based off of Jonathan Rhys Meyers' looks.**

The world suddenly fell into existence.  
>Not the gradual fading that usually accompanies waking, but an all-at-once rush of sounds, smells, and emotions. Her eyes snapped open. She lay facing the clock on her bedside table. Something was different, but she couldn't place it. The only thing that registered in her mind was the glowing green numbers on the little digital box. Nine-thirty, it blazed. She sat up and looked around, curious that it should be so dark so late in the morning. She looked around, squinting in the murk until her eyes adjusted and she could make out the dark curtains over the windows, faint barbs of light filtering around the edges of the fabric.<p>

It had been six weeks since John began his iratus bug detox. He explicitly instructed everyone, that wasn't Beckett or his nurse, that they were not to see him and if they wasn't to talk, they could do it through the curtain. Even Illyria.

Morning filled her room and cast shadows on the carpet. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for what was different, and found-  
>"John!"<br>He was lounging casually in the corner chair, a lazy smile spread over his face. A face that was completely normal. Now trace of the Iratus bug coloring on his skin; his eyes were lively and silently amused. And his smile…..Illyria chocked out a bubbling smile and covered her mouth with her hands. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

John got up and slowly walked to her, so as not to alarm her. He sat down on the bed, beside her feet, and touched her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his cupped hand, closing her eyes as his warmth washed over her. She brought her hands down from her face and held the hand that was on her face. He smelled like a mix of the infirmary and the cologne Rodney was always mocking him about.  
>"Shhh," He whispered, smiling as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Shhhh."<p>

Illyria returned his smile brightly and whipped the tears of her cheeks. "Should you be up and about?"  
>"Well, I've been cooped up in that damned Infirmary for six weeks. Give me a break." He brought down their intertwined hands and let them fall into her lap.<br>"You look…well. Are you feeling more like yourself?"  
>"Well, according to my D.N.A., I'm a hundred percent John Sheppard again ... although, I gotta say, I'm looking forward to getting rid of this thing one day." She looked down to his right arm which he was holding out towards her. The area where he was clawed by Ellia is still a pale blue and the skin looked tough. "Doc says it'll clear up eventually." He looked at Illyria for a moment, his eyes softening. "Ah, so listen. While I've been lying there the past few weeks, I've been remembering things." Illyria looked down, uncomfortable. "Some things I might have done that you could call out of character."<br>Illyria deliberately misunderstood him. "You mean when you attacked the security detail."  
>He smiled. "Yeah, that was one of them."<br>She smiled back "Yes."  
>John was unable to meet her eyes. "There's another thing I should probably apologize for. It wasn't that I didn't want to…do what I did. I did want to do it, but I-I shouldn't have been…"<br>"Give it no further thought."  
>John looked at her. "Good! I won't."<br>"Nice to have you back ..." She turned her head away from him, then grinned and turned back to look at him again. "... John."  
>John nodded at her, blowing out a relieved sigh. She patted the cold empty spot beside her, and like a child, he jumped over her and landed on his butt, making Illyria topple over onto him. They were both laughing as he held her close to his chest. He rubbed her arm and she curled her fingers into his chest hair as they calmed down.<p>

"I love you…" He whispered.

Illyria gasped sharply. She hadn't expected that….When she thought that John might die….The last time a man told her he loved her, it was the night her husband went off to war….the last time she had saw him. And now John…..

While John was still a bug/human, she came to realize something. Something plain and something simple.

That she loved him.

And now he loved her.

But could she bring her mouth to move as her heart wants?

҉

Two men sat facing each other. On the table between them was a chess board with a game in progress. The two men were sitting silently: one stared intently at the other, while the second man gazed at the board, equally lost in concentration. Ronon sat at a table nearby with a tray of food in front of him but for once, he was not stuffing his face. He was eating, but mostly he was watching the two chess players. Elizabeth came in with a tray of food and walked over to Ronon's table.  
>"May I join you?" He nodded. She sat down next to him and saw what he was looking at. "It's called chess. It's a game."<br>"They've been sitting there like that since I sat down."  
>"Those two, they play every single day."<br>"Neither one of them's even blinked yet."  
>"Well, it's not really a game action."<br>"I can see that."  
>"It's all about strategy." She indicated to the man looking at the board. "He's planning his next move, and the move after that, and the move after that."<br>"I guess you do a lot of that around here."  
>"Yes, we do. I take it that's not how you prefer to do things."<br>"No." He stood up and picked up his tray. "I'm leaving."  
>"Hey, Ronon, wait. Just because we do things differently, doesn't mean we can't learn from each other; and Colonel Sheppard has already invested an incredible amount of time and energy trying to make you an integral part of his team."<br>Ronon looked down at her. "I meant I'm leaving the table."  
>Weir looked embarrassed. "Oh."<br>"Is that OK?"  
>"Yes, of course. I'm sorry - I, I thought ..." She was interrupted by Rodney's voice coming over the radio.<br>"Doctor Weir?"  
>Elizabeth activated her radio. "Rodney, what is it?"<br>"Something you should see here."  
>"I'm on my way." She stood and turned to Ronon. "I'm leaving too!"<br>"OK."  
>"OK!"<br>҉

CONTROL ROOM.  
>"What is it?" Weir asked.<br>McKay indicated a point on a scanner screen. "That is the signature of an Ancient ship called the Aurora. With the ZedP.M. now powering the city, we've been reactivating dormant systems. That one tracked the location of Ancient ships during the war."  
>"A warship?" John asked.<br>"See, look at his eyes all lighting up again. It's Pavlovian. I cross-checked the logs. They were on a reconnaissance mission. When we activated the ZedP.M., the city must have sent out some kind of an automated subspace beacon recalling ships back to Atlantis."  
>"How long before it gets here?" Weir asked, she too was getting excited.<br>Rodney turned and started typing. "Well, given that it's at the edge of the Pegasus galaxy, let me see ... carry the four ... Forty-two million years. Should we go wait on the porch?"  
>"So we take a Jumper through the nearest Stargate, check it out." John said.<br>"Clever, but wrong."  
>"There are no nearby Stargates."<br>"Not within Jumper distance, no."  
>"Which leaves us only one way to get there." Weir said. Weir and John were heading to her office to make the call when Illyria came sprinting up the steps yelling,<p>

"Is it true?"

"Is what-"

"Did you find the Aurora?" She pushed past John and Weir, making her way over to the screen and stopped. McKay could see in her eyes that she was hopeful, yet pained by what she saw.

"Yes, I did. When we activated the ZedP.M., the city must have sent out some kind of an automated subspace beacon recalling ships back to Atlantis" McKay repeated.

John slowly walked over to her and chose his words carefully. "We were just about to call the Daedalus for a ride-"

"Don't." Illyria whispered.

"Excuse me?" Weir asked, not quite sure if she heard the woman correctly.

"Don't call the Daedalus."

"Illyria, it's our only way of getting to the ship." John said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're not going to call the Daedalus, because you're not going. I forbid it." This was the first time since Illyria's been here that she's given a command like she was still Queen. John and Weir exchanged curious looks as they moved on either side of her.

"And why would we not be going?" Weir asked.

"Because I said so," Illyria turned to Weir, her face no longer an open book, but a blank canvas. The face of a Queen. "Doctor Weir, this is _my_ city; and I would think as the Queen I would have the right to tell you when you can and cannot go onto certain missions for the sake of my city. Now, I have let you govern my city because I have thought you fair and these are your people. I have asked _nothing_ of you until now when I'm telling you not to call the Daedalus."

"Illyria, I know this must be hard for you to accept, but you are no longer in control of this city." Weir said, meeting her stern tone. "You can't tell me to do anything."

"I can send you and your team flying through that gate kicking and screaming of need be." Illyria spoke to Weir's back as the woman tried to walk away.

She turned. "Is that a threat?"

"If it needs to be." Several chilling heartbeats later, Illyria broke her hostile eye contact with Weir and left the control room.

҉

It seemed as if half the staff in the Control room were taking her threat seriously and the other half, including Weir, thought it was a bluff.

"Elizabeth, she is the damn _Queen_ of Atlantis!" John shouted. "Who knows what she can do?"

Weir reclined calmly in her chair, hands folded on her stomach. "And I'm the one in charge of everyone on this expedition. And if overlooking an idle threat of a queen that was abandoned by her people ten thousand years ago helps me protect my people by bringing back home an Atlantian war ship? The I'd do it."

"Elizabeth, you saw her. She shut down completely after she got one look at the ship on the screen. There must be some reason why."

"And there is." Rodney said, coming into the office with his tablet in hand.

"You just going to stand there all day?" John asked Rodney didn't move.

"Yes, right." He came closer and put himself between weir and Sheppard on the desk . "Remember when we had that Wraith and Illyria went into the cell with it?"

"One of the sacristy days of my life…" John muttered.

"Yes, well…from what Teyla and Ford said happened was-"

_ ""Illyria opened the doors, but did not enter, standing to the side so the Wraith could not see her. She beckoned Ford and Teyla out. _

_ "How's the Major?" Ford asked._

_ "Pins and needles as he calls them. He hates being stung by those things. Has he said anything yet, the Wraith?"_

_ "Not yet." Teyla said._

_ "Let me have a try."_

_ "Ma'am, I don't think-" Ford was silenced with a stare. He just nodded and moved out of her way._

_ "Ford, tell your men to have their guns ready. Teyla, you do the same. Once he sees me, he will act…violently."_

_ "Why?" Teyla asked._

_ "Please, do so now. I do not have much time before John wakes up and sees I'm not there." Teyla and Ford nodded, telling their men in hushed tones to have the guns ready. When that was done, Ford nodded to Illyria, telling her it was clear to come through. Once she did, the Wraith recognized her as she said he would. He hissed and flung himself at her, but the shielding in the cell prevented him from coming through. He tried hard though, skin peeling off his fingers to show bone, blood oozing down his clothing and onto the floor to pool._

_ "Enough!" Illyria commanded and the Wraith relcuctanly obeyed, pulling his hands away, but with hatred in his eyes. "You will answer all of my questions. Is that clear?"_

_ "Yes…Queen Illyria." The Wraith bowed his head slightly, keeping eye contact._

_ "What have you been doing here the past few weeks?" _

_ "Watching," He answered._

_ "Who have you been watching?" He did not answer. "Tell me!" She yelled. As she did so, he flinched. Teyla and Ford exchanged looks; Teyla had never seen a Wraith act as such. It seemed as if the Wraith…was afraid of her._

_ "You. I've orders to watch…you." He said, breaking eye contact with her._

_ "Why?" Illyria said softy, approaching closer._

_ "I-I cannot say…." The Wraith looked around at the men surrounding his cage, his body language screamed that he wanted to die than-_

_ "And why not?"_

_ The Wraith looked at her, a fearful understanding between them. "You do not want your secrets shared…my queen." _

_ Teyla looked up at Illyria. Only Teyla's people called her that anymore, and during Illyria's time only her subjects. _

_ Why was the Wraith?_

_ Illyria nodded, keeping her eyes on the Wraith, but speaking to Ford. "Open the doors."_

_ "Ma'am?" Ford asked._

_ "Open the doors, Lieutenant." Illyria sternly said. _

_ "But-"_

_ "He will not harm me." Illyria said, turning to Ford. "Now open. The doors."_

_ Reluctantly, Ford did so. The doors opened ….and the Wraith backed away from them. Another curious thing. Illyria stepped in and stood in the middle of the cage, her side was facing Ford and Teyla. The Wraith took a step toward her and Ford pulled out his gun. _

_ "Lieutenant, there is no need for that." Illyria said, looking at him. She nodded towards the Wraith who was glancing between Illyria and Ford's gun. He stepped closer, only a few centimeters apart, and placed his hands on either side of her head, touching her temples with his index fingers. He breathed in and out, in and out. Then the connection came. The others could tell because the Wraith and Illyria both gasped, their heads going back. _

_ "Get her out of there!" Teyla yelled and Ford rushed into the cage. _

_ "Stop….Ford, don't," Illyria whispered, her eyes fluttering behind her lids._

_ Ford looked back at Teyla and she nodded her head for him to leave. The minutes ticked by. On the overhead, Weir gave and announcement,_

_ "May I have your attention, please? This is Doctor Weir; our plan to stop the Wraith armada has failed. They will make it to Atlantis. There for we must begin out evacuation plans. I wish I could tell you all this is a fight we will win, but I can't do that. I wish I can tell you that we will find a safe harbor when we leave here. I can't promise you that either. I can tell you this, up to now, you all have accomplished extraordinary things. And I believe, in the face of an uncertain future, as long as we stay together we still have a chance to continue to do so. Now we all have our evacuation duties, so thank you and I'll see you on the other side." _

_ Teyla and Ford's attention was brought back to the cell when Illyria and the Wraith both gasped and fell to the ground. _

_ "Illyria?" Teyla shouted, running to her. She kneeled next to her and checked her pulse. It was weak, but still there. The men came into the cell and surrounded the Wraith. He tried to lift his head, but he couldn't manage. He looked at Teyla and whispered, before dying, _

_ "Save our Queen….."_

"Wait, what…..are you sure he said 'our Queen'?" John asked. He could see the seed of mistrust planting itself in Weir's eyes.

"Yes, all the witness coberate what the Wriath said, 'our Queen'." Rondey scrolled through the ropert on his tablet.

"What did the Wraith mean by '_You do not want your secrets shared'_?" Weir asked.

Rodney bought up another report, this time of Dr. Heightmeir and Carson. "It says here that Illyria told Carson what the Wraith made her see when they had a connection. She was pretty out of it when she told him, so he consulted Dr. Heightmeir."

"What's the report say?"

* _He was over her at once, his foot stepping down hard on her leg. She heard the sickening snap before she felt it. But then she _did_ feel it, and she couldn't hold back her scream of agony. She twisted up and reached for her leg. He was standing over her, smiling at the joy of knowing he was the cause of her pain. _

_ "Would you like to rethink your tone with me, _my queen_?" he asked pleasantly. He nudged her shattered leg and she heard a sickening scream. She was later told that scream was her own. "Your husband cannot save you, dear queen. For I have killed him, the taste of him still lingers in my mind." _

_ "No!" She croaked. "No, Breen…You will pay for this Wraith-" Something smashed into her face, causing her to fly back into the broken glass._

_ Over the pain in her leg, she felt the sharp rip across her back and head where the glass cut into it. And then warm blood began to spread through her hair and clothing at an alarming speed. She could hear the drip-drip-drip of it hitting the floor._

_Through the nausea and dizziness she saw something that gave her sudden hope. His eyes, the Wraith's eyes, now burned with an uncontrollable need. The blood pooling around her was driving him mad with guilt. Not matter his original intentions; he couldn't draw it out much longer. Like she heard it from under water, she heard the final growl of the hunter. Through the fog, she could see his dark shape come towards her. With her last effort she whispered, "I do not blame you." _

_She closed her eyes and drifted.*_

"So she was attacked by the Wraith that killed her husband? But yet, she forgave him…." Weir said slowly as if that would make the answers present themselves.

"I thought Breen died in the war on a ship?" John asked.

"That's it!" Rodney said snapping his fingers and going scrolled through his tablet, bringing up the database. "I was able the hack the database-"

"You _hacked_ the database?"

"The way you say it makes it sound bad- anyway, I searched his name, 'Breen'. It said that Breen was surgically transformed _into_ a Wraith with the help of a _Wraith_ delegation."

The room was silent, the air filled with shock.

"He husband…the father of her unborn child….is a Wraith?" John yelled.

"Wait, wait, wait, let me explain before you go all Rambo." Rodney waved him down. "I dug up an report for one of the Ancient surgeons saying that not too long after Breen was released under medical and Wraith supervision, he attacked Illyria."

"So…the Wraith she was talking about to Carson was Breen, her husband. And that when the Wraith said he killed Breen…?"

"Ah, but something went wrong with the surgery." McKay pointed out. "A wraith doctor rewired his brain a little too well. He attacked Illyria as a 'coming of Wraith' thing."

"Okay, so the Wraith we had in our jail cell only showed her the royally painful mistake his slimly kind did. But, did Breen die on a warship?" John asked, rubbing his brow.

"The database was whipped clean, and I mean squeaky clean on that part."

"So you have nothing as to why Illyria doesn't want us on that ship." Weir sighed. "Rodney-"

"I never said I didn't have anything. I just gave you background."

"What do you have Rodney!" John yelled.

"Jeez," Rodney murmured. "One of the last missions recorded for the Aurora was to deliver vital intelligence about a critical weakness in the Wraith's defenses. In the database, it said that the ship was attacked and the information was never recovered."

"What does Breen have to do with this?"

"He thought it would be and simple space jump here and a space leap there, so he went with them. Atlantis didn't know that the Aurora's passion was compromised until they heard word of its destruction."

"But it wasn't destroyed, so why would Illyria not want us to go if it meant retrieving her husband's body?" Weir was flat out puzzled.

"Maybe I just can't face the fact that he's gone." Illyria said, walking into the office slowly. "Doctor, call upon your ship. It's time for closure."

҉

Weir and Caldwell entered the Bridge some time later to find John, Rodney, Illyria and Ronon waiting for them. Elizabeth smiled proudly at them. Caldwell just looked peeved that his people wouldn't be the ones handling the mission. Later, the Daedalus came out of hyperspace. Rodney checked a screen that showed the location of the Aurora. "We should have visual soon." He turned to walk to the front windscreen where the other members of his team already stood.  
>"Sir. Detecting a second ship." Weapons Officer announced.<br>Rodney walked back to the screens. A member of the Daedalus crew was in his way. "Move," He checked the screen. "Huh - looks like a small Wraith vessel."  
>"Dart?" John asked.<br>"No, bigger. Some sort of a scout ship? Probably after the same thing we are."  
>"It's altering course - coming straight at us." The pilot said.<br>"Must have seen us drop out of hyperspace." John shuffled his feet.  
>"Weapons range?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Five seconds." The Weapons Officer said and five seconds later, "Target is locked."  
>"Fire." Caldwell gave his order and two missiles headed away from Daedalus. Everyone waited anxiously while the Weapons Officer watched his screen. Finally it confirmed the kill.<br>"Target is destroyed."  
>"All these years and just now the Wraith find this ship?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Well, all these years the Aurora lay dormant. The signal from Atlantis woke it up, making it visible to the Wraith as well as us." McKay told him sounding, as always, like he knew everything.  
>Illyria turned to look out of the window and saw something. "That's it," she said softly.<br>Everyone looked. The Aurora was a huge ship but was very beaten up.  
>"Looks like it was in a hell of a fight." John said.<br>"And lost." Ronon finished.  
>"Life support?" Caldwell asked his Weapons Officer.<br>"Negative, sir." Illyria closed her eyes and ducked her head.  
>"Looks like you're gonna have to suit up, Colonel."<br>"On our way." He said to the other Colonel and his team headed out.  
>҉<br>ON the Aurora, the team, wearing spacesuits, was beamed onto the ship. It was very dark and they shined their torches around.  
>"Should be just outside the Bridge." Illyria said and walked to a closed door. Dex pried it open and they walked inside. The opposite wall, which was presumably the front of the ship, had gone and the Bridge is exposed to vacuum.<br>"You mean what used to be the Bridge." Ronon corrected.  
>They looked around.<br>"John, stasis pods." Illyria whispered.  
>The team went over to join her. Just off the Bridge she had found what looked very like a large number of stasis pods, each with someone inside.<br>"They're still powered up." McKay said and Illyria breathed out a sigh of relief.  
>"Stasis?" Ronon asked, his brows scrunching.<br>"We a similar pod in Atlantis. It kept me alive for many years in a type of frozen hibernation."  
>"If you call that living."<br>"This one's uniform is different from the others. Maybe the Captain?" McKay was looking into one of the pods.  
>"Or his maître d'." John noticed that Illyria's back was turned away from them.<br>"Life sign indicators are active. These capsules must have some kind of a shielding - that's why the Daedalus' sensors were unable to pick them up." McKay said.  
>"Look at all of them!" Illyria whispered. The others looked up. The ranks of pods stretched up the wall as far as they could see from the light of their torches. "That's just on this deck. There's many more on the rest of the ship.<p>

John turned to Rodney. "Look, our time in these suits is limited. Can you get life support up and running?"  
>"I'm on it." As Rodney headed off, John turned to the nearest pod, the one of the man they've designated as the Captain, and wiped the frost off it. The man inside looked very old indeed.<p>

"Illyria…I know this must be hard, but I need you to look in there-"

"and see if it's Breen." She nodded and whipped the tears off her cheeks, turning and walked over to peer into the pod. "I-I can't tell…."  
>҉<br>Later, life support had been restored and the team was out of their spacesuits. However, only minimal power had been restored and the ship was still very dark. John reported back to Colonel Caldwell over the radio.  
>"They're all alive? The entire crew?"<br>"Well, they're in a kind of suspended animation." John edited.  
>McKay, who had hooked up some equipment to a stasis pod, said. "Not entirely suspended, however. The pod has slowed their aging considerably but the bodies are virtually moribund."<br>"Illyria and Ronon are searching the rest of the ship. Illyria says there's a possibility of hundreds more." John said.  
>"Is there anything we can do for them?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Well, reviving them's out of the question. Look, the pods are the only thing keeping them alive." McKay said.  
>"What are we gonna do with them, then?" John said to himself.<br>Rodney hooked up another doohickey to the pod and looked at his screen. "Wait."  
>"What?"<br>"There's something going on. This pod is magnetically shielded! I'm reading cortical signals!"  
>"Which means ...?"<br>"The pod's equipped with a neural interface. It's indicating definite brain activity, as though they were perfectly conscious. If all of these pods are interconnected, it's highly possible these people are, in fact, communicating with each other."  
>"This has been going on for ten thousand years?" Caldwell said.<br>"Possibly. It was a way of keeping their minds occupied until they were rescued."  
>"That is one long conversation." John said.<br>"Yeah, well, more likely the interface was reactivated when the recall beacon from Atlantis was received. Either way, the neural feedback loop is incredibly active."  
>"Any way to figure out what they're saying?" He asked.<br>"Yes, of course - it says right here: "Why is the smart one having to stop and answer so many questions?"!"  
>"It's a fair question, Doctor." Caldwell said.<br>McKay irritably said. "Of course it is! Being able to communicate with a living Ancient is the opportunity of a lifetime, but this system is a highly complex system which I will have ..." He trailed off. "Wait a minute."  
>"What?"<br>"Answering your question." He activated his radio. "Illyria. Found any more of the pods?"  
>"Many, as I had said, and there are many more decks."<br>"Are any of the pods empty?"  
>"A few."<br>"Perfect."  
>҉<br>Later, John and Rodney joined Illyria and Ronon in another large dark room where a couple of the pods were empty. Rodney hooked up his magic laptop to one of the pods.  
>"You sure this is such a good idea?"<br>"What's the matter, Colonel? Don't trust me?" McKay smiled.  
>"No."<br>"Fine!"  
>"You're proposing actually freezing yourself in one of those things?" Caldwell asked over the radio.<br>"I should be able to tap into the neural network without actually initializing stasis. Look, it won't take long. I'll be in and out." Caldwell looked doubtful. On the Aurora, John looked equally doubtful. Rodney tried to explain it to him. "Look, the quickest way to figure out what is going on in there is to tap into the system and communicate directly with the Captain. Need I remind you of the obvious value in this?"  
>"But is it safe?" Illyria asked. "After all this time?"<br>"Would I be volunteering to go if it wasn't?"  
>"No." Ronon said.<br>"Which is exactly what makes it safe enough for me to go." John said.  
>"What?"<br>"Better to have you on the outside in case something goes wrong." He told McKay.  
>"It won't!"<br>"But if it does ..."  
>"It won't! How many times do I have to say this?"<br>"Rodney. Between the two of you, if something were to go wrong, which would be the greater loss?" Illyria said.  
>"Well, I've never thought of it that way but ... " he looked at John. "She's right. You should go."<br>John looked at Illyria, who looked back at him, keeping her face completely straight. Ronon turned away, possibly to hide a smile.  
>Shortly afterwards, John now laid in an open and empty pod.<br>"Now remember, the system creates a direct feedback loop between the processor and your brainwaves, so when you wanna disconnect, you'll need to, um, well, really concentrate." McKay explained.  
>"You mean think it." John said.<br>"I think it'll probably take a little more than that, otherwise you'd be popping in and out of the thing every time it crossed your mind."  
>"So ... there's no place like home?"<br>In a weary voice, McKay said, "If that works for you. Now, I should be able to monitor your E.E.G. patterns, so in the highly unlikely event that something anomalous should present itself, I should be able to, uh, disconnect you manually."  
>"Good."<p>

"... without permanent brain damage."  
>John looked at him suspiciously. "Rodney?"<br>"Well, the opportunity to speak to a living Ancient that's not your girlfriend is worth the risk, hmm? Now, when I close the lid, the pod system should activate. Ready?"  
>"I was!"<br>"Good!"  
>"Wait!" Illyria said and kneeled by John's pod. "I should be the one going in."<p>

"Illyria, you said so yourself, you don't know if it's Breen. And if it was, I want to do recon before I send anyone else in."

Illyria nodded and backed off. McKay typed on his laptop and the pod retracted into the wall and the lid closed over John but not before Illyria said, "Don't tell them about me."

•John's POV•

John opened his eyes and found himself standing in a brightly lit room. It was the same room he was in before but it looked very different filled with light. He was wearing an off-white jacket and trousers.  
>"This is weird!" He looked down at himself, then walked around the room. There were what looked to be computer panels around the wall, and a ladder was set into one wall to enable people to climb from one deck to another. Still looking around, he patted his uniform to see if there's anything in the pockets. Just then the doors slid open and a crewman walked in.<br>"Who are you?" The crewman asked.  
>"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. I'm part of an expedition ..."<br>The crewman raised a small device, presumably a weapon. "This deck is restricted. How did you get in here?"  
>"My team discovered your ship. Your crew was in a stasis pod. We decided to tap in ..."<br>"Stay where you are." He activated a communications device on his collar. "Security to Engineering deck."  
>"You don't need to call security." He started to walk toward the crewman but stopped when the man raised his weapon again.<br>"Stay where you are."  
>John sighed and kept his hands in plain sight.<p>

Shortly afterwards, two members of security have arrived and they and the crewman were escorting John to the Bridge; the doors opened and they walk on. Undamaged, it is full of people, all wearing similar off-white suits to John. A woman was reporting to the Captain. She looked to be in her early thirties, long blonde curly hair and was very attractive. The Captain was male, perhaps thirty-four years old, short and choppy black hair, bright blue eyes and stubble on his face. John could see, from a manly perspective, why Illyria had been attracted to him. If this was Breen after all. And he did indeed have a slightly different uniform to the others.  
>"The hyperdrive construct modifications are commencing, sir." The woman said.<br>"Make certain the equations are entered in the correct sequence. We don' want to overload the control conduit." The Captain had an 'English' accent to him, if you could call it that in another galaxy.  
>"Yes, sir."<br>The Captain turned around in his chair and saw John standing behind him, smiling at him. "Is this him?"  
>"Yes, sir." The crewman answered.<br>"You wear the uniform of my crew but I don' know you." The Captain (Breen) said to John.  
>"My name's Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. We discovered your ship. We found you and your crew in the stasis pods; we decided to tap into the system in order to communicate with you." He smiled, confident that that would explain everything. The Captain and the woman, however, looked at each other, bewildered.<br>"'The system'?" The Captain asked John.  
>"This - this, uh, virtual reality." The Captain still looked confused. "You do know this is kind of simulated?" The Captain and the woman again exchanged glances. John looked round at the guards behind him. They too clearly weren't buying it. He turned back to the Captain. "Is there some place more private we can talk?"<p>

Shortly afterwards, John watched as a barred door lowered over the cell that he had just been placed in.  
>"It's not exactly what I meant by private."<br>The Captain and the woman were on the other side of the bars.  
>"I wanna know who you are and how you got aboard this ship." The Captain asked.<br>"I told you: my name's Colonel John Sheppard - part of an expedition ..."  
>"What expedition?"<br>"Let me bottom line this for you. We came from Atlantis - except it's not quite the Atlantis you remember. Ten thousand years have gone by since you left. Look, I know all this sounds strange, but I'm telling you the truth. Right now you're all in your stasis pods aboard Aurora. The ship's been derelict for centuries. None of this is real. I expected you to know that."  
>"You don't have time to bother with this nonsense. The hyperdrive modifications are much more pressing, sir." The woman said to the Captain.<br>"What kind of hyperdrive modifications?" John asked.  
>"We're attempting to modify our propulsion in order to return to Atlantis as quickly as possible. Then we'll see if you're speaking the truth." The Captain said.<br>"Look, the Atlantis you know doesn't exist anymore. During the war with the Wraith, the city was evacuated back to Earth. The only one left was….a woman. She stayed behind with the city."  
>"Evacuated? My wife would never allow that. Who was left?" The captain asked.<br>"Sir, the war was lost."  
>"Nothing is lost. Not yet. I have vital information concerning a weakness in Wraith technology and when I deliver the communiqué in my possession, the tide will most certainly turn in our favor."<br>"That's right! The Atlantis mission log said you were on a recon mission. What-what kind of weakness are we talking about?"  
>"That information is reserved for the Council."<br>"There is no Council anymore!"  
>"Sir, we must return to the Bridge." The woman prompted. She and the Captain turned to leave.<br>"Wait!" John called out. "According to the logs, the Aurora left Lantian space during the siege. That means the city had already been sunk to the bottom of the ocean." The Captain and the woman turned to look at him. "You're wondering how could I know that!"  
>"Yes!" The captain shouted.<br>"Because that's where it was when we found it!"  
>"We're wasting time, sir. You need to attend to the hyperdrive." The woman and the Captain turned to leave, again.<br>"Wait! The information in that communiqué could still be incredibly valuable to us!"  
>The woman and the Captain kept going, and the door to the Brig closed, leaving John alone. He made an exasperated sound, then looked around to make sure that there were no cameras in the room. He braced himself, then closed his eyes and concentrated. After a couple of seconds, he cracked one eye open and peered around but he was still in the cell. He opened his eyes, looked around in an annoyed way, then closed his eyes again.<br>҉  
>Back in the derelict Aurora, the lid to the stasis pod opened and slid out of the wall. Rodney, who was sitting nearby, stood up and walked over to John as he opened his eyes.<br>"So?"

"It worked!" John said, looking around.  
>"Well, of course it worked!"<p>

John sat up and swung his legs over the side of the pod. "For a minute I thought I was gonna get stuck there." He looked around. "Where's Illyria and Ronon?"  
>"Well, Caldwell sent them to search the ship's armory."<br>His eyes lit up "Yeah?"

"No. Unfortunately it was depleted of drones. So, what happened? Were you able to communicate with the Captain? Is it Illyria's husband?"  
>"Face to face - I don't know if he is-was. He wouldn't say much about 'his wife'." He smiled at McKay. "It's pretty impressive in there, and they have the whole virtual reality thing going on."<br>"Actually, the correct term is 'virtual environment'."  
>"Yeah, whatever."<br>"So what did you find out?"  
>John picks up his radio headset and loops it around his ear. "For starters, I have to go back."<p>

DAEDALUS.  
>"What do you mean you have to go back?" Caldwell asked.<br>John said, over radio, _"The Aurora was on a recon mission. The Captain was carrying a communiqué back to Atlantis. In it is vital information about a weakness in Wraith technology."_  
>"What kind of weakness?"<br>_"Well, that's why I have to go back - he didn't tell me. He's trying to modify the hyperdrives in order to get back to Atlantis faster to deliver it."_

_"Well, did you mention that that's impossible given that they're living in a virtual environment?" _McKay asked._  
><em>Straight faced, John said._ "No, Rodney, that slipped my mind."  
>"Well, I would have thought that would have been the first thing ..."<br>"Of course I mentioned it! They don't remember putting themselves in stasis. Consequently they had no idea who I was or how I got there."  
>"Well, why would the pods do that?" <em>McKay looked down at his screen._  
>"It's a good question, and another reason I should go back. What do you think, Colonel?"<br>_ Caldwell thought about it for a moment, and then reached a decision. "Go."  
>҉<br>VIRTUAL AURORA.

John opened his eyes and was back in the Brig. He walked nearer to the door and called out.  
>"Hullo! Anybody there?" The main door opened and a guard walked in. "Hi. I really need to talk to the Captain."<br>"Why?"  
>"Tell him I'm ready to make a full confession."<br>The guard left the room and the door closed behind him.  
>҉<br>DAEDALUS.

Caldwell looked at a screen on the wall of the Bridge.  
>"Doctor McKay?"<br>Over radio, McKay said, _"Go ahead."_  
>"Long range sensors have just detected two Wraith cruisers heading this way, no doubt coming to investigate why their scout ship was destroyed earlier."<br>_"What's their E.T.A.?"_  
>"Little over an hour, and I plan on being long gone by then. What's the status there?"<p>

Rodney was engrossed in a screen that he was sitting and reading. _"I've been able to decipher some more of the program. I'm actually reading neural tracking signatures of the entire crew as they make their way through the ..."_  
>"I meant Colonel Sheppard's status?"<br>Rodney looked startled, having clearly forgotten all about John while he was playing with other things. He checks his laptop. _"Oh, him. Yeah, well, he's, uh, he's still in the pod."_  
>"Understood. Just be aware of the time constraints with the Wraith ships approaching. We can't risk being discovered. Especially Illyria."<br>_"Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes, ticking clock. Anything else?"_

"If he's not out of there in thirty minutes, disconnect him manually."  
>"<em>Right."<em>  
>҉<br>VIRTUAL AURORA.

The door to the Brig opens and Trebal, the woman, comes in. The guard stands in the doorway behind her.  
>"Where's the Captain?" John asked, looking around.<br>"He has more pressing concerns at the moment. He sent me in his stead. I was told you were ready to make a full confession?" Trebal stated.  
>"Yeah, well, no. Actually, um, I just wanted to talk to him to try to convince him that, uh, we're on the same side."<br>"Perhaps you would have more success if your story were not so preposterous."  
>"It's not preposterous."<br>"You say you're from Atlantis."  
>"Yes."<br>"And yet you also say that Atlantis has been evacuated."  
>"Yes. Well, it was - ten thousand years ago. Look, we just discovered it last year."<br>"You 'discovered' it…"  
>"We came from Earth. We found the city deserted, we set up base, we've been living there ever since. That's how we found you. We saw the Aurora on one of the city's long range sensors. Even after all these years, the Wraith are still causing a lot of problems. We've managed to hold them off for now, but we could sure use that information about the weakness in their technology."<br>"Only the Captain has access to the communiqué."  
>"Then let me talk to him. I can deliver the message myself. The quicker it gets back to Atlantis, the better for all of us."<br>"You seem sincere."  
>"Yes, I am. Uh, very sincere." He smiled at her, turning on the full force of the Sheppard charm. If Illyria knew he was doing this, she would probably kick him out of his own quarters. "I would be very, very grateful." He put his hands onto the bars, and jolts back as the electrified bars zap him. "Ow!" He shakes one of his hands.<br>Trebal smiled. "I'll speak to him for you. "  
>She left the room and the door closed behind her. John shook his other hand.<br>"Ow!"  
>҉<br>DERELICT AURORA.

A door opened to reveal Illyria and Ronon on the other side. The room they were in had many stasis pods in it. Ronon, aiming his blaster cautiously, looked through the door into the next room and lowered his blaster.  
>"More of the same." Ronon said.<p>

Illyria was still looking at the pods in the first room as she walked forward. "Shh. I am counting. I do not want to lose my place."  
>"I counted three hundred and seventy-six. No, wait, three hundred and ninety-eight - forgot about the Infirmary. There's twenty-two in there - or is it twenty-three?" Illyria threw him a black look. "Sorry."<br>Illyria made her way into the next room and walked towards the stasis pods in there. She and Ronon stopped at the sight of a body, wearing an Aurora uniform, lying face down on the floor. The body was female and had long white curly hair. Illyria recognized it as Trebal, the Captain's First Officer.  
>"Where did she come from?" Illyria whispered, sorrowfully looking down at her.<br>Checking the area first, Ronon walked to the body and turned it over. The body had been harvested by a Wraith. Illyria looked at the stasis pods nearby.  
>"Oh no."<br>•

In the room where Rodney is keeping watch over John  
>Illyria, over the radio: <em>"Doctor McKay?"<em>  
>"Still here."<br>_"Something you need to see. We are two decks directly below you."_  
>"Can't it wait?"<br>_"No."_  
>Rodney heads off.<br>҉  
>VIRTUAL AURORA.<p>

In the Brig, John is sitting on the metal seat in the middle of his cell. He calls out,

"Guard!" The door to the Brig opens and the guard walks in. "I need to talk to the First Officer."  
>"She gave orders not to be disturbed."<br>"It's OK. She said she was gonna talk to the Captain for me. It's been a while."  
>"She also gave orders to ignore everything you say."<br>John stands up and walks closer to the bars. "Then why are you talking to me right now?" He smiled sarcastically at the guard, who smiled equally sarcastically back and turns to walk away. "I need to see the Captain!"  
>The guard turns back towards him. John closes his eyes and concentrates, then disappears.<p>

The guard looks understandably startled.

On the derelict Aurora, the lid of the capsule opens. John opens his eyes and looks around the room for a couple of seconds.

"Alright - that should be enough time."  
>The lid of the capsule closes again.<p>

On the virtual Aurora, the guard has activated his hand-held device which apparently doubles as both weapon and door-opener. The bars to the cell open and he walks inside. As he walks into the cell, John reappears and, before the guard can react, snatches his weapon out of his hand, aiming it at him.  
>"Gimme this thing." He takes the communication device off the guard's collar, and then backs out of the cell. The cell door closes. "I really don't like being ignored. Just ask my girlfriend."<p>

He heads off.  
>҉<br>DERELICT AURORA.

Ronon has picked up the body of Trebal and is carrying it out of the way as Rodney climbs down a ladder to join him and Illyria.

"What is it?" McKay asked.  
>"Have a look." Illyria gestured.<br>Glancing at Ronon as he lays Trebal's body down, Rodney follows Illyria as she leads him toward the stasis pods. On the wall near the pods, he finds some devices attached to the Aurora equipment.  
>"This is Wraith gear. And it's recently installed." McKay said.<br>"There's a reason for that." Ronon told him.  
>Rodney turned and looked at the nearest stasis pod.<p>

A male Wraith is inside.

DAEDALUS.

Caldwell comes out of an elevator, followed by Rodney, Illyria and Ronon.

"Are there any more?"  
>"Well it's hard to say since you plucked us out of there the second you heard." McKay snipped.<br>"Ronon and I have searched the ship. I am certain there is only one." Illyria said, doing the best not to show pain as the baby kicked her.  
>They enter the Bridge.<br>"The Wraith's tied into the same neural feedback loop as the crew and Colonel Sheppard. By the looks of it, they must have found Aurora a long time ago, certainly long enough to figure out how to access and reconfigure the system." McKay said.  
>"Given their apparent psychic abilities, is it possible the Wraith ships on the way are in communication with the Wraith aboard the Aurora?" Caldwell asked<br>"No. They need to be closer." Illyria told them.  
>"She's right." McKay nodded. "We've already determined that the range of the Wraith psychic ability is limited."<br>"So we can't risk those ships getting within that range."  
>"I say we go back and kill it right now." Ronon spoke up.<br>"I agree." Caldwell nodded.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. Stop! Let's not get all trigger happy. We have no idea how much of the system this Wraith has manipulated. We need to figure out what is going on before we start shooting things. For all we know, that could kill Sheppard." McKay said, nudging Illyria for some support.<br>"What's he still doing in there?" Asked Caldwell.  
>"He can come out any time he wants. There must be a good reason."<br>"Knowing Sheppard, he wouldn't leave without getting the information from the communiqué." Ronon said.  
>"I still don't like it."<br>"The Wraith cannot physically harm him in there, can it?" Illyria asked Rodney.  
>"No. ... I don't think so. ... I don't know, but what I do know is I should get back in there and learn what this Wraith is doing."<br>"You've got fifteen minutes to figure it out, Doctor." Caldwell said.  
>"Fifteen? Where do you people come up with these arbitrary numbers?"<br>"That's the time you've got to learn what you need to, Doctor."  
>"Why?"<br>"Because I intend to destroy the Aurora before those Wraith ships get here." Caldwell walked away.  
>"OK!" said McKay meekly.<br>҉  
>VIRTUAL AURORA.<p>

CAPTAIN'S OFFICE.

The Captain walks in holding a small flat box and puts it on the table. He picks up a metal photograph frame and smiled down at it before placing it back. He turns and sees John standing in the doorway.  
>"Hi. Me again." The Captain raises his hand towards the communication device on his collar. "Wait, wait, please. Just listen." He realizes that he's pointing his weapon at the Captain and lowers it.<p>

"I'm not here to hurt anyone. I wanna help you. Help all of us. I know all this sounds strange but just give me a chance to prove that what I'm saying ... "  
>There's a zapping sound and John convulses and falls to the floor. Behind him, Trebal lowers her weapon and walks into the room, followed by a couple of guards.<br>"Are you alright, sir?" Trebal asked.  
>"Yes, I'm fine."<br>"Take him back to the Brig." Trebal says to the guards as they pick John up and drag him out. "He escaped only moments ago. I'll see to it he doesn't disturb you again." She turns to leave.  
>"What if he is telling the truth?" Trebal turns to face him. "Do you not sense it too? That something is wrong?"<br>"You're exhausted, sir."  
>The Captian smiled. "True. I am in need of rest. Even more so than my crew."<br>"Rest is a luxury we cannot afford, sir. The Aurora is a fine ship, but she was never built for speed. Without the drive modifications, it'll take months to return to Atlantis. If we are to use this new intelligence to our advantage, we need to reach the city within days."  
>The Captain nods in agreement. "Then there'll be time for rest."<br>"Yes, sir."  
>The Captain leaves the room. Trebal smiles to herself, then turns and follows him.<br>҉  
>DERELICT AURORA.<p>

Rodney, Illyria and Ronon have returned. Rodney is staring in concern at the laptop monitoring John's condition inside the stasis pod.  
>"What is wrong?" Illyria asked.<br>"Delta waves?" McKay muttered.  
>"What are they?" Ronon asked, looking from Illyria to Rodney.<br>Caldwell's voice came over the radio. _"Doctor McKay? Are you ready to be beamed aboard?"_  
>"It hasn't even been five minutes!" McKay yelled.<br>"Doctor McKay has discovered a problem." Illyria spoke into the radio.  
><em>"What kind of a problem?"<em>  
>"Colonel Sheppard's E.E.G. frequencies are decreasing. I'm reading delta waves which indicate that he's unconscious within the virtual environment. I'm not sure how it happened but something's definitely wrong in there." McKay said.<br>_"Even more reason to pull him out."_  
>"That would be a mistake. Look, additional data I've been able to decipher from the Wraith's biometrics receiver shows significant manipulation of the feedback loop - something we were clearly not aware of when Sheppard went in."<br>_"We were also clearly not aware of the two Wraith cruisers approaching, Doctor."_  
>"Colonel, this Wraith is controlling the program, which means it might have booby-trapped it as well. We're talking about Sheppard's life here."<br>_"And I'm talking about the lives of not only every person aboard this ship but every person in Atlantis when the Wraith find out it wasn't destroyed. I'm well aware of what's at stake here, Doctor. Get him out of that pod, or my men will. Caldwell out." _He cuts comms.

Illyria looks around for a moment, then looks at McKay and Ronon.  
>"I'm goin' in." She heads for the nearest empty stasis pod. "Look, stall Caldwell, buy me some time, just a few minutes at the most."<br>"What if you are unable to disconnect?" McKay asked.  
>"Caldwell's gonna blow that ship whether you're in there or not. You can't go in." Ronon said.<br>She looked at McKay. "You see, the thing is, Colonel Sheppard and you have sort of gotten into this habit of saving each other's lives. Now it's my turn." she pushes a button and the lid of the pod opens. She turns and looks at McKay and Ronon. "It could be your turn next."

McKay shows a small device to Illyria, pointing to a button on it. "Look, I'll hit this to manually disconnect you." She nods her understanding. "If you do not regain consciousness, I'll go ahead and open Colonel Sheppard's pod. We'll be beamed directly to Daedalus with a medical team waiting. Are you sure you wanna do this?"  
>Plaintively, she says, "I'm sure I don't!" She lies down and breathes deeply several times. "OK. Alright."<br>"Are you alright?" Ronon asked.  
>"I'll be fine - I hope."<p>

"Now - the system should engage once I send you in." McKay said.  
>"Alright." She closes her eyes. McKay looks at her. She opens her eyes again. "So, send me in?"<br>"Oh! Yes! Good luck."  
>"Right." With her hands lying on her swelling stomach, she gives a double thumbs up as McKay activates the pod and it slides into the wall, the lid lowering over the pod at the same time.<br>҉  
>VIRTUAL AURORA.<p>

BRIG.

John, lying on the metal bench in his cell, wakes up as the door to the Brig opens and a familiar voice can be heard.  
>"You took him where? I told you - Colonel Sheppard is with me. Colonel John Sheppard?"<br>John, frowning in confusion, sits up on the bench as Illyria, wearing an off-white elegantly beautiful sundress, walks into the Brig, talking to two security guards.  
>"He's about five foot eleven, brown hair... oh, for ..." She turns and sees John in the cell.<br>"Illyria?"  
>She turned to the guards. "Open them."<p>

"But, Your Highness-"

"Open. Them. Now."  
>The guards deactivate and raise the door to the cell.<p>

"What are you doing in there?" She ran to John and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
>"I was about to ask you the same thing." He whispered into her hair, pulling her closer.<br>"I came to help." She pulled back and held his face between her hands.

"Have you been unable to disconnect yourself from the system?" Illyria asked as they walked down a corridor. She kept the two guards with her so they could not tell anyone that she, the Queen, was on board.  
>"No! I'm still trying to get the information on that communiqué." John said.<br>"Oh, good! We thought maybe it was preventing you from exiting the program."  
>"'It'?"<br>"We found a Wraith in one of the stasis pods. It's manipulating the…neural feedback program. Your E.E.G. patterns were irregular..."  
>"No kidding. I got stunned!"<p>

"I didn't wanna risk pulling you out 'til McKay knew more."  
>"First Officer."<br>"She's a Wraith."

John nodded. "She has to be. There's something very odd about her, and she keeps preventing me from talking to the Captain."  
>"The Wraith we found was male. It took Trebal's place." She looked up at John. "She was always sweet to the cute men."<br>"She knows I want that information and the Captain's the only one with access to it."  
>"Well, we don't need the Captain. I know how to overwrite the protocols. All I have to do is get to a terminal within the virtual environment and I should be able to access any files stored within the database. Should be the next hallway."<br>They walk into the next hallway, then duck for cover as they see Trebal and a man walking along.  
>"That's her!" John whispered.<br>"I know who Trebal is, John. I gave her the job."

Trebal and her colleague meet with another man and stop to talk. John peers around the corner at her, then turns to Illyria.  
>"That's the Wraith?" John whispered in disbelief.<br>"Yeah." Illyria whispered back. She looked over at John and smiled. "She's hot."  
>"Illyria, you're drooling over a Wraith!" John joked.<br>Illyria watches as Trebal and her colleagues walk away, then turns back to John. "I know - I disgust myself sometimes."  
>Seeing that the coast is now clear, they head off again. They reach where they need to be. After knocking out the two guards and stuffing them away, John checks out the area as Illyria starts working on a console.<br>҉  
>DAEDALUS.<p>

McKay and Ronon walk onto the Bridge.

"Where are Queen Illyria and Colonel Sheppard?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Why did you beam us back?" Ronon growled.<br>"Because I was about to fire a missile into the side of that ship."  
>McKay realizes he has no choice but to tell the truth. "They are in the pods."<br>"They're both in pods now? Can't that be harmful to her pregnancy?" Caldwell asked.  
>"I dunno, maybe. Look, Illyria went in to see if the Wraith was preventing Colonel Sheppard from disengaging from the system."<br>Caldwell spoke to his weapons officer. "I want a team assembled ready to beam aboard the Aurora to disconnect Illyria and Colonel Sheppard."  
>"Wait, just a few more minutes." McKay said.<br>Again, Caldwell spoke to his weapons officer. "E.T.A. on the Wraith ships?"  
>"Eleven minutes out, sir."<br>"They'll be out by then - and if she is successful, she'll know if it's safe to disconnect Colonel Sheppard."  
>"And if they're not out by then?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Then we'll disconnect them both." Ronon said. "It would be wise to have a medical team standing by for both of them. Especially for the Queen."  
>Caldwell looks as if he could cheerfully strangle the entire Atlantis team. With a look of resignation on his face, he turns to another member of the Bridge crew.<br>"Alert the Infirmary - I want a medical team standing by."  
>҉<br>VIRTUAL AURORA.

Illyria is staring at the readouts on the screen in front of her. She and John talk in hushed tones. "The communiqué's been erased." Illyria said.  
>"Why would the Wraith do that?" John asked.<br>Illyria sighs in exasperation. "Well, it says right here: 'I, the Wraith, delete this important information to keep you from seeing it'!"  
>"Obviously he did it to keep us from seeing it, but why didn't it end the damned program? What's the point of continuing?"<br>Illyria realized something. "Oh no!"  
>"What?"<br>She turns around to face John.  
>"You said they were trying to modify the hyperdrive."<br>John nodded. "So they can get back to Atlantis faster."  
>"There are two different types of Ancient hyperdrive: there's the more basic interstellar kind, like the one the Aurora has; and then there's the more powerful intergalactic kind, similar to the one the Asgard provided us for the Daedalus."<br>"Why would the Wraith wanna soup up the Aurora's hyperdrive?"  
>Because the Wraiths' hyperdrives are nowhere near as advanced as the Ancient hyperdrives! All this technology that Breen's feeding her right now ..."<p>

"... she'll learn how to modify the Wraiths' hyperdrives from interstellar to intergalactic."

"Which means they'll make it as far as Earth."

"That's what this whole thing is about! Their new feeding ground! And this is just step one."

"Even if she doesn't have all the information she needs, we need to stop her from sending what she's learned so far to the Wraith ships that are on the way."  
>John narrows his eyes at her. "There are Wraith ships on the way?"<br>Illyria gulps. "I'm-I'm sure I mentioned that."  
>"No, you didn't."<br>"Well, it ... it-it-it threw me off, being back here."  
>"How many ships?"<br>"It's two cruisers."  
>"Can you disconnect her?"<p>

"Him. Not from the inside, no. McKay should be able to disable the pod interface from the outside."  
>"Then why didn't he?"<br>"Because he didn't know what that would do to you. I wouldn't let him."  
>"Well, that's very thoughtful of you, but now she knows all about Atlantis."<br>"You told her?" She folds her arms. "Why?"  
>"Because I was trying to convince them that ... Just go and unplug the Wraith while I talk to the Captain."<br>"The communiqué is blank!"  
>"Yeah, but he might still have some intel about the Wraith weakness. Now, Illyria, is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"<br>Illyria thinks about it. "Only that Caldwell was probably gonna destroy the ship at any moment."  
>John stares at her for a moment. "Go!"<p>

"No!"

"Illyria-"

"They'll be more inclined to listen to me than you." She walked off.

•  
>They climb down a ladder outside the Bridge and hide around the corner, peering into the Bridge as their everyday activities continue.<br>On the bridge:  
>"Hyperdrive modification commands have been successfully entered. Auxiliary power is now online." Trebal says.<br>"Very good. Prepare to engage drive." The Captain says.  
>"Stop!"<br>Everyone turns around to see John coming into the Bridge with his weapon aimed. Trebal and other crew members draw their own weapons. Illyria waited in the hall for things to go south.  
>"Your First Officer's a Wraith. She's using you." John said to the Captain.<br>"Security to the Bridge." Trebal spoke into the comms.  
>"She gained access to the virtual environment by killing your First Officer and taking her place. She's getting you to modify your hyperdrive so she can upgrade the Wraith hyperdrive."<br>"Don't listen to him." Trebal said to the Captain.  
>"They need to modify their hyperdrives to make it to my planet, Earth, and I prefer she not do that." John said.<br>"This is nonsense." Trebal sounded aggravated.  
>"I'm telling you, she's a Wraith." John looked earnestly at the Captain.<br>"Officer Trebal has served with me for many years. I can't possibly believe that ..." The Captain said.  
>"Sir, with your permission, I'd like to…." Trebal stops and convulses. Her image fritzes and she grunts. It happens again, and again.<br>_On the derelict Aurora, Rodney is frantically working controls._  
>Trebal's image continues to fritz. It distorts and becomes a disturbing merger of herself and Wraith. As the Wraith snarls at John, the crew stares at the sight of Trebal with huge teeth. Then sheit disappears altogether. The Captain gets out of his chair and walks towards John, still staring at the space where Trebal had been standing.  
>"I hope that was proof enough."<br>҉  
>Derelict Aurora<p>

Rodney looks triumphant.  
>"Ha!" He yelled.<br>Next to him, the Wraith's stasis pod opens. Rodney stares in horror.  
>"Oh no!"<br>The Wraith just lies there, not moving, its eyes still closed. Rodney gets his pistol out and, aiming it at the Wraith, steps nervously closer to it. When he is almost close enough to touch it, the Wraith's eyes snap open. It snarls and reaches for Rodney's gun. Rodney jerks back, whimpering, and fires his pistol over and over again as he backs away. He keeps firing until he reaches the door, then races down the corridor to the room where John still lies inside his pod. Rodney reloads his pistol, then stares down at the pod.  
>"C'mon, c'mon!"<p>

He looks nervously around to see if there's any sign of the Wraith.  
>҉<br>VIRTUAL AURORA.  
>"All this time I thought we had evaded the enemy. Instead, I've been unwittingly assisting them." Breen rubbed his face.<br>"No, sir. She didn't succeed - and if you tell me the information in the communiqué, we may be able to defeat the Wraith once and for all." John comforted him.  
>"The information is in the ship's computer. I can give you my access codes."<br>"We checked. It's all been erased. Can't you tell me yourself?"  
>"I'm afraid I was never made aware of its contents, Colonel Sheppard. The Council, my wife especially, feared the possibility of our capture was too great. The information in that communiqué is gone." He sighs. "Ten thousand years. Even in stasis, our physical bodies must be ..."<p>

"... very old. Too old."  
>The Captain looks around the Bridge at his people working busily. "My crew deserves to know."<br>"Yes, they do, and I'd love to give you all the time in the world for that, but right now there are two Wraith ships on their way."  
>Breen was still gazing around the Bridge. "We longed for nothing more than returning to Atlantis, to raise a toast to home and victory." He looks at John. "We may not return home, but we'll do whatever we can to ensure that victory. For that, I will need your help." John was about to leave when Breen called him back. "Before, you said 'we'. Who else is here?"<p>

John looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight on his feet. "Uh, you'll want to see for yourself."

"Colonel, I don't…" Breen was silenced as Illyria came around the corner and into the Bridge. "Illyria…"

"Hello, Breen." Illyria whispered.

In John's eyes, it was like one of those slow motion scenes in a tear jerking chick flick. Breen and Illyria came at each other at a mix of run/fast walk. Illyria threw herself at Breen who caught her and spun her around, stroking and kissing her hair.

John turned his back.

"Lyria, h-how are you here, l-like this? The Colonel said everyone's dead…"

"I stayed behind. In stasis." She smiled at stroked his face. "I couldn't leave the city behind, not after what has happened there."

Breen smiled and kissed her, passionately and slowly. His hands slid down from her neck, over her shoulders, past her breasts, and –

"What's this?" Breen mumbled, breaking the kiss as his hands found her stomach. "Lyria…"

"I'm with child, Breen." She held his hand on her stomach. "Your _son_."

In the silence, John turned and watched Breen's reaction turn from shock to happiness and from happiness to horror.

"Breen….are you not happy-"

Breen cut off Illyria with a gentle sweet kiss. "Of course I'm happy. Though, it pains me that I will never know him."

"I'm sorry, Breen….I-I'm so sorry." Illyria began weeping.

"Hush, love, hush." He smoothed her hair out of her face. "It's I who should be sorry. Never once think this your fault."

"How can I not?"

"Tell him about me, about how his father loved him and is _always_ watching him. Tell him this."

Illyria nodded mutely, tears flowing like a river down her cheeks, and backed away still holding onto Breen's hand. Breen turned to John and the soldier saw the man too had tears flowing down his cheeks. "Colonel Sheppard, a word, please?"

John nodded and walked with Breen to the glass out looking empty space. It was silent before Breen broke the silence.

"I see the way you look at her, Illyria."

"Look, I-"

"You've bedded her."

"Wait a min-"

"I do not blame you, Colonel Sheppard."

"Y-You don't?"

"No. I've have been gone- dead- for over 10,000 years. She may be carrying my child, but I will not be his father." Breen turned to John. "You, John Sheppard, are his father now. Treat him like your own, never any different. Do not tell him who I am until he is of age and would like to know. When that time comes, give him this," Breen unclasped a chain around his neck and put it into John's hand. It was a pointed ice blue crystal with silver wrapped around loosely, but just tight enough to keep the chain connected to the crystal. "The Son of Kings…..Swear to me, Colonel. Swear to me that you will do as I have told you."

"I swear…" John muttered, fingering the necklace before placing it securely around his neck. "For safe keeping," he explained when Breen's eye brow rose.

"One more thing…" Breen leaned in and whispered into John's ear.

҉  
>DERELICT AURORA.<p>

Illyria and John's stasis pod slides out of the wall as the lid raises.

"Well, it's about damned time! What did you do, play a round of golf? We've got serious problems!"  
>"What happened?" He turns to look at Rodney. "GET DOWN!"<br>Rodney drops to the floor, the Wraith charging into the room behind him. John fires several shots at it and it falls to the floor. John jumps up out of the pod and joins Rodney as he gets up off the floor. They both point their pistols at the downed Wraith lying on the ground and groaning.  
>"That happened!" McKay looks at the Wraith. "Not so hot now!"<br>"Our ships are coming. They will retrieve what I have learned. Earth will soon be ours." The Wraith spit out.  
>"Not if I can help it." John said as he fires three more shots into the Wraith, killing it.<br>Over the radio, Caldwell said, _"Colonel Sheppard, we're reading three life signs. I hope that means what I think it means."_  
>"Give me one more minute." John said.<br>_"We're out of time, Sheppard. The Wraith ships are almost here."_  
>"One damned minute and I can take care of that problem." John shouted.<p>

Just then, the Wraith cruisers appear out of hyperspace.  
>"Wraith cruisers just dropped out of hyperspace, sir. They're aware of us." The weapons officer said.<br>"Battle stations! Looks like we're gonna have to fight these guys." Caldwell announced as he took his seat. "Bring main rail guns online."  
><em>"Daedalus, this is Sheppard. We're ready."<em>  
>Caldwell spoke to his pilot. "Beam them directly onto the Bridge."<br>She nods, and a moment later John, Illyria and Rodney appear on the Bridge.  
>"Targets are in range." The weapons officer said.<br>"Sir, we need to get outta here." John told Caldwell.  
>"No, we need to eliminate those cruisers. The information ..."<br>"No-no-no, we need to get far away." McKay cut across Caldwell.  
>"What?"<br>"Breen gave me the Aurora's self-destruct code. He assures me that it'll take care of the Wraith ships too, but we need to get clear." John urged.  
>"Bring sub light engines to military thrust." Caldwell said to his pilot<br>"Military thrust." Called the pilot.  
>The engines fire up and Daedalus moves away.<br>҉  
>VIRTUAL AURORA.<p>

The Breen is addressing his crew.  
>"I've never been more proud than I am at this moment. It has been an honor serving with you. And although we may not return to Atlantis, rest assured that the Aurora will be remembered."<br>In real space, the Aurora explodes, a huge fireball enveloping the Wraith ships. From a safe distance, those on Daedalus' Bridge watch the explosion. Rodney and John look particularly sad and touched by the crew's sacrifice. Illyria walked up to the window, placed her hand on the glass, the other on her stomach.

A single, cold tear rolled down her cheek.  
>҉<br>ATLANTIS.

NIGHT TIME.

ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.

Elizabeth is sitting at her desk. John and his team are sitting on the sofas opposite her. Caldwell stands nearby.  
>"We monitored all transmissions from the Wraith cruisers prior to the explosion. They never got a chance to board the Aurora or upload any of the Ancient information." McKay said.<br>"Both cruisers were destroyed in the explosion." Caldwell said.  
>"It's too bad we weren't able to figure out the Wraith weakness." Ronan said.<br>"At least we found out they had one." John said.  
>"Good work. Thank you, everyone." Weir said.<br>"Uh, before we break up the party, there's something I'd like to do." John reaches down and picks up a bottle of champagne from the floor beside him. Elizabeth, to whom he must have explained his plan beforehand, picks up a tray of wine glasses and brings them over to him as he stands. "Might seem a little strange, but I promised to do something when we got home."  
>Everyone stands and takes a glass as John opens the bottle. Elizabeth puts the tray down and picks up the last two glasses. They hold the glasses out and John pours some champagne into each. John takes a glass from Elizabeth and raises it.<br>"To the crew of the Aurora." John toasts.  
>They clink their glasses together, then drink. Rodney drinks his down in one. Ronon takes a small taste at first, then throws the rest of the champagne down in one.<p>

Illyria stands on the balcony, waiting for the world to change.

**AN:/ Srry, Srry, Srry! I know it's long, but thank you for reading Let me know what you think.**


	16. Chapter 16 pt 1 Illyria's POV

**ATLANTIS. **

**GATE ROOM. **

Elizabeth has gone to Earth last night, leaving Illyria respectively in charge until she returns in a few weeks. Illyria was in the gate room, meeting with Major Lorne, who has just returned through the Stargate with his team.  
>"You're back early." Illyria smiled, comfortably clad in grey French Terry sweatpants, a royal blue long layering tank and green fleece zip hoodie.<br>"Uh, Jenev is kind of a closed society. Very polite and very courteous, but completely uninterested in having anything to do with us."  
>"Well, better that than hostile, I suppose." She stops and turns to face Lorne, her smile dimming. "John-Colonel Sheppard's team is three hours overdue."<br>Lorne smiled. "Wouldn't be the first time. Any radio contact?"  
>"None since they left." She bit her lip.<br>"Well, you know those guys."  
>"What do I know about those guys?"<br>"Just that they tend to get all caught up in whatever it is they're doing, and sometimes they don't check in. They forget how much you worry, especially the Colonel." Illyria looked at him. "... That we worry - _collectively,_ I mean."  
>"Yes, we do."<br>Lorne looked embarrassed. "Yeah. We do." He half-grimaced/half-smiled, then turned to his team. "OK, you guys, it looks like we're headin' back out."  
>Illyria smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Major."<br>"You're welcome."  
>҉<p>

**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

The Stargate is open and Major Lorne is reporting over a video link from the planet where John's team was last known to be.  
>"We just finished our scans, ma'am. They're not here."<br>"D'you think they've headed to another planet?"  
>"It's possible, but it's standard procedure to check in and tell us first. They didn't do that, so..."<p>

"...they might have been taken off-world against their will." Illyria finished.  
>"Yeah."<br>"Alright. Can you give me the last few addresses dialed from that D.H.D.?"  
>"Maybe somebody can, but that's a little out of my skill set."<br>"I'll send Zelenka."  
>"Good call. Lorne out."<br>The Stargate closes down.  
>҉<br>**OFFWORLD.**

Lorne and his team were keeping an eye on the area as Radek tinkered with the D.H.D. He came up from under it, cursing in Czech.  
>"To je v háji, todle to. [Translation: It's screwed up.]"<br>"That good, huh?" Lorne said.  
>"These things are not designed to store Gate addresses."<br>"What can you give us, Doc?"  
>"Well, every time the Gate is dialed, a slight residual imprint is left on the control crystals."<br>"Which means?"  
>"Well, I've managed to mine about fifty addresses, but, no idea if they're correct or what order they were dialed in."<br>"Fifty? That's a lot of planets to check."  
>"Yes - and that's assuming that they're correct."<br>"OK, so long story short?"  
>"It's going to be next to impossible to find Colonel Sheppard and his team based on what I can get from this D.H.D."<br>"Great. OK, pack it up, let's take what you've got. We'll go over it on Atlantis. Illyria's not gonna be happy about this." Lorne started to dial home.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE. **

Illyria was pacing around the room as she talked to Major Lorne who was seated at the table.  
>"If they were OK, they would have radioed in by now." Illyria muttered.<br>"I understand that, ma'am."  
>Illyria sat down heavily opposite him. "I want everyone who is cleared for off-world activity to help with the search. The Daedalus is on its way from Earth, then they'll be able to help, but until they get here, it's up to us."<br>"And I know that, but I need you to understand that it is gonna take a very long time to search all the planets on our list. It ... it could take months."  
>"We can't afford months, Major."<br>Lorne sighed. "And I know that too."  
>"Good." Illyria said quietly, absentmindedly stroking Breen's necklace that hung from her neck.<br>Lorne got up and left. 


	17. Chapter 16 pt2 John's POV

**PLANET. **

John and his team are walking through yet another forest.

"This is ridiculous." McKay complained.

"Well, keep complaining about it and we may get there faster." John said.  
>"Well, couldn't we have met these people on a tropical beach planet populated by tall blonde women, hmm?"<br>"Whoever wants to speak with us obviously values their privacy." Marissa Frio, Illyria's temporary replacement, said. Her blonde hair was cropped short in military fashion, her blue eyes cold and calculating.  
>"Yes, well I value my time, and this is a waste of it."<br>"What's a waste of time is listening to you, Rodney. This is the mission." John told him.  
>"Yeah, well it strikes me that this is a mission better suited to one of the, uh, lower echelon teams."<br>"Lower echelon?" Ronon asked.  
>"He means to say less important." Frio threw over her shoulder.<br>"We got a tip from one of Illyria's contacts; we're following it up."  
>"And this is like, what? The umpteenth tip we've followed up in search of a ZedP.M., Colonel?"<br>"Rodney." Frio warned.  
>"Look, I just wanna make it clear that every second I am out of my lab is a second the galaxy goes without another ground-breaking ..."<br>At that moment all four of the team are struck in the back by blasts from what appear to be Wraith stunners. They all collapse. Once they're down, three or four young human men come out from hiding, wielding the stunners.  
>"We have to get them to the Gate before their people realize they're missing." The roguish man told the others.<br>҉  
><strong>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<strong>

In a large room in a cave on another planet, the team is seated around a wooden table. Their hands are tied behind their backs and they have hoods on their heads. In front of each of them is a plate with food on it. Kanayo, the roguish man from before, takes their hoods off. They look around to see that several young men are standing nearby.  
>John spoke to his team. "You guys OK?"<br>McKay looked around at his captures. "Oh yeah, fine!"  
>John spoke to Kanayo. "Seems like a whole lot of trouble to go through just to get us to dinner." Kanayo doesn't reply. "Not a talkative bunch, are you?"<br>"We'll release you from your bindings if you promise not to attack us." Kanayo said.  
>"Sure." From the look on his face he's not exactly good at keeping promises.<br>John looked equally unconvincingly. "Yeah. We promise."  
>A familiar laugh is heard and Aiden Ford walks into the cave. He still has the bad Wraith eye, but is no longer wearing his uniform, being dressed similarly to the other men. Ronon surges to his feet at the sight of him, but one of the men pushes him back down into his chair.<br>"Before we untie them, they have to know they're among friends." Ford said.  
>"Ford?"<br>"Thought I was dead, didn't you, Sheppard?"

The team has now had their hands untied.  
>"Guys. Guys, please - eat. Eat."<br>He takes something off the plate in front of Frio's and eats it as if to show that it's safe. Ronon lifts his plate and sniffs it, then puts it down in a way that suggests he's not unhappy with what's for dinner. Rodney tentatively picks up something from his plate.)  
>"Wildmen, this used to be my team." (He points to Ronon and Frio, who has started to eat. "Well, not these two, but I think they're OK too. What is your name; I thought Illyria got Teyla's spot?"<p>

"Well, Carson blows a gasket every time Illyria's near the gate and she's getting noticeable around the stomach, so Captain Marissa Frio took her spot." McKay informed them, earning a darkened look from John.  
>"What is all this?" John switched topics.<br>"Some local vegetables; a sorta alligator thingy." John smiles. "It tastes like salted meat, it's good, try it." Ford slaps John's shoulder in a friendly way.  
>"I'm not talkin' about the food. What the hell is going on?"<br>"Who're these men? And why bring us here like this?" Frio asked.  
>"Whoa. That's a lot of questions."<br>"Pick one."  
>Aiden looks round at his men, then looks back at Ronon. "'Pick one'. That's good. Where'd you find him, Sheppard?"<br>McKay was stuffing his face. "Maybe you should start with how you managed to escape being culled by the Wraith Dart, hmm?" John looks at him. "What? I get nervous, I get hungry."  
>"OK. The Dart." Ford said, leading off into a flash back.<p>

**FLASHBACK TO "RUNNER".**

Out in the forest, John is chasing Aiden. Darts scream overhead. John glances up at them, then raises his rifle and aims it at Aiden.  
>"Ford!" John yells.<br>Aiden looks at him for a moment, then lowers his right hand towards the pistol strapped to his leg. John fires a single shot, hitting Aiden in his left leg. Aiden groans but stays on his feet and draws his pistol, aiming it at John.  
>"You're not gettin' off this planet!"<br>Behind Aiden, a transporter beam is sweeping along the ground. Aiden glances round at it, then looks back at John. He turns and deliberately runs into the path of the transporter beam and is swept away.  
>"I have no idea how long I was in the Dart. Next thing I knew I was on a cruiser ..." Remembering waking up, a Wraith guard stands over Aiden as he lies on the ground. "... and I was awake." Aiden's eyes snap open.<br>Back in the present, Rodney speaks around a mouthful of food.  
>"It's the enzyme. Makes you almost immune to the Wraith stunner so when you're dematerialized from the Wraith Dart, you're awake as opposed to, uh ..."<p>

"... as opposed to dead." Ford finished.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

As the Wraith guard bends down, Aiden unsheathes a knife and surges onto his knees as he stabs the guard. He then grabs the guard's weapon and shoots it twice. He grins savagely, then checks to make sure the area is clear before bending down to the guard and plunging his knife into its enzyme sac.  
>(The present)<br>"I cut open its enzyme pouch, took my fill, made my way off the ship."  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Aiden is cautiously making his way through the corridors, ducking out of the way of a Wraith guard.  
><em>"<em>_You can get around pretty easy on a Wraith ship. They're not used to people making it aboard, so there's next to no security."_  
>When the guard's back is turned, Aiden runs out and shoots it twice. He stands over it, then draws his knife and bends down to it, again stabbing into its enzyme sac.<br>(The present.)

John is looking a little squeamish at Aiden's actions.  
>"I walked off with enough enzyme to last me a little while. Tracked down the Stargate, dialed the first friendly address I could remember."<br>**FLASHBACK.**

Aiden walks into a tavern and goes over to the bar.  
>"Need a place to stay, hot meal."<br>"What have you got to trade?" The bartender asked.  
>Aiden looks down, then draws the Wraith guard's weapon and lays it on the bar.<br>"What'll that get me?"  
>A man who may be the tavern's bouncer walks up behind him and puts his hand on his shoulder.<br>"No weapons." Grumbled the bouncer.  
>Aiden rounds on him, grabs him by the neck and slams his head down onto the bar, knocking him unconscious. Dropping him to the floor, he then looks at the bartender again.<br>"So? What'll that get me?"  
>Shortly afterwards, Aiden is sitting at a table with a plate of food in front of him. Two young men are sitting with him. One of them is Kanayo, the other is a blond man called Jace.<br>"I still don't really understand." Kanayo said.  
>Ford gestured to a hole in the shoulder of his jacket. "Look at me. I got shot - I healed. I can see farther, clearer than I ever saw before."<br>_"__I told them about the enzyme, how it makes you stronger, more aware, more resilient; how it'd give us a fighting chance against the Wraith."_  
>(The present)<br>"I mean, look at me. Look at me!" John reluctantly turns his head to look at him. Frio and Ronon, who are both now eating, look up at him too. "I walked off a Wraith cruiser! It works!"  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>  
>"I wanna try it."<br>Delighted, Aiden offers Kanayo his hand and they shake.  
>(The present)<br>"Wait a second. All your people here - all your men - they're on the enzyme?" Ronon asked.  
>Ford put his hand on Kanayo's shoulder. "Of course."<br>**FLASHBACK.**

In a forest somewhere, three young men are lurking behind some trees as two Wraith guards walk along a path. One of the men jumps out and takes the guards down with a stunner. The men run towards them and squat down beside them. One of the men takes out a knife to cut into one of the guard's enzyme sacs, but Kanayo stops him.  
>"No! We don't do it like that anymore. Let's get him back home."<br>Sometime later, Kanayo is dragging an unconscious guard into the cave.  
><em>"As our numbers kept growing, we needed more and more of the enzyme."<em>  
>In the background, a group of men is training in hand-to-hand combat. Kanayo drags the guard across the floor and three other guards are already there, chained to the wall and unconscious. Kanayo chains his guard up and turns to see Aiden and Jace walking into the cave.<br>"Nice work." Ford told Kanayo.  
>"Thank you."<br>"This should give us a steady stream of the enzyme."  
>Jace walks over to one of the guards, squats down, takes out a syringe and sticks it into its enzyme sac.<br>"Time to focus on some bigger issues." Ford told them.  
>(The present)<br>"Lieutenant Ford, d'you that there are live Wraith here, in this cave?"  
>"That's right."<br>"The Wraith can communicate with each other over a distance."  
>"But not between stars. They'd have to be in this solar system." Ford points at Rodney. "You taught me that."<br>"Yes, well, good for me." McKay said through a mouthful of food.  
>Ford laughed. "What's the matter? They can't communicate if they're unconscious."<br>"Why'd you jump us?" John asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry about that. It was the only way to get you here."  
>"Why didn't you just tell us where you were? You know we would have come."<br>"Yeah, you and a Special Ops team."  
>"No, no."<br>"I know you think I'm crazy. I brought you all here to show you that you're wrong." Ford looks at John. "I mean, do I look crazy?" John tries not to show what he's thinking. "Do I seem out of control?"  
>McKay was still stuffing his face. "Are we speaking in relative terms or, um ...?"<br>"Look, Jace here has really fine-tuned the enzyme." Rodney puts more food in his mouth. "We know how to administer it now, how to regulate it, refine it. We've gotten so good, we can even lace food with it."  
>Frio was just lifting another piece of food to her mouth but now stops. Ronon looks up at Aiden. Rodney stops chewing.<br>"'Scuse me?"  
>"Congratulations. You just had your first dose." Ford smiled.<br>"What?" McKay spits his mouthful out onto the table, choking. Ronon takes out the food he had in his own mouth.  
>"I thought long and hard about how to show you that the enzyme was safe, to convince you that it was the first step to defeating the Wraith." Ford turns to John. "So you can convince Weir, convince the military."<br>Rodney surges to his feet, furious.  
>"Are you out of your mind?"<br>"Hey, settle down, McKay."  
>McKay was shouting at Ford. "No, I will not settle down! I've been drugged against my will, you little punk!"<br>"You shouldn't have done this, Lt." Frio said.  
>Ford was laughing. "Hey, be as mad as you want. Couple of days, you'll be thankin' me. We'll have a good laugh about this. Now eat up."<br>He turns to leave the room. Ronon leaps to his feet and heads towards Aiden but a couple of the men grab him, one of them shoving what looks like a Genii pistol in his face.  
>"I'm itchy. I'm itchy all over. This is exactly what happened when I smoked pot once in college!" McKay franticly scratched his arms.<br>John got to his feet. "Everyone stay put."

He turns to follow Aiden but two of the men step into his way. Just outside the room, Aiden stops.  
>"Let him go."<br>The men step aside and John follows Aiden into another room.  
>"Ford, look. I know what you're trying to do. I get it, I do. But you're goin' about this all wrong. Weir isn't gonna listen to us if we're all hopped up on the enzyme."<br>"Your food was clean."  
>"Why? Why me?"<br>"You're gonna be the witness. You're gonna be the one to tell Weir that her most trusted team is takin' the enzyme and is better because of it."  
>John sighs. "Look, buddy. Why don't you come back with us, have Beckett look you over, huh? That's the best proof."<br>"No." Ford shakes his head. "No, I've thought this through. This is the plan."  
>"Look, I don't know what you're thinking ..."<br>"You're free to roam around as much as you want. You're all part of the team now." Ford walks away.  
>҉<p>

**STARGATE. **

John and his team are standing around the D.H.D., apart from Rodney who has squatted down and is fiddling with the bottom of the device.  
>"OK, so why aren't these guys watching us?" Ronon asked.<br>"Dex is right. They went to great trouble to get us here - why would they allow us to leave?" Frio pointed out.  
>"Just waiting for the other shoe to drop." John said.<br>McKay spoke from under the D.H.D. "Oh, that little bastard!"  
>"There it goes." John sighed.<br>"This is what I was afraid of…"  
>"What'd he do?"<br>"He's taken all the necessary control crystals. Something I showed him how to do on a mission, I might add."  
>"Well, that's not good."<br>"That is the under-statement of the year."  
>"Alright! See what you can do."<br>"OK, why don't we just take 'em? All we've gotta do is get our hands on one stunner. I can take 'em all." Ronon said, breaking up John and McKay.  
>"Maybe, but if we mess it up, whatever trust we might have been given will disappear." John said.<br>"You wanna make them trust us?" Frio asked.  
>"We play it cool, we let 'em get comfortable. They're bound to make a mistake."<br>Frio was looking rather upset and angry. "And in the meantime?"  
>"We play along."<br>Frio rolls her eyes and turns away. John looks at her and then at Ronon.  
>"How are you guys feeling?"<br>"I didn't eat that much - I feel fine." Ronon said.  
>Frio turned back to face John, calmer now. "Perhaps if we were able to fast, they would be unable to administer the enzyme."<br>"I doubt that. I don't think they would have a problem forcing us." John pointed out.  
>Rodney stands up from tinkering with the D.H.D. "Yeah, well, this thing is useless, and I ate my face off and I can tell you, I can feel it working."<br>"There's a good possibility that everything you're feeling at the moment might be psychosomatic."  
>The team starts to walk away from the D.H.D.<br>"Oh, is that right, Professor Science? Is that your expert opinion?"  
>"Yes, it is."<br>"Well, I can tell you - when they up the dosage, the side effects will be very real and very unpredictable."

҉

**AIDEN'S CAVE.**

John is sitting at the table while the other three are on their feet and pacing. Rodney is breathing heavily and pacing around very quickly.  
>"Seriously, I'm getting, uh, I'm getting, uh, chills and hot flashes, chills and hot flashes again and again. None of you are feeling that?"<br>Ronon walks over to John and leans down to him, angry. "The enzyme's side effects are gonna be the least of his concerns if he keeps this up."  
>"I know - just be patient." John tries to calm him.<p>

"Historically, that hasn't been a strength for me." He takes his coat off.

"I know!"

Aiden walks in.  
>"Sheppard, Frio! Kanayo's running a mission off-world. I want you to go with him."<br>"Why?"  
>"We're running an op. Thought you might wanna see the men in action."<br>"Sure! Whenever you need us."  
>Frio was leaning on the table, either very tired or very wired up. "Just give us some weapons and..."<br>"Nice try. No, you're gonna hang back and watch with Kanayo. Don't worry - you won't be in any danger."  
>"That's a load off my mind." John said.<br>"Good."  
>Rodney walks over to Aiden, even more hyper than usual.<br>"What about us?"  
>Aiden looks at him with some concern.<br>"Jace'll give you the grand tour - show you what we've done with the place. How's that sound?  
>"Huh, that sounds delightful." McKay sounded sulky and sarcastic.<br>"Good, good. Then if Colonel Sheppard tries anything off-world, you'll be nice and close for me to kill you both." Ford smiled.  
>"Can't think of a better way of spending the afternoon!" McKay walks away.<br>Kanayo draws his pistol and points it at Frio. "Move!"  
>Aiden shrugs.<p>

"Looks like he's itching to go."

John stands, and Frio straightens up from the table. They follow Kanayo out of the cave, Frio throwing a long look at Ronon as she goes. Ronon watches her go, then walks over to the table where he had draped his coat over the back of a chair. Glaring at Aiden, he picks up his coat, then tips the chair over backwards onto the floor before walking away.  
>҉<br>**WORMHOLE TRAVEL.**  
>On another planet, Kanayo and his team make their way through yet another forest or wood towards a village or small city. Kanayo, John and Frio stop under cover of some bushes near a guarded building while the rest of his team get closer to the guards.<br>"Are those guards Genii?" John asked.  
>"Yes." Kanayo answered.<br>"What exactly are we doing here?" Frio asked.  
>"There are Genii spies all over the galaxy. If for whatever reason one of them can't make it back to the Genii homeworld, their leaders have established safe houses. If they need a place to reload on gear, or a place to hide, they come here."<br>"That's useful." John nodded.  
>"Yeah. We've found them to be an excellent source of information and supplies."<br>"How did you find them in the first place?" Frio asked  
>"I was a Genii spy."<br>John and Frio exchange a glance.  
>"If you're one of them, why don't you just walk in there?" John asked.<br>"Well, I used to, but eventually they realized that I betrayed them."  
>"I can see how they would."<br>"We rely on raids now."  
>"Why? What more do you guys want?"<br>"We don't have all the pieces we need for the Lieutenant's plan."  
>"Right! And, uh, which plan would that be again?"<br>"All will be revealed when the time is right."  
>"Oh, good! I'd hate for things to be revealed too early."<br>Kanayo throws him a look.  
>҉<br>**GENII SAFE PLANET.**

The Genii guards are lounging against a wall, clearly bored. Nearby, Kanayo, John and Frio watch them.  
>"So, uh, what's the plan?" John asked.<br>"We take them by force."  
>"That's some ground-breaking strategy there."<br>"I think the Colonel is interested in the type of attack." Frio amended.  
>"We plan to overpower them."<br>"I think it's best we just watch." John said.  
>Kanayo checks that his men are in place and that the guards are still not paying attention, then activates a radio on his wrist.<br>"Now."

His men burst out of hiding, firing at the guards, who return fire. One of Kanayo's men gets hit and drops to the ground but the others manage to take out the guards. They then run into the building.  
>"What kind of plan is that?" John whispered.<br>"One that works."  
>"One of your men got hit."<br>" Well, it should be safe for us now." Kanayo leads John and Frio out. John goes to the downed young man and checks his pulse.  
>"This guy's dead."<br>Frio spoke to Kanayo. "So you see, you are not invincible."  
>"We're close enough."<br>"There are skills to the art of war, Kanayo."  
>Kanayo got angry. "Don't you tell me how to run my missions. You're just here to watch." He gestures to the rest of his men coming out of the building. The first one is carrying a metal box. Kanayo opens the lid and shows John and Frio what's inside. "Look familiar?"<br>"That's our C4." John said.  
>"We're stealing it back."<br>"For what purpose?" Frio asked.  
>"For the hive."<br>"As in hive ship?" John glanced at Frio.  
>"Yeah. That's the Lieutenant's plan. You're gonna help us destroy a Wraith hive ship."<br>҉  
><strong>AIDEN'S CAVE. <strong>

**JACE'S LAB. **

Aiden is addressing John and his team, together with Kanayo and Jace.

"One of the added bonuses of killing a Wraith is, every now and again, you get your hands on a couple of these." Ford holds up a Wraith data device, similar to the one that John took from the Genii. "Now thanks to Jace and some of the computers that we borrowed from the Genii, we've been able to figure out the exact flight path of one of their hive ships."

"It's decimating all inhabited worlds in its path." Jace said.  
>"It has to be stopped." Ford nodded.<br>Jace indicated a point on the computer screen behind him. "I've been able to calculate that, in the next several days, it will be forced to make a hyperspace pause very near an uninhabited planet that happens to have a Stargate."  
>"We gate to that planet, get on the hive ship, plant the C4 in the Dart bay, and get out." Kanayo said.<br>"We could save thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives." Said Jace.  
>Ford was looking at John and his team. "So?"<br>Not very enthusiastically, John said, "Wow."  
>"'Wow'?"<br>"You heard me."  
>McKay was still more hyper than usual. "Let me see if I can couch what Colonel Sheppard means by "wow" in more explicit terms. That is a terrible plan."<br>"Rodney." Frio warned.  
>"Made all the more frightening by the fact that you think it's a good plan."<br>"What's wrong with it?" Ford asked.  
>"What's right with it? Look, let's just for a second give in to reckless abandon and assume that it will be possible to plant a single charge large enough to destroy an entire hive ship."<br>"We're planning on secondary explosions in the Dart bay."  
>"Regardless, the hive ship will be on a hyperspace pause, yes, but it will not enter the planet's atmosphere, nor will it take up any sort of stable orbit. It will be flying through space, which means that unless your enzyme allows you to jump much higher than you've let on ..."<br>"We've got a spaceship."  
>"Oh yeah? Really?" McKay folds his arms. "What's it made out of, huh? Bark?"<br>Ford smiled briefly. "No, it's real, McKay. In fact, it's the only ship I'd feel comfortable using on a mission like this."  
>The team have been escorted outside, where some of Aiden's men are taking the camouflage netting off a Wraith Dart.<br>"OK, where'd you get it?" John asked.  
>"Does it matter?" Ford asked.<br>"None of us have had much success flying it. Banged it up pretty bad the last couple of landings. It's in need of some repairs." Kanayo said.  
>"And a real pilot."<br>"This is why you brought us here." John said.  
>"It's the reason I waited 'til now, yes."<br>Kanayo tapped Rodney's arm. "Assuming this guy can get it working again."  
>"He can. These people are the best at what they do."<br>Kanaya spoke to John. "Look, you fly it, you scoop us up, you take us to the hive, you drop us off. All we need is time to lay the charge. We'll be in and out of there before the Wraith have any idea what's going on."  
>"It's perfect." Ford smiled.<br>"It is far from perfect." McKay said.  
>"But - it is possible." John said.<br>Frio was shaking her head. "Colonel."  
>"Are you - are you honestly considering this?" McKay shouted.<br>"It's on its way to a culling, Rodney."  
>"Yeah, and I am sorry about that, but this is insane!"<br>"Maybe not."  
>"Jace has been trying to get it working, but he's not you, McKay. Can you fix it?" Ford asked.<br>"No, probably not." McKay said.  
>"That usually means yes." John said.<br>"Aren't you the one not taking the enzyme? You're supposed to be the clear voice of reason here."  
>"Look, can you fix it?"<br>"Even if I could, I wouldn't. I'm sorry - drug me all you want, I'm not doing this." McKay storms off.  
>"Let me talk to him - he'll come round." John follows after Rodney and catches up a little bit up the ways.<br>"Rodney."  
>"Look, maybe you are on the enzyme. Maybe Ford lied, because no rational person would think that was a good plan."<br>"Look, a million things can go wrong, I know that, but just ... look, stop!" They stop walking and turn to face each other, Rodney glaring at John. "Shut up and listen. You fix that Dart - we all get outta here. I know it's risky but Ford's not thinkin' straight. So ..."  
>"What are you talking about?"<br>"I'll insist you're all on the away team. I'll scoop you up and instead of flying out to the hive ship, we fly out to Atlantis."  
>"How?"<br>"That Dart's gotta have its own D.H.D., right?"  
>"Of course."<br>"Well, then, get that thing fly-worthy, we all go home!"  
>Finally, Rodney gets it.<br>"Right, of course. Now, you see, I would have thought of that myself before I became a drug addict."  
>"I'm sure you would have."<br>Rodney puts his hands over his eyes, slumping in anguish. "I'm sorry."  
>"It's alright." John pats him comfortingly on the arm.<br>"OK."  
>They turn and head back.<br>҉

**AIDEN'S CAVE. **

**AIDEN'S ROOM. **

Aiden is sitting at a table reading something when John comes in.  
>"How'd that go?" Ford asked, looking up.<br>"Well, he'll do it, but we need some conditions."  
>"What?"<br>"Dial back McKay's enzyme doses."  
>"No!"<br>"Look, we're under some time constraints here. I'm not saying the enzyme wouldn't help, I'm just saying we need him standing still and thinking, not running laps because it feels good."  
>Aiden thinks about it for a moment.<br>"Ronon and Frio?"  
>"Stick to the plan."<br>"Fine. What else?"  
>"I'll fly it - that's obvious - but I want McKay, Frio and Ronon on the strike team."<br>"It's not a good mission for McKay. Could get rough in there."  
>"Look, suddenly we need a door open or a computer hacked, McKay should be there to do it. That's why he's on my team in the first place."<br>Aiden nods thoughtfully. "Is that it?"  
>John nods. Aiden gets to his feet and holds out his right hand to John. John stands up and takes it, and they shake.<br>҉  
><strong>Several days or perhaps weeks pass:<strong>  
>As a man takes the camouflage net off the Dart, Rodney leans into the cockpit where Jace is sitting. Jace stands and opens a small tin of tools and offers them to Rodney.<br>"No!" McKay sighs in exasperation and starts tinkering with the controls.  
>In the gym, Frio spars with a man. Because of his enhanced abilities, they are almost evenly matched but he gets the better of her. Later, Ronon is sparring with a man and again gets beaten.<br>In Aiden's room, Aiden is looking at a plan, perhaps of the interior of a Wraith ship, while John stands with him.  
>At the Dart, Rodney comes up from underneath it and looks at Jace sitting in the cockpit.<br>"No, no, no, no, no. You fire it up now, it'll only explode."  
>In the gym, Ronon and Frio are each struggling with men who hold them still while another couple of men inject them with another dose of the enzyme.<br>At the Dart, John gets into the cockpit while Jace helps Rodney attach what looks like a computer tablet to the console.  
>In the gym, Frio again spars with a man, but this time she is stronger and succeeds in knocking him to the ground. Ronon then spars with another man and again beats him.<br>At the Dart, Rodney and Jace stand clear of the Dart. Rodney is holding a computer tablet. Jace goes to touch it but Rodney pushes his hand away and touches the screen himself. The Dart activates and lifts a few feet off the ground, hovering steadily. Rodney and Jace look proudly at it.  
>"We're close."<br>҉  
><strong>AIDEN'S ROOM.<strong>

Aiden rolls up his plan and sits down at the table. John sits down nearby.  
>"It's a good plan."<br>"Couldn't have done it without you, sir."  
>"Well, glad you trusted me enough to bring me here."<br>Aiden stares at the table, lost in thought and looking distressed.  
>"What's wrong?"<br>Aiden looks at him, almost tearfully. "I wanna go home."  
>John stands up, leans on the table and looks down at him, speaking softly. "Then let's go. Give McKay the D.H.D. crystals and let's get outta here. I can have you back on Earth within an hour."<br>"No. We have to do this first. I have to prove to them that we can do this."  
>"You don't have to prove anything to anyone, Lieutenant." Aiden looks doubtful and unsure. John straightens up and sighs. "I saw your cousin and your grandparents when I was back there." Aiden looks up at him, his expression a mixture of pain and hope. "They miss you. A lot. This whole M.I.A. thing's killing them."<br>Aiden looks away, lost in thought.  
>"They're strong. They can wait." He glances at John for a moment, then looks away again. "If anyone's ever gonna take me seriously ever again, we have to do this."<br>"Listen, Aiden ..."  
>"No." He stands. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna talk about this." He walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>MAIN ROOM.<strong>

Ronon and Frio are sitting on opposite sides of the table, each shoveling food into their mouths. John is standing up talking to them but they're not taking much notice. Ronon in particular is staring at Frio's plate as he eats.  
>"Well, part of me thinks he brought us here because he knew we'd bring him back. I think subconsciously he knows what our plan is and he's fine with it." John said.<br>Ronon finishes the food on his own plate and stands. He leans forward and snatches some of Frio's food off her plate. He grins at her. Frio stands up, glaring at him.  
>"Give it back."<p>

Ronon shoves the food into his mouth. "Or what?"  
>Still smiling, he chews for a moment as he continues to stare at her. She punches him hard in the face.<br>"Hey!" John yelled.  
>Frio smiles smugly at Ronon as he feels his lip. Suddenly he grabs her arm, drags her right across the table and drops her onto the floor. She stands up and they square up to each other, both grinning. She punches him in the face again, then they start to fight each other.<br>"Knock it off, guys!"  
>John walks up behind Ronon but Ronon savagely elbows him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Ronon and Frio stare down at John as he groans.<br>"What the hell's gotten into you two?" The two of them back off, Ronon unable to keep a grin off his face. John realizes exactly what's gotten into them. "Oh, right. Never mind." He painfully gets to his feet and sits down on a chair, groaning. Ronon sits down on the edge of the table.  
>"We need to talk about this." Ronon said.<br>"About what?" John said as he feels his jaw.  
>"The enzyme works. No-one's saying it but we're all thinking it. It works." He grins at John.<br>"I admit I've noticed an increased amount of strength." Frio smiles.  
>"Maybe Ford is right. Maybe it's worth looking into to see what this stuff can do." Ronon kept going.<br>"They were an hour late delivering our doses yesterday and I felt awful. It frightens me how reliant my body has become on the enzyme always being in my system. What would happen if we suddenly could not receive it?" Frio asked.  
>"The only neg is that you've gotta keep taking it. I'm gonna stay on it."<br>John asked Frio. "What about you?"  
>"The fact that I'm even considering it makes me feel ..."<br>"Hey." McKay said, coming into the room.  
>"So?" John asked.<br>"It's ready."  
>҉<br>**DART.**

John is sitting in the cockpit while Jace, on the top of a stepladder reaching up to the cockpit, leans over the side. Rodney walks over.  
>"OK, now ... could you move?" Jace climbs down and Rodney takes his place. "Look, this is probably gonna make you a little uneasy but, uh, when the canopy forms, it's perfectly opaque."<br>"Then how am I gonna fly this thing?"  
>"The whole thing is one giant heads-up display. It'll show you all the pertinent information that you need."<br>"Yeah, you mean in Wraith!"  
>McKay was pointing at the computer tablet on the dashboard. "Yeah, which is why I've installed an interface to translate a lot of the readouts."<br>"And by "a lot" you mean "all", because my Wraith's not all that good."  
>"Enough to get you by."<br>Aiden walks over and spoke to McKay.  
>"I knew you could do it. Right on time. Kanayo's gonna get you suited up. You should get ready."<br>"Right." He exchanged a look with John and he climbed down the ladder. Aiden climbs up to sit on the side of the cockpit. Frio watches Rodney as he walks a little way away to get geared up. Aiden looks at Rodney, then turns to John.  
>"Seems a little nervous."<br>"You know McKay - he'll be fine."  
>"You know how to dial the D.H.D. on this thing?"<br>"The address is memorized."  
>"Good, good." He looks across at Rodney again. "Listen, I should probably tell you, uh, there's been a slight change of plans."<br>John was trying to look nonchalant. "Oh yeah?"  
>Ford called out. "Kanayo!"<br>Kanayo and several other men aim their weapons at Rodney. Dex turns and sees them and draws his sword from the scabbard on his back. Other men aim their weapons at him, Frio, and at John in the Dart.  
>"Don't even think about it!" Kanayo warned.<br>Aiden turns and smiles smugly at John.  
>"What the hell are you doing?" John demanded.<br>"McKay's gonna stay here while we do the op." Ford was calling out to his men. "Take him!"  
>One of the men grabs Rodney and marches him off.<br>"No, no, no, no, no!" McKay protests further until he's out of our hearing.  
>John spoke low to Ford. "That wasn't part of the plan."<br>"Neither was you heading back to Atlantis. You didn't really buy the whole," Ford puts on a plaintive face, "'I wanna go home' speech, did you, huh?"  
>Kanayo takes Ronon's sword off him.<br>"Always underestimated me, Sheppard. You need to stop doing that. Complete the mission and McKay lives."  
>"We can't complete the mission, Ford. It's a bad plan!"<br>"You said it was a great plan."  
>"You didn't buy the whole 'it's a great plan' speech, did you?"<br>"Get this Dart in the air and come scoop us up." Ford jumps down from the edge of the cockpit, then turns to face John again. "Oh, and the Dart D.H.D. only dials to the planet we're going to and back here - just in case McKay's life isn't enough to get you to do the right thing."  
>He turns and starts to walk away, coming face to face with Frio.<br>"Lt, what are you doing?"  
>"Just making sure you guys hold up your end of the bargain." Ford spoke to his men. "It's OK, give 'em back their weapons."<br>Kanayo, who has been pointing Ronon's sword at him, looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"  
>"Yeah. If we're gonna do this, we've all got to work together." He walks back to the Dart and offers John a pistol. John takes it, then Aiden hands him a P90. "Good luck to us all."<br>As the teams walk away, John sighs and punches buttons in the cockpit.  
>"Stand by for pick up."<br>The engine fires up and the canopy materializes around him. The Dart lifts into the air and heads up into the sky, looping round and heading for the group of about nine people, including Ronon and Frio. It swoops over the top of the group, the transporter beam activates and they are all swept up.  
>҉<br>**SPACE.**

The Dart flies up from a planet and heads towards a Wraith hive ship. John is watching the computer, then looks around at the canopy surrounding him. As Rodney told him, he can't see anything out of it, but the canopy is illuminated and data is streaming across it.  
>"This is gonna take some getting used to."<br>The Dart flies on a little further, then the illumination goes out.  
>"Come on! Oh, and we were getting along so well!"<br>Wraith writing appears on the computer screen, then is translated to read "AUTO PILOT ENGAGED".  
>"Oh, auto pilot! No, no, no, no, no!"<br>The writing changes and is translated to read "DOCK PROCEDURE LOADED AND ACTIVATED".  
>"R2, I need you to turn the auto pilot off! Now!" He looks at the screen but nothing happens. "Worth a try."<br>The Dart flies into an opening in the side of the hive ship. John looks at the screen and up at the canopy nervously. From an outside perspective which John does not share, the Dart fly into a huge bay and head up into the ship. Some seconds later, a new message appears on the screen, translated as "REMATERIALIZE CARGO?" with two buttons underneath labeled "YES" and "NO". John presses the "YES" button.  
>The Dart swoops low over a narrow catwalk over an incredibly long drop. The transporter beam sweeps out, depositing the teams onto the catwalk. Unfortunately, three of them rematerialize just over the edge of the catwalk and plummet downwards, screaming. Kanayo, right on the edge of the catwalk, almost follows them, but Ronon grabs him by the back of his coat and hauls him back. Ford looks over the edge at his falling comrades.<br>"Jace!" He yelled.  
>Kanayo turns and glares at Ronon, not at all grateful that he just saved his life. He seems to be more bothered that Ronon might have stretched his coat when he pulled him back.<br>"We have to go after them!"  
>"No one would have survived that fall." Frio said.<br>"We have to get out of the open." Ronon turns and walks along the catwalk. The others follow.  
>In the Dart, John contacts the others by radio.<br>"You guys OK?"  
>"No, we are not OK. You beamed half of us off the edge of the platform." Ford replied angrily.<br>John stares in shock.  
>"Frio and Ronon?"<br>"Is that all you care about? You murdered my men."  
>"I've lost all control of the Dart. I had to release you blind."<br>"Maintain radio silence until we've laid the charge."  
>"Negative. We need to stay in contact."<br>Aiden shuts his radio off.  
>"You should leave that radio on, Lt." Frio said.<br>"Don't tell me what to do." Ford leads the teams away.

The Dart flies on under its auto pilot. John still has no idea what's going on outside, but we see that it is coming in to land on a narrow platform.  
>"Ford. Ford. Ford! Dammit!"<br>A new message appears on the screen, translated to read "EXIT CRAFT FOR INSPECTION".  
>"I'd prefer not to."<br>A new message appears: "OPENING CANOPY". Seconds later, the canopy dematerializes.  
>"Oh boy!"<br>A Wraith guard approaches from the side of the Dart. It stops at the sight of John sitting in the cockpit. John looks round at the guard.  
>"You mind checking the oil?" He snatches out his P90 and fires a hail of bullets into the guard. As the guard crashes to the ground, a high-pitched alarm begins, echoing around the bay. "This is not good!" He jumps out of the Dart and heads off.<br>In the corridors, Aiden and his teams stop as they also hear the alarm.  
>"What is that?"<br>"It's an alarm." Ronon said, looking around.  
>"That shouldn't happen."<br>"No, it shouldn't."  
>Aiden slaps his radio to activate it. "Sheppard, you there?"<br>Elsewhere, John guns down another guard.  
>John hears Ford over the radio. <em>"Sheppard, you there?"<em>  
>"I think I might have set the alarm off. You guys be careful, 'cause there's probably some guards on the way."<br>"Too late." Ronon draws his sword from its scabbard. "You wanna live, stay behind me." He stalks off.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

John reloads his P90.  
>John spoke into the radio. "Ford. What's your position?" He takes out a grenade. "Ford?"<br>Elsewhere, Ford and his teams are shooting for their lives at approaching guards. Ronon charges in and attacks some of the guards with his sword.  
>Back at John's position, he hears a growl from an approaching guard.<br>"Ah, dammit!" He pulls the pin from the grenade and throws it grenade at the guard and it explodes near to it. The guard stumbles away, groaning and badly wounded. John breaks cover and guns it down.  
>At Aiden's position, the teams continue to fire at or fight with guards. Kanayo and Frio stand back to back as they fire. A guard appears in a recess in the wall and takes Kanayo down with a stunner. As he cries out and falls, the guard shoots Frio down.<br>"Keep fighting!" Ford instructed.  
>At John's position, he rounds a corner where a guard is waiting. It shoots him down with its stunner. Two guards pick him up and drag him off.<br>At Aiden's position, a guard picks up Frio by the legs and drags her off. More of Aiden's team are taken down. Aiden and Ronon stand back to back in the centre of the room, firing at all the guards around them. A stunner blast hits them.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

John regains consciousness in a cell. He is lying on the floor with his head in Frio's lap.  
>"You alright?" She asked.<br>"We're in a holding cell?"  
>"Yep. The others are in here too."<br>"On a hive ship."  
>"Uh-huh."<br>John sat up. "Well, then, no, I'm not doing so good."  
>Aiden walks over to him, angry.<br>"I can't believe you screwed up."  
>John stood up. "I did what?"<p>

Aiden gets toe to toe with John and they glare at each other.

"You set off the alarm. You ruined the mission."  
>"The Dart went on auto pilot the second I got close to the hive. You're lucky I was able to get you out."<br>"Well, why would it do that? Why would it go on auto pilot?"  
>"That's what Jumpers do when they gate to Atlantis."<br>"Well, why didn't you say something?"  
>"Why didn't I say something?"<br>Nearby, Ronon looks as if he's about to interject in the argument. Kanayo steps in front of him to keep him back and they glare at each other.  
>"You want me to fail. You want me to look bad!"<br>"Yeah, that's right, you snot-nosed brat. I put my team's life on the line just to prove you wrong!"  
>Ronon turns away from Kanayo and looks through the web-like door.<br>Ronon announced. "We've got company."  
>A Wraith and two guards approach the door. The Wraith stares into Ronon's face, grinning.<br>"Move away." The Wraith growled.  
>"What do you want?" Ronon asked.<br>"The one who flew the ship."  
>"Why don't you start with me?"<br>The doors to the cell open. The Wraith looks at one of the guards and it shoots Ronon with a stunner. He drops to the floor.  
>"No, wait! You want me." John said, stepping forward.<br>The Wraith sticks its face close to John and sniffs. It makes a satisfied sound and turns and walks away. The guards wield their stunners. John follows the Wraith as Frio goes to check on Ronon. Aiden stares at the cell doors as they close, then turns to Ronon and Frio as she helps him up from the floor, his arm around her shoulder.  
>"It's alright. There's always a way out." Ford said.<br>Ronon glares at him.  
>"If he dies, you die."<br>The guards march John along a corridor and into a chamber with an illuminated low plinth in the middle. They walk him onto the plinth and take up positions nearby. John turns around several times, looking round the room, although there's no much to see because the rest of it is so dark. Suddenly a Wraith female is behind him. She has long white hair and the biggest mouthful of teeth we've ever seen. John stares at her in shock. She just looks at him for a few seconds, then her right hand shoots up and her long fingernails touch the side of his face. Her voice echoes in his mind.  
>"Kneel," commanded the Hive Queen, her voice echoing.<br>Unable to resist her, and just like Colonel Sumner did, John plunges to his knees.

**TBC**

**Soooooo? What did you think?**

**Srry, btw, about the long-ness**

**New member: Marissa Frio. What do you think about her?**


	18. Chapter 16 pt3

**AN:/ Sherry, you got your wish: A LONGER CHAPTER! I hope nobody else minds, John and Illyria's POVs are combined. Please R&R. Illyria is 27 weeks if you're keeping tally.**

**HIVE SHIP. **

**QUEEN'S CHAMBER.**  
>(Resume where the previous chapter ended.)<p>

John Sheppard is on his knees on the dais in the center of the room. The Wraith Hive Queen walks slowly around him.  
>"The ship." She stops in front of John and turns to face him again. "Where did you get it?"<br>John struggles not to speak but has no choice under her mental influence. "You mean the Dart? We call them Darts because they're so pointy."  
>"Tell me. Where?"<br>"I really don't wanna say."  
>The Queen smiles slightly, then backhands him across the face. John recoils from the blow, then straightens his jacket. The Queen leans towards him and runs her finger down his cheek.<br>"I don't even know your name."  
>The Queen leans down so that her face is level with his.<br>"In time, you will tell me ever..." She trails off and stares as if distracted by something. She frowns, snarls at him, then straightens up and turns and walks away.  
>"Tell you what?" As the Queen leaves the room, the two Wraith guards walk over and haul John to his feet. "What's wrong?" The guards take John's arms and start to march him out of the chamber. "She didn't even tell me her name!"<br>҉  
><strong>WRAITH <strong>**CELL****.**

Ronon Dex sits down on a bench in the cell. Marissa Frio is standing by the cell door looking out. John comes into view, preceding the two guards, one of which shoves him in the back occasionally to keep him moving. They reach the cell door.

"Colonel?" Frio called out.

One of the guards puts its hand on John's shoulder to keep him still, then turns and looks at a control panel outside the cell. Lights flash on it and the cell door opens. The guard shoves John hard, propelling him into the cell where he crashes to the floor. The door closes again. The guards turn and walk away as Ronon runs to the door and glares out after them.  
>Frio spoke to John. "Are you hurt?"<br>John rolled over onto his back. "Yeah."  
>Ronon walks over to him and offers him a hand to help him up. "Where'd they take you?"<br>"A little Q and A with the Queen of the hive."  
>"What'd you tell her?" Ford asked.<br>John sat down on a bench. "It was a short conversation. She walked out."  
>"Why?"<br>"I dunno. Maybe she was late for a meeting."  
>"No. There's something else." Frio said.<br>"What?" John asked.  
>Outside in space, a second hive ship bursts out of hyperspace and stops near the first ship. In the cell, Ford gazes upwards.<br>"Another hive ships here."  
>҉<br>"Are you sure there's another ship?" John asked.  
>"Yeah- close by."<br>"Well, maybe they're planning on culling the planet together."  
>"Or they're gonna fight for it."<br>"Either way, the planet's only a few days away, so we don't have much time if we still intend to stop them." Kanayo said.  
>John stands up and walks to the cell door.<br>"Alright. First things first: how to get out. Any luck?" John looked toward Ronon.  
>Ronon walks over to the door, throwing a black look at Aiden.<br>"Not yet."  
>"Don't worry - I'll figure a way out." Ford said.<br>John raises his eyebrows briefly at him, then looks away.  
>"I was afraid you were gonna say that."<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP. <strong>

**WRAITH CELL. **

John is standing at the cell door looking out at the control panel.  
>"Last time we were on one of these ships, McKay was able to open the door by cutting right into the wall." John said.<br>Aiden reaches into the collar of his jacket and pulls out a small knife.  
>"You mean like with a knife?"<br>"You have a knife?"  
>"One for them to find, one to keep. Everybody knows that."<br>"Right! Forgot all about that rule."  
>"Well, it's a good thing I'm here."<br>"Right!" John points towards the part of the panel he wants Aiden to hit. "Now, just, uh, take your time..."  
>Aiden throws the knife into the panel but the door doesn't open. John withdraws his hand, looking annoyed.<br>"I said take your time!"  
>"I hit the exact spot you were pointing at!"<br>"Alright, alright." John looks round at the others. "Anybody else have a knife?"  
>Ronon steps forward and pushes Aiden out of the way, then pulls a small knife out of one of his fingerless gloves. John rolls his eyes. Ronon aims carefully and throws his knife into the wall. The door still doesn't open, but some of the lights inside the cell go out.<br>"Getting warmer."  
>Ronon reaches into his clothing and pulls out another knife.<br>"How many of those things have you got?"  
>"How many d'you need?" Ronon aims at the panel again.<br>҉  
><strong>JACE'S LAB.<strong>

Rodney walks in and goes across to a cabinet on the wall which is filled with bottles of liquid. He stares into the cabinet.  
>McKay began to talk to himself. "OK, you can take them out, easy. Just a few well-placed karate chops and, and, and, and down they go. Piece of cake. Let's, uh..." He reaches for the door of the cabinet, then withdraws his hand and turns away. "Are you an idiot?" He walks away from the cabinet, then turns and walks back to it, staring inside again for a long moment. "Desperate times, desperate measures." He opens the door of the cabinet and reaches for a small vial of the Wraith enzyme, then pauses and instead picks up a large bottle of the enzyme. He lifts it out of the cabinet and stares at it. "That's one hell of a karate chop!"<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP. <strong>

**WRAITH CELL. **

John, Ronon, Frio and Kanayo are standing at the door looking out. There are now four knives sticking out of the control panel outside the cell. Ronon reaches into his hair and pulls out yet another small knife.  
>"You must have a helluva time going through airports!" Frio muttered, scratching her nose.<br>Ronon throws the knife into the panel and the door opens. No-one has been taking any notice of Aiden sitting on a bench behind them but John now realizes that Aiden is injecting himself in the arm.  
>"Ford, what the hell are you doing?" John asked.<br>Ford stood up, rolling his sleeve down. "That's the last of it."  
>"What about the rest of us?" Ronon asked.<br>"You don't need it." Kanayo said.  
>"You don't know that."<br>Everyone heads for the door but John stops Aiden for a moment.  
>"We're heading to the Dart Bay." Aiden glares at John. "Stay together, and stay quiet."<br>Aiden looks at him for a moment, then nods and gestures for John to precede him out of the door. They all leave the cell.  
>҉<br>**JACE'S LAB.**

Rodney is leaning on a bench, groaning in pain as he finishes injecting himself in the arm. The bottle of enzyme stands nearby, empty. Rodney finishes his injection, grunting, and then stands up, his face contorted. He stares in the direction of the doorway.  
>"Lock and load!"<br>He heads out of the room.  
>•<p>

**MAIN ROOM OF AIDEN'S CAVE. **

The guards are engrossed in their board game. Suddenly a hand grabs the bouncer by the shoulder and throws him across the room. The guard rises to his feet and Rodney punches him hard in the face. As the man recoils, Rodney grabs a bottle off the table and smashes it over his head, then punches him hard again. The guard crashes backwards onto the table, which crumples under him. Rodney looks down and points at him.  
>"And that's what happens when you back a brilliant scientist into a corner!"<br>He turns to leave, only to get punched in the face by the bouncer who has come up behind him, and now grabs him by the throat. Rodney slaps at his face with both hands. It's enough to break the man's on his throat, then Rodney kicks him hard in the stomach, knocking him to the floor unconscious. Rodney turns, his eyes wide and staring in hysteria.  
>"Now focus, focus."<br>He goes into Aiden's room, opening a drawer in the desk. There's nothing in there that he needs, so he opens the drawer beside it and finds what he wants.  
>"Ah, control crystals! Yes!"<br>He gathers them up in a piece of cloth and hurries out of the room.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

The team is hurrying through the corridors, John in the lead, when Frio stops him.  
>"Wait." Everyone stops. "They're coming."<br>A Wraith guard walks around the corner.  
>"I got it." He heads towards the guard.<br>"Ford!"  
>The guard fires its stunner at Aiden, hitting him in the chest but the blast has no effect. They go hand to hand and Aiden grabs the stunner and throws it over his shoulder towards Ronon, who catches it. Aiden then rolls to the floor, taking the guard down with him. Ronon aims the blaster at the guard.<br>Ronon spoke to Ford. "Move!"  
>Aiden rolls out of the way and jumps to his feet as Ronon shoots the guard.<br>"More coming!" Kanayo yelled.  
>"This way!" John said, heading the team off as more guards appear.<br>҉  
><strong>AIDEN'S PLANET.<strong>

Rodney is at the Gate, having replaced the control crystals. He is punching symbols on the D.H.D., rambling hysterically to himself as he does it.  
>"Big dose! Big, big dose! But you needed it. You needed it to lay out the guards. Those idiots! 'You want the crystals? You're gonna have to go through us.' Well, I went through you alright, didn't I? Like a hot knife through Jell-O. No, wait, like butter, a hot knife through butter ... Oh, <em>man<em>, am I hungry! Oh, shut up, Rodney. Focus. Must ... finish ... dialing." He finishes inputting the symbols and the Gate starts to dial. "Please work, please work, please please please." He leans on the central button, his eyes bloodshot and his face contorted in an expression of desperation. The Gate whooshes. "OK, go home."

He heads towards the Gate.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

The team walks into a chamber lined with humans held in webbing inside cocoons ready for the Wraith to feed on. John slows down and stares around the room. One of the captives is conscious.  
>"Help us. Please, help us." A woman said weakly.<br>John walked over to her. "She's alive!"  
>Frio was looking at another trapped person. "So is this one."<br>"Let's get them out of here."  
>He and Frio start tearing down the webbing on the cocoons.<br>"We don't have time to stop. This isn't the mission!" Ford said.  
>John turns to face him. "There <em>is<em> no mission, Ford. There's just your stupid plan." He turns back to the woman, whose hands are tied above her head.  
>"If you hadn't screwed up ..."<br>John turns to face him again. "Look, the sooner you stop arguing with me and help me save these people, the quicker we get out of here." As Aiden turns away in disgust, John turns to the woman again and starts to untie her hands.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**GATEROOM. **

The Gate whooshes behind the shield.  
>"Unscheduled activation!" The technician yelled. Illyria comes into the Control Room. The technician consults his screen. "It's Doctor McKay's I.D.C."<br>"Lower the shield!" She runs to the stairs, as slowly as a pregnant woman can, down to the Gateroom as the technician lowers the shield.  
>Rodney walks quickly through the Gate, calling out as he walks into the Gateroom. "I know what I need to do!"<br>Illyria quickly walks up to him, holding her stomach.  
>"Rodney, what's happened?" Rodney starts to walk past her but she grabs his arm as the Gate closes down. "Where are the rest of them? Where is John?"<br>McKay turned to face her and spoke rapidly. "There's no time, no time. The planet - not Ford's, the one the, uh, ship's headed towards, we need to get there and we don't have much time." He paces frenetically around her, gesturing and hyperventilating. "I was barely able to escape myself, but I managed to take out the guards." He stops briefly and points at Illyria grinning. "Oh, you should have seen me! I was amazing! I wish we'd got it on camera because ... That's not the point."  
>"Rodney, slow down. Are you alright?"<br>Rodney's face contorted. "Yes, yes. I mean, um..." He raises his hands, then shrugs and giggles. "I dunno." He starts to pace around Elizabeth again, talking rapidly. "I mean, I did take out the guards and they were huge and dumb and stupid and ..."  
>"What guards?"<br>"Ford's guards! Haven't I mentioned Ford?"  
>"No, you didn't, and you haven't even mentioned Sheppard, Frio and Ronon either."<br>McKay pointed at her triumphantly. "Yes! They were there too, and there were the two guards." He gestures above his head, indicating how tall they were, although he exaggerates their height somewhat. "They were huge and massive and I had to take 'em out, so I had to inject some of the enzyme."  
>"You took some of the enzyme?"<br>McKay was pacing, and talking rapidly. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no. I didn't take some of the enzyme. I took a _lot_ of the enzyme, because I _had_ to, because I had to take out the guards, which I did, and you should have seen me," he stops walking and turns to Illyria, his voice getting more and more high-pitched. "I was _amazing_!"  
>"Are you insane?"<br>McKay was breathing rapidly, his face contorted. "Yes, yes, now that I've taken the enzyme, yes."  
>"Rodney, focus. Where is Colonel Sheppard?" Illyria said sternly.<br>"No, no, no, I had to take the enzyme because, because I had to take out the guards! But that's not the point - the point is we don't have enough time." He starts to pace again. "We need to stop the ship from getting to where the ship is going."  
>Illyria puts one arm through one of his and the other around his shoulder to turn him around.<br>"Come on, come on, let's take a walk to the Infirmary, alright?" She starts to walk him away from the Gate.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, what are you doing?" He pulls free of her. "No-no-no-no, I don't wanna go to the Infirmary. I wanna go to the, to the, uh ..." he points to somewhere in the city. "the, um..."<br>His knees buckle under him and he passes out. As guards run to pick him up, Illyria activates her headset radio.  
>"Carson, we have an emergency. We're headed to you."<p>

"_Is it the baby?"_

"Rodney."  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

**FOOD STORAGE CHAMBER. **

Aiden is helping a captive out of one of the cocoons. Nearby, John and Kanayo are lifting the woman out of her cocoon. Four Wraith guards run towards the chamber. Ronon, who was keeping watch, fires his blaster at them. As they return fire, John and Frio each grab a woman who they have freed and try to help them out of the chamber.  
>"Ford!" John yells.<br>The firing continues. John is struck in the back by a stunner blast and drops to the ground. Frio is struck by another blast and also falls. At the doorway to the chamber, a guard punches Ronon to the ground. Aiden attacks another guard, who eventually punches him to the ground. The guard walks forward into the chamber, aiming its stunner but Aiden kicks its legs out from under it as it passes him, then jumps up and attacks another guard. They wrestle for a few moments, then another guard slams a two-fisted punch into Aiden's back. He drops to the ground. He tries to rise but one of the guards slams its boot into his back, shoving him back down. Again he tries to rise and again the guard kicks him down. This time, for good measure, one of the guards fires a stunner blast into his back and this time he stays down, almost unconscious. One of the women who was freed from captivity sits on the floor, looking terrified as the guards walk into the chamber. She whimpers as one of them hauls her to her feet and takes her away. Aiden is dragged out by his feet  
>•<p>

**SPACE. **

The two hive ships are now in hyperspace.

**WRAITH CELL.**

Frio, sitting on the floor leaning against a wall, regains consciousness. Ronon is sitting on a bench opposite her, while Kanayo is standing by the cell door.  
>"Are you alright?" Ronon asks.<br>"I think so." Frio sighs.  
>"You were shot by Wraith stunners. You both went down pretty quick. The effects of the enzyme must be wearing off." Kanayo told them.<br>Frio looks around the cell. "Where are the others?"

**ANOTHER WRAITH CELL.**

John is lying unconscious on the floor. He wakes up and props himself up on his elbows, groaning. Aiden is squatting near the cell door.  
>"Feeling better?"<br>Not answering, John looks around the cell and sees the woman who he rescued sitting on the floor nearby, looking at him nervously. She is, almost inevitably, young and pretty.  
>"Her name's Neera." Ford introduces her to John. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."<br>John nods to her. "Hi." He looks at Aiden. "Where are the others?"  
>"They split us up into separate cells. I guess the Wraith figured that keeping us in smaller groups would make it tougher to escape." John nods. "We shouldn't have stopped."<br>"What's done is done, Lieutenant."  
>"No! First you set off the alarms, and then you stop to rescue people when you know damned well the Wraith are on our tail? It's like you're purposefully sabotaging this mission. You hate to see me succeed at anything."<br>"You've got a lot of issues to work out, Ford."  
>Aiden looks away, calms down and looks back at John. "Frio and Ronon went down too quick when they were shot. The enzyme's wearing off."<br>"You feeling anything yet?"  
>Aiden sighs. "Not yet." He stands up. "But I will. It's happened before when I've run out of the enzyme. It gets pretty bad. So we gotta figure a way out of here." He glances at Neera. "And no more unnecessary stops."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Colonel Caldwell and Illyria walk to the Infirmary. As they arrive, Doctor Beckett is just turning away from Rodney's bedside, sighing. He walks over to them, surprised to see Caldwell.  
>"Colonel Caldwell! I didn't think you were due back here for days."<br>"Queen Illyria requested that we join the search A.S.A.P., so we pushed the engines a little."  
>Illyria was looking towards Rodney. "How is he?"<br>Rodney is lying in bed with his eyes closed. He has an oxygen mask over his face and he is restless and convulsing gently. He has restraints around his wrists, holding him down to the bed.  
>"I've sedated him; administered a beta blocker to bring his blood pressure down to a more manageable level. It's a wonder he didn't suffer a stroke."<br>"Did he mention anything further about the location of Colonel Sheppard and his team?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Nothing coherent, I'm afraid. By the time he arrived here, he was hyperventilating, pulse extremely rapid. He could barely get out a word - although, being Rodney, he certainly tried." Carson smiles ruefully.<br>Illyria smiles briefly. "How much of the enzyme did he take?"  
>"A very big dose, I'm afraid. I found a significant amount of it in his system - nearly as much as Lieutenant Ford."<br>"Alright - can you wean him off it?"  
>"I wish I could. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Ford took the last supply of our enzyme when he left Atlantis, so an incremental withdrawal is out of the question."<br>"Unless we harvest more enzyme." Caldwell suggested.  
>Illyria raises her eyebrows at this.<br>"Not an option. By the time you go out and collect it, the enzyme will have broken down in his system already. No, I'm afraid for Rodney the only choice is ..."

"... cold turkey." Caldwell nodded.  
>"Aye, to put it bluntly. I can administer some drugs to help ease the process: anti-nausea medication, pain reliever, benzodiazepine for anxiety, as well as a multi-vitamin injection to bolster the immune system ..."<br>"Good." Illyria said.

"...but there's no dodging the fact it's gonna be difficult - possibly even deadly."  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP. **

**WRAITH CELL 1. **

Ronon stands near the cell door as a Wraith guard walks past. He turns and walks to a bench to sit down. Frio looks at him.  
>"Are you alright?"<br>"Mmm. Just tired." Ronon said.  
>He lies down on the bench. Nearby, Kanayo is squatting on the floor and leaning against the wall, clearly in distress.<br>"No. The enzyme's leaving your bodies. Mine too." Kanayo mumbled.  
>"How bad will it get?" Frio asked.<br>"Bad. Maybe not for you - you guys haven't been on the enzyme for long." Kanayo's voice becomes tearful. "But me, on the other hand..."  
>҉<br>**WRAITH CELL 2.**

Aiden is lying on the floor covered in sweat and gasping. Neera is crouched over him, mopping his brow with a cloth. Aiden opens his eyes and looks at her.  
>"Thank you."<br>John walks over and squats down to him.  
>"How're you holding up, Lieutenant?"<br>Aiden sighs.  
>"OK." He struggles to prop himself up on his elbows. "I just need to get my hands on some more enzyme. Then I'll be able to get us out of here."<br>"We'll do it together. With or without the enzyme, we're a team, remember?"  
>Aiden lays back down.<br>"I remember."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**INFIRMARY. **

Rodney is awake. The oxygen mask has been replaced with a nasal cannula. He is sweating and hyperactive. Carson is at his bedside.  
>"Don't just stand there - get me more enzyme." McKay said frantically.<br>"We don't have any."  
>"It's the cave - Ford's cave - he's got a, a whole cabinet of it. There's, there's dozens of vials."<br>Carson bends down to Rodney.  
>"Do you know the address?"<br>"What?" McKay stares wide-eyed at Carson for a moment, then stares up at the ceiling hysterically. "No!"  
>Carson sighs and straightens up.<br>"I'm sorry, Rodney."  
>McKay was hysterical. "You don't have to scream at me!"<br>Carson has been talking very quietly so far. Again, quietly, he said, "I'm not screaming."  
>"This is fun for you, isn't it, watching me like this?"<br>"I assure you, it's not."  
>"What is this, payback? You're jealous, huh? Jealous of how vital I am to this mission - vital, vital - jealous of how I get to go off world and, and you get stuck in this stupid, pathetic excuse for a hospital."<br>"You know that's not true."  
>"Jealous I get all the women and you don't!"<br>"Excuse me?" Carson almost laughed.  
>McKay was sobbing. "Please, just give me a little enzyme - just enough to take the edge off. I'm dying here."<br>"I told you, we don't have any."  
>"You think I don't know you're lying?" McKay said furiously.<br>"I'm not lying."  
>"You are. You think I don't think you are but you are. And don't think I won't forget it..." He trails off, confused at what he has just said.<br>Carson was equally confused. "What?"  
>McKay was sobbing. "I don't know! Just kill me."<br>Carson said, quietly under his breath, "I wish!" A little louder, but still softly "It'll pass."  
>"Don't shout! I am right here."<br>Carson turns to a couple of nurses nearby.  
>"Perhaps we should move him to a more secluded area."<br>"What - so you can kill me in private? Stab another knife in my back, huh?"  
>Carson leans down again and puts a reassuring hand on Rodney's shoulder.<br>"Rodney - no-one's trying to kill you."  
>McKay was frantic and hysterical. "You have no idea of the agony I'm going through."<br>Carson looks down at him sympathetically.  
>"Oh, I have an inkling."<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP. <strong>

**WRAITH CELL 1. **

Ronon is sitting on the bench, covered in sweat, hugging his stomach and gasping.  
>"Kanayo, you need to be strong." Frio was talking to Kanayo who was lying on the ground convulsing and groaning as Frio crouches over him. She too is sweating and agitated. "Fight it!" She stands up and runs over to Ronon. "I do not know what else to do for him."<br>"There's nothing we _can_ do."  
>As Ronon gasps around his own pain, Kanayo convulses and groans and writhes on the floor. His agony reaches a peak and he falls limp. Frio runs over and crouches down to him.<br>"Kanayo?" Tentatively, Frio reaches out to press her fingers against his neck, and then looks up at Ronon in anguish. "He's dead." She stands and walks over to him.  
>"Is that what's gonna happen to us?" Ronon asks.<br>At that moment, a male Wraith and two guards approach the cell door. The Wraith stops outside the door, looks inside and hisses. Ronon gets to his feet. He and Frio look round to Kanayo, then look at the Wraith. It stares down at Kanayo's body. Ronon, still hugging himself, stumbles forward to look into the Wraith's face.  
>"One less for you to feed on?"<br>One of the guards raises its stunner and shoots him. He crumples to the floor, whimpering in pain. The door to the cell opens and the Wraith walks in to stand face to face with Frio. It leans down and puts its face very close to hers as if to ascertain her state of health. Still staring into her face, it addresses the guards.  
>"Take him."<br>One of the guards walks into the cell, takes one of Kanayo's arms and drags him out of the cell. Once it has left, the Wraith straightens up and leaves the cell.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**INFIRMARY. **

Illyria comes in to find Carson sitting at Rodney's bedside. Rodney is finally quiet and his eyes are closed.  
>"How is he?" She rubbed her belly, walking over to stand beside Carson's chair.<br>Carson turns around, sighing tiredly.  
>"Asleep - finally. Mercifully."<br>Illyria smiles briefly.  
>"Has he mentioned anything about John and the others?"<br>"No, not yet. Our conversation was of a different sort. I feel not unlike the priest in "The Exorcist"." He smiles ruefully at her, then looks back to Rodney. "Well, he's through the worst of it. The nausea has passed, his pulse has returned to normal, blood pressure in a more reasonable range, considering his borderline hypertension before taking the enzyme."  
>"Good."<br>"I hate to say it, but his stubbornness is probably what's sustained him throughout the ordeal."  
>"Hmm!" She raises her eyebrows. "We won't tell him that, though."<br>"Aye - mustn't feed the beast!"  
>Illyria smiled. "No!" She looks at Carson. "You should get some rest. You look exhausted."<br>"I'll stay with him just a wee bit longer - just to make sure he's out of the woods."  
>Illyria smiles and turns to leave, then turns back.<br>"Carson? Nice work."  
>"Thanks, Illyria." He smiles. Illyria turns and leaves, but Carson stopped her. "How's the wee one?"<p>

"The little monster that won't stop kicking?" Illyria raised her eyebrows and rubbed her stomach. "Only 13 weeks left, give or take a couple days. Though…he worries. We both do."

"You'll want to watch out for signs of labor caused by stress. Premature babies have a much higher risk of illness and even death due to low birth weight and underdevelopment, so if you see signs…."

"What should I do if this happens?"

"Besides contacting me? If you think you might be in premature labor, try drinking several glasses of water and lying down on your left side. While doing this, feel your stomach for contractions. Good news is, he's a little over 2 pounds."

Illyria smiled. "Thanks Carson."

҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP. <strong>

**WRAITH CELL 2. **

Aiden is still lying on the floor. His convulsions are worse. Neera is trying to mop his brow.  
>"Come on, buddy, hang in there. Don't leave us."<br>"Yes, sir." He gasps for breath. "I'm sorry, sir."  
>"No, none of that. The mission's not over, remember? We've still gotta figure a way to get out of here. You hear me?"<br>"Yes, sir."  
>"Aiden. You can make it through this."<br>Aiden rolls over onto his side, coughing. At that moment the door to the cell opens and another male Wraith and two guards are standing there. John stands to meet them as they walk in.  
>"Move away from him."<br>The guards walk over to Aiden and pick him up.  
>"What are you gonna do with him?"<br>"Move _away_."  
>"He's sick!"<br>"That is why we're taking him."  
>It snarls at John as the guards drag Aiden out, then turns and leaves. As the door closes, John runs forward and calls out.<br>"Where? Where are you taking him?"  
>The Wraith doesn't reply but Neera does.<br>"To a cocoon." John turns to face her. "It will preserve him - keep him from dying."  
>John turns and gazes out of the door again.<br>"Until they're ready to feed."

**SPACE.**

The two hive ships continue to make their way through hyperspace.

**WRAITH CELL 2.**

John is still standing at the door.  
>"I'm sorry. It's my fault you got caught - I should never have asked you to stop." Neera apologized.<br>"It's OK. You were trapped in one of those cocoons; no-one can blame you for wanting out."  
>"Now your friend has taken my place."<br>"Not for long - not if I can help it."  
>Neera looks around the cell.<br>"How will you get us out of here?"  
>"OK, I haven't figured that part out yet - but when I do, it's gonna be real impressive."<br>"The Wraith will not allow us to escape."  
>"Yeah, well, I try not to let them tell me what I can and can't do."<br>Neera looked surprised. "You do not fear them?"  
>"The Wraith? Naah. Now <em>clowns<em> - that's another story. Scare the crap out of me."  
>Neera gazes at him blankly.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**ILLYRIA'S (ELIZABETH'S) OFFICE**.

Illyria is sitting at her desk working on a laptop when the door slides open and Rodney, looking fully recovered, walks in.  
>"Well, look at you." She stands up and walks around the desk, hugging him tightly around the neck.<br>"Ah, yes. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as the idiom goes."  
>"You gave us quite a scare."<br>"It was very strange. The whole time I was under the influence of the enzyme, it felt like I was, uh, I was perfectly lucid - eloquent, even. That it was _you_ who wasn't making any sense or listening to reason. It was very peculiar. I think I kind of understand how Ford must have been feeling this whole time."  
>Illyria nods understandingly.<br>"Rodney? What happened out there? And where are the others?"  
>"I don't know exactly, but I think I can figure it out." They start to walk towards the Control Room. "I told you Ford's alive."<br>"Well, you told me, but I did not believe you."  
>"The man is nothing if not resilient. He's been busy, too. He's gathered himself together a little gang, doped them all up on the enzyme." He reaches his station in the Control Room and sits down. "They're the ones that caught us, drugged us, and coerced Sheppard, Frio and Ronon to join them on a mission to destroy a hive ship."<br>Illyria stares at him in disbelief.  
>"A hive ship?"<br>"Yeah, they managed to steal themselves a Dart. Like I said, he's been busy. Look, when they didn't return from the mission, I realised something had obviously gone wrong. Now, I have the coordinates to the planet that the hive ship was headed towards to cull."  
>"So if the team is still alive - maybe captured on the ship - there's a chance we can rescue them."<br>"Yeah. At the very least we can warn the planet of the impending culling."  
>Illyria was heading back towards her office. "I'll alert Colonel Caldwell."<br>"Very good."  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP. **

**WRAITH CELL 1. **

Frio is dozing on the bench with Ronon's coat under her head as a pillow. She wakes and sits up fast, looking around for Ronon in a panic. She relaxes when she sees him sitting on the floor nearby.  
>"How're you feeling?" He asks.<br>Frio swings her legs onto the floor. She doesn't seem as agitated as before and has less sweat on her face.  
>"Better. You?"<br>Ronon also looks calmer than before.  
>"Ready to get out of here."<br>Frio looks around the cell.  
>"You had any luck finding an escape?"<br>"I think our only chance is to try to create a diversion - try to overpower them the next time they come in here."  
>Frio nods her agreement.<br>"Have you thought of Lieutenant Ford? If his withdrawal was as severe as Kanayo's ..."  
>Ronon stands up, then leans down to bring his face level to hers.<br>"If it distracts you, clear your mind of it. If it fuels your anger," he smiles briefly "use it."  
>Frio thinks about it. From the expression on her face, she has taken the latter option.<br>҉  
><strong>WRAITH CELL 2.<strong>

John is examining the cell door.  
>"D'you have anything sharp - knife, hairpin, anything that'd puncture the skin on these walls?"<br>"No."  
>"It's just that everyone in my last cell had one, so ..."<br>Neera walks closer to him.  
>"Your people were taken by the Wraith too?"<br>"A few."  
>"My whole world was destroyed, and my people taken and brought here. I watched as my own mother and younger brother were fed upon."<br>"Sorry to hear that."  
>"We had no means to fight the Wraith. We are a simple, peaceful people."<br>"We're peaceful too, but the good news is, we have the means to put up a helluva fight."  
>"You have fought the Wraith before?"<br>"Lots of times. Won some battles; lost some. War's not over by a long shot, but we're managing to hold our own."  
>"And the clowns?"<br>"'The clowns'? Oh, yeah, the clowns. We fight them too - entire armies, spilling out of Volkswagens. We do our best to fight them off, but they keep sending 'em in!"  
>He looks anguished. Neera gazes at him sympathetically.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>

Rodney and Caldwell are walking through corridors, followed by Major Lorne and Doctor Radek Zelenka.  
>"According to Ford's intel, the planet has a space Gate. If we could get there quickly in a Puddle Jumper, we wouldn't be able to do much more than just warn people of the impending culling." McKay said.<br>"Do we have enough time?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Yes."<br>"We think." Zelenka corrected.  
>"We <em>should<em>." McKay stressed.  
>"We <em>hope<em>."  
>"It'll be close, yes, but using the Daedalus we might be able to get a radio lock on Sheppard and the team inside the hive ship. If they're still alive, we can beam them out."<br>"Alright. Let's get this bird off the ground." Caldwell announced.  
>He and Rodney head off. Lorne follows them as Radek stops walking.<br>"Coming with us?" Lorne asked Zelenka.  
>"Uh, no, no." He watches Lorne walk off, then looks around for the nearest exit. "Right!"<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP. <strong>

**WRAITH CELL 2. **

John is sitting on the floor leaning against a wall. Neera walks over, sits down beside him and snuggles into his shoulder.  
>"For warmth."<br>John looks uncomfortable, thinking of Illyria.  
>Nervously, he said, "OK." He tentatively puts his arm around her shoulder. "How's that? Better?"<br>"Yes. Thanks. How long will they keep us in here?"  
>"That's a very good question."<br>"If we're able to escape, where will I go?"  
>"Wherever you want."<br>Neera looks up at him.  
>"Can I go with you to your world?"<br>"Sure. Why not? I'm sure we can find a spare room."  
>"I'd like that. What is it like, your world?"<br>"It's nice - comfortable, good climate."  
>"Tell me what it looks like."<br>"Like every other world, I suppose: trees, water, mountains, Starbucks on every corner."  
>"What is it called?"<br>John finally realizes what she is doing and hesitates.  
>"Uh, d'you mind if we pick this up after we get some sleep?"<br>"Yes, of course." She snuggles deeper into his shoulder, puts her hand on his chest and closes her eyes. John frowns suspiciously.

**LATER.**

John and Neera are shaken awake by the ship juddering violently.  
>"What is it?"<br>The background noises of the ship's engines sound like they're powering down.  
>"I don't know. Must've just dropped out of hyperspace." John stands up and offers his hand to Neera to pull her to her feet. "Maybe they're getting ready for the culling."<br>With his back to the door, he hasn't seen what's approaching. The door opens and a male Wraith grabs him by the jacket and throws him out of the door into the hands of a couple of guards.  
>"Take him." It looks round at Neera, hisses, and then walks away. The door closes.<p>

**HIVE QUEEN'S CHAMBER.**

John is brought into the chamber and made to stand on the dais in the center of the room again. The Hive Queen enters the room.  
>"Shall we talk now?"<br>"About what?"  
>The Queen walks onto the dais and walks around John to stand behind him.<br>"You _are_ stubborn."  
>"Yes, I am –" he turns to face the Queen "and, uh, she's very pretty, by the way." The Queen narrows her eyes at him. "Neera - the girl you planted in the cocoon for us to rescue after you let us escape. The one that was supposed to get information from me." He stares at the Queen. "It's never gonna happen."<br>The Queen hisses at him.

҉  
><strong>HYPERSPACE. <strong>

**DAEDALUS. **

**BRIDGE. **

Colonel Caldwell is standing at the glass space map talking to Rodney and Major Lorne. He indicates a position on the map.  
>"We drop out of hyperspace directly behind the planet - use it to shield us from the hive ship and we can attempt radio contact with Colonel Sheppard."<br>"But we won't be _able_ to make radio contact from behind the planet." McKay said.  
>"Which is why you and Major Lorne will take a cloaked Puddle Jumper to get close enough to determine if Colonel Sheppard and his team are still aboard the ship. If they are, we'll move into position around the planet and beam 'em out."<br>"And if they're not there?" Lorne asked.  
>"We'll beam a nuke aboard the ship and destroy it."<br>"What if they jam us like they did before?" McKay asked.  
>"Doctor, you worry about getting Colonel Sheppard and his team out of that ship. Let me worry about destroying it, OK?"<br>҉  
><strong>WRAITH SHIP. <strong>

**HIVE QUEEN'S CHAMBER. **

Neera comes into the chamber, accompanied by two other young women.  
>"Ah, there y'are. I guess an empty room's off the table, but nice try back there in the cell." He turns to face the Queen. "I knew there must have been a good reason for you to let us break out, but that was quite the performance. Where'd you find her?"<br>"She is one of many thousands that have come to serve us - even worship us." She walks around John to get closer to Neera. "They do my bidding," she runs her hand down Neera's face as Neera gazes at her adoringly "and I let them live."  
>"A Wraith-worshipper, uh? Wow."<br>"The prophecy of The Great Awakening has come to pass. The end of days have come to the..."  
>John interrupted Neera as he thinks quickly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know about that because, uh, I'm one too." The Queen looks at him. "Although in my case, it's not so much worship as it is a meaningful business relationship."<br>"You lie."  
>"OK, tell me this: how else could I get my hands on a Dart? And who else could provide me with specific instructions on how to infiltrate your hive and destroy it?"<br>"Of which queen do you speak?"  
>"Gotta have a window on this boat, doncha? Take a look. The other hive that joined you for the culling - a lot more people to feed on when you don't have to share."<br>"I will speak to her of this."  
>"You don't really think she'd admit to trying to have you killed, do you?"<br>"Enough! {Enough!} {Enough!}"  
>As her voice echoes in John's mind, he falls to his knees in front of her. She places her hand on his shoulder.<br>"I shall savour your defiance!"  
>She raises her other hand ready to plunge it into his chest but at that moment she is struck by a blaster beam. As she stumbles backwards, Neera and the young women start to flee the room. Aiden appears in another doorway and guns down the two guards standing there. He tosses the blaster to John. A male Wraith nearby shoots Aiden with a stunner but again the blast has no effect. John fires his blaster at the Wraith and takes it down. He looks round at the fleeing Neera, then turns and hurries over to Aiden, who is also carrying a pack of gear which he hands over to John after taking a P-90 out of it.<br>"How'd you get our weapons back?"  
>"That was the easy part. Getting some more enzyme - that was harder."<br>They hurry out of the room. John guns down an approaching guard.  
>"You're one tough son of a bitch!" He starts to run off, then stops as he realizes that Aiden has stopped and is aiming his weapon back in the direction they just came from. "What are you doing?"<br>Aiden turns and points in the direction that John was heading.  
>"Down that hall, fifty meters, turn left. It'll take you to Frio and Ronon's cell. I'll hold the Wraith back for you."<br>John walks towards him.  
>"You're coming with me."<br>"I'll hold the Wraith back, boss. Now go. I'll be OK."  
>"I'm not going without you, Lieutenant."<br>"I'll catch up. Now GO!" He runs off, just as a high-pitched screaming alarm starts to sound.  
>John called after him. "Ford! Oh, crap." He turns and heads off.<br>҉  
><strong>WRAITH CELL 1.<strong>

Frio and Ronon hear the alarm.  
>"Get ready." Ronon walks to the doorway as Frio sits down on the bench. John races around the corner towards them. Frio jumps up and runs to the door as Ronon grins.<br>"How 'bout I bust you guys out of here?"  
>"If you don't mind." Ronon grumbled.<br>John turns and fires his blaster into the control panel. The door opens. John looks down at the blaster before handing it to Ronon.  
>"I've gotta get myself one of these. Where's Kanayo?"<br>"He's dead. Ford?" Frio asked.  
>John was getting a pistol out of the pack. "Well, last I saw he was alive - I'm stickin' with that."<br>They hurry out of the cell.  
>҉<br>**SPACE.**

Daedalus comes out of hyperspace and takes up position behind the planet.  
>"Jumper One, you have a go."<br>(In the Jumper)  
>"On our way. Engaging cloak." Lorne said.<br>The Jumper leaves a launch bay, cloaking as it goes. It flies around the planet. Rodney looks at the display on the windscreen.  
>"Oh, no. There's two of them!"<br>"You said there was only one."  
>"Well, there <em>was<em> only one!"  
>"Now there's two!"<br>"I can see that!"  
>Lorne sighs. "Let's try and hail Colonel Sheppard."<br>Rodney reaches up to activate his headset.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

John, Frio and Ronon race through the corridors. They stop as they reach the Dart Bay, where Darts are taking off.  
>"The culling is beginning." Frio said, looking around.<br>"We've gotta stop 'em."  
>"How?" Ronon asked John.<br>"Stay here. When I give you my signal, get out in the open" He runs into the Bay.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS BRIDGE.**  
>"Jumper One, what's your status?"<br>_"We're unable to establish a radio link with Colonel Sheppard or the others on either of the hive ships." Lorne reported. __  
><em>_ "Which doesn't necessary mean they're not __on__ either of the ships. Look, they could have had their radios taken from them."_  
>"We can't make that assumption. Return to the Daedalus immediately."<br>_"Almost there now."_  
>"Good. We need to take those ships out before they start culling."<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP.<strong>

Having waited a while, Frio and Ronon make their way cautiously to the entrance of the Dart Bay. Most of the Darts are flying in one direction, but one flies in the opposite direction, then loops around and heads down towards the walkway.  
>"Is that his signal?" Frio asked.<br>"It'd better be."  
>The two of them walk out onto the walkway. The Dart swoops over them, activates its transporter beam and sweeps them up.<br>(Inside the Dart, John is indeed flying the ship.)  
>"Oh, I sure hope that worked."<br>He joins the other Darts and follows them out of the hive ship. From an outside perspective, we see that hundreds of Darts are leaving the ship. A short distance away, hundreds more pour out of the second hive ship, and all head towards the planet.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

The ship is moving to engage the two hive ships. As Rodney and Lorne come onto the Bridge, Caldwell gives instructions to his Weapons Officer.  
>"Max power to the shields. Are we within transport range?"<br>"Yes, sir. We have a weapons lock on coordinates inside the first enemy vessel" The weapons officer said.  
>"Deploy warhead." Caldwell ordered.<br>The Officer tries, but a message comes up on his screen saying, "UNABLE TO LOCK COORDINATES".  
>"The enemy has engaged counter measures to block our transport." The officer said.<br>"They're jamming us again!" McKay yelled.  
>Daedalus jolts under impacts.<br>"We're under fire." The weapons officer stated the obvious.  
>"Forward rail positions, return fire!"<br>Daedalus continues to move towards the two ships which, side by side, are both firing on her. She returns fire, her shields holding against the onslaught - for the time being.  
>҉<br>**WRAITH DART.**

John is trying to make sense of the readings on the canopy of the ship.  
>"This is not good. Not good, not good."<br>He breaks off from the fleet of Darts heading for the planet and heads towards the second hive ship.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

A panel explodes on the Bridge.  
>"How much of this can the shields take?" Lorne asked.<br>McKay was consulting a screen on the side wall. "Not much. They're already down twenty percent." A panel above his head explodes. "Woah!"  
>A console explodes. Caldwell stands up and walks over to Rodney, who has now come to the front of the Bridge.<br>"Our people have been in Wraith hands too long. We have to assume they've been compromised and that the Wraith know that Atlantis wasn't destroyed. We need to win this."  
>More consoles and panels explode behind them.<br>҉  
><strong>WRAITH DART.<strong>

John works out where the weapons control is. He activates it, and a target appears on the canopy. From an outside perspective, we see that he has reached the second hive ship, and he now opens fire on it, swooping around and over the ship, firing as he goes.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

Rodney points towards the second hive ship.  
>"Look - see that?"<br>"What?" Caldwell asked.  
>"It's a Dart firing on one of the hive ships."<br>"Why?"  
>Rodney stares at the ship, realizing what must be happening.<br>"Sheppard!"  
>҉<br>**WRAITH DART.**

John continues to fire on the hive ship. Out in space, the Darts from the two ships turn and start to fire at each other.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

On the Bridge, the crew stares in amazement as the two hive ships stop firing at Daedalus and begin to fire at each other.  
>"I don't believe what I'm seeing." Caldwell muttered.<br>"Sheppard's actually getting them to fire at each other!" Lorne shouted.  
>Rodney smiles in delight.<br>Side by side, the two hive ships continue to fire a barrage of missiles at each other. Finally the onslaught becomes too much and there is a massive explosion, followed by a second one. The shockwave sweeps across Daedalus and everyone flinches from the light. As the light dies down, Rodney stares in horror, then turns and runs to a screen on the wall. He looks at the screen, then turns to face Caldwell and Lorne.  
>"That blast has destroyed everything in a fifteen thousand meter radius." McKay said.<br>Caldwell spoke to his Weapons Officer. "Did any Darts survive?"  
>The officer was checking his screens. "Negative, sir."<br>Caldwell and Lorne look somber. Rodney comes to the view screen again, his face full of shock and grief.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

The technician is receiving a radio message.  
>"Copy that. Atlantis out." He stands and walks towards Weir's office. "Queen Illyria?"<br>Illyria hurries out of her office.  
>"We received word from Daedalus. They said they should be back to Atlantis by nineteen hundred hours."<br>"They called the search off?"  
>"They said there was nothing to search for."<br>The two of them gaze at each other for a moment. Illyria stumbled back as if she had been hit in the gut. The technician caught hold of her arm, his other hand reaching up to his radio. Illyria stopped him, straightening up and leaning heavily against the wall for support. Her eyes hollow.  
>"Thank you."<br>The technician wanted to say more, but nods and walks away. Illyria stares after him in shock for a moment, then turns to walk back into her office. Before she can get there, the Gate starts to dial in and alarms sound.  
>"Off world activation!"<br>Illyria turns, a look of determined hope on her face, and heads into the Control Room.  
>"Who is it?"<br>"We have an I.D.C." He smiles up at her. "It's Colonel Sheppard's code!"  
>"Let them in!" She yells as she runs for the stairs, supporting her stomach with her hand.<p>

Grinning, the technician rolls his chair across to the console and hits the panel to lower the shield. As Illyria trots down the stairs, Ronon, John and Frio stroll through the Gate, John making a placatory gesture to the two marines standing either side of the Gate with their weapons raised. Illyria runs across the Gateroom floor to meet the three of them, slinging her arms around John's neck, only letting go to kiss Ronon's cheek.  
>"Sorry we're late." John smiles and kissed her deeply, making some of the women blush with envy and the surrounding men grin like wolves. When they broke off for air, Illyria smiled delightedly at them.<br>(On the edge of the city, Daedalus comes in for a landing.)  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Ronon, dressed in hospital whites, is lying on a bed while Carson shines a penlight into one of his eyes. Frio, also in whites, is sitting cross-legged on the bed next to his while John is standing behind Illyria who sat nearby. Carson finishes his examination and helps Ronon to sit up.  
>"Alright. Up you go."<br>Rodney and Caldwell come in.  
>"Why aren't you dead?"<br>John turns to face him.  
>"Ah, it's good to see you too, Rodney."<br>"No, no, I mean - well, you know what I mean. Why aren't you - dead?"  
>"Well, I knew when the hives started to shoot at each other, it was just a matter of time before they blew each other up, so I went to the space Gate and dialed an address where I could land safely. I didn't think the Dart could fit in our Gateroom."<br>"The Colonel was kind enough to make us whole again, and we returned home." Frio said.  
>"I'm curious, Sheppard - how did you know the Wraith would fight each other?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Uh, a little intel. from Ford in the game, plus, uh, well, I kinda goosed things along with the Queen."  
>"It would appear the Wraith are becoming more territorial than we had thought. There is definite tension building among them." Illyria said to Caldwell.<br>"Which is good for us." Ronon smiled.  
>"Certainly is. It also opens a brand new strategy in fighting them." Illyria nods at Caldwell, who stares at her for a moment, then looks away, thinking about it.<br>"Hmm!" McKay looks around the Infirmary. "And, and, where's Ford?"  
>"He was aboard the hive ship when it was destroyed." Frio said.<br>"He was last _seen_ aboard the hive ship." John corrected.  
>"What does <em>that<em> mean?" McKay asked.  
>"Well, you know Ford. I wouldn't be surprised if we run into him again." John held Illyria's hand and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.<p> 


	19. Chapter 17

**AN:/ EXCITING TWIST AT THE END! **

**ALIEN PLANET. **

Team Sheppard - Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Doctor Rodney McKay, Marissa Frio and Ronon Dex - has arrived at a mountain range which, although we can't see all of it, suggests that it might be circular, surrounding a large crater. The team has walked through a forest or woodland and has reached a cliff wall.  
>"Why do you have to park so far away?" McKay complained to John.<br>"This ridge was a little further away than it looked. You can't just land a Jumper anywhere, Rodney."  
>"Ah, it doesn't matter now, I think we're almost there." He continues walking, looking down at a hand-held Ancient device as he walks along.<br>"Rodney, do you even know what it is we are looking for?" Marissa asked.  
>"Yeah, well, whatever it is, it's around here somewhere."<br>"What's around here?" Ronon asked.  
>"Whatever it was that was causing the energy spike we detected from the Puddle Jumper."<br>"D'you have any idea what that looks like?" John asked.  
>"I'll know it when I see it..." McKay looks to his left and points "...and I see it."<br>The team walks in the direction he pointed. Rodney pulls back some trailing vines hanging down from the cliff. There's a small cave inside and at the far end is a square archway carved through the wall.  
>"Looks like a door."<br>McKay looked back at Ronon. "Yes, it is remarkably door-like!"  
>He rolls his eyes and turns towards the cave again. John pulls down some of the vines and the team walks into the cave, John and Marissa aiming their guns cautiously. They approach the doorway. There is another cave on the other side.<br>"Well, looks like the only way through the ridge anyway. It runs for miles. Alright, let's check it out." He starts to walk forward.  
>McKay consulted his device. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. There's something there."<br>John stopped short of the doorway. "What?"  
>"Some kind of an energy barrier around the threshold." McKay said.<br>John looks at the doorway for a moment, then turns and finds a large pebble on the ground. He picks it up and tosses it towards the doorway. As the pebble reaches the doorway, a blue light glows around it as it goes through the energy field and then the pebble vanishes in mid-air.  
>"It disappeared." Marissa said.<br>"Or it went right through a cloak." John said.  
>McKay was looking at his device. "It has many of the same properties as a cloaking field."<br>"Yeah, and the Ancients did tend to hide all the really cool stuff."  
>"Yeah - I would just like to be able to explain these readings better before we step through." McKay clicks his fingers several times and turns to Marissa and Ronon. "Get me a branch." As they walk away, he turns to John. "You got tape?" John squats down and starts to rummage in his backpack. "Because ..." he reaches into his jacket "... I got a camera!" He pulls the camera out, and then looks up in despair as Ronon presents him with the branch he found. "I didn't ask for a log!" He glares at Ronon, who turns and walks away with his log as Marissa comes in with a much thinner branch. "Thank you! OK, so ..." he holds the camera against the end of the branch that Marissa is holding "... tape it to the stick ..." John unwraps the end of the duct tape he has taken out of his pack and starts to wrap it around the camera and the branch "... we extend the camera through, record for a few minutes, pull it back, play the recorder."<br>"Yeah! M.A.L.P. on a stick!" John smiled.  
>Rodney looks at him in exasperation.<br>"Yes, M.A.L.P. on a stick! Very clever. Are we done?"  
>John finishes taping the camera to the branch.<br>"Yep!"  
>Rodney takes the branch from Marissa and carefully feeds the camera end into the field. The part of the field surrounding the branch glows blue as he feeds it through. As it passes through the field, it disappears from view. Marissa walks over to the cave wall near the doorway and looks at writing carved on the wall.<br>"I am not fluent in Ancient but I do recognize a few words: 'welcome' and 'ascension'."  
>"Ascension?" Ronon asked.<br>McKay was still holding the branch with the camera end through the doorway. "To a higher plane of existence. The race of people who built the Stargates - they eventually evolved to a point where they ascended to a state of pure energy."  
>"That'd be great!"<br>"Yeah, well, sadly it's a matter of, uh, evolution." McKay looks up at Ronon, who stares back at him. Rodney looks away again. "Anyway ... I'm sure we've got more than enough now." He pulls the camera back through the doorway. "There we go. And ... have a look, shall we?"

Everyone gathers around him as he activates the camera. The screen shows the other side of the doorway. It looks exactly the same as they can see through the doorway anyway. Rodney looks up.  
>"OK, then! Any volunteers?"<br>"I'll go." John walks towards the doorway.  
>"Just, um, back out if you encounter anything problematic."<br>John stops and looks back at him.  
>"Problematic?"<br>"Yeah, like poisonous atmosphere, acid atmosphere, no atmosphere. Hey," McKay points to the camera "it's a M.A.L.P. on a stick; only shows you so much."  
>John grimaces at him nervously.<br>"OK." He takes a deep breath. "Here goes."  
>He slowly pushes his P90 into the field. The field glows blue around the gun. He pushes his hands forward and they disappear into the field.<br>"Weird!" He pushes his arms into the field. "Yeah, it's kinda hurting my hands a little."  
>"OK, so get outta there."<br>John was struggling to pull himself out of the field. "I'm trying to, but it's pulling me in."  
>Ronon grabs the webbing on the back of John's vest with both hands and braces himself. "I got you."<br>Despite Ronon pulling back, John continues to be pulled into the field. John looks round at the others.  
>"OK, come on, guys, get me outta here."<br>Marissa runs forward and grabs hold of more webbing.  
>"I'm tryin'." Ronon grunted.<br>"Well, try harder."  
>"No-no-no, we proved this - it shouldn't be happening."<br>"Well, it is! It's pulling me in!"  
>He, Ronon and Marissa continue trying to pull him out to no avail.<br>"It's too strong!" Marissa panted.  
>John's face reaches the field. He turns his head to the side, trying to force his head back, but it is pulled into the field. Rodney calls out a warning to Marissa and Ronon.<br>"Don't touch the barrier!"  
>As their hands near the barrier, the two of them let John go and he disappears into the field. The rest of the team stare at each other in shock.<p>

John was gone.  
>҉<p>

John is lying face-down on the ground in the cave on the other side of the barrier.  
>He spoke into the radio. "I don't know if you can hear me over the radio, but I'm finally on the other side." He looks up. "Looks just like the pictures." He strains to stand up but can't move. "Hurts pretty bad to move. I don't know if I can ..." He tries again to move but can't. He groans. "Alright, you guys, stay put." He deactivates his radio.<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

Ronon turns to Rodney.  
>"Why did you tell us to let him go?"<br>"Because you weren't gonna stop and the last thing we need is both of you to get pulled in with him."  
>"Why would the Ancestors create something that would do this?" Marissa asked.<br>"I don't know."  
>"Figure it out or you're going in after him!" Ronon shouted.<br>"OK, that is not helping! Obviously the portal reacts differently to living matter than it does to inanimate objects. It might even be specific to humans."  
>҉<br>**INSIDE THE BARRIER.**

John is on his feet and activates his radio.  
>"This is Sheppard - can you hear me now?" He deactivates the radio and listens but there's no reply. He activates it again. "I've taken a good look around the area. Cave opens up to the other side of the ridge. There's not much there, so, uh," he squats down "I'm just gonna wait here and give you guys a chance to figure this one out."<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

Marissa activates her radio.  
>"Colonel Sheppard, this is Frio. Please respond."<br>McKay was consulting his Ancient device. "You're wasting your time and it's not gonna work."  
>Marissa was ignoring him. "Colonel, if you can hear me, please respond."<br>Rodney puts the device down and goes over the camera on the branch, looking at the playback again.  
>McKay was looking at the screen. "There's absolutely nothing on this tape that could possibly indicate any kind of..." He trails off, staring at the screen in shock. "Oh, no!"<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>McKay looked up at him. "The memory's full. It's recorded almost two hours and ..." he stares down as the camera beeps "and the battery just died! Dammit!"<br>"Why are you wasting time?" Ronon growled.  
>"That is the one thing I am not doing." He puts the camera down and looks around. "OK, look, I need something living, like a, like a flower, or a blossom." He spots a bush nearby which has branches covered in yellow blossom. "OK." He goes over and starts to tug at the branches.<br>҉  
><strong>INSIDE THE BARRIER. –few hours have passed for John-<strong>

John is standing very near the barrier and talking into his radio.  
>"Now would not be a good time to throw that rock I asked you to throw a few hours ago. I'd never see it coming - this side is as black as oil." He looks at the barrier, then punches it hard. It ripples blue but all John gets is a sore fist. Grunting in frustration, he steps back a little from the barrier, then activates his radio again. "There's one thing I haven't tried, so if you can hear me, uh, stand back. And if you can't ... well, then I guess you can't hear me."<br>He draws his pistol and points it at the barrier, then, realizing that anyone could be standing right on the other side, he aims at the bottom of the barrier and fires. The bullet bounces off the field and ricochets back, hitting him in the foot. John cries out in pain, hopping on one foot.  
>"Good one, John! Shoot yourself!" He yells into the radio. "This is downright problematic, Rodney!"<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

Rodney pulls a couple of branches off the bush and turns to look at the other two.  
>"To test a theory. Work with me here, people. Look, if I'm right, we need to hurry." He walks into the cave.<br>"What are you doin', McKay?" Ronon asked.  
>Rodney stops and turns to him in irritation.<br>"I am trying to determine how much faster time is passing on the other side of the portal than it is here."  
>"Why would time progress faster?" Marissa asked.<br>"It doesn't make any sense." Ronon added.  
>McKay was shouting. "That is what I am trying to prove. Now, just wait." He glares at both of them, then feeds the end of the branches into the doorway. He counted off in seconds. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine ..."<br>"McKay ..." Ronon warned.  
>"... ten, bear with me, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, and twenty." He pulls the branches out of the field. The blossoms that were inside the field are brown, dried out and almost dead. Rodney stares at them. "A whole lot faster!"<br>Marissa takes the branches and stares at them.  
>҉<br>**INSIDE THE BARRIER.** **–For John it has been 2 days-**

John sits down on a rock, then activates his radio.  
>"Can you hear me now?" He listens, but there's no reply. He activates it again. "The cave opens up to the other side of the ridge but there's nothing in the immediate area I can survive on." He deactivates the radio and tosses his pistol across to an area where he has set up camp. After a moment, he stands up and wanders back to the doorway, talking into the radio. "OK, that's day two and I'm out of water. We don't leave our people behind - right?" He stares at the doorway, then activates the radio again. "How about sending me a signal to show me that you're still there? Doesn't have to be a rock - you can write a damned note." He deactivates the radio briefly, then activates it again. "I'm gonna turn off my radio for another six hours to conserve the battery," he sits down on the ground "and try to get some sleep. Sheppard out."<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

Marissa is staring at the branches.  
>"The blossoms have aged several hours at least."<br>McKay started to walk out of the cave. "We might be able to pick him up in the Jumper but I need to get back to Atlantis."  
>Ronon was following him. "You're not goin' anywhere."<br>McKay turned round to him, angry. "It is a time dilation field, which means that time is passing much faster on the other side of the portal than it is here for us. I'm not sure of the exact ratio, but I need to go now."  
>"Why?"<br>"I don't have time to explain temporal compression theory to you when every moment we stand here debating this, literally hours could be going by for Colonel Sheppard relative to us. Look, hours equate to days, and days for us could mean years for him. Do you get it now? Marissa - I need you to follow me back as far as the Puddle Jumper and I'll explain what I need you to do on the way." He and Marissa start to leave, then Rodney turns and points at Ronon. "And you, stay here."  
>"And do what?"<br>"Don't go through, if that's what you're thinking." He suddenly realizes something. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa." He points to Marissa's back. "Give me the knapsack."  
>҉<br>**INSIDE THE BARRIER. –It's been a few days for John-**

John is on his feet by the doorway, talking into the radio. He has a couple of days' growth of beard.  
>"Rodney, Marissa, Ronon? Come in?" There's no reply. "You guys are starting to worry me a little bit here."<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>  
>"Empty your pockets - everything you think he might need to survive."<br>Ronon takes various items out of his pockets. Marissa is taking energy bars out of her own pockets and they put everything into her knapsack.  
>"We might just buy him a little more time there." He puts some items into the knapsack himself. "Come on."<br>"Go."  
>"Good." He pulls the drawstrings shut, takes the knapsack to the doorway and tosses it through.<br>҉  
><strong>INSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

John has built himself a small fire and is sitting by it, licking the inside of the wrapper of his last energy bar. He scrunches it up and then looks down at his right hand, flexing his fingers painfully, so it's either very cold in the cave or he is weak from hunger. He tosses the wrapper down onto the floor. At that moment, the cave shakes as if a small earthquake is going off. He ducks, covering his head as small rocks fall from the ceiling. The earthquake subsides. As John looks around cautiously, there's a sound from the doorway and the energy field starts to glow blue. John stands up and runs over to the doorway as a knapsack flies through. John bends down to the knapsack, then stares at the doorway.  
>"What the hell took you guys so long?"<br>He unties the drawstrings of the knapsack, pulls out a canteen of water and takes a long drink.  
>҉<br>**OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.**

Rodney and Marissa are just arriving at the Puddle Jumper and run inside. As they talk, they rummage around the Jumper collecting all the equipment that Marissa will take back with her.  
>"Alright - emergency rations, medical kit. Anything else?"<br>"Extra batteries for the camcorder."  
>"Right. You know what to do?"<br>"Press Record, extend and hold for three seconds."  
>"No more, no less."<br>"And then pull it out again."  
>"Right. If he's still there, that should give him plenty of time to record a detailed message. Dammit! Why didn't I send through a note?"<br>"What do you mean if he is still there?"  
>"Look, depending on the compression ratio inside the field, there's a very good chance he may have used up the supplies we've sent through by the time you get back. I know it's hard to get your head around but what it means is we have to ..."<br>"It means we must hurry."  
>"Right. Go-go-go-go-go-go-go."<br>Marissa, laden down with two large bags over her shoulders and carrying a suitcase-sized container of water, heads back for the cave. Rodney closes the door of the Jumper.  
>"Good!" He runs to the cockpit. "Alright!" He gets into the pilot's seat and activates the controls, concentrating on doing everything correctly. "Right!"<br>҉  
>ATLANTIS.<p>

Rodney, Carson, Illyria and Elizabeth are in a room talking as Rodney and various personnel are preparing the equipment needed to take back to the planet.  
>"What, you have no idea whether he's injured?" Carson asked.<br>"The excruciating pain he was experiencing was a result of the temporal differential."  
>"And what is that, exactly?"<br>"OK, the-the-the portal must somehow dampen the extreme tidal forces that would normally occur in the event horizon of a time dilation field, and we were keeping him from passing through it."  
>"So part of his body is experiencing time at a different pace than the other? Who knows what that could do to him?" Illyria said, looking at Carson.<br>McKay replied sarcastically. "I have no idea, but I suspect he could use a doctor."  
>"So you don't know if he's even alive?" Illyria asked.<br>"The most time-efficient approach was to assume that he was alive but stranded." McKay nodded.  
>"And why not assume that he'll make his own way back through the portal?" Weir asked.<br>"Because Colonel Sheppard would have already had hours to try to make it back through the portal in the time I wasted explaining the situation to Conan and Xena!"  
>"Now, Rodney, that's not very ..." Carson tried to say but was interrupted by McKay.<br>"No. No, I suppose it isn't." He activates his headset radio. "This is McKay. Supplies been loaded aboard yet?"  
><em>"Almost there, sir. Just a few more cases."<em>  
>"Alright. When you're done with that, make sure you assist Zelenka in securing the descent probe into the launch compartment." He picks up a large bag and tosses it to Carson. "Let's move." He leaves the room. Carson, Illyria, Elizabeth and the others follow him.<br>҉  
><strong>INSIDE THE BARRIER. -Possibly a month has gone by for John-<strong>

John is sitting by a small fire. He now has a full beard. He activates his radio.  
>"This is Sheppard. I'm pretty sure you can't hear me, but I don't have a volleyball to talk to, so what the hell. I've rationed what little I have for as long as I could but I have enough left for maybe one more day." He sighs. "I've gotta get myself something to live on while I find my own source of food and water." Sarcastically, he said, "Not that I didn't appreciate the three canteens of water and the whole handful of power bars." He sighs again. "There's nothing in the immediate area. I'm gonna have to go further out. Um, I'm giving you an indication of where I go, as I go." He looks frustrated. "Sheppard out." Angrily, he throws the radio across the cave, then picks up his P90 and starts to kick the fire out. Once it's out, he cocks his gun, switches on the light on top of it and, aiming it cautiously, heads out.<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

Marissa arrives back at the cave.  
>"That was quick." Ronon said.<br>"Not fast enough, I think." She tosses one of the bags and the water container through the portal, then turns to Ronon. "Get the camera." She tosses the second bag through the portal, then takes the battery out of her pocket as Ronon brings the camera over, still taped to the branch. "Doctor McKay would like us to try this again." She puts the new battery into the camera.  
>"To see if Sheppard's still alive?"<br>"And to determine the true passage of time on the other side." She finishes inserting the battery. "Alright." She switches on the camera and feeds it through the field and counts off the seconds. "One, two, three." As she says "three", she pans the camera across the cave, then pulls it out.  
>"That wasn't long enough to see anything." Ronon said.<br>Marissa plays back the footage she has recorded.  
>"And yet it seems to have recorded several minutes." She continues watching the footage. She can see the water container and one of the bags she tossed through lying on the ground, together with various other bits of kit that John has left behind, but there is no sign of John. She looks round at Ronon. "He's not there."<br>҉  
><strong>INSIDE THE BARRIER. –Several hours later for John-<strong>

John has left the cave and is walking through a sunlit forest. He stops as he hears the sound of a ferocious roar. It sounds like he's being stalked by a dinosaur. He raises his P90. The roar comes again, this time from another direction. John spins around as the roaring continues.  
>"Well, you're either gonna eat me, or I'm gonna eat you."<br>Summoning his courage, he walks in the direction the sound last came from.

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Rodney, Illyria (much to Carson's protest) and Carson are heading for the Jumper Bay. Elizabeth had elected to stay behind.  
>"We've loaded weeks of supplies and everything I could think of."<br>"What're we not thinking of?" Carson asked.  
>"Now take a minute, and be certain. If your theory is correct, you won't be able to make many of these trips." Illyria stops and faces him.<br>"I am painfully aware of that."  
>"I remind you only because from what you've told me, rushing is what got John into trouble in the first place.<br>"This was not his fault - it was mine. I should have looked more closely at the video. The clues were there before he even stepped through. Look, all I can hope to do now is fix this within his lifetime." McKay said.  
>"His lifetime?" Carson asked, concerned.<br>"If it takes us a week to ten days to fix this, then it won't matter, because he will probably have died of old age."  
>"Oh my God." Illyria mumbled, gripping Carson's arm.<br>"Yeah, hence the rushing. Now, you ready?" As they start to walk again, he looks at Carson. "You don't look ready."  
>"I'm ready."<br>McKay spoke to Illyria "And I hope you've got us a real Jumper pilot because I don't trust him" pointing at Carson "and I can't fly the damned thing in a straight line."

"I'll fly you myself."

"No, you can't. You're 7 ½ months pregnant, Illyria, I'm not-"

Illyria whirled around and pointed a finger in Carson's face. "John doesn't have time for us bickering."  
>҉<br>**INSIDE THE BARRIER.**

John has left the forest and is now walking across a grassy field. Suddenly a man runs out of the woods nearby.  
>"Help! Help! Help me, please!"<br>Somewhere in the woods, the whatever-it-is roars as the man runs to John.  
>"Where is it?"<br>"It's there." The man points in the direction he has just come from. "In the trees."  
>The whatever-it-is roars again.<br>"What is it?"  
>"The Beast!"<br>"Alright, is there a safe place for us to go?"  
>"No, no, the Cloister is too far." He stares into the woods. "It's upon us!"<br>As the Beast roars again, John and the man crouch down in the grass, John aiming his P90 towards the woods.  
>"Stay down, and stay behind me."<br>"You can't fight it!"

"Maybe we can scare it away."  
>He fires a hail of bullets into the trees. As the smoke clears, he stands up cautiously. For a moment, there's silence, then the roar comes from his left. He spins to face the sound. The field stretches for some distance in that direction but the sound seemed to come from much closer. He stares, confused. Suddenly a distortion appears just above the ground, flickering into view for a moment, and then fading. John lowers his rifle, puzzled, and then the distortion appears again, this time forming the shape of a monster. It's hard to see its exact form because it keeps flickering in and out of view but it appears to be about seven feet tall; it is human-shaped and is covered in scales or a tough skin. It has long clawed hands and a horn or ridge on its head. John fires a short blast from his rifle but the creature disappears momentarily, then reappears much closer to John and knocks him flying. He crashes to the ground. As the man cowers, the creature, still phasing in and out of existence, turns and heads towards John. John rolls out of its way and then surges up onto his knees, grabbing his pistol out of its holder and firing several bullets at the Beast as it passes. The Beast growls, turns and heads back towards him, again knocking him across the field. He lands on his front and the Beast runs across and slashes its clawed hand across John's back, ripping his vest and shirt to shreds and leaving claw marks across his back. The Beast phases out briefly, then turns and heads towards the man. It stands over him as he cowers. John rolls over and grabs a knife out of his jacket before getting up and running to the Beast and jumping onto its back. The Beast screams in anger. John, hanging on for dear life, looks at the man.<br>"Get outta here!"  
>As the man gets up and runs, the Beast tosses John off its back. Lying on the ground on his back, John looks up as the Beast stands over him, phasing in and out for a few seconds, then it disappears. John passes out.<br>҉  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

The Puddle Jumper flies towards the planet and aims towards the circular mountain range surrounding the crater. Illyria is piloting, while Rodney sits behind her, with Carson beside her. Illyria looks down at the crater.  
>"There it is."<br>Rodney is consulting a hand-held device.  
>"Well, according to these readings, it's not there."<br>"Rodney, I can see it with my own eyes - it's right inside that crater." Carson told him.  
>"It's hard to say whether the Ancients actually built it inside the crater or whether the rim formed as a result of the time dilation field."<p>

"The Jumper sensors aren't picking up anything." Illyria reported.  
>"Alright. Position us directly above it and stand by. Prepare to launch the probe on my mark."<br>"What is this probe of yours supposed to do?"  
>"Well, it's supposed to descend slowly into the atmosphere of a gas giant. The 'chute opens, the probe separates into two components joined by a tether hundreds of metres long."<br>"So we should be able to receive telemetry from inside the time dilation field while the other half of the probe is still outside."  
>"Right. And depending on the variance, we might be able to fly right into the field and rescue Sheppard."<br>"Very clever, Rodney!" Carson smiled.  
>"Uh, yes, it is." McKay looks uncomfortable. "It was actually Zelenka's idea."<br>҉  
><strong>INSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

A pair of small hands wrings out a cloth in a bowl of water and the owner of the hands starts to mop John's brow. He is either asleep or unconscious in a bed in what appears to be a wooden house. A blanket covers him from the chest down but we can see that he is wearing a white shirt. Various voices can be heard outside the dwelling. It sounds like whoever they belong to is getting on with their everyday lives. John wakes up and we see that the hand mopping his brow belongs to a girl of about twelve years old.  
>"Hi."<br>The girl smiles at him, then turns and calls out loudly. "He's awake again!"  
>John flinches at the noise. "I am now!"<br>As the girl starts to mop his brow again, a woman outside the dwelling breaks off from the conversation she was having with the man from before and comes inside. She is in her early thirties and is wearing an ankle-length sleeveless shift dress. She walks over to the bed, smiling, and introduces herself.  
>"I am Teer."<br>"Have we met?"  
>"When Avrid first brought you here. You were terribly injured from fighting the Beast. Avrid carried you almost halfway across the Sanctuary."<br>The girl was smiling proudly. "And I healed you."  
>John was looking at her. "You did? You're a little young to be a doctor."<br>"Hedda is one of the few among us who possesses the healing power." Teer said.  
>"Well, good. Thank you."<br>"It's we who should thank you for saving our brother from the Beast."  
>"It's funny - I don't remember winning."<br>Avrid comes in, carrying a small wooden plate with food on it. "It's good to see you awake and well again."  
>"Didn't it come after you?" John asked.<br>"No. Only the Ascended know why."  
>"None of them are around, are they?"<br>Avrid was holding out the plate. "Are you hungry?"  
>"Starving."<br>Avrid smiles and puts the plate down on the bed beside John's legs. John props himself up on his elbows, looks down at the shirt he's wearing, then lifts the blanket to see what else he is wearing.  
>"Which one of you got me out of my clothes and into these?"<br>"I did." John looks at Teer. "Is that alright?"  
>"Yeah. I just usually like to meet a woman before she sees me naked." Teer smiles. John looks down at the plate and pulls it towards him. "What do we have here?"<p>

**SOME TIME LATER.**

John comes out of the house. He is wearing a white shirt, a sleeveless light beige waistcoat, dark trousers and long beige suede-looking boots. He still has the beard. The house is in a small village with houses and barns made of wood. It's another simple Pegasus society. Avrid comes over to greet him.  
>"I'm glad you're feeling better." Avrid gestures around the village. "Welcome to your new home."<br>"Avrid, uh, I'm happy to visit and I'm grateful for the food and the whole healing thing, but, uh, do you know the way out of here?" John starts to walk across the center of the village.  
>"There is no way to leave, John, other than to ascend."<br>John stopped. "What exactly do you mean by "there's no way"?"  
>"That is the sole purpose of this place - to meditate upon ascension and one day join those who created the Sanctuary."<br>"The thing is, I've got other plans." He starts to walk again.  
>Avrid was following him. "Then why did you enter the portal?"<br>"Well, call it a mistake. I tried to stop it but the damned thing sucked me in."  
>They have reached the center of the village where there's a large stone reservoir, about knee-high, filled with water. John stops and looks at it.<br>"Those that came before us made certain that there could be no indecision. Once you set foot within the Sanctuary, your path was chosen."  
>"Not by me!"<br>"Once you cross the threshold, you are committed to be here for the remainder of your days."  
>Avrid smiles. John turns and stares at him. Avrid's smile fades. John looks away, and Avrid turns and leaves. John stares down at his reflection in the water.<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER.<strong>

The Jumper is flying down over the crater.  
>"Alright. Launch the probe on my mark. Three, two, one, mark."<br>Illyria deploys the probe, which drops out from underneath the Jumper and falls ground wards, its parachute trailing out above it.  
>"The probe's about to pass through the field. Stand by." McKay looks at his hand-held device. "Dammit!"<br>"What happened?" Carson asked.  
>"Exactly what I was afraid would happen. The probe was ripped apart by tidal forces at the event horizon almost instantly."<br>"So we can't fly through it and rescue Colonel Sheppard?"  
>"Not unless we wanna be ripped apart too!"<br>"Did you receive any telemetry before the probe failed?" Illyria asked over her shoulder.  
>Rodney looks at his device again.<br>"Hmm. Actually quite a lot. Looks like mostly gibberish, though. This is gonna take me the better part of an hour to go through."  
>҉<br>**INSIDE THE BARRIER. –It's been a few more days for John (maybe a month)-**

John and Teer are walking across a flowery meadow. Teer has gathered some flowers and is carrying them, while John is chewing on a long grass stalk.  
>"I'm glad I finally got you outside. You've been alone in your room for so long."<br>"I'm being depressed." John mumbled.  
>"Is it so terrible here?"<br>"No, you folks have been great. It's just, I've got responsibilities back home - people I care about, and who care about me. At least I thought they did."

"Like who?"

John pauses for a moment. "My" he searched for a word that she'd understand "_wife_. She's pregnant."

"She carries a child within her? You must be excited." Teer smiled.

John frowned. "Yeah, well, she might have already had him- it's a boy- by now. I'm never going to see him…" It's silent as Teer bends and picks another flower. "Why'd you come here?"  
>"Well, I was born here."<br>"No, I mean your people."  
>"Well, they came generations ago. I'm from a race of people who revered those who came before us, those who created this place."<br>"We call them Ancients."  
>"To follow in their footsteps, to ascend, was the greatest goal among our forefathers. Many centuries ago, some of our people sensed it was within them to do so. It took them many years to discover the location of this world and once they found it, they came to this world as a pilgrimage. We are their descendants."<br>"Not many of you left."  
>"No. We are the last."<br>"So what's holdin' you back?"  
>"Journeys such as ours can take a lifetime."<br>"You afraid it might not happen?"  
>Teer smiles.<br>"I'm not afraid of anything."  
>"Well, I'd be pretty afraid of that Beast thing."<br>"As long as we stay in the Cloister, we're safe."  
>"And what kind of life is that?"<br>"Well, life here is not entirely without its pleasures." She turns and smiles at John before walking on. John frowns, then raises his eyebrows thoughtfully before following her slowly, his emotions mixed.  
>҉<br>**PUDDLE JUMPER.**

Rodney has his back to the others, studying a panel. He raises a finger.  
>"Ha!" He turns to face the others. "The telemetry was not entirely gibberish." He tapped Illyria on the shoulder. "Bring up the H.U.D."<br>Illyria brings up the heads-up display on the windshield. The display shows the planet. Rodney points.  
>"I've been able to determine the location of the power source inside the field, here."<br>"What good is that?" Carson asked.  
>"Once we know where the generator is, one way or another," he points to himself "I should be able to turn it off." He smiles smugly, then turns to the panel again.<br>҉  
><strong>THE CLOISTER.<strong> **–SIX MONTHS go by for John-**

Each little passage equals one month for John.

• A long table has been set out in the middle of the village. John and the villagers are sitting around it, eating a meal.  
>• In what is presumably their version of a monastery, several of the villagers are either seated crossed-legged or are kneeling on the floor, their eyes closed as they mediate. John sits amongst them, his eyes open and a bored expression on his face.<br>• John wanders through the village. He glances at Teer as she stands talking with a friend. As he walks away, she watches him go.  
>• Hedda runs to join John as he walks across the village carrying two buckets of water. She takes one off him and they walk along together, Hedda smiling up at him happily.<br>• A man and a woman walk across the village, looking curiously at John as he does some stretching exercises to warm up his legs before jogging off out of the village.  
>• The villagers are back in the monastery meditating. John's eyes are closed, but he looks more like he's dozing than meditating.<br>҉  
><strong>JOHN'S HOUSE. –Still in John's sixth month-<strong>

Teer brings a plate of food to the open door, knocking as she comes in. John has just finished putting his boots on and stands up to walk across to the wall and take down a belt which he fastens around his waist.  
>"You know, you don't have to do this for me every morning."<br>"You saved my brother's life.  
>"Then shouldn't he be the one bringing me breakfast?"<br>"He is meditating with the others."  
>"He's always meditating. Everyone's always meditating."<br>Teer puts the plate down on the table and turns to leave.  
>"No - at least share it with me."<br>Teer turns and smiles, coming back into the house and closing the door. She sits down on a chair. John goes to another chair and is just lifting it to bring it across to the table when outside, the Beast roars. Hedda can be heard screaming in terror. Teer jumps up and she and John run out of the house as Hedda screams again. All the villagers are looking around in terror. John runs across the center of the village to Hedda, who holds out her arms to him in panic. He hugs her as she wraps her arms around him. Teer runs to join them.  
>John spoke to Hedd. "It's OK."<br>The Beast roars again.  
>"It is very close." Teer said.<p>

At the edge of the village, the Beast phases briefly into existence before fading out again.

"It's here."  
>"It's never come inside the Cloister."<br>"John, I'm scared." Hedda whispered.  
>John pushes Hedda into Teer's arms.<br>"Take her inside."  
>"John..."<br>"Do it."  
>Teer spoke to Hedda. "Go." The two of them turn and run for the nearest house. The other villagers all run for the nearest doorways, running inside and closing the doors and the window shutters. John is left standing in the village center alone, holding only a small knife. He looks around the village.<br>"OK, people, I'm starting to develop some serious abandonment issues here!"  
>The Beast roars again. John looks in the direction the sound came from.<br>"OK, but I'm warning you - I've got a knife!"  
>Teer runs out of the house she was in, despite the cries of "No!" and "Come back, come back!" from the others inside. She runs to stand at John's side.<br>John spoke towards the direction the Beast last roared from. "Now there's two of us!"  
>He nods firmly towards it, then looks at Teer nervously.<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

Marissa is watching the video she took through the barrier. This time she is watching the footage it took as the camera panned across the cave during the last second. It shows the campfire with John's abandoned equipment, but to the left of the fire is a number of stones laid out on the floor in the shape of an arrow.  
>"Ronon!" Ronon wanders over to join her. "He left a sign for us to see." She shows him the footage.<br>"He must have gone to look for another way out."  
>"At least we know he's still be alive."<br>McKay spoke over the radio. _"Marissa, Ronon. We're coming down in the Jumper and should touch down in a few minutes. Meet us at the landing site."_  
>"Understood." She shuts down the camera and she and Ronon head off.<br>҉  
><strong>THE CLOISTER. <strong>

**JOHN'S HOUSE. **

John is lying unconscious in bed. He has a long slash across the left side of his neck and a smaller scratch on his left cheek. Hedda is sitting on Teer's lap beside his bed. She reaches out, her eyes closed in concentration, and passes her right hand across the wound on his neck. As she withdraws her hand, the wound heals completely and John opens his eyes. Avrid is sitting nearby.  
>"We thought we'd lost you again." Avrid said.<br>"What happened?" John asked.  
>"I've never seen such bravery. Were it not for you, all may have been lost." Avrid smiled.<br>"I don't remember winning this time either."  
>Hedda stands up and leans forward, looking at him.<br>"He's not fully healed."  
>She reaches out for the cut on John's cheek, but he catches her hand and pushes it away gently.<br>"I'm fine."  
>"You've done enough, Hedda. Come on. Let's get you some rest." Teer said. She takes Hedda out of the room. John sits up on the side of the bed. There's a lot of blood on his shirt. He sighs.<br>"What the hell's the matter with you people?"  
>"I don't understand." Avrid said.<br>"I'm talking about letting her stand out there alone against that thing."  
>"Violence is not the path to ascension."<br>"There's a difference between violence and self-defense."  
>"We are very close to ascension, John - all of us. If we leave the path, it may be lost to us forever."<br>"Everything may be lost to you forever unless you stand up to that damned thing."  
>Avrid looks at him for a moment.<br>"I must join the others in meditation."  
>He leaves. John stares after him, and then lies back down on the bed again.<br>҉  
><strong>OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.<strong>

The Jumper has landed and everyone is arriving back at the cave.

"You sure it was three seconds?" McKay asked.  
>"Yes."<br>"And there's twelve minutes of video."  
>"Yes."<br>"Alright, so it's a ratio of about, uh..."  
>"Two hundred and fifty to one." Rodney stares at her. She picks up a branch and hands it to him. "I sent my watch through," Rodney looks at the branch, which has a watch taped to it "along with a letter to Colonel Sheppard telling him we are doing our best to rescue him." Rodney is still staring at the branch, probably staggered that "Xena" came up with such a bright idea. "If you would like to check again, then ..."<br>"No, that's good, that's good, that's good, uh, good thinking."  
>"Just out of curiosity, what does that mean for Colonel Sheppard in terms of, uh, days?" Carson asked.<br>"We're already talking months." McKay said.  
>҉<br>**THE CLOISTER. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

John opens the door to his house and walks in, stopping at the sight of Teer sitting on the floor waiting for him. He looks around nervously as she smiles up at him.  
>John walked in and closing the door. "You don't have to wait up for me."<br>"You've been gone over a day."  
>"Yeah, well, after I found my weapons, I decided to take a run all the way back to the portal, and look what I found." He brings a knapsack across to Teer. "I don't know what took 'em so long, but my friends finally sent some supplies through." He opens the knapsack and investigates what's inside.<br>"There are people here who care for you."  
>"Sorry, I should've told somebody." He takes the knapsack across to the table and starts taking items out of it.<br>"I knew." John looks at her. "I was following your journey in my mind. I was with you since you left the Cloister."  
>"Is that some special power of yours you haven't told me about?"<br>"Yes."  
>"Oh!"<br>"I've been with you each time you've searched for a means to leave us. As Hedda has the power to heal, I am able to see images in my mind. It's not uncommon for those on the path to ascension to gain such abilities."  
>"I wish you woulda told me - I could've used you out there. It took me forever to find this stuff!" He continues taking items out of the knapsack.<br>Teer smiles.  
>"Before my mother ascended, she could move things with her mind. You can imagine how wondrous that would be for a child. Sit with me."<br>John looks at the items he's taking out of the knapsack, then drops them on the table and walks across to sit on the floor with Teer.  
>"I was the one who sent Avrid to find you."<br>"You did?"  
>"Because I knew you were coming that night, and I knew where you would be in the field; and I have known since I was a child that you would sit here with me as you do now." John looks shocked. "I've been able to close my eyes and see your face my entire life, John. You are the one."<br>John stares at her rather wide-eyed.  
>"The one what?"<br>"The one who will lead us to ascension."  
>"Oh!" John frowns.<br>"What is it?"  
>"Nothin'." He grins, embarrassed. Teer smiles.<br>"And in the coming days, once you have defeated the Beast, we will ascend together - all of us."  
>"You mean all of you."<br>"I haven't given up on you just yet."  
>"I don't know how that's gonna happen, Teer. I really don't. Look, I've been up against that thing twice. I don't see how a third time's gonna turn out any different."<br>Teer smiles at him.  
>"You don't have to know how. You just have to trust that it will."<br>She leans forward and kisses him. He takes her head in his hands and he kisses her softly before lightly pushing her away from him. He jumped to his feet and backed away, rubbing his face.

"I-I-I can't, Teer, I'm sorry, but….i can't."

"Illyria and your son." Teer nodded.

"He would be three months now. I should be changing his dipper not changing a blood soaked shirt."

Teer smiled embarrassed. "I understand."  
>҉<p>

**OUTSIDE THE BARRIER.**  
>"OK, I think I've got it." Illyria turns away from the inscribed wall that she has been studying. "The field was designed as a sanctuary from the Wraith, but a place the last of my people could travel to and hopefully ascend without fear of attack. It was built after I had went into stasis."<br>"Oh, of course. They could potentially spend entire lifetimes inside the field before the Wraith even discovered the place." McKay said.  
>"And if they ever attacked, their ships would get torn apart just as the probe did." Carson said.<br>"And so it'd been here for ten thousand years." Marissa said.  
>Illyria turned back to the wall. "This writing here - this serves as a sort of welcome, as well as a warning for any of the humans under their protection looking for sanctuary; but I think it was left there for anyone who wanted to seek the path to ascension on their own."<br>"And what's the warning?" Ronon asked.  
>"That once you cross the threshold, there's no return."<br>McKay said smugly. "That is, unless you have the exact location of the power source and the expertise to turn it off."  
>Everyone turns and starts to gather what they'll be taking through with them. Rodney looks at Ronon.<br>"Hey, we may even get a ZedP.M. out of this." McKay points a finger at him and clicks his tongue a couple of times.  
>"Now you're talkin'." Ronon said.<br>Illyria spoke into the radio. "Lieutenant, this is Illyria. If you haven't heard from us in ... Rodney?"  
>"Well, an hour would give us months in there, but, Illyria, of all the people who should stay, it would be you." McKay said. Carson was about to open his mouth to agree when Illyria silenced him.<br>"There may be writing by the power source that needs translating." She said defiantly.  
>"OK, there is a slight chance that when we go through ..."<br>Illyria interrupted. "Rodney, I'm going." She activates her radio again. "Lieutenant, one hour, then head back to Atlantis and see if Zelenka can think of anything."  
><em>"Understood."<em>  
>Carson is still sitting on a rock with his hand raised.<br>Nervously, as he lowers his hand. "Well, he may need medical treatment, so might Illyria once she steps through, and I'm the only doctor here, so I should probably just ..."  
>"Carson, it probably won't hurt so much if you just go through quickly." McKay told him.<br>"Alright - let's do this." Illyria said.

**LATER.**

Rodney has gone through the barrier and is sitting on the floor of the cave a few yards away from the doorway, studying his Ancient doohickey. A small earthquake starts but Rodney takes no notice. The energy field glows blue and Illyria walks through. Rodney looks up at her.  
>Unconvincingly, she said, "That wasn't so bad!"<br>"Hmm."  
>Illyria looks at him sitting on the floor, bewildered by the fact that he only walked through the barrier a couple of seconds ago but has had time to get into that position.<br>"You were just ..."  
>"Mmm. That's weird, huh? Well, we may as well relax. The others are gonna be at least five minutes." He looks at his doohickey. "Judging by the location of the power source, we've got a long walk ahead of us, so, uh ... "<br>He pats the ground beside him and gets back to looking at his device again. Instead of accepting his invitation to sit beside him, Illyria sits down on a case some distance away. Rodney looks round at her.  
>"Oh!"<br>҉  
><strong>THE CLOISTER.<strong>

Everyone is sitting at the long table in the village square having a meal.  
>"Haven't any of you seen thunderstorms?" John asked.<br>"The Sanctuary provides rain for the orchards." Avrid said.  
>"I'm talkin' about thunder and lightning. Giant bolts of electricity shooting down from the sky."<br>"Sounds scary." Hedda said, crinkling her nose.  
>John smiled at her. In the past sixth months, John has come to love Hedda like his own daughter. "Well, it is scary, but it's also very cool." Hedda smiles and nods. "It's OK to be scared, it's part of life. You know, when I was a kid, we used to have storms that shook the house. Scared me half to death."<br>"When we are ascended, we will experience such things." Teer smiled.  
>"Hell, if you're ascended, you can make thunderstorms! I'm talking about actually experiencing life."<br>"We contemplate on the experience that is life each day." Avrid said.  
>"I'm talking about living it." John looks round at everyone. "Haven't any of you got things you wanna do as flesh and blood human beings first? I mean, you-you talk about moving on to a plane of existence beyond your own mortality, but you haven't even really lived."<br>"Our lives are full." Teer said.  
>"Well, I've spent a long time with you folks, and I don't think "full" means what you think it means."<br>"To ascend, one must meditate." Avrid said.  
>"You're not meditating, you're hiding."<br>"From what?"  
>"You know the answer to that."<br>Avrid looks at him, not understanding. Teer, however, realizes what he's talking about.  
>"He means the Beast."<br>"Yes, I do. Now I don't know how any of you expect me to feel like I belong here, but every time that thing comes around, I'm out there alone."  
>The villagers are silent for a while, then Teer speaks, her gaze distant.<br>"You're not alone."  
>"I know - you were out there too."<br>"No - I mean your friends have come." John stares at her. "They number five." She looks at him. "They've come for you."  
>"They have? Are-are you sure?" He jumps to his feet. "That's the best news I've ..."<br>Teer interrupted him. "No, John - I sense something more." She gazes into space. "The Beast is nearly upon them."  
>John races off.<br>҉  
>FIELD.<p>

Illyria and the others are walking across the field where John first encountered the Beast.

"You know, I was just thinking: this entire field - I mean, not the field, I mean the field field - must generate its own day and night cycle, not to mention its own artificial climate. I mean, it's incredible! When you think ..."  
>Ronon interrupted. "You wanna pick up the pace, McKay?"<br>"Hey, he's waited for months. Another half hour isn't gonna kill him."  
>"We don't know how long it's gonna take to find him." Illyria said.<br>"Aye, and besides that, I have a date planned with Lieutenant Cadman for tomorrow night." Carson said.  
>"Oh, no, so we've only got twelve years in here!" McKay sarcastically said.<br>Marissa, who was leading the group, drops the case she's carrying and raises her fist above her head. The others stop.  
>"What? What is it?"<br>The Beast roars in the distance. As Marissa aims her P90 into the woods where the sound is coming from, Rodney checks his Ancient device.  
>"I'm not detecting anything."<br>"Doesn't mean it isn't there." Ronon spoke to Marissa. "Can you see anything?"  
>"No. But something is close."<br>"Maybe we should try another way." McKay asked.  
>The Beast roars again. The sound is much closer. Rodney gets his pistol out of its holder. Ronon activates his blaster.<br>"Won't make any difference. It's stalking us."  
>The roar comes from a different direction.<br>"Sounds like it's more than one." Carson said.  
>"Yeah, more than one what?" McKay asked.<br>He aims his pistol towards the woods. Marissa gazes skywards, trying to sense what's out there.  
>"I do not know."<br>The Beast half-materializes right in front of Ronon. He fires his blaster at it but it has no effect and the Beast knocks him flying. Marissa backs away, firing a hail of bullets into the Beast as it roars. Rodney and Carson fire their pistols at it. Marissa looks round at Ronon, who gets to his feet and draws his sword from the scabbard on his back. The Beast roars at him as he approaches and the others stop firing. Ronon slashes at the Beast several times but each time it phases out of existence and the sword has no effect, then it phases back in and sends him flying across the field again. Marissa pulls out a knife and runs at it, crying out ferociously, but it strikes out and knocks her across the field. It roars and turns towards the other three. Rodney and Carson step in front of Illyria, aiming their pistols at it. Just then, John comes racing out of the woods and hurls himself onto the Beast's back. The Beast phases out and John crashes to the ground. Illyria runs to him as Carson runs to check out Ronon and Rodney checks Marissa. Carson picks up Ronon's sword and stabs it point down into the ground and then helps Ronon to his feet.  
>John got to his feet. "What the hell took you so long?" He looked Illyria over and almost fell to the ground again. "Why are you still pregnant?"<br>"Believe it or not, you were only gone a couple of hours." Illyria hugged his neck tightly, backing off and kissing his scruffy cheek.  
>"Try six months!"<br>"You don't understand - you've been trapped in a time dilation field." McKay told him.  
>"What?"<br>"What was that bloody thing?" Carson asked.  
>John spoke to Carson, "I don't know," then to Rodney, "What's a time dilation field?"<br>Rodney lifts his hands to start explaining but Illyria interrupts.  
>"Can we talk about this somewhere else?"<br>Marissa gazes skywards.

"No - it is still close."

To prove her point, the Beast roars. Everyone looks around the field nervously. For a moment there's nothing, then the Beast phases into existence - but now it's about 70 feet tall. The team turns and stares up at it. John walks cautiously forward, holding his knife out in front of him. Ronon pulls his sword out of the ground and joins him.  
>"You've fought this thing before?"<br>"Twice."  
>"How did you beat it?"<br>"Still haven't figured that out."  
>"Now'd be a good time."<br>"Yeah, well, what'd you say we just fight it and see what happens?"  
>"John?" All the villagers have arrived out of the woods. "Friends of yours?"<br>The villagers walk forward, their faces determined. Avrid glares up at the Beast as it growls ferociously.  
>Avrid spoke to John. "We've come to stand with you, whatever happens."<br>Teer was looking across to him. "No - we've come to fight." She looks up at the Beast. "And we are not afraid of you." The Beast roars. "The Beast is of our own creation, and it is long past time we sent it away."  
>She glances across at her brother again, then all the villagers walk forward and encircle the Beast. It continues to growl and roar. As they complete the circle and stare up at it, the Beast raises its hands above its head, then screams and disappears. Teer turns to face John. He walks towards her. Avrid and Hedda join her, standing either side of her.<br>"That's it? That's all it took?"  
>"You were right, John. We were afraid. The Beast was the final burden we had to shed, manifest from our own fears. You gave us the courage to face it." She holds out her hand towards him. "Come with us."<br>Behind her, a white glow begins to envelop each of the other villagers. Avrid and Hedda also start to glow.  
>"I'm not ready for that yet. I'm not sure I'll ever be." He stepps back and takes hold of Illyria's hand. "Besides, I've got these two to deal with."<br>Behind Teer, the villagers are slowly fading into the light.  
>"One day, perhaps?"<br>Unconvincingly, he said. "Yeah, one day."  
>"I'll look forward to it. There'll be no need to destroy the Sanctuary, Doctor McKay." She turns her head to look at Rodney.<br>"What? No-no-no-no-no, I wasn't thinking that, I was ..."  
>Behind Teer, the villagers have all but disappeared and only glowing light remains which begins slowly to ascend into the sky.<br>"We will keep the portal open for you until you are gone."  
>"At which point the ZedP.M. which undoubtedly powers this beautiful place will be ..."<br>Sternly, she said, "Sanctuary was left by those who came before us, for those who may seek it out and follow the path. And it will continue to remain after you are gone."  
>"Yeah, but ..." He turns to Illyria, appealing to her for help, but she nods at him, and then turns to look at Teer again. Rodney turns away, frustrated. "Absolutely."<p>

"Before I leave, My Queen," She turned to Illyria and bowed deeply, Avrid and Hedda doing the same. "You are with more than one child. It is a girl."  
>Leaving Illyria and the rest of the team stunned, Teer turns to John as her ascended friends continue to rise skywards. Either side of her, Avrid and Hedda begin to ascend. Teer herself is glowing, although for the moment she retains her human form. Moments later, she and the last of the villagers leave the ground and ascend into the sky. Ronon stares skywards, his eyes looking quite teary. Once the ascended have gone, Rodney walks over to John and points at the place where the villagers were.<br>"If she was right…you'll want to buy a shotgun."  
>John shrugs as the others come over to join him. Illyria looks at him, still in shock.<br>"Well - the beard is interesting!"  
>"First thing to go when we get home." Illyria nods numbly. "Never thought I'd see any of you again. Kind of even ... missed you a little."<br>"Yeah, well, it was only a couple of hours for us, so ..."  
>Sternly, Marissa said, "Ronon." She turns to John. "We were all quite worried about you."<br>"Of course we were." Carson said, looking Illyria over with his eyes. He was wondering how to tell Cadman that he might be a little late to dinner so he could see if the woman, Teer, was right.  
>"We're just sorry we didn't get here sooner…" Illyria was still mumbling, rubbing her stomach.<br>John looks round at all of them and slings his arm around Illyria's shoulders.  
>"Let's get outta here!"<p>

҉

Teer was right:

Twins were on the way.

**AN:/ R & R. Let me know what you think about the change.**


	20. Chapter 18

**AN:/ Possible visit from Teyla?**

**ATLANTIS. **

**GATEROOM. **

A team is preparing to go off-world, packing boxes, collecting equipment together and generally milling around the Gate room. Doctor Radek Zelenka is among them, looking incredibly sulky and petulant. Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard walks over to him.  
>"Goin' offworld?"<br>"M7G-677." Zelenka replies in a sulky voice  
>"That's the planet with all the kids, right?"<br>Bitterly, he said, "They're having trouble with their E.M. field generator and McKay has decided that I am the most capable person in all of Atlantis to fix it. I aked Illyria if she would like to come, see what she's getting into, carrying two kids, but she reminded me of her baby shower."  
>"Hey, don't worry. They're a great group of kids - you're gonna love 'em."<br>"My sister has a child. He breaks things. He throws things. He smears things onto furniture."  
>Doctor Rodney McKay calls out from the Control Room.<br>"Colonel Sheppard! I need you up in the Control Room." Rodney walks to the edge of the balcony, looks down into the Gateroom and sees Radek there. "Oh - you still here?"  
>"We're just leaving."<br>"Hmm. Well, uh, do say 'hi' to the kids for me."  
>He gives Radek a thumbs-up, clicks his tongue and grins at him before turning and walking away. John grins, looks at Radek, gives him a thumbs-up. "If you won't mind giving this to Illyria for me and wish her my best." He hands John a small box wrapped in white lace before turning around, his expression one of annoyance.<br>John walked away as Zelenka was muttering to himself in Czech. "Idiot." In English, mimicking McKay. ""Say 'hi' to the kids for me."" In Czech: "You'll catch it from me. You are such an idiot."  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Doctor Elizabeth Weir was back from Earth and was standing next to Ronon Dex, together with Rodney and John. Everyone is looking at the long-range sensors. They show two ships.  
>"Two Wraith cruisers."<br>"How far away are they?" Weir asked.  
>"A day - maybe a day and a half. I've been tracking them for some time now, but, uh, the good news is it doesn't look like they're heading this way." McKay said.<br>"Just passing through the neighborhood?" John asked.  
>"Yeah, it looks that way. But I just discovered something rather curious." McKay touches the screen and the view closes in on the cruisers and shows that energy is radiating out from each of the ships towards the other one. "Short but intense energy bursts passing between them."<br>"They're fighting each other?" Ronon asked.  
>"Hmm. In my, uh, expert opinion, yes."<br>"That's good news." John smiled.  
>"Certainly is. If there's any change in course at all, let me know." Weir said.<br>Rodney nods to her.

"Oh," John says, drawing everyone's attention. "Remember: baby shower in the cafeteria in a few hours. Don't be late and bring a gift." John was halfway to the stairs when he turned back around and added. "And don't mention any of this to Illyria. Carson would have all our asses if Illyria starts freaking out."  
>҉<br>**EARTH. **

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. **

**STARGATE COMMAND (S.G.C.). **

General Hank Landry comes into the Briefing Room to meet with Agent Malcolm Barrett of the N.I.D.  
>"I just cut short a call with the Secretary of State. I hope this is worth it." Landry announced.<br>"I'm sorry, sir, but a situation is developing that you need to be made aware of. It couldn't wait."  
>"Alright, then, make me aware of it."<br>"We've noticed an increase in chatter amongst The Trust recently. The Goa'uld have infiltrated the highest ranks of the organization. We've discovered that their access to government agencies has gone a lot deeper than we realized."  
>"How much deeper?"<br>"Atlantis."  
>Landry stares at him in shock. "They know about it?"<br>"Worse: they've been there. They've planted a bomb somewhere in the city."

A few minutes later, Landry and Barrett have been joined by Doctor Bill Lee, an S.G.C. scientist.  
>"I don't understand. Why-why would the Goa'uld want to blow up Atlantis? I mean, I'd think they'd be eager to get their hands on all that Ancient technology." Lee asked.<br>"They want the technology, sure, but they're more concerned about the Wraith finding their way to this galaxy. The last thing they need right now is another enemy to contend with - especially one so formidable." Landry said.  
>"Jeez, those poor people. I mean, as if they don't have enough to contend with with the Wraith - now they have a Goa'uld in their midst?"<br>"The intel we have suggests a lower-level operative planted the bomb, which means we're dealing with a human."  
>"And from what little we've been able to decipher so far, the bomb is set to be detonated the next time Atlantis dials Earth, so The Trust have probably set up a transmitter close to Cheyenne Mountain to be detonated at the exact moment that the wormhole is established." Barrett says.<br>"Which is today." Landry reminded the scientist.  
>"What? Oh, the weekly status report!"<br>Landry was looking at his watch. "In two hours and forty-six minutes."  
>"Well, we have to warn them - we have to tell them not to dial Earth."<br>"How? Even if we had the kind of power we needed to dial Atlantis, we couldn't because that would detonate the bomb."  
>"What about the Daedalus? It's on a return voyage to the Milky Way. We could use them to relay the trans..." Lee trails off, thinking, then shakes his head. "Ah, no, I mean, wait. God, there's no way they're close enough, even with their long-range transmitters."<br>"You'll find another way to get the message to them."  
>"I will?"<br>"Course you will. It's what I pay you for." Landry walks away, leaving Lee staring blankly after him.  
>"Uh, uh ..."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Rodney and John are walking through the corridors, on their way to the baby shower.  
>"Elizabeth's including intel about the in-fighting amongst the Wraith in today's status report." McKay says.<br>"Let's hope that trend continues. If the Wraith keep fighting like this, might be able to take the weekend off."  
>Rodney chuckles, then notices that Lieutenant Laura Cadman is standing nearby, examining a panel in the wall and working on a small hand-held device.<br>"Cadman? What are you doing here?"  
>Laura turns and walks over to face him and John. "Well, it's good to see you too, Rodney."<br>"No, I thought you were leaving on the Daedalus."  
>"Yeah, I was, but something came up. I asked Colonel Sheppard if I could stay around a little while longer."<br>John smiles at Rodney, who doesn't look too pleased.  
>"Oh, well, that's fine." McKay looks uncomfortable.<br>"You OK with that?" Cadman asked.  
>"Yeah, course it is, why wouldn't it be?"<br>Laura smiles at him sarcastically, then turns to John.  
>"Colonel, give this to Illyria for me?" She tosses him a slightly larger package than Zelenka's and walks between the two men. John smiles at her.<br>"Lieutenant."  
>As she passes Rodney, she throws him a long look, smiling, then walks away. Once she has passed him, Rodney grimaces, then he and John continue walking.<br>"I would think after all this time, you'd stop being creeped out by her."  
>"She just has a way of getting under my skin. Literally."<br>҉

**OUTSIDE JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS (apartment)**

"What is going on?" Illyria asked suspiciously.

"You'll see," John said biting back a smile.

"Put this on." McKay said handing her a blind fold.

"Pardon me," Illyria asked looking at the blind fold.

"Trust us." John asked with a sigh. Illyria looked up to him and he nodded.

"Alright," Illyria said placing the blind fold around her eyes. She felt John gently lead her toward the Cafeteria. She heard the doors slid open and the smell of food hit her face. There were hushed voices and she knew what was going on before John took off her blind fold.

"SURPRISE!" The small crowd called out. Illyria smiled with a bemused look and embraced the crowd. Teyla stepped forward and embraced her whole-heartedly. "I have missed you, my Queen. Congratulations on the twins. You and John will have your hands full."

Illyria chuckled and Teyla guided her to the large couch were Carson and Ronon. John helped her lower herself onto the couch then sat on the armrest next to Carson.

"This is wonderful; thank you all!" Illyria beamed at everyone. A few men were scatterd here and there, but mostly women were in attending.

"As I understand 'baby showers', everyone has brought a gift for you and the children." Teyla said, gesturing to the pile of presents stacked upon a table near by.

"I never understood baby showers." McKay said confused.

"It's so other people buy you the stuff you need, and then you don't go broke as fast." John aspirated, resting his hands behind his head.

"I see." Ronon mumbled, on looking with interest. "They look happy."

"Illyria kinda looks annoyed." John said almost fearfully.

"She's happy." Carson said knowingly.

"How do you know?" John asked befuddled.

"Just do." Carson shrugged.

"Whoa," Illyria mumbled, holding her stomach with a smile.

"What is it?" a few women said excitedly, in unison.

"Hiccups." Her replied with a bigger smile.

"Is it weird?" Beth, a botany assistant asked, almost giggling.

"You have no idea." Illyria laughed. "The movements have always caught me, unprepared."

"What's it like?" Beth asked excitedly.

"What's what like?" Illyria asked confused.

"You know, being pregnant." Beth was so anxious to hear the answer she was almost buzzing.

"Scary," Illyria mumbled. "Everything you do, or don't do, carries over to their health. You take one wrong step and you could lose him." She muttered, still holding her belly tightly. "It's fun, too, people take care of you even though you are still capable of doing it yourself. You get a little love kick every morning instead of a loud violent alarm clock." She laughed, so did the crowd. "It's the little moments that take the edge off your fear, that make you relax. Then you almost slip in the shower and it all comes back." She sighed.

"That's so beautiful." Beth cried.

"I thought I was supposed to be the emotional ones." Illyria asked Carson with a raised brow.

"Aye, I think your hormones are starting to rub off on everyone else." He laughed.

"Just think," Marissa said excitingly, "In a few short weeks, you'll all have little babies." The women broke out in giggles and started suggesting names.

"Few short weeks. I'll be a dad." John gulped after hearing Marissa's little reminder. "I'll be a dad." he repeated with a dry throat. There was a deathly silence over the small group of men. Reality had never descended so quickly on him. The metaphorical ton of bricks had come down hard.

"I'm gonna screw this up somehow." He grumbled. "Hopefully no one will notice. Mommy will have my ass, if I do mess anything up. I'll mess up…"

"Stop being so negative, if you screw up, your daughter will have Daddy Issues and your son will just prefer his mother." McKay said.

"Have you ever raised a child before?" John hissed.

"No," John mumbled.

"Then you have good reason to be negative." Ronon growled.

"Just ruin it for all of us." Carson grunted snidely.

"Am I late?" Elizabeth asked from the doorway of the pier. Everyone turned to look while Illyria pushed herself off the couch and greeted Elizabeth.

"Not at all," She beamed. "Thank you for coming Elizabeth." She said with a quick hug.

"Sorry I'm late." Elizabeth said almost teary eyes.

"It is fine." Illyria hastily reassured.

"At least you came." Carson smiled.

"So, what did I miss?" Elizabeth asked, sitting next to Teyla.

After the women caught Elizabeth up, it was time for presents.

"Here," Ronon said, retrieving a very large wrapped package from beside the gift table. Illyria and John, along with everyone else, wondered what was inside as Illyria disposed of her wrappings. She cried out and cover her face with her hands. John shot up and went to her, only to see that she was smiling up at Ronon. "You made this?"

He nodded. "By hand."

It was a rocking chair, elegant designs burnt into the head rest.

"Thank you," Ronon bent down and Illyria kissed his on the cheek, getting her wet tears on his face.

Next, was two black baby carriers, a blue elephant and a pink giraffe balnkie, a 'Boppy Deluxe Play Gym in Flying Circus', a double padded high-chair, a very manly diaper bag for John, a navy blue 'JJ Cole Bundleme', a play yard crib, a light blue hamper with turtles on it, an infant swing (Proudly said to be a Summer Infant Nature's Purest Complete Comfort Swing by Beth), a fold away bath, and some rings.

Carson gave the couple two bassinets, one for the girl and one for the boy.

Rodney gave them a soft sheep stuffed animal for the boy and a soft teddy bear for the girl, saying that he programed a heartbeat within both it to match Illyria's so the kids wouldn't be lonely at night.

Elizabeth gave them two separate boxes of baby clothing, saying it was from people on Earth as well. John got a kick out of seeing McKay's face when he saw one of the girl's one piece that had elements on them that spelled 'Cu-Te' and 'Ba-Be'.

Radek's gift was two silver rattles.

Cadman's gift was a Baby's First Photo Album with a picture of John and a very pregnant Illyria on the cover.

John's earlier doubts about screwing up were demolished as he looked around at the faces of his and Illyria's closest friends. They would be here for them and if not then the kids.

They were family.

҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

After the baby shower was over, cleaned up, and the gifts sent away with the couple, Teyla Emmagan comes in and walks over to Doctor Carson Beckett, who is sitting at a computer.  
>"Doctor Beckett?"<br>Without looking up, he answers. "Yes?"  
>"Do you have time to accompany me back to the mainland? I would have asked earlier…"<br>Carson looks up at her.  
>"Is something wrong?"<br>"A woman who is very close to me, Charin."  
>"Oh yes, I remember her. Sweet lady."<br>"She is like a grandmother to me and she is very ill. I was wondering if you could look at her."  
>Carson was getting up. "Of course, love, say no more."<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.G.C. **

**BRIEFING ROOM. **

A large group of people is seated at the table: Colonel Landry, Agent Barrett, several scientists and four military personnel who make up an S.G. team. Doctor Lee is standing at the end of the table by a large whiteboard.  
>"OK - this is Atlantis, deep in the Pegasus galaxy," Lee draws a symbol on the far left-hand side of the whiteboard to depict Atlantis "and this" he draws a crude diagram of Daedalus about a quarter of the way along the board and writes the letter 'D' above it "is the Daedalus, that left there about a week ago on its way to" he walks to the far end of the board and draws a circle, then writes the letter 'E' inside "Earth. Now, since we can't dial the Gate to Atlantis, we have no way to get a warning to them except by use of a subspace data burst transmission relayed from our galaxy to Pegasus using the Daedalus as one of the relay points."<br>"I thought you said the Daedalus was too far away for our transmitter to reach." Landry said.  
>"It is, which is why we have to get closer." Lee turns back to the board and writes about three quarters of the way along the board. "P4M-399. It's a - it's a tiny little planet right on the very outskirts of our galaxy, but if we can send a science team there through the Gate, they should be close enough" he draws a semi-circular line linking Earth to P4M-399 "to relay the information to the Daedalus" he draws another line linking the planet and Daedalus "and then they can ..." He draws another line linking Daedalus and Atlantis, then turns to face the table. "It's-it's-it's like the Twilight Bark." Everyone looks at him blankly. "Twilight Bark? "Hundred and One Dalmatians?" Didn't you guys see that movie? My kids love it. Any ... Well, OK, so there's all these dogs" he turns to the board "and one barks here" he indicates Earth, "one barks here," he indicates P4M-399 "one ..." He indicates Daedalus, then Atlantis. "They-they send a message across the countryside." He turns to the table again but everyone is still silent and blank. Then he gets inspiration. ""Lord of the Rings."" The scientists immediately nod and smile. ""Lord of the Rings!" You know, when they light all those signal fires on the mountain tops?" The S.G. team now gets it and they nod and grin. "You saw that, right? So, OK ..."<br>He turns back to the board to demonstrate again as the scientists and S.G. team all start chatting amongst themselves. Landry interrupts.  
>"People, people, people, people!" Landry stands up. Everybody falls silent. "I believe we have work to do."<br>"Right. Sorry."  
>Landry spoke to the S.G. team. "Gear up."<br>Everybody stands and heads off.  
>҉<br>**HYPERSPACE.**

As Daedalus flies through hyperspace, Doctor Lindsay Novak reports over comms from the Engine Room to Colonel Steven Caldwell on the Bridge.  
>"Colonel Caldwell. We just received a subspace transmission from an S.G. team on P4M-399. It's an urgent message from Stargate Command we are to relay to Atlantis."<br>_"What's the message?"__  
><em> ""Do not dial Gate to Earth. A Trust operative has planted a bomb in Atlantis to be detonated upon completion of dialling sequence." We are to maintain our position until the message has been delivered for further intel as it develops."  
><em>"Are we still in range to relay the message to Atlantis?"<em>  
>A male voice spoke in the Engine Room. "No."<br>_"Who's that? Kavanagh?"_  
>It is indeed our not-so-favourite pony-tailed scientist, Doctor Kavanagh, who sadly wasn't eaten by a Wraith during the siege.<br>"Yes, Colonel. We're way too far out to broadcast a subspace transmission to Atlantis."  
>"We could turn around - get closer." Novak said.<br>"We don't have enough time. Their weekly status report dial-up is in just under two hours. We can't possibly get close enough to broadcast the message in time to stop them dialling."  
>Hermiod the Asgard is at his station in the Engine Room and now speaks into comms.<br>"Colonel Caldwell. I believe I can make modifications to the hyperdrive in order to achieve the speed necessary to reach a distance capable of relaying the transmission within the allotted time. The hyperdrive will be operating at a level that can only be sustained for a short duration before damage is incurred."  
><em>"What kind of damage?"<em>  
>"It could burn out the drive."<br>"Meaning we'd be stuck between galaxies." Kavanagh said.  
><em>"Yeah, I know what it means, Doctor."<em>  
>"However, I do believe that we will reach the point at which we can relay the message to Atlantis before damage to the hyperdrive is incurred." Hermiod said.<br>Kavanagh walks over to Hermiod.  
>"Are you sure about that?"<br>Hermiod ignores him.  
>"Shall I make the modifications, Colonel?"<br>_"Go ahead."_ Caldwell spoke to his pilot. _"Turn us around."_  
>Back in the Engine Room, Hermiod has turned to another console and is working on it. Kavanagh walks around to face him again.<br>"I don't see how you can possibly milk any more power out of the hyperdrive ..."  
>Hermiod interrupted. "Doctor Kavanagh."<br>"Yes?"  
>Firmly, he said, "Stop talking, please." He looks at Kavanagh for a moment. "Thank you."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"I'll tell you what, I'm am full of baby shower cake. Remind me thank SG1 for the baby gifts, especially Daniel. So, are we set to dial?" Elizabeth asked.<br>McKay was sitting at a console and working on a laptop computer. "Almost. Just finishing data compression." He quickly looked up at Elizabeth. "That cake was good."  
>Weir smiled at the technician who was sitting by the D.H.D console. "Stand by."<br>"Standing by."  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

The ship is now heading back through hyperspace towards Atlantis.  
><em>"Doctor Novak, what's your status?"<em> Caldwell asked over the comms.  
>"Almost in range, sir."<br>Kavanagh walks over to her. "We're not gonna make it."  
>On the Bridge, Caldwell makes a sour face.<p>

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Rodney's laptop reads "COMPRESSING DATA", then changes to "COMPRESSION COMPLETE."  
>"Data compression's complete. We're good to go."<br>"Alright, then." Weir told the technician, "Dial the Gate."  
>"Yes, ma'am."<br>He presses the first five symbols of the address for Earth. Just then, a message comes up on Rodney's computer reading, "INCOMING TRANSMISSION" and the transmission begins to feed across the screen. The technician pushes the sixth symbol. Rodney stares at his screen as he reads the message, then he turns and holds out his hand to the technician.  
>"STOP!"<br>Everyone turns and stares at him. The technician pauses with the tips of his fingers less than an inch above the final symbol. He curls his fingers and lifts his hand away from the panel. Rodney stares at him for a moment, and then sinks back into his chair, letting out a breath.

LATER.

Illyria, John, Rodney and Ronon walk into Elizabeth's office.  
>"We need to disconnect the ZedP.M. and switch to back-up naqahdah generators to prevent any possible dialling of the Gate to Earth." McKay said.<br>"I agree. In fact, as of this moment, all Gate activity should be suspended. How many offworld teams do we have out there?" Weir asked.  
>"Just Zelenka and his team on M7G-677."<br>"Well, unfortunately he's gonna have to sit tight until we sort this thing out."  
>"Stuck with all those kids!" John smiled.<br>"Is the Daedalus still in range to relay a data transmission back to S.G.C.?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yes. They are, uh, holding a position that keeps them in range of both Earth and us." McKay told her.<br>"OK, good. And send a message saying we received their warning and aborted the dialling." Weir nodded.  
>John spoke to Rodney. "Ask them if they can give us a little more than just "there's a bomb in Atlantis.""<br>"Maybe The Trust thinks this is the only way to make sure the Wraith don't get there." Weir said.  
>"Well, it's drastic but effective." Rodney said.<br>"What's worse is the Trust operative who planted the bomb probably did so under orders from the Goa'uld."  
>"What?"<br>"When did the Goa'uld get involved in this?" John asked.  
>"Several months ago. They successfully infiltrated the upper leadership of The Trust, gaining a stronghold on Earth accessing government agencies from many countries."<br>"What's a Goa'uld?" Ronon and Illyria chorused.  
>"It's a slimy, snake-like alien creature - burrows into people's heads and takes control of their bodies. They're Earth's 'Wraith'." John said.<br>"That doesn't sound pleasant." Ronon mumbled.  
>"It isn't. I've read enough S.G. mission reports to know I don't want anything to do with them."<br>Weir spoke to John. "I want you to organize some teams to do a search of the city. Start with obvious sabotage points - power distribution centers ..."  
>"I'll check primary and secondary systems for any anomalous energy readings that might indicate the presence of an explosive device." McKay said.<br>"And get Cadman to assist you - she's a bomb expert." John told him.  
>"She is?"<br>"She's one of the best - she'll be a big help."  
>Rodney grimaces.<br>"Good. Ask Colonel Caldwell to return to Atlantis to assist with the investigation." Illyria said.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. If the Daedalus returns here, then you're effectively cutting off our communication with Earth." McKay told her and Weir.<br>"Yes, I understand that, but if the person who planted the bomb is on board, we're gonna need to question them here - have them reveal the location of the bomb and how to dismantle it. Alright, let's get moving." Weir nodded.  
>҉<p>

**POWER ROOM. **

Rodney types into a console, then goes over to the central panel where the Z.P.M. is. He activates his radio.  
>"Disconnecting ZedP.M. power ... now."<br>He presses a button and the Z.P.M. rises up out of the panel and its internal illumination goes out.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS MAINLAND. **

**CHARIN'S TENT. **

Charin is lying in bed with Teyla sitting on the side of the bed and Carson sitting next to it.  
>"Charin, if you don't mind, I'd like to draw a wee bit of your blood."<br>Charin was holding out her arm. "If you must."  
>Teyla starts to roll up Charin's sleeve. "When you are done, I have made some tuttleroot soup!"<br>Charin chuckles. "Oh - you cooking?"  
>Teyla walks over to a pot and starts to fill a bowl with soup.<br>""Tuttleroot?"" Carson asked.  
>"Yes. I have been practising." Carson starts drawing blood from Charin's arm as Teyla comes back to the bed with the bowl and a spoon, sits back down on the bed and looks at Charin. "Hopefully, some day, I will be able to cook as well as you."<br>As Carson finishes drawing blood, Teyla dips the spoon into the bowl and then feeds Charin a mouthful of soup.  
>"Oh!" She chuckles affectionately. "I'm afraid that day is far into the future, my dear!"<br>Teyla looks hurt for a moment, then smiles ruefully.  
>"You were born for a higher purpose - to be the leader of our people. And that's why I want you to prepare them for the Ring Ceremony."<br>Teyla shakes her head. "Charin ..."  
>"I'm dying, Teyla."<br>"Forgive me, but what exactly is the Ring Ceremony?" Carson asked.  
>Charin looks at Teyla and nods to her.<br>"Among our people, it is very rare for someone to die of natural causes."  
>"Because of the Wraith." Carson said.<br>Teyla nods. "The Ring Ceremony celebrates such an event. A ring of stones is laid out, symbolizing the Ring of the Ancestors - the Stargate - in the center of which the body is placed, and ..." She trails off, looking at Charin for a long moment, then sighs. "I am not ready for this ceremony, Charin. Not yet."  
>Charin smiles, understanding her anguish, and reaches up and strokes her hair.<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.G.C. **

General Landry and Agent Barrett are walking along corridors.  
>"What have you got for me?" Landry asked.<br>"One of our teams has raided a Trust compound: discovered computers containing further intel on Atlantis. It's not much - the Goa'uld are being very cryptic about this."  
>"Cut to the chase. Do we know what kind of bomb it is?"<br>"Not yet."  
>"Do we know where in the city it was planted?"<br>"No."  
>"I'm sorry? You said "further intel.""<br>"Well, we know for sure that there's no transmitter here on Earth to detonate the bomb."  
>"I thought you said it was connected to the dialling of the Gate?"<br>"It appears that the actual trigger, be it the Gate itself or some other mechanism due to the dialling, is on their end, not ours. Colonel Carter just came back from offworld - she's gonna help us figure out what the trigger might be."  
>"So what else can we do?"<br>"Nothing. I mean, not until we find out more."  
>"Then by all means don't let me stop you."<br>Landry walks away. Barrett stops and blows out a breath, frustrated.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS. **

**ENGINE ROOM.**  
>Novak spoke into the comms. "Colonel Caldwell - we received another message from S.G.C. to relay. It looks like the detonator is not on Earth but it is in Atlantis."<br>_"Alright - go ahead and send it. Also let S.G.C. know Doctor Weir's request that we return to help with the investigation."_  
>"Yes, sir."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Rodney and Laura Cadman are sitting at neighboring consoles working on laptops.  
>"Explosives expert, huh?" McKay asked.<br>"High temperature and energetic materials technology. And I can tap dance, too."  
>Rodney rolls his eyes. Laura grins at him. Elizabeth walks over, talking into her headset radio.<br>"Colonel Sheppard, how's it going?"  
>(Elsewhere in the city)<br>"Checking the east pier power distribution centers. Still nothin'. We're headed to the west pier now."  
><em>"Ronon? How about you?"<em>  
>(At one of the grounding stations)<br>"Checking the grounding stations. Also nothing."  
>"We've got eight other teams out there. It's a big city - it's gonna take a while." John said.<br>_"Understood. Be advised: we got a second message relayed to us ..."_  
>(Control Room)<p>

Just then, noises come from behind her and the Canadian technician stares in horror at his console.  
>"Uh - D.H.D."<br>"It's dialling itself." McKay walks over to the D.H.D. console as it continues to dial the Gate. He looks at the symbols that are lighting up. "That's Earth's address!"  
>"I thought it couldn't dial Earth without the ZeeP.M." Weir said.<br>"Well, it can't!  
>McKay stares at the Gate as its chevrons light up, then looks down at a screen. A message comes up reading "INSUFFICIENT POWER TO COMPLETE DIALING PROCEDURE," and the Gate powers down. Rodney smiles in delight.<br>_"Did I just hear right - the Gate dialled by itself?"_ John said.  
>"Uh, yes, it tried to dial Earth." Weir said.<br>"Whoever planted the bomb must have devised a program to upload itself and automatically dial the Gate as backup in case the first dialling was halted." McKay said.

"A very good thing you pulled the ZeeP.M."  
>Laura spots something. "Rodney?"<br>"What?"  
>"The transmitter."<br>Rodney looks over to the transmitter screen on the wall.  
>"Oh, no!" He hurries over to the screen.<br>"What is this?" Weir asked.  
>"We just started broadcasting a distress beacon. The Gate dialled itself in order to draw our attention away from the transmitter!" McKay yelled.<br>_"Turn it off!"_  
>McKay was hurrying over to another laptop. "I am." He starts typing and the transmission shuts off. "It's too late. The damage is already done." He goes over to the long-range sensor screen. "The two Wraith cruisers I was monitoring - they've-they've-they've, they've picked up the beacon, they've altered their course, they're headed straight for Atlantis."<p>

SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.

As Illyria and Rodney talk, John arrives back.  
>"How long before they get here?" She asked.<br>"A day, maybe a day and a half, depending on if they need to make a hyperspace pause along the way. We'll need to cloak the city again."  
>"Even cloaked, the Wraith are going to wonder where the beacon came from."<br>"Well, then, we need a ruse. Umm ... " McKAy thinks for a moment, then clicks his fingers. "We'll take a transmitter and dump it along with some charred rubble on a beach on the mainland, and they'll think it's jetsam that washed up when the city exploded during the siege." He looks pleased with himself.  
>"Hang on, back up a second. Let me get this straight. You think our bomb guy did this?" John asked.<br>"Yes. It'd be easy for him to figure out that the Wraith were in the area. We've been tracking them for a while now." McKay said.  
>"So he gets the Gate to dial by itself in order to distract us so he can broadcast a distress beacon that'll be picked up by ..." John trailed off.<br>"…by the Wraith, yes, I believe so." McKay finished.  
>"OK, why?"<br>"Well, maybe he wants to blow up the Wraith along with the city." Cadman said.  
>Rodney looks round at her sarcastically. "Two cruisers. They're insignificant compared to all the hiveships that are still out there."<br>"Well, we don't have much time, so whatever the connection is, let's try to figure it out before the cruisers get here." Illyria said.  
>҉<br>**CORRIDORS.**

Teyla is walking briskly along. Carson runs to catch up with her.  
>"Teyla. You're in an awful hurry."<br>"I am returning to the mainland. We are evacuating my people back to the city; I had to work out some arraignments."  
>"Oh yes, the Wraith are on their way. I just heard."<br>"They will be protected under the cloak until the danger is passed."  
>"Unfortunately, if they don't find that bomb, Atlantis may prove even more dangerous."<br>"They will find it - I am certain."  
>"Before you go, I need to talk to you about Charin. I've completed my tests, and I must say although she is old and her body is indeed failing her, there are treatments and procedures I can administer to prolong her life."<br>"Really?"  
>"Aye - starting with a pacemaker for her heart." Teyla shakes her head, not understanding him. "You see, one of the reasons she's feeling so weak is that her heart is beating in a ... untimely fashion, not pumping nearly enough blood through her body. Now, the condition will continue, but the pacemaker will slow its progress considerably. It could possibly add years to her life."<br>Teyla smiles, delighted.  
>"I will let her know. But first I have to get her and my people to safety before the Wraith arrive."<br>"Of course."  
>Teyla walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.G.C.**

**LANDRY'S OFFICE. **

Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman comes to the door and knocks. Landry is pouring himself a cup of coffee. He turns and looks at Walter.  
>"Not sure I like the look on your face, Chief."<br>"Sir, the Daedalus just relayed a message informing us that Atlantis requests that they return to help with the bomb investigation."  
>"Well, tell them "no" for the time being. I need them to hold position in case we gather more intel."<br>"Sir, that's the problem. They already headed back. They're out of range. We have no way of communicating with them or Atlantis."  
>"Then there's nothing else we can do for them?"<br>"No, sir."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**Illyria and John's apartment. **

Illyria is studying a laptop. John walks in, walks around the bed and looks at her screen.  
>"Passenger manifest?"<br>"Yeah, Elizabeth wants me to take a look."  
>"Any names jump out?"<br>Illyria sighs. "A few, actually." She looks at the screen again. "I hate this - having to suspect one of your-our- own."  
>John walks round to the front of the bed and sits down. "Unfortunately the list of suspects may not be limited to the Daedalus."<br>Illyria stares at him. "You think the Trust operative might still be here in Atlantis?"  
>"Well, with everything that's happened: the Gate dialling by itself," Illyria leans back against the headboard and puts her hands over her face briefly "the distress beacon..."<br>Illyria sighs again. "I don't know - getting themselves blown up along with the city doesn't seem part of their 'M.O.' as you explained it."  
>Rodney knocks on the door and walks to the doorway but for the moment the other two ignore him.<br>"Well, all it takes is one not to be talked into it." John said.  
>Illyria thinks about it. "Who around here do you suspect?"<br>McKay walks in. "What about Lieutenant Cadman, hmm?"  
>"What?" John says<br>Illyria frowns at Rodney.  
>"Hear me out. She's an explosives expert." Illyria nods. "She was all set to leave on the Daedalus but, uh, asked to stay when "something came up." She's always around when things happen. When the distress beacon started ..."<br>"She's one of the most trusted officers in my command - not to mention the fact that she was stuck in your head for some time." John firmly said.  
>"Do you always have to keep bringing that up?"<br>"I bring it up because you of all people should know: she'd never do something like that."  
>"Well, maybe she was brainwashed, huh? The Goa'uld are very clever when it comes to things like manipulating ..."<br>Laura approaches the room.  
>"Excuse me. Illyria."<br>Illyria smiles at her. "Yes."  
>"Flight just confirmed that the Daedalus has landed alongside the east pier."<br>"Thank you."  
>Laura throws a black look at Rodney's back before turning and walking away. Rodney looks nervous, unsure of what she might have heard.<br>҉  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. <strong>

**DAEDALUS. **

Caldwell and Elizabeth are walking through the corridors.  
>"I wanna begin the interrogations immediately. All crew and civilian passengers have been confined to their quarters until I have a chance to talk to each of them separately."<br>"Colonel. This investigation falls under Atlantis jurisdiction, which means they will be conducted under my command." Caldwell grimaces. "Now, I welcome your assistance, but as far as questioning potential suspects..."  
>Caldwell interrupted. "Doctor. One of the people aboard my ship may be an operative of The Trust."<br>"Yes. And the sooner I figure out who that is, the better for all of us."

Caldwell looks irritated, but knows better than to prolong the argument.  
>"Alright, who's first on your list?"<p>

**CONTROL ROOM**

**CONFERENCE ROOMS**

"You think I did it?" Kavanagh asked  
>Kavanagh is seated at a small table in one of the conference rooms off the Control Room. The doors are closed and a marine stands guard. Illyria walks towards the table.<br>"Relax, Doctor. You're just one of many people I'm questioning." She sits down opposite him.  
>"No - I'm pretty sure mine's the first name on what is probably a very short list. And why are <em>you<em> questioning me?"  
>"Shortly after the siege, you couldn't wait to leave Atlantis. A few months later, Doctor Weir received an urgent request from you to be allowed to return. Your second tour lasted three weeks, and suddenly you asked to leave again."<br>"Yeah - because working conditions became intolerable for me here. I have no friends here, my work is not respected..."  
>"And this occurs only days before we discover a bomb has been planted in the city."<br>"Right! Of course! So obviously I did it." He sits back and folds his arms.  
>"Given the circumstances, can you not see how such behavior might arouse suspicion?"<br>"Weir's suspicion, sure. Seeing as how she never cared for me, nor valued the talents I brought to this expedition."  
>"Her personal feelings towards you, no matter what they may be, have nothing to do with this."<br>Kavanagh was laughing sarcastically. "Oh, please!" He laughs again. "Everything she does is motivated by personal feelings. She's driven by emotion, not reason. It's why I've always felt she's not capable of doing this job. She don't have the..." he purges his lips as if to say a word beginning with 'b', but changes his mind "strength to be leading the fight against the Wraith."  
>"If I remember correctly, you were the one who wanted to - what was it? - run and hide?"<br>"And at the time, I was right. If the Daedalus hadn't arrived at the eleventh hour, this city and everyone in it would have been wiped out because of your recklessness. There no need for The Trust to blow it up when Doctor Weir's at the helm!"  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS MAINLAND. **

**CHARIN'S TENT. **

Charin lies in bed as Teyla hurries around the tent packing some things.  
>"Most of the others have already been transported to the city. A medical team will be by shortly to take you in the next Jumper."<br>"Always running. Always looking to the sky in fear. Soon I shall be free of this burden."  
>Teyla walks over to the bed.<br>"Charin. Doctor Beckett said he can help you - give you something to make you feel better, live longer."  
>"I feel fine, Teyla. I welcome this. This is not to be feared."<br>"You are all I have left. My family - my mother, my father - they are all gone." Her eyes start to fill with tears. "If you leave me, I will truly be alone."  
>"No. Your people are your family, Teyla - and as you look to them, so they will look to you. They need your strength."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**INTERVIEW ROOM. **

Illyria is now talking with Doctor Novak.  
>"You understand that I am interviewing everybody on board the ship?"<br>"Oh, sure, I know. I mean, whoever planted the bomb was probably eager to get away from the city!" She chuckles nervously, then realizes what she just said. "N-not that I was eager. I was just doing my job. I couldn't have cared less when we left ... n-n... but ... I care about my job, I just didn't..." She trails off, coughing nervously. "You were saying?"  
>Illyria was smiling at her. "Doctor, you have nothing to be nervous about here."<br>Novak was laughing "I know, I know ... unless, of course, I was guilty, then I would have some..." She hiccups. "Sorry."  
>"Have you noticed any crewmembers' ... change in behavior the last few weeks? I don't know - anybody acting in a suspicious or odd manner?"<br>Lindsay shakes her head. "No ... Wait." She thinks for a moment, then looks at Illyria. "I-I-I-I mean, no." She hiccups. "Oh, for God's sake!"  
>"Can I get you some water?"<br>"Uh, no, wouldn't do any good. I get the hiccups when I'm nervous - it goes way beyond annoying." She takes a breath. "But wait ..." She thinks for a moment. "The pony-tailed guy, Doctor Kavanagh? He was always hanging around, looking over your shoulder, poking through computers. Kinda creepy." Illyria sits back in her seat, looking at her. Lindsay looks nervous. "Well, not really, uh ... creepy as much as, um, peculiar, maybe, uh ... I-I-I-I don't know the guy, he could be a great person. I mean, who am I to judge, you know?" She hiccups. "I'll just shut up."  
>Rodney's voice comes over Illyria's headset.<br>_"Illyria."_  
>"Excuse me." She told Lindsey and activates her headset. "Yes, Rodney?"<br>_"Can you come to the Control Room? I've discovered something important."_  
>"I'm on my way." She spoke to Lindsay. "If you'll excuse me?" She stands.<br>"Yes, sir. Uh, ma'am."  
>Illyria leaves the room.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>  
>"What have you found?"<br>"Guess what? Turns out there's no bomb after all." John said.  
>"Uhhhh, there's no actual explosive device. The explosion will come, but, uh, from somewhere else. Now, with the Wraith on the way, we'll need to cloak the city, right?" McKay asked.<br>"Yes." Illyria said.  
>"Well, in order to do that, we need to reconnect the ZedP.M. in order to supply the necessary power."<br>"And what about the Stargate?"  
>"Ah - I've physically disabled the D.H.D. It won't be able to dial, so it won't be a problem. Now, the ZedP.M., however, will be. Now, as you know, the Zero Point Module controls the flow of massive amounts of power."<br>"Like a dam." John explained.  
>"No, it's not like a dam, it's more like a ... uh ... actually, yes, it's like a dam. If you overload the dam, it breaks, which is why the Ancients put in place failsafes to prevent such a thing from happening."<br>"Like a spillway." John nodded.  
>"Could we just stick with failsafes?" McKay asked, annoyed.<br>John shrugs.  
>"The problem is, our Trust operative figured out a way to rewrite Atlantis' operating system and disable the failsafes, but mask it in such a way that the city sensors didn't detect it."<br>"So the dialling of Earth would cause the ZeeP.M. to overload." Illyria said.  
>"Oh, yeah! And given that dialling another galaxy requires tremendous amounts of power, we're talking catastrophic overload. I mean, the explosion would destroy not just the city, but, uh, most likely the entire planet."<br>"Can the failsafes be re-enabled?" John asked McKay.  
>"Yes, but, uh, whoever it was who did this anticipated the possibility that it would be discovered and they put in place a code to block access to it."<br>"And I'm gonna guess that cracking this code isn't gonna be easy." Cadman asked.  
>"No, not at all. It is extremely complicated." McKay replied sarcastically.<br>"But for now you've already disabled the D.H.D. so it's impossible to dial Earth." Illyria said.  
>"Yeah, but unfortunately, any number of systems can be used in conjunction with each other to, uh, overload the ZedP.M. It'd be a much more gradual build-up than dialling the Gate, which would cause an instantaneous power spike, but, um, equally as effective in its results."<br>"And we can't disconnect the ZeeP.M. because we need the cloak for when the Wraith cruisers arrive."  
>McKay was pointing at her. "Bingo! Which is why our bomber activated the distress beacon, alerting them. And that is how the Wraith coming to Atlantis is connected to detonating the bomb."<br>҉  
><strong>INTERVIEW ROOM.<strong>

Illyria is interrogating Kavanagh again.  
>"Rewriting Atlantis' operating system and disabling the failsafes - now that takes someone with incredible intelligence."<br>"You mean like Doctor McKay?"  
>"And also someone who's very eager to leave Atlantis shortly before the weekly dial-in to Earth."<br>"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Doctor Zelenka currently stuck offworld somewhere? Why isn't he a suspect?"  
>"Our list of suspects isn't open for discussion, but off the record, Zelenka went against his will and I couldn't picture him working for The Trust."<br>"Oh, but you can picture me?"  
>"In a heartbeat."<br>Kavanagh looks up at her, nods, and looks upset, though it's not clear whether he's faking it. "I see." He takes off his glasses and rubs his eye. "Guilty until proven innocent. Is that what you did with your own people?"  
>Illyria ignored the question "I've been going over the communication logs from the Daedalus and it seems that you sent three unauthorized encoded messages back to Atlantis shortly after the dial-in was halted."<br>"I have a few friends here I was concerned about. I wanted to see if they were alright."  
>"I thought you said you didn't have any friends here."<br>Kavanagh smiles ruefully.

"Now, the messages were encrypted, but do not worry, I've got people deciphering them right now."  
>"What do you want from me?"<br>"I want the access codes so I can re-enable the ZeeP.M. failsafes!"  
>"Well, if you're waiting for me to tell you, then you'll be waiting a while, seeing as I have no idea what that code is."<br>"No, I think you do know it. And since I don't have the time to wait any more, I'll just have to decide the quickest way to get it from you."  
>Kavanagh laughs. "Like what? Are you gonna torture me?"<br>Illyria stares at him. "You had asked me if I had done this with my people. Now you have your answer." After a moment, Kavanagh drops his gaze nervously.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Elizabeth is looking at the screen showing the approaching Wraith cruisers.  
>"Could the cloaking cause the ZeeP.M. to overload?"<br>"Yes, but I can, uh, turn off some of the systems to keep the power levels short of an overload."  
>"Maybe we should start thinking about evacuating the city." John said.<br>"Well, there's not a lot of options there. Still, it can't hurt to have a plan ready, if we can think of one." McKay said. "Besides, Illyria would kill you if that happened."  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Charin is lying in one of the beds. Teyla goes over to Carson in another part of the infirmary.

"Doctor Beckett. Why was Charin moved in here?"  
>"So I could keep a closer eye on her - tend to her if needed."<br>"I told you she does not wish for any treatment."  
>"You have to understand, Teyla, that as a doctor I can't just stand by here and let her die. I took an oath to preserve life."<br>"You may keep her here to make her comfortable, but if the time comes, as much as it pains both of us, we must not interfere."  
>Carson looks round at Charin, then turns back to Teyla and speaks reluctantly.<br>"Alright."  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM.**

Elizabeth, Illyria, John, Rodney and Caldwell are there.

"I'm still working on cracking the new failsafe code but, uh, so far, no luck." McKay said.

"How are things coming with Kavanagh? He still your prime suspect?" Caldwell asked Illyria  
>"Yes, he is. I'm having some difficulty with him, though. He's not exactly the most co-operative of people."<br>"Ooh, well, there's a shocker!" McKay said.  
>"If he does know the code, I highly doubt he's gonna just give it to us." Weir said.<br>Ronon is sitting on the balcony railing just outside the Conference Room and has been listening to the conversation. He now stands up and walks in, taking a knife out of a sheath on his leg and flipping it nonchalantly.  
>"Give me ten minutes with him. I'll get it out of him."<br>Rodney shakes his head and grimaces.  
>"Might not be a bad idea. Maybe it is time to take this interrogation to the next level." John said.<br>"Look, I hate Kavanagh as much as the next guy - probably even more - but, um, we really need to be sure about this." McKay said.  
>"I agree. If there's the slightest chance that he's innocent, then..." Weir said.<br>"We don't have time to debate morality. Unfortunately sometimes you have to do unpleasant things to save lives." Caldwell said.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

As everyone exits the Conference Room, Rodney walks into the Control Room and sees Laura working on a laptop.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"I was going over the systems command logs for the past few months."  
>McKay folded his arms. "Why?"<br>"I noticed a gap in one of the data stream sequences from several weeks ago." Rodney looks exasperated. "It's probably nothing but I thought it might indicate a..."

"...a deletion point, yes. Believe it or not, I have had some experience with these systems; more, say, than a tap-dancing explosives expert."  
>"I was just trying to help, Rodney."<br>"Hey, here's a thought: failsafe code. Why don't you help with that?"  
>Laura looks annoyed but before Rodney can continue the argument, he spots something nearby and activates his headset radio.<br>"Elizabeth." McKay walks over to the screen monitoring the Wraith cruisers.  
><em>"Yes, Rodney?"<em>  
>"The cruisers are getting closer. I think it's time to reconnect the ZedP.M. and cloak the city."<br>_"Go ahead."_  
>҉<br>**POWER ROOM.**

Rodney inserts the Z.P.M. back into its slot and it lights up. He goes over to the control console.  
>"Switching to ZedP.M. power ... now."<br>The Z.P.M. sinks down into its slot. From an outside perspective, the city disappears behind the cloak.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Rodney is back in the Control Room, working on a laptop.  
>"How're we doing?" Elizabeth<br>"Well, I've powered down several of the secondary systems but, uh, so far, ZedP.M. levels are holding below overload. Huh - I think we're gonna be OK."  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Teyla sits at Charin's bedside as Carson stands nearby. Charin is struggling to draw breath.  
>"Are you in pain? Doctor Beckett can give you something to ease it."<br>Charin looks at her.  
>"Teyla." Charin says weakly.<br>Teyla was smiling down at her. "Yes, Charin?"  
>"Our journey begins." She smiles at her, then draws one final painful breath. As she breathes out, the monitor attached to her flatlines as she dies. Carson quietly walks over and switches the machine off, then discreetly walks away. Teyla gazes down at Charin and then, with tears spilling down her cheeks, takes Charin's hand and lays her own head down on it.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Illyria and Rodney are looking at the screen showing the Wraith cruisers very close to Atlantis.  
>"They're here!" McKay said in a sing-song voice. In his normal voice "Two Wraith cruisers, just outside our atmosphere."<br>"So far they don't behave in a way that would indicate they're aware of us."  
>An alarm beeps.<br>"Rodney." Cadman says.  
>"What?"<br>"The city's inertial dampeners just began powering up."  
>"What?" McKay jumped up.<br>Cadman worked furiously on the laptop. "I-I-I'm trying to shut it down but it's requiring a code."  
>"Get out of there." McKay shoves her aside and looks at the screen. "It's the star drive!"<p>

"It'll overload the ZeeP.M!" Illyria said, knowing full well the effects.  
>"Way overload it."<br>"How soon before that happens?"  
>"Thirty minutes at the most, and this city will be vaporized."<br>҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

Elizabeth, Illyria, John, Rodney, Ronon and Caldwell walk in.

"We need to initiate some evacuation plans." Weir said, not looking at Illyria's pained face.  
>John held Illyria's hand, but talked to Weir. "I told you, the Daedalus is our only option. We can't use the Stargate, we can't go to the mainland."<br>"I agree. We'll fit as many people aboard the ship as we possibly can ..." Caldwell said.  
>"There is nowhere near enough room for everyone!" McKay yelled.<br>"We're gonna have to make room." John said.  
>"No-no-no-no-no, you don't understand. The life support system can't handle that many people - not enough air to go around. They'd never make it back to Earth." McKay said.<br>"What about another planet? There's one nearby in this solar system, remember? The one we found the crashed Wraith cruiser. That took us fifteen hours by Puddle Jumper. It's a blink of the eye for the Daedalus." John asked.  
>"And then we could use the Puddle Jumpers to ferry the rest of the people." Illyria suggested.<br>"The quickest thing to do is get the code." Ronon leans on the table and stares at Illyria. "Just let me in with Kavanagh - I'll get it from him."  
>Illyria looks at him wanting to nod, but unwilling to over step her bounds with Weir who was unwilling to take that step.<br>"ZedP.M. overload in..." McKay consults his tablet computer "twenty-four minutes."  
>Illyria looks at John, who gazes back at her meaningfully. She looks at Ronon again, forgetting about Weir, and then nods.<br>"Do it."  
>Ronon looks at John, who nods to him, then he turns and leaves the room.<br>҉  
><strong>CHAMBER.<strong>

The Athosians have found a room somewhere in Atlantis with what looks like stained glass in the windows. It looks almost like a church. A bed has been placed in the centre of the room and Charin's body lies on it. She is covered with decorated blankets, and there are several different coloured cushions under and around her head. As several other Athosians busy themselves with preparations, Teyla kneels at the bedside wearing a stunning turquoise floor-length dress with long ornate flowing sleeves. Carson hurries into the chamber and stops at the sight of the preparations.  
>"Oh God!" Carson hurries over to Teyla as she stands up. "Teyla, what are you doing?"<br>"We are about to begin the Ring Ceremony according to Charin's wishes."  
>Carson takes her arm and leads her away from the bed. "They're evacuating the city. In a matter of minutes it could all explode."<br>" We are aware of that, and many of my people are boarding the Daedalus as we speak. I and the others will leave with the final groups aboard the Puddle Jumpers."  
>"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?"<br>"I made a promise to Charin, and I intend to keep it, no matter the cost."  
>Carson sighs as Teyla walks back to Charin's bedside.<br>҉  
><strong>INTERROGATION ROOM.<strong>

The doors open. Outside, Ronon stands and glares into the room. Kavanagh, who had been sitting with his feet up on the table, stares in panic and brings his feet down to the floor, then stands up. Ronon walks slowly and threateningly into the room, stopping just inside the door and glaring at Kavanagh, who stares back at him, terrified. Ronon starts to walk forward towards him.  
>҉<br>**FUNERAL CHAMBER.**

Teyla stands at Charin's bedside as Carson stands with the other mourners. Standing stones now surround the bed in a circle. Several of the other Athosians begin to play a lilting lament on instruments. The tune has a somewhat Celtic style. Teyla begins to sing in a pure, clear soprano voice. The song, with choral backing, intermingles with the following scenes. Even when Teyla isn't singing, the music and choral backing continues in the background as other scenes take place.  
># Beyond the night, a rising sun<p>

# Beyond the night, the battle's won

# The battle's won.

(In the Control Room)

Rodney and Laura frantically work on their laptops, trying to decipher the failsafe code. Laura throws up her hands in despair but continues working. Rodney looks across at the screen showing the approaching cruisers, then gets back to work.

# Fear and shame now in the past

# Pain and sorrow gone at last

# Gone at last.

(In her quarters)

Illyria sits on her bed, anguishing about what she is allowing Ronon to do. She stands up and walks over to the window, gazing out into the sea.

In space, the two Wraith cruisers fly towards the planet.

In the Control Room, Elizabeth has joined Rodney.  
>"ZedP.M. overload in ten minutes. We should think about getting to the Jumpers." McKay says.<br>Laura hurries back into the room and goes over to the two of them.  
>"Doctor Weir. Rodney. I found something."<p>

# Circle renewed, peace will be found

# Beyond the night on sacred ground.

John runs into the Interrogation Room.  
>"Stop!" He stares at what he sees. "What did you do to him?"<br>The camera pans around and we see Ronon standing over Kavanagh, who is lying on the floor on his back, unconscious.  
>"Nothing. He fainted before I could touch him."<br>John tries to hide a grin.

On Daedalus, Caldwell sits in his chair on the Bridge.  
>"Doctor Weir, we're ready to go. We'll meet you at the rendezvous site."<br>An Asgard transporter beam sweeps him off the Bridge and he reappears sitting on a chair in Atlantis' Conference Room. He looks around in shock, then stands up.  
>"What the hell's going on here?"<br>Illyria and Elizabeth are standing on the other side of the table. Ronon and John stands near Caldwell and paces back and forth behind him during the rest of the conversation.  
>"I asked Hermiod to beam you here so you could give us the access code." Illyria said.<br>"What?"  
>"Lieutenant Cadman discovered a gap in the system command logs that indicated two deletion points that she ..." Weir said.<br>"Look, we don't have time for this." Caldwell said.  
>Illyria steps forward. "Your identification code was used to identify this city's operating system. You copied it, took it back to The Trust, whose Goa'uld scientists then rewrote the program to overload the ZeeP.M. You then brought it back here and uploaded it into the Atlantis computers."<br>Incredulously, John said, "You think that I'm working for The Trust?"  
>"We know you're working for The Trust," John pulls a pistol out of a holster on his leg and cocks the gun, though he doesn't raise it yet "so give us the code."<br>Caldwell looks at them for a moment, then his eyes flash. He's a Goa'uld. Now John raises his pistol and aims it at him. Illyria takes a couple of steps backwards.  
>"Oh, my God!"<br>Smugly, in the dual voice of a Goa'uld, Caldwell said, "I will never give you that code."  
>John looks around at Illyria. She looks back at him for a moment, then turns and leaves the room. John continues to hold his pistol on Caldwell.<br>"I warn you, as a Goa'uld I now possess the strength of many men."  
>Ominously, Ronon said, "Won't be a fair fight, then."<br>He kicks the chair out of the way and grabs Caldwell, slamming him against the wall. As John watches with his pistol still aimed, Ronon punches Caldwell hard in the face, then picks him up and throws him across the table and onto the floor on the other side. As Caldwell lies on his back, Ronon heads for him again but John holds out his hand to stop him.  
>"Hold on."<br>As Caldwell struggles to stand, John draws another weapon from a holster. This time it's a taser. He fires it at Caldwell and the electrodes hit him in the chest. As electricity pulses through them, Caldwell convulses, groaning. John keeps the power going for several seconds, then releases the trigger. Caldwell collapses, staring in agony, and his eyes flash. The Goa'uld symbiont inside him can be heard squealing in pain. John pulls the trigger again and electricity floods Caldwell's body again. He convulses, groaning in agony. John keeps the power going for several more seconds, then releases the trigger. Caldwell collapses again, panting and in great pain.  
>"Colonel?" John asked as Caldwell gasps for breath. "Colonel?"<br>Weakly, but in his normal voice, Caldwell replied. "Sheppard."  
>"We don't have much time - we need that access code."<br>Caldwell grimaces, clearly fighting for control against his injured Goa'uld symbiont.

In the Power Room, the Zero Point Module is pulsing ominously.

(In the Control Room)  
>"ZedP.M. levels are spiking. We need to go now." McKay said.<br>As he and Laura jump up from their seats and begin to run towards the stairs to the Jumper Bay, John and Ronon race into the Control Room. John hands Rodney a notebook.  
>"Access code."<br>Rodney grabs it and heads back to his station. He sits down and starts to type in the code as the screen flashes "OVERLOAD." As he finishes entering the code, a message comes up reading, "AUTHORIZATION CODE ACCEPTED - FAILSAFES REENABLED." The "OVERLOAD" message disappears. Rodney sinks back into his chair with a sigh of relief. As Elizabeth smiles at him, Ronon leans on a console and sinks his head down onto his arm. Illyria walks over to him, rubbing his back, and kissed the top of his head.  
>҉<br>**CHARIN'S FUNERAL CHAMBER**

The music has continued throughout the previous scenes. Teyla continues to sing.  
># River flows, led by the wind<p>

# First new breath, our journey begins

# Our journey begins.  
>҉<p>

**CORRIDOR. **

Carson and Laura are walking along together, Laura giggling about something. Rodney spots them.

"Oh, Carson. Hermiod's just beginning initial calculations on the extraction." McKay said.  
>"Extraction?" Cadman asked.<br>"Now?" Carson asked.  
>"Mmm-hmm. Hermiod's gonna attempt to extract the Goa'uld from Colonel Caldwell using Asgard beaming technology."<br>Carson looks at Laura. "Quite remarkable, actually."  
>"And complicated. The calculations are impossibly intricate. You don't wanna go beaming out a chunk of his brain." McKay smiles.<br>"Lovely, Rodney!"  
>"Hmm." He spots someone coming up behind Carson and Laura. "Hey! Look who's back!"<br>Carson and Laura turn to see Radek stomping along the corridor, glowering at them all. His face is painted several different colors and white straw has been woven into his hair using colored braid.  
>"It's Mister Mom! How were the kids?" McKay asked, smiling.<br>Radek turns and points at him furiously, momentarily lost for words. Finally he manages to string a sentence together.  
>"Do not even speak to me." He glares at him for a moment, then turns and stomps off. Rodney smiles smugly.<br>҉

**JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS**

Illyria is sitting on the bed. She aimlessly toyed with the blue baby blanket when John comes in, grinning.  
>"Did you see Zelenka?"<br>Illyria glanced up at him. "No." She looks down at the blanket again.  
>"You should take a quick look before he washes his face. The kids did a real number on him!"<br>He perches on the edge of the bed. Illyria looks up at him again, her face serious.  
>"I asked Carson to give everyone on the base a full examination. If Colonel Caldwell could have a Goa'uld in him, any of us could."<br>"It's not a pleasant thought."  
>"No. No, it isn't." She falls silent for a moment, gazing into space. "I crossed a line, John, with Kavanagh."<br>"You did what you had to do. The good news was, he wasn't hurt."  
>"Here we are, gloating about the in-fighting among the Wraith." She looks at him. "How are we any different?"<br>John looks away, unable to answer her.


	21. Chapter 19

**AN:/ POINTS OF CLARIFICATIONS FROM REVIEW QUESTIONS::::**

**Breen is the father of BOTH kids**

**Breen's necklace made it through to the REAL world and Illyria keeping it safe**

**Illyria's 'Power' is to make people tell the truth and see the greatest of kindness in others**

**Illyria learned the word cowboy from hearing the other women talk about John**

**Teyla will not be coming back to the SGA Team**

**PUDDLE JUMPER **

The Jumper is flying over the ocean. On board are Doctor Rodney McKay and a pilot called Griffin. Rodney checks a display at the co-pilot's seat, and then walks to a panel further back.  
>"So, let me ask you something. As a scientist, does it bother you that most of your work, no matter how brilliant, will eventually be considered misguided? 'Cause that would bother me."<br>"I'm sorry?"  
>"Well, given enough time, everything's pretty much proven wrong, right?"<br>"No."  
>"Everything from the Earth being flat, to the sun revolving around us."<br>McKay walked to another panel near the rear of the ship. "Well, if you wanna go back hundreds of years!"  
>"Scientists get it wrong more times than they get it right." Griffin glances round to Rodney. "Take the tomato."<br>Rodney turns and stares at him for a moment.  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"Well, after the conquest of Mexico in 1519, tomatoes were carried eastward to Europe, where they were believed to be poisonous."  
>Rodney stops what he's doing and walks forward. "Shouldn't you be concentrating on what you're doing?"<br>"I've got it covered. You worry about you."  
>"I am worried about me. This is the first flight this thing has had since it was shot down and repaired. It deserves all of your attention." McKay walks towards the rear of the ship again.<br>"It made it to the mainland. If anything was gonna go wrong, it would have gone wrong by now. It took the Italians and the Spaniards to realize that tomatoes are, in fact, delicious."  
>McKay was barely containing his irritation. "Good for them."<br>"Columbus was Spanish - he figured out the Earth was round."  
>McKay was looking annoyed. "He was Italian."<br>"So I wonder what it is that makes Spaniards so good at debunking bad science?" He glances over his shoulder again. "You're not Spanish, are you?"  
>McKay was starting to lose his temper. "Oh, yes! Of the Barcelona McKays! Now, if you don't mind ..."<br>The Jumper shakes. Griffin's concentration snaps to the controls as the Jumper continues to shake and vibrate.  
>McKay was stumbling forward and sitting down in the co-pilot's seat. "What is it? Turbulence?"<br>"The inertial dampeners on this thing should smooth that out." The Jumper jolts. "What the hell?"  
>McKay was looking at his screens. "Right drive pod's intermittently switching to reverse thrust."<br>"Cut it. I can drive with just the left pod."  
>"It's not recognizing any of my commands." He stands up and staggers over to one of the side panels.<br>"Brace for impact."  
>McKay yelled in a high-pitched voice. "What?"<br>"We're goin' down!"  
>As Rodney continues trying to gain control of the Jumper from the side panel, Griffin activates the comms.<br>"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!"  
>The Jumper drops down and splashes onto the ocean, skimming across the surface for a few seconds until the resistance of the water brings it to a halt. It promptly sinks. There is no land (or city) in sight.<p>

**LATER.**

Griffin is slumped unconscious over the console. Dr Radek Zelenka calls over the radio.  
><em>"Griffin, McKay, come in please."<em>  
>Rodney is unconscious on the floor but starts to rouse.<br>_"Jumper Six, come in please. Griffin, McKay, come in please."_  
>Rodney revives enough to speak into his headset.<br>"Yeah, we're here."  
>(In Atlantis' Control Room)<br>"Rodney! Thank God! We thought you ... I've been trying to get ahold of you for over an hour." Zelenka spoke to a technician. "Find Doctor Weir - tell her I've made contact."  
>•<p>

(In the Jumper, Rodney gets to his feet and goes over to Griffin.)  
>"Hey, hey, hey, you OK?"<br>Griffin rouses. Weakly, he says, "Not so good."  
><em>"Are you alright?"<em> Zelenka asks.  
>McKay was helping Griffin to sit up in his seat. "I think we could both use an extended stay in the Infirmary. What the hell happened?"<br>_"The Jumper you were flying dropped off our screens. It crashed into the ocean."_  
>Rodney looks irritated that Radek is stating the obvious.<br>"Yes, yes, yes, we ..."  
>He lifts his head for the first time and looks out of the windshield. He stares at the sight.<br>"We're under water."  
><em>"<em>_Yes, you are."_  
>"Then how are you gonna find us?"<br>_"We've determined the direction of your radio signal, but not the range."_  
>"How deep are we?"<br>Griffin looks at the windshield and the Jumper responds to his thoughts, bringing up the heads-up display. He reads out what it says.  
>"One two zero zero and falling."<br>"Radek, you're gonna have to hurry it up. We're already twelve hundred feet deep and sinking at a rate of about, uh," he checks the readings on the H.U.D. "twenty feet a minute."  
><em>"Very impressive!"<em>  
>"Excuse me?"<br>_"Well, we always theorized that the Jumpers could be utilized as submersibles."_  
>"Yes, yes, yes, yes, I theorised it!"<br>_"But twelve hundred feet! It's almost the maximum depth of a nuclear powered submarine."_  
>"We are not so keen on setting any records right now, so just ..."<br>There's an ominous crackling noise from the front of the Jumper. The H.U.D. flickers on the windshield and then goes out, then a crack appears in the top of the windshield and begins to spread downwards.  
>"That's a problem!"<br>Rodney reaches down to help him stand up. Griffin flings his arm around Rodney's shoulder and hauls himself to his feet.  
>"Can you move?"<br>"Yeah."  
>"Radek, the windshield's giving way under the pressure of the ocean!"<br>_"Move into the rear compartment - the seal should be able to hold."_  
>"One step ahead of you."<br>He and Griffin have already reached the rear compartment. Rodney pushes the button that will close the bulkhead doors. The mechanism grinds but the doors don't close.  
>"No!" McKay pushes the button a few more times but nothing happens. "No-no-no-no-no-no!" He runs further back to another panel.<br>Griffin was pushing the button that Rodney just tried. "The crash probably damaged all sorts of systems."  
>"Maybe if you were more focused on flying than enlightening me on the history of tomatoes..."<br>"Well, your focus didn't get the drive pod to shut off. I'm still not blaming you."  
>"Yeah, because it's not my fault!"<br>"I've got an idea." Griffin turns and hurries into the front section. Rodney turns and stares.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"Good luck, Rodney." He jumps into the pilot's seat and activates a control. The bulkhead doors start to close.  
>McKay was starting to walk forward. "No, what are you doing?" The doors close, sealing him in the rear compartment. He bangs on the doors. "Griffin! Griffin?"<br>There's an explosive sound on the other side of the doors, followed by the sound of water rushing into the front compartment. Rodney backs away from the doors, staring at them in shock.  
>"Why did he do that?" He shouts towards the front compartment. "Why would you do that?"<br>He turns and looks around the tiny compartment that he's standing in. It's almost completely dark apart from light coming from a few panels. He has a bad cut on his right temple which is trickling blood down the side of his face. He stares around in terror for a moment, then deliberately closes his eyes.  
>In a quiet plaintive voice, with his eyes still closed, said, "Wide open fields. Wide open fields. Wide open fields. You're not stuck in a metal casket under thousands of feet of water. You're in a wide open field." He opens his eyes and looks forward, smiling just a little as he calms down. "There. Now."<br>He reaches up and activates his headset.  
>"Zelenka." There's no reply. "Radek? It's Rodney, come in please." His calm expression starts to dissipate as he still gets no reply. "Radek?" He thinks about it for a moment, then starts talking to himself. "Now, of course the radio transmitter is in the forward section, which is now flooded with water, which means that you have no way to contact the surface, which means that they have no way to triangulate your position." His voice breaks a little. "OK, alright. You've been in worse situations ..." He pauses for a moment, thinking. "Just because you can't think of them right now doesn't make it any less true." He takes a couple of nervous short breaths. "But you're not dead yet."<br>He starts to sound more determined, though he is obviously terrified.  
>"Alright, you can fix this problem - you just need to ... work one step at a time. Now. Gotta find some light. S ..." He takes his computer tablet which he had tucked under his arm. Using the light from the screen like a torch, he aims the tablet around the compartment. "Alright." He rummages around and produces a torch, which he switches on. "Ha! Light! I have light!" He laughs triumphantly, then his smile drops as he shines the torch around the compartment. "Now..."<br>҉  
>ATLANTIS.<p>

Radek, Doctor Weir, Illyria, and Colonel Sheppard are walking towards Elizabeth's office from the Control Room.  
>"I thought you said life support could sustain them for days?" Weir asked.<br>"I said life support would most likely sustain them for days. I-I had no idea the ship would sink so quickly or that the cockpit would flood." Zelenka explained.  
>"That's when you lost contact?" John asked.<br>"If they didn't make it to the rear compartment in time..." Zelenka trialed off.  
>"They made it." Illyria firmly said.<br>"Still, they are going to be much harder to locate now that they're no longer broadcasting."  
>"Then find another way." Illyria almost yelled.<br>"Look, even if we do locate them, our options are limited. They're already deeper than a rescue Jumper's windshield can handle." Zelenka told her.  
>"I'll handle the rescue - you just worry about finding them. I've already got some ideas." John said.<br>"Alright, we're on the clock. Let's get back to work." Weir said.

•

**IN THE CORRIDOR LEAVING THE CONTROL ROOM**

"Hey!" John called after Illyria, running down the corridor. "Illyria, wait up."

Illyria stopped impatently and whirled around, hands on hips and eyeborws raised. "What do you want John? You should be focused on recusing Rodney."

"And I am," He tucked some hair behind her ear, leaving his hand on her cheek a shile longer before stuffing it into his pocket. "You okay? You bit Zelenka's head off."

"I'm fine, John."

"You toss and turn all night, sweetheart. If I thought you were fine I wouldn't be asking." She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. "Shhh," John said, pulling her into his arms. "Hush, now."

Illyria sobbed into his chest for a few minutes and he just held her, stroking her hair and lightly sprinkling kisses. When she was finished, she pulled her head back to wipe her eyes on his shirt. "Sorry, it's just…Rodney's missing in the ocean and the twins are due in a month…"

"And you're worried." Illyria didn't have to answer. "Tell you what, you take a nap and once you wake up, we'll be this close to getting Rodney back." He pulled back to show her criss-crossed fingers.  
>҉<br>**OCEAN.**

Jumper 6 is sinking deeper into the water. Inside, Rodney has found a few more torches and flashlights and has set them up around the compartment. He has also found a medical kit and is fixing a sticking plaster over the wound on his temple.  
>"Uh!" McKAy looks up as the Jumper creaks ominously. He stands up, looking around nervously. "I'm dropping twenty feet a minute. So pressure increases by one atmosphere every thirty-three feet, so," he sits down "that's an additional atmosphere every minute and a half. Which means," he looks at his watch "I'm currently under thirty-seven atmospheres' worth of pressure, and counting. Oh, my! That is a lot. That's ... OK, I've gotta slow down." He stands up again and activates an open panel of crystals on the other side of the compartment. "OK, alright, I've gotta stop sinking."<br>He reaches for the crystals, then pulls his hands back.  
>"No-no-no-no-no-no. Send a message first. Yeah." He turns away from the panel and looks at the wall behind him. "Check and see if you can get the ... radio transmitter up and running, because they can't find you if you can't tell them where you are. Come on, McKay, priorities!" He picks up a cable. "Here we go." He finds one end of the cable, which has a clip on it. "Now." He attaches the clip to a crystal on another panel. "There we go. There, right. So ..." He attaches the other end to his computer tablet. A message flashes up saying, "JUMPER INTERFACE ACTIVATED". "There we are."<p>

He sits down.  
>"OK. Now - how's our radio transmitter?" He pushes the screen a couple of times and a new message comes up: "TRANSMITTER INACTIVE". "Yes, I know that, so..." he presses the screen again "activate emergency transmitter protocol." The screen continues to flash "TRANSMITTER INACTIVE", then changes to "EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER ACTIVE". Rodney smiles, then looks skywards. "Now - we're broadcasting a signal. All it needs to do is penetrate fourteen hundred feet of ocean," his smile starts to fade "which means that a ... a whopping three percent of the signal will reach the surface, so ... so boost, boost the signal."<br>He works on the computer tablet again.  
>"How much power have we got to work with here?" The screen shows, "REMAINING POWER AT LEVEL OF USE: 3:05". "Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" He stares up at the Jumper. "Three hours? What's eating my power? I'm working with flashlights here!" He looks down at the read-out on the tablet screen. "Inertial dampeners are active? Well, why? I don't need them!" He types. "Shut down inertial dampeners." The screen says, "ACTION NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME". "Ah, come on! They're draining what little power I have left here!"<br>He types again but the screen beeps at him. He makes an exasperated sound and stands up, shouting at the Jumper.  
>"You do not need inertial dampeners while you sink!" He glares at the Jumper, then starts to work on the tablet again. "Now..." He types some more but the screen again flashes up the message, "ACTION NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME". He holds the tablet up and yells at it. "You are a piece of junk!" He lowers the tablet and stares at nothing in particular, his face full of horror. "I'm gonna die!"<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**LABORATORY. **

Radek, wearing a white lab coat, walks over to a group of scientists.  
>"OK, so, we know the direction which the initial radio signal came from, right," he turns to a screen showing a map of the ocean "so that places them on this line here." He runs his hand horizontally across the screen. "Now, unfortunately ocean currents could have pulled them in either direction either this way" he indicates above the line "or that way," he indicates below the line "so the area, the area is approximately..." he spreads his fingers and indicates a large area of ocean above and below the two ends of the horizontal line that he first indicated "... here." He turns to a female scientist. "Now, Doctor Bryce here has been studying the Ancient database in regards to the ocean" he switches to a new screen which indicates the depth of the ocean in that area "and this particular area is between two and six thousand feet deep."<br>A male scientist looks shocked.  
>"Six thousand feet? We'll never be able to get down that far."<br>"Yes, I know, which is we have to find them before it gets there." Zelenka said.  
>"They were already at twelve hundred feet and falling, what, twenty feet a minute?" Bryce asked.<br>"Uh, yes, that's right."  
>"That at least gives us a place to start."<br>"Yes. So, let's begin."  
>҉<br>**JUMPER 6.**

The Jumper is still sinking. Rodney wanders around the compartment as he continues to work on the tablet. He looks up.  
>"Oh. I'm freezing! Why am I so cold? Oh, no!" He puts his hand to his head wound. "I haven't lost that much blood, have I?" He thinks for a moment, then lowers his hand with an irritated look on his face. "Course, it-it could have something to do with the billion or so gallons of freezing water you're surrounded by, you idiot! Alright –" he puts the tablet down "I need to heat this thing," he removes the back of one of the bench seats, revealing another panel "and I don't want it cost me a lot of power." Louder, to the Jumper "Can we at least do that, please?"<br>He disconnects one end of a cable from a panel above his head and squats down to attach it to the panel behind the bench. He clenches his fist momentarily to try and warm it, then picks up the tablet again and types on it. The temperature indicator on the screen starts to rise.  
>"Ah, there y'go! See?" He looks up at the Jumper. "I'm not greedy. I just don't wanna freeze to death." He looks at the screen again - it says, "REMAINING POWER AT LEVEL OF USE: 2:20". "Oh, come on!" He glares up at the Jumper again. "A little heat's gonna cost me forty minutes?"<br>He stands up.  
>"Is that really how you want this to go down, huh? You wanna freeze me to death? You sure you wouldn't rather I imploded with you, you, you, you lemon?" He glares down at the tablet, now talking to it instead of the Jumper. "Do you even have an opinion anyways, you, you ... no. Why? Because you are an inanimate object, huh?" He looks up at the Jumper again. "Does that stop me from talking to you? Oh, no-no-no-no-no, my inanimate friend, because I have been struck upon the head, you see?" He points at his head wound to prove it. "There. So..."<br>He looks at the tablet and works on it for a moment. The screen changes to read, "REMAINING POWER AT LEVEL OF USE: 2:35", then goes up to "2.36", then "2.37". It pauses for a moment, then changes to "2.38", then "2.39".  
>"Twenty minutes of power for just enough heat to stave off hypothermia."<br>He looks up at the Jumper.  
>"You drive a hard bargain, my friend, but, uh, you've got a deal." He breathes heavily as he works on the tablet some more, then smiles down at it. "I just made a deal with you!" He giggles. "A deal!" He giggles again, starting to get a little hysterical. "Let's Make A Deal! You've got a deal!" He giggles, then almost starts to cry before looking puzzled. "That's not funny." He stares, worried. "What's wrong with me? It's, uh, uh, euphoria, elation, over-confidence, it's, uh..." He realizes what the problem is. "Hypoxia!"<br>Quickly he puts the tablet down and kneels down to the panel behind the bench.  
>"I've gotta dial up the CO2 scrubbers or I'm gonna die of hypoxia." He giggles hysterically, starts to work on the panel, then stops, giggling uncontrollably. "That is so funny!" He continues giggling but manages to get back to work on the panel.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**JUMPER BAY. **

Someone is doing some welding at the side of the bay as Elizabeth walks in, picking her way past the spray of sparks.  
>"Take it over here; move it over here."<br>Elizabeth walks to the rear of the Jumper and calls in to John who is standing near the cockpit supervising someone.  
>"What's all this?" Weir asks.<br>"Ah, this is my plan!"  
>"Yeah, I figured that much"! She looks around at the hive of activity around the Bay. John comes to the rear of the Jumper to join her. "You care to elaborate?"<br>"Well, Doctors Moore and McNab are here to study the ocean on M8R-1229, which happens to be under a thick sheet of ice, so they brought a thousand-foot cable and a pretty powerful winch to lower their instruments."  
>"OK."<br>John was gesturing to a nearby scientist. "And Edgar over here is responsible for the magnetic grapple designed to lower the F-302s into our Jumper Bay."  
>"And you intend to put the two together."<br>"Like chocolate and peanut butter."  
>"Is the mechanism gonna be strong enough to lift a half-flooded Jumper out of the water?"<br>"Not a chance."  
>"Well, then why are you ...?"<br>"Because we don't have to. We just have to get near enough to the surface so we can get McKay and Griffin out with a cutting team and rescue divers."  
>"Good. How long?"<br>"Couple of hours."  
>Elizabeth smiles at him. "You and Rodney have been bugging me for a chance at trying a Jumper as a submersible, but you sure went a hell of a long way to make me say yes!"<br>"Well, you still haven't said it yet."  
>Elizabeth smiles again. "I just did."<br>"OK!" He bounces like an over-excited little boy, then runs towards the Jumper again before turning back to Elizabeth. "Oh, uh, how close is Zelenka to finding them? I promised Illyria by the time she woke up we'd be _very_ close."  
>"I'm gonna go ask him." She heads out of the Bay as John runs back into the Jumper.<br>҉  
><strong>JUMPER 6.<strong>

Still sinking. Rodney, calmer now, sits down on the floor and picks up the computer tablet, breathing deeply. He activates the tablet and looks at it.  
>"CO2 scrubbers operating at ... one hundred percent. Well, at least something is." He takes another deep breath. "Now, let's see if I can, uh..." He starts to type, then snatches his fingers back, irritated. "Oh, why do they have to make these things so small?" He looks up at the Jumper. "Look, I need to be the one on the surface saving the poor bastard stuck down here, not actually be the poor bastard stuck down here! By the time Zelenka comes up with a plan, I'll have died of old age!"<br>He looks down at the tablet, then stares up in shock as a peculiar sound begins. It's a strange, echoing combination of a groan and a wail but obviously isn't coming from the Jumper itself.  
>"Hello?" The echoing groanwail continues. It seems to be coming from outside the Jumper. Rodney gets to his feet, looking nervous as he realizes that the sound is coming from some kind of creature swimming around outside. "Are you angry, or are you hungry? 'Cause I am pretty sure that this thing is an instant case of indigestion, you know?" The creature outside wails again. Its noises sound similar to whale song. Rodney stares as it dawns on him what's happening. "It's the transmitter! It must be broadcasting at a, at a frequency you can hear!"  
>He smiles as the creature groans again. His smile soon drops when the Jumper shakes as if struck by something. He grabs onto the side panels to keep his balance.<br>"Poor little fella. Poor little fella. I'm, uh, I'm sorry if I'm buggin' you but, uh, but I kinda need to leave this thing on for a bit, you know? Maybe you could, uh, tell my friends where I am, you could, uh, could you do that, huh? Could you go for help, huh? Could you do that?" The Jumper creaks, but the creature's groaning stops. Rodney realizes what he has just been saying. "What am I doing?" He answers himself. "Well, I'm, uh, treating an alien whale like Lassie!" The creature groans again. Rodney shouts at it angrily. "Look, OK, if you're not gonna help, then just swim on by!"  
>The creature falls silent. Rodney has a lightbulb moment.<br>"Swim. Maybe the Jumper can swim!" He walks to the front of the compartment and puts his hands against the bulkhead doors. "OK. Cockpit is inaccessible. But most of the control conduits run back here," he turns and points at the ceiling "so if you were really meant to be submersible," he picks up the computer tablet, then pulls the cable out of the panel behind the bench "then your drive pods should function underwater too, hmm?" He attaches the ends of the cable to crystals in a panel above his head. "Which means I can fly you from back here - well, not fly, but I can surface. And even if I get close to the surface, then the emergency transmitter won't have to penetrate so much ocean." He works on the tablet. "OK! Now we're gettin' somewhere!" He smiles as he continues working.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**LABORATORY. **

Illyria walks over to where Radek and the other scientists are working, rubbing her eyes.  
>"How're we doing?"<br>"Well, we're making progress. Slowly."  
>"Show me."<br>Radek takes her over to the screen showing the map of the ocean.  
>"We started with the likely location of the Jumper based on the numbers we got while triangulating its position during its brief radio contact with us. We then estimate how far off course it has been taken - if at all - by the various currents, slipstreams, underwater rivers that the Jumper may - or may not - have run into." He changes the image of the screen to show the depth of the ocean. "We then add its descent speed at various rates."<br>"That's all you've got? You haven't narrowed the search area at all!"  
>"No. No, in fact we've increased it slightly."<br>"And how does that count as progress?"  
>"Because we're no longer guessing. We now know definitely that the Jumper is somewhere in this area."<br>Illyria shrugs. "OK."  
>"Illyria, even if we do find them, there's no way..."<br>Illyria interrupted. "John's working on a grapple system that should be able to raise the Jumper."  
>"Really?"<br>"Really. It's gonna be ready in a couple of hours. I need you to be."  
>҉<br>**JUMPER 6.**

Rodney is standing up and looking at the control panel above his head, then looks down to type on the keypad at the bottom of the computer tablet.  
>"Oh, this little keyboard is killing me!" He turns to the panel on the other side of the compartment and squints up at the crystals. "All starting to blur together. I need a new set of eyes."<br>"Let me take a look." A female voice said from behind Rodeny.  
>Rodney stops what he's doing and stares ahead of him. He gulps nervously.<br>"Did I just, uh ...?"  
>"Yes, you did."<br>Slowly Rodney turns around. Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter is standing behind him. She is wearing dark blue jeans and a pink top with a two-toned pink jacket over the top. The top has a very low neckline and the jacket is only zipped up a little way, so she's showing a lot of cleavage. She has her fingers in the front pockets of her jeans and is smiling at Rodney. Rodney stares.  
>"Sam?"<br>Sam smiles. "Don't worry, Rodney. We're gonna get you outta here."  
>Rodney stares at her in disbelief.<p>

•  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.<strong>

As Sam continues to smile at him, Rodney walks closer to her.  
>"How did you ...? How-how are you ...?"<p>

"It's good to see you too, McKay."

Rodney turns away from her.

"Oh, I have lost it. I have completely lost it."  
>"No you haven't."<br>Rodney sits down, puts the tablet down beside him, points at Sam without looking at her and closes his eyes. "You're not real. You are not real. You are not real." He puts his hands over his eyes.  
>"Of course I'm not real."<br>Rodney lowers his hands and looks up at her.  
>"I'm sorry?"<br>"I'm three million light years away with problems of my own." She walks over and sits down opposite him.  
>"Yeah, well, so what are you doin' here?"<br>"You're hallucinating."  
>"Oh, and how am I doing that, hmm?"<br>Sam points at her right temple to indicate Rodney's head wound. Rodney touches his own wound.  
>"Oh, right. Is it that bad?"<br>Sam shrugs.  
>"The way I see it, you're scared. You're a little panicked, you're a lot lonely. You knew you could use some help, so your subconscious is manifesting the one person you know is smarter than you."<br>"Oh, I don't think so!" He stands up.  
>"Oh, don't start with me, McKay!"<br>"You are very clever - I will even give you brilliant; but there is brilliant, and then there's me." He points to himself with both hands.  
>"Every time we've worked together, you've been wrong, and I've been right."<br>McKay was laughing indignantly. "Even if that were true - and no-one is saying that it is - the fact that you could assert that ..."  
>"Why else would I be here?" Sam interrupted.<br>"I don't know! Maybe one last romp before I die."  
>Sam shot up. "One last romp? Please, we never..."<br>McKay walked over to face her. "OK, one first romp, but it's romping that comes to mind, not your brains, blondie. Now, you've gotta admit - I am a handsome man standing..."  
>"You're essentially arguing with yourself. You realise that, right? Your mind is creating me."<br>Rodney looks away, thinking.  
>"What?" Sam asked<br>Rodney backs away from her. "What else am I hallucinating?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"Well, if you're not real, what is? I mean, how-how-how do I tell the difference? How do I know that any of these readings I've been taking are correct?"  
>"You're not that far gone."<br>"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no." He smiles. "I, I am unconscious in the Infirmary. I-I'm fine, and this is just a-a-a post-traumatic nightmare, hmm? So come on," he pinches his arm "wake up, wake up, wake up." He slaps himself around the face, then cries out in pain and puts his hand to his injured head. "Ooh! Ooh!"  
>"No, no, no - see, you really are in the back of a sinking Jumper. Your readings are correct. You knew you could use some help, and you've got a pretty bad concussion, so ..."<br>McKay took his hand away from his head and looking at Sam. "So - here you are."  
>Sam smiles.<br>"Here I am."  
>"I suppose that's comforting ..." he walks closer to her "... in a ... terrifying mental health kind of way."<br>He gazes at her, still not sure what to believe. Sam meets his gaze for a moment, then looks away.  
>"Why don't you show me what you've done so far?"<br>"Huh, right." He turns and reaches for the computer tablet.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE **

John looks at the screen showing the search area, then turns around.

"Three miles - a very searchable area - and you've narrowed it down, Radek. You did a good job."

"He's too deep. Your grapple's only got a thousand feet of cable." Zelenka said.  
>"Well, we know the Jumper should be able to dive at least a thousand, so if he's above two thousand, we should still be able to get him with the grapple."<br>"And if he is deeper?" Weir asked.  
>"He probably is. The area we're searching goes to six thousand." Zelenka said.<br>"When the Wraith attacked the city, you were able to turn the shield into a cloak."  
>"Yes."<br>"Why can't we do the opposite?"  
>"Turn the Jumper's cloak into a shield." Weir said.<br>"That's right." John nodded.  
>"That would hold back the water, yes, but it would take significantly more power." Zelenka said.<br>"We shut down everything we don't need."  
>"But it would take hours to reconfigure."<br>"Take what we need, we'll make the changes down there."  
>Radek stares as he realizes what John is saying.<p>

"Oh! No-no-no-no-no-no - I cannot possibly ... uh, no."

"Radek." Weir said.  
>"I-I ... I can't even swim!"<br>"There's not a lot of swimming under a thousand feet of ocean." John said.  
>"Look, I'm not gonna order you to go." Weir said to Zelenka.<br>"I will!" John said.  
>Elizabeth shoots him a look to shut him up, then turns back to Radek.<br>"All I'm saying is that if Rodney can't turn to you, who can he turn to?"  
>She and John look at Radek while he thinks about it for several seconds. Finally ...<br>"Right. Give me a few minutes and I'll get my gear."  
>҉<br>**JUMPER 6.**

Rodney and Sam are squatting side by side in a corner of the compartment while Rodney works on the tablet and Sam watches what he's doing. The Jumper creaks ominously. Both of them look up nervously, then look back at the tablet.  
>"Now - given I have a limited amount of time to execute my plan before power levels drop too low, but provided that the, uh, uh," McKay is having difficulty concentrating, though it's not clear whether it's because of Sam's presence or because his concussion is getting worse "uh, coding is correct, we surface and at that point they should be able to pick up our regular radio signal and then come pick me up."<br>"How much power would that kill?" Sam asked.  
>"Uh, I dunno - most of it?"<br>"It's a bad idea, then."  
>"Well, why?"<br>"Well, what if it doesn't work?"  
>"Well, then ... then I'm dead!"<br>"Exactly. Bad plan." She stands up.  
>McKay sarcastically says, as he also stands. "Oh, you're right. I should proceed with one of the other hundreds of possible options available to me."<br>"Look, I'm not saying that I have a better idea ..."  
>"Well, what do you want me to do? Nothing?"<br>"Yes."  
>"Oh, brilliant!"<br>"Stay warm, stay breathing, stay alive as long as you can - give your team the biggest window of opportunity possible."  
>"Window of opportunity for what?"<br>"For rescuing you."  
>"Even if they could find me - which, given underwater currents and multiple possible entry sites is next to impossible - how are they gonna get me out of here, huh?"<br>"They'll find a way."  
>"No they won't! You and I both know the one person who can figure it all out is stuck in the back of a sinking Jumper!"<br>"Me."  
>"Oh, touché!"<br>"Look, I hear what you're saying and I'm telling you - you're wrong. You have some very smart, very motivated people on the surface, and the only thing any of them are working on right now is rescuing you."  
>"Oh, come on! They are planning my memorial service."<br>"If your plan fails - and it probably will - you could jeopardize their plans."  
>Rodney walks closer, glaring at her. "You gonna help me, or not?"<br>"I'll help you stay alive as long as possible, but no - I'm not helping you with this plan."  
>"So my own hallucination is saying no to me?"<br>"You must realize subconsciously that you need to be talked out of this."  
>"I can't even hallucinate right today!"<br>҉  
><strong>RESCUE JUMPER.<strong>

John and Radek are flying over the ocean.  
>"Alright - we're above the search coordinates."<br>Radek comes forward and sits in the co-pilot's seat. "OK - it should transition seamlessly."  
>"Alright, then." John looks at Radek. "Here goes nothin'."<br>Radek clings on to the console nervously as John sends the Jumper down towards the ocean. It settles on top of the water and then sinks.  
>҉<br>**JUMPER 6.**

Rodney is kneeling on the floor with the computer tablet resting on the bench seat as he types onto it. Sam stands behind him, bending over and looking at what he's doing. She blows air through her teeth.  
>"Oooh ... I, uh, I wouldn't."<br>Rodney looks up at her. "You wouldn't what?"  
>Sam turns away. "I forgot - I'm not helping."<br>"No-no-no - do you see something?" McKay stands and picks up the tablet. "Did I make a mistake?" Sam winces as he takes the tablet over to her. "Seriously - if you, if you, if you saw something, just, just, tell me."  
>Sam doesn't reply. Rodney stares at her in shock. "You're messing with me!"<br>Sam looks innocent. "Sorry?"  
>"You're trying to slow me down!"<br>Sam frowns. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
>"Don't play mind games with me."<br>"I am a mind game."  
>"OK - you're not gonna help me, just stay on your side of the Jumper."<br>McKay turns to walk away just as the Jumper jolts violently. Rodney is thrown to the floor but Sam remains standing, unaffected by the jolt. From an external viewpoint, the Jumper has finally reached the ocean floor. Inside, Rodney gets to his feet, shouting furiously at the Jumper.  
>"What now, huh?" He calms down as he realizes what must have happened.<br>"Feels like we hit the bottom."  
>"Oh, really? Well, this is good! Well, the chances of us imploding are much slimmer!"<br>"But, Rodney ..."  
>"No-no-no-no-no-no, no buts, OK? Can I not at least take a moment to enjoy the one bit of good luck I've had all day, huh?"<br>"This isn't good."  
>"Look, just, just ... just shut up! I mean, you come in here, you don't help me, you say the one plan I've got is bad, you-you claim to be a creation of my mind and yet you are in no way dressed provocatively ..."<br>McKay pauses as he stares at her cleavage. Sam looks down at it too, then looks up at him, shrugs and turns to the bulkhead doors.  
>"Look."<br>She looks down. Rodney follows her gaze. There is water on the floor by the doors.  
>"Well, it's always been there." McKay said.<br>"No, it hasn't. The impact with the ocean floor must have created a micro-fissure in the hull." Sam said.  
>Rodney backs away. "We're taking on water!"<br>҉  
><strong>RESCUE JUMPER.<strong>

As the Jumper heads downwards through the ocean, John tries the radio.  
>"Atlantis, this is Sheppard, come in."<br>Elizabeth's voice comes over the radio but it's very distorted.  
><em>"We can barely hear you, John."<em>  
>"We're gonna lose you altogether when we get deeper, so now's a good time to wish us luck."<br>_"Good luck, then."_  
>"We'll contact you as soon as we head back to the surface. Have the divers on Jumper Eight standing by."<br>_"Will do. Weir out."_  
>John glances round at Radek, who is working on a console at the rear of the front compartment.<br>"What d'you think, Radek?"  
>Radek turns to look at him. "About what?"<br>"We're underwater! I've always wanted to try this."  
>"Yes, yes, yes - just ... make sure we're not under too much water!" Zelenka said nervously.<br>"I've leveled out and holding steady at, uh, nine hundred and ninety feet. How's it coming?"  
>"All I'm getting is sporadic life sign readings."<br>"As in ... sea monster life signs?"  
>The Jumper groans under the pressure of the ocean outside. Radek jumps and looks around nervously.<br>"I'm gonna need those shields up and running."  
>"Yes, well then - stop talking, please."<br>"Will do!"  
>҉<br>**JUMPER 6.**

Rodney is underwater, working on something at floor level by the bulkhead doors. He finishes what he is doing and surfaces, standing up and gasping for breath while he wipes the water from his eyes. The water level is just below his knees. He walks over to where Sam is standing at the rear of the ship and looking fed up. He is shivering with the cold.  
>"It's funny - I was just actually ... I was just, you know, thinking what would complete this experience would be freezing cold sea water in the compartment, lots of it, and because now the whole imploding thing is kind of off the table, drowning should really be brought back into the equation."<br>"You can fix this."  
>"There are micro-fractures all along the seam."<br>"You still have fully functioning life support, right?" Sam strolls through the water, unaffected by the cold.  
>"Yes."<br>"Then create a positive pressure environment."  
>"What?" He shivers, finding it difficult to concentrate<p>

"If you can increase the pressure inside the Jumper, you should be able to slow the leaking."

"Well, we'll never be able to stop it."  
>"I'm not saying that we could - we're just trying to buy time here."<br>"In order to make death as long and as drawn-out as possible, huh?"  
>"Just max it out, McKay."<br>"Alright." He retrieves the computer tablet, which is lying on top of water on the bench seat. He sits down despite the fact that he's sitting in water and tries to operate the tablet with his wet cold hands.  
>"We should probably find a way to heat this water, too."<br>Rodney looks up at her. "We make a good team, you and I."  
>Sam looks down at him. "Sure!"<br>"No, no, I mean it. I really enjoy working with you. Always have. I wonder ... I wonder why we never hooked up."  
>"What, aside from the fact that you're petty, arrogant and treat people badly?"<p>

"...Yes."  
>"Nope, that's pretty much it - petty, arrogant, bad with people."<br>"Oh ... but ..." Rodney stands and smiles hopefully at her "... you do find me attractive, I mean physically."  
>Sam narrows her eyes at him, then smiles and points to the computer tablet. "Let's stick to working on my idea."<br>"No, this is my idea."  
>"How do you figure?"<br>"Well, you don't exist. You think what my subconscious tells you to think! So, really the idea was mine." Something dawns on him and he looks away from her, shocked. "Oh, wow! I'm arguing with myself about who had an idea first - me or me. I really am petty, aren't I?"  
>"And arrogant, and bad with people, yes."<br>"Oh. Well, here we go."  
>He types onto the tablet. Air whooshes into the compartment. Rodney holds his nose and blows down it to equalize the pressure in his ears. When the pressure eases off, he lets go, looks at the tablet and smiles.<br>"Inbound leakage has been slowed! Well done, Sam!"  
>"Thanks! You too!"<br>Rodney puts the tablet down and holds out his arms to her. "Come here!"

He walks over and hugs her. Sam grimaces briefly, then pats him nervously on the back.

"Uh! OK."  
>Rodney pulls back but holds her at arm's length for a moment, then leans towards her to kiss her. Sam quickly turns her head so that the kiss lands on her cheek.<br>Sam grimaced. "Oh!" Rodney keeps his lips pressed to her cheek. "You do realize what you're actually doing here, right?"  
>Rodney backs off.<br>"Ah, c'mon!" Sam cringes. "You're a figment of my imagination! The least you could do is take your tops off!" He folds his arms sulkily.  
>"Your subconscious mind knows that I would never be into that."<br>Rodney grimaces. "You're the worst hallucination ever!"  
>"Oh, you don't mean that!"<br>McKay was picking up the computer tablet. "Yes, yes, I do. Now please just leave me alone while I work on getting myself out of this." He turns to a panel above his head.  
>Sam was looking at the tablet. "You're not gonna still try and control the Jumper from that little thing, are you?"<br>"Yes, yes, I am! And I have to do it quickly before power levels drop below fifty percent. So," he looks at his watch "that leaves me about ten minutes. If you're not gonna help, then please stand back and keep quiet."  
>"See, this is why I could never have a relationship with you, Rodney. You don't listen to people - you don't trust them."<br>"I have every reason not to." He starts to get angry. "Look, this whole thing is Zelenka's fault. He was the one responsible for supervising the Jumper repairs. He was the one who said she was ready to fly. He's the one who came to me, embarrassed because he was afraid to fly at the best of times, and suggested a test flight. God, I should have just told him to suck it up but no, no - I said, "Sure, I'll take her out." And now, and now he's all safe and warm and cozy on the surface while I'm stuck down here paying for his mistakes! You'll excuse me if my trust in my fellow scientists is at an all-time low. You want something done right, do it yourself." He looks up at the panel, groans at the pain that the movement causes to his injured head, then continues working.  
>҉<br>**RESCUE JUMPER.**

Radek runs forward to the co-pilot's seat and sits down.  
>"I think we may be on to something." Zelenka activates some controls. "Initializing shield."<br>The shield shimmers around the Jumper.  
>"Nice work, Doc! OK, let's take this thing a little deeper."<br>He starts to activate his controls but Radek stops him.  
>"Wait. Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait-wait." He stands up and runs to his laptop further back in the ship. "I was afraid of this. The shield is draining our power at an alarmingly fast rate."<br>"Why's that?"  
>"Well, a cloak draws its power at a constant rate, whereas a shield draws more power the more it is taxed."<br>"So, being under several atmospheres of pressure ..."  
>"Yes. It's continuously draining power from our shield."<br>""How much time do we have?  
>"Once we're deeper, thirty minutes, tops."<br>"Alright. Descending through one thousand."  
>҉<br>**JUMPER 6.**

The water is now up to Rodney's thighs. He blows on his fingers to try to warm them, then works on a control panel. Sam swims casually across to him.  
>"Why don't you turn up the heat?"<br>"I did. It's the sea water. Got barely enough power as it is. Besides, I'm almost done here ... what are you doing?"  
>Sam has stood up beside him and slipped her hand under his arm to rest it on his chest.<br>"For warmth."  
>As Rodney turns towards her, she slides her hand across his chest.<br>"You're-you're not physically here. You can't transfer any heat."  
>Sam smiles. "Doesn't mean I can't get you hot."<br>She sinks down into the water and sculls herself backwards as Rodney stares at her.  
>"Excuse me?"<br>Sam sinks all the way down into the water for a moment then rises up out of it, wearing only a blue bikini top. Presumably she's also wearing bikini bottoms, but Rodney can't see her lower half under the water and ... ahem, best not go there. She slicks her wet hair back provocatively, walks towards Rodney, puts her arms around his waist and kisses him.  
>"Y'know, I was thinking about what you said. I think you were right."<br>"Uh, I am? Right about what?"  
>"Well, I am your fantasy. It's only fair you should get some."<br>She kisses him again. Rodney moans appreciatively.  
>"Really?"<br>"Yeah."  
>They kiss again.<br>"I knew it! I knew you were hot!" McKay said triumphantly.  
>He wraps his arms around her and they kiss passionately for a few seconds, then Rodney's eyes open and he pulls back.<br>"Wait a second."  
>"Don't ruin the moment."<br>"No. I know what you're trying to do." He starts to back away from her.  
>"Well, I should hope so!"<br>"You're trying to slow me down again."  
>"Actually, I'm trying to do the opposite." She moves towards him as Rodney continues to back away.<br>"No. No. You're distracting me. You know I've only got a couple of minutes to execute my plan and you're doing the one thing you know that could possibly slow me down."  
>"You're thinking too much. C'me here."<br>She leans towards him to kiss him again.  
>"No. No, I'm not gonna fall for your plan, Lieutenant Colonel Siren!" He pushes her away, looks at her for a moment, groans in frustration and then turns back to the computer tablet which he had attached to a control panel above his head. He pulls the tablet free. "OK, this program is gonna work, and I am gonna execute it."<br>Sam comes back into view. She's wearing her pink tops again.  
>"Don't do it, Rodney. It's not gonna work."<br>"Oh, yeah."  
>"Look, you're cold, you're desperate, you banged your head, you're prime to make a mistake."<br>McKay was not looking at her as he continues to work. "I should have ignored you from the beginning. You've done nothing but slow me down."  
>"They're coming for you. They're gonna get you out of here."<br>Rodney starts singing to himself.  
>"La-la-la-la-la-la-la!"<br>"Please, give them a chance!"  
>"Not listening!"<br>"Don't!"  
>"I'm there! It's ready!" He smiles and turns to Sam. "No time to argue."<br>"It's a mistake."  
>"I trust you'll be gone by the time I, uh," he points upwards "reach the surface, huh?"<br>He presses a button on the tablet. The lights come on in the compartment and the engines can be heard powering up. Rodney laughs delightedly. Outside, the engine pods flicker and glow as they come to life. The Jumper lifts fractionally off the ocean floor. Inside, the lights flicker and the engine pods groan as they power down again. The lights go out. Sam raises a finger and opens her mouth but Rodney raises his own finger.  
>"Don't ... speak right now. I-I really don't need "I told you so," so ... " He trails off.<br>"How much power did you waste?"  
>Rodney looks at the tablet. "Twenty minutes."<br>"OK. That's not so bad."  
>"No. No. We've got half an hour 'til we're completely out of power. Half an hour 'til I'm dead."<br>҉  
><strong>RESCUE JUMPER.<strong>

As the Jumper continues to descend, Radek starts cursing as he looks at his laptop.  
>Zelenka spoke in Czech, (saying a very rude word not repeatable in polite company), "it's screwed up this. Whose idea was this, we'll be under water, this time?"<br>"I think my Czech's getting better, 'cause I know what you mean." John said.  
>"Could be the shields, could be the depth - I'm having trouble detecting the Jumper. Only ..." He trails off.<br>"Only what?"  
>"Could you bring up the H.U.D. please?"<p>

John brings up the heads-up display on the windshield and stares at the sight of a blip moving around on it.  
>"What's that?"<br>"Your sea monster. It's at least six to eight times as large as this Jumper, so let's not venture too closely, OK?"  
>"How're the shields doing?"<br>Radek checks his laptop. "Twelve minutes."  
>"Alright. Let's check it out."<br>Radek stares at him plaintively. "Why?"  
>"Because it's still swimming around in circles in the same area, which means it might have found something interesting."<br>҉  
><strong>JUMPER 6.<strong>

Rodney is up to his neck in water. He's freezing cold and barely conscious. Outside, the sea monster groans.  
>"What? What do you want from me? Just, just, just, go away." Sam moves closer to him, looking up nervously. "I think he's ... I think he's just waiting to eat me." The creature groans again. "I treated him pretty bad."<br>"The whale?"  
>"No, Griffin. I changed the subject. You of all people should be able to keep up."<br>"Sorry."  
>"He knew we were both gonna die, and he didn't want anything, so ... he ... I don't think I can think of a person ... He was dead ... I don't know ... I just ... couldn't ... He was a brave man ... and I ... It just doesn't seem right, you know?"<br>Sam nods.  
>"Been a bad day."<br>"You're gonna get out of this."  
>"I don't think I would even believe that if you were naked." He closes his eyes for a moment, then cracks one eye open and squints at Sam hopefully. She looks back at him, then smiles and turns her head away. Rodney closes his eyes again. "Oh well." He shivers and starts to sink into the water as he begins to lose consciousness.<br>"Stick with me, Rodney." Rodney jerks awake. "You've gotta stay alert."  
>"My plan was stupid. What was I thinking?"<br>"Twenty: twenty hindsight."  
>"You were right. Shoulda listened to you." There's a strange bubbling sound from outside the Jumper, but Rodney doesn't notice it. "Always admired you, Sam. No, no, I'm not just trying to ..."<br>"I know."  
>"I honestly don't think you're smarter than I am." Sam frowns. "On your best day, we're, like, maybe a tie?"<br>"There is a compliment coming, right?" Sam asked.  
>"Yes. My intelligence aside, you're wiser. I guess at the end of the day that's, that's why you're down here. You were right."<br>"Well, you were right, at least subconsciously."  
>"Huh. I guess that's something."<br>҉  
><strong>RESCUE JUMPER.<strong>

Radek leaps from his seat and runs to the front of the ship.  
>"Jumper. I have the Jumper. The animal's circling around it."<br>John activates the comms.  
>"Jumper Six, this is Sheppard, come in."<br>"According to these readings, it's dead. There's no power."  
>"Alright, let's get a grapple on this thing and go home."<br>Radek looks at the console. "No, it won't work."  
>"Why's that?"<br>"It's taken on too much water. Sensors indicate even the rear compartment is partially full. The cable can't take the strain."  
>"But we can try."<br>"No, listen to me. No. It's a matter of simple physics."  
>"I'm not coming this far without doing something!"<br>Radek thinks for a moment, then is struck by inspiration. "The shield. We can extend the shield between the two Jumpers." He jumps up and runs back to his laptop.  
>"Do we have enough power?"<br>"Yes. If-if we touch down on the ocean floor to conserve engine power, it should be just a matter of walking between the two Jumpers."  
>"Alright. I'll get us close."<br>The rescue Jumper touches down with its rear facing the rear of Jumper 6 and the shield begins to extend outwards.  
>҉<br>**Jumper 6**

Rodney pulls himself up in the water. "What the hell was that?"  
>Sam smiles.<br>"Help."  
><em>"McKay. Griffin. D'you copy?"<em>  
>Rodney activates his headset.<br>"Sheppard!"  
><em>"Hey, buddy! What say you lower your door?"<em>  
>"That's-that's probably a bad idea."<br>_"Listen. Long story short, we've converted the cloak into a shield and extended it around your Jumper. I'm standing outside right now."_ To prove it, he bangs on the door.  
>"What?"<br>_"All you have to do is open your door and walk to my Jumper."_  
>Sam smiles. "I told you they'd come up with something."<br>Rodney makes his way through the water to the release mechanism for the rear door. He reaches up, his hands shaking with the cold, and pulls down the hatch over the mechanism, but instead of pulling the handle he hesitates and turns to Sam.  
>"What?"<br>"What if it's not Sheppard?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"What if it's another one of my hallucinations? What if it's, it's the pessimist in me just wants it all over with?"  
>"You heard the shield come on."<br>"Yeah, but I hear you!"  
><em>"McKay? What's the hold-up? We need to do this sooner rather than later. This shield ain't gonna hold forever."<em>  
>"You're minutes away from hypothermia." Sam said.<br>"I can't tell what's real and what's not!"  
>"Rodney - they're here. They did it. Let them help you."<br>Rodney stares at her for a moment, then nods.  
>"OK." He turns to the release mechanism, then speaks to John. "Better stand back - we've taken on a lot of water." His hands shaking, he reaches up and pulls down the release mechanism. Sam looks around to the door, but it doesn't open. Rodney stares in horror. "No!"<br>Sam was turning to look at Rodney again. "Secondary release."  
>Rodney looks at her for a moment, then takes a deep breath and dives down into the water. Sam takes a deep breath and follows him down. Rodney swims across to a panel under one of the benches, tugs the cover off and pulls a handle inside. The rear door can be heard opening and the water starts to flood out. As the last of it pours out of the door, Rodney lies on the floor gasping for breath and coughing. Radek and John run inside. There is, of course, no sign of Sam Carter.<br>"Rodney, are you alright?" Zelenka asked.  
>"I will be."<br>John and Radek crouch down to him.  
>"Where's Griffin?" John asked.<br>McKay was pointing towards the front compartment. "He was in there."  
>The other two stare at the closed bulkhead doors in shock for a moment.<br>"Alright, let's get you home." John and Radek start to pull Rodney to his feet, each wrapping one of his arms around their shoulders.  
>"No, I need to decompress. Carter told me to increase the pressure."<br>"Carter?" Zelenka asked.  
>"I mean I did, I did. I told myself." He grimaces in pain as the other two start to drag him out of the Jumper. "Oh, my head!"<br>As the three of them leave the Jumper, the sea monster wails. They look up and see the creature - an enormous beast similar to a humpback whale but much larger - swimming over the top of the shield.  
>"Oh - see, pal. Sorry you don't get to eat me today."<br>"He's the reason we found you." John smiled.  
>"Really?"<p>

They enter the rescue Jumper and help Rodney to sit down on the bench.  
>"Almost thought we lost you." John said.<br>"I knew you'd think of something … subconsciously, at least."  
>John and Radek leave him sitting there and run to the front of the Jumper. Rodney stands up, walks to the rear of the Jumper and looks out of the doorway. Sam is standing in the doorway of Jumper 6. She smiles and raises her hand to him in farewell. Rodney gazes at her until the door of the rescue Jumper closes.<p>

**AN:/ If you have ANY questions, feel free to Reveiw**


	22. Chapter 20

**OFFWORLD. **

Team Sheppard is at yet another simple village with wooden huts roofed with straw, populated by peasants in simple clothing. Doctor McKay stands outside a hut with a look of exasperation on his face. He stands aside and gestures for a villager to wheel a cart past him, then shakes his head in irritation and turns to Captain Frio, who is standing nearby, and Ronon who is sitting on a bench outside the hut.  
>"If we're hoping these people have something to trade, we are wasting our time. From the looks of it, they barely have enough food to feed themselves; and their technology—" McKay picks up a scythe "well, let's just say that this about sums it up, huh?"<br>"Establishing good relations with our neighbors is not just about trade." Marissa said.  
>"Right, but do we need to make friends with every primitive agrarian society in the Pegasus galaxy?"<br>John comes out of the hut holding a vegetable that looks like a turnip or a swede. "Alright, that's enough. They can't all be planets with cool technology and open-minded women." He cuts a piece off the vegetable and sniffs it.  
>"I don't see why not!" McKay said.<br>A middle-aged man approaches them.  
>"Greetings. I am Eldred."<br>"I am Sheppard. This is Ronon, Marissa, McKay."  
>Ronon and Rodney raise their hands in greeting to Eldred, who walks past them, looking around the village nervously.<br>"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but it's harvest time and we must prepare our tribute for the Tower."  
>"The Tower?"<br>Eldred turns to face the team. "You must come from a distant land indeed if you have not heard of the Tower. I don't know of anyone who is not under its protection."  
>"Protection from what?" Marissa asked.<br>"The Wraith."  
>Rodney rolls his eyes, realizing that once again they may have met a race who only appear to be backward.<br>"Is this Tower close by?" McKay asked.  
>"I will show you. Come."<br>He leads the team away.

**SOME TIME LATER.**

Eldred is leading the team through woodland. He stops and looks into the distance.  
>"There."<br>The team stops and looks at the Tower in the distance. It is rising up out of the forest and it looks remarkably familiar.  
>"Is it my imagination or does that look a lot like ..."<p>

"... the central spire of Atlantis?" Marissa finished for John.  
>"Yes!"<br>҉  
><strong>VILLAGE.<strong>

Eldred and the team have returned from the Tower and are walking through the village.  
>"How exactly do the people in the Tower protect you from the Wraith?" John asked.<br>"They have a great weapon capable of annihilating the Wraith ships which descend from the sky."  
>"What kind of a weapon?" McKay asked.<br>"Thousands of bright lights rise up from the ground beneath the Tower, swarm the ships and destroy them."  
>The team stops and stares at him, recognizing that he is probably describing drone weapons.<br>"Really? Thousands of bright lights?" John asked, getting excited.  
>Eldred nods.<br>"And you've seen this?" Marissa added.  
>"I have never seen a Wraith ship - they have not come for many generations - but there are times that the Lord Protector sees fit to ... demonstrate this power to his people."<br>"We'd really like to meet this, uh, Lord Protector." John said.  
>"That may prove difficult. Only members of the Royal Court are allowed in the Tower."<br>Marissa smiles at him, turning on the charm. "Perhaps they would consider making an exception just this once."  
>"I'll do what I can." Eldred nods to them and walks away.<br>"Thank you." John called after him.  
>The rest of the team turns to John.<br>"You know this weapon he's talking about?" Ronon asked.  
>"We call 'em drones. We've used 'em to defend Earth and Atlantis, but we could really use some more." John said.<br>"And not only that: if these people have working drones, they must also have a ZedP.M." McKay added.  
>"Eldred said the Wraith haven't come in a long time. Perhaps this technology is no longer operational." Marissa said.<br>"I'll know more if I can get a little closer, take some readings." McKay told her.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Doctor Weir and Illyria are talking to John via radio through the open Stargate, who was sitting in the Puddle Jumper back on the planet.  
>"Do you think this Eldred is telling the truth?" Illyria asked.<br>_ "There's no reason for him to lie."_  
>"And you say the Tower looks a lot like Lantean architecture?" Weir asked.<br>_ "It was overgrown by vegetation but otherwise there was definitely something familiar about it!"_  
>"So the people in the Tower could be <em>my<em> people." Illyria said, smiling at Weir.  
><em>"I don't know. A feudal society doesn't fit the profile. Why would the Ancients wanna lord over a bunch of simple farmers?"<em>  
>"I don't know. Either way, we should talk with them." Weir said. Illyria was about to open her mouth but Elizabeth cut in. "Illyria, you're 35 weeks, Carson would kill me if you had any gate travel."<p>

"The women of my family have often _given birth_ while traveling!"

Weir sighed. "If John needs you, I'll send you, but until then you are grounded to Atlantis. Agreed, John?"  
><em>"Agreed."<em>  
>҉<br>**WOODLAND.**

Rodney is walking along with one of the peasant folk, a young man.  
>"We're approaching the base of the Tower. This is as close as I dare bring you."<br>"I take it people like you don't get invited up for barbecues too often." McKay said.  
>"The Tower's for nobles only."<br>"Uh-huh. And what makes them noble, hmm?" McKay takes a scanner out of his pack and activates it.  
>"Blood."<br>"Right!" McKay takes another doohickey out of his vest and walks forward, scanning the Tower in the distance.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

Eldred stands in the village center, cowering before four men in military uniforms. Unlike the villagers, these men clearly come from a more advanced society. They can't hear what Eldred is saying to them but he appears to be trying to explain himself to the leader of the men and is obviously terrified. Ronon and Marissa stand nearby, watching with some concern.

John joins them. "Who are these guys?"

"Soldiers from the Tower." Ronon said.  
>The leader of the soldiers - the Constable - violently backhands Eldred, knocking him to the ground. John and the other two rush towards them.<br>"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy." John says.  
>The Constable turns to face them. "Who are you?"<br>"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. Who are you?"  
>"I am a Constable of the Lord Protector's guard, and this village scum," he looks round at Eldred, "dared to defy me." Eldred, kneeling on the ground, groans. "It's clear we're going to have to make an example."<br>He takes a whip from off his belt, unravels it and prepares to use it on Eldred. As one, Team Sheppard draw their weapons and aim them at the Constable. The guards put their hands on their own weapons.  
>"I don't think so."<br>"Please, Colonel. It's my fault." Eldred pleaded.  
>John spoke to the Constable. "If you think I'm gonna sit here and let you whip an innocent man, you're sorely mistaken."<br>A new male voice speaks from behind the team. "Constable."  
>John spins round to face the newcomer, aiming his pistol at him. Ronon puts his back to John's, still aiming his blaster at the Constable and his men. Marissa too continues to aim her P90 at the guards. John looks at the newcomer, who is also dressed much better than the villagers.<br>The man spoke to the guards. "You may stand down."  
>The guards do as they're told.<br>The man now turned to John and his team. "You are the strangers who requested an audience, are you not?" He reaches into his pockets and takes out two small devices, holding them up carefully so that John can see that he doesn't intend to use them as weapons.  
>"That's us."<br>"My name is Otho." He walks towards the team and holds up the smaller of the two devices towards Marissa, activating it. A light comes out of it. It's clearly some kind of scanner, the results of which are presumably displayed on the larger of the devices. He aims the scanner at Marissa's head and then runs it downwards. "I have the honor to be Chamberlain to the Lord Protector." He looks at the display module, then aims the scanner at Ronon's head and runs it downwards. "And you would never be allowed in his presence so armed." He scans John.  
>"Well, I guess we'll have to be on our way, then."<br>Otho looks at the display module with interest as it beeps while he's scanning John. It hadn't beeped when it scanned the other two. Otho looks up at John.  
>"I'm afraid it's too late for that." Otho steps back and gestures towards John while addressing the guards. "Take this one."<br>Ronon draws his sword from its scabbard on his back and aims it at the guards. Marissa raises her P90 in readiness.  
>"Please, Colonel, don't resist." Eldred said as one of the guards pulls him roughly to his feet. "The Lord Protector sees all."<br>"He does, you know." John doesn't move, still aiming his pistol at Otho. "But I suppose you're going to need a demonstration." A whooshing sound can be heard in the distance. "And here it comes."  
>Otho turns towards the sound. John and Marissa look in the same direction while Ronon remains facing the guards. The whooshing gets closer and we see a bright light in the sky flying towards the village. They immediately recognize it as a drone. The drone flies down and smashes into the village a short distance away, exploding on impact. It doesn't hit any of the houses but nevertheless causes a massive explosion. The villagers cry out in terror and fall to their knees. Otho turns to the team.<br>"Now, please, turn over your weapons. Some of the people here may not survive the next strike."  
>John looks around at the cowering villagers, many of them crying fearfully.<br>"Colonel." Eldred pleaded.  
>John reluctantly lowers his pistol. Ronon looks round to him for instruction and John nods his head. Ronon glares at the guards, lowers his sword and allows the Constable to take it from him. John looks grimly at Otho as Ronon hands over a large knife to the Constable.<br>҉  
><strong>WOODLAND.<strong>

Rodney is continuing his scans. Baldric, his guide, watches the area nervously.

"We are not supposed to be here. If the soldiers come ..."  
>"Relax! I'm almost done."<br>Marissa's voice comes over the radio.  
><em>"Rodney, come in."<em>  
>Rodney sighs in exasperation and activates his headset.<br>"Go ahead."  
>(Marissa and Ronon are still in the village.)<br>"We have a problem. They took Colonel Sheppard."  
><em>"What? Who did?"<em>  
>"Soldiers from the Tower. They confiscated our weapons."<br>_"What, and you let them?"_  
>Marissa rolls her eyes and looks around at Ronon.<br>"We didn't exactly have much of a choice."  
><em>"Alright - I'm on my way back."<em> McKay said, irritated.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

Rodney is standing at the impact site of the drone, staring down at the damage and the fire that is still burning. Ronon is helping to put out the last of the fire. Marissa walks over to Rodney.  
>"It was definitely a drone."<br>"Yeah. It's pretty good shooting - I mean, if it was their intention to scare people and not actually kill anybody." McKay said.  
>John's voice comes over the radio.<br>_"This is Sheppard. Anyone reading me?"_  
>"Colonel! Are you alright?" Marissa said.<br>_ "I'm fine. Is McKay with you?"_  
>"I'm here."<br>_ "Did you find anything with your scans?"_  
>"As a matter of fact, I did. There's definitely an active ZedP.M., but it's barely registering, so it's hard to say whether it's, uh, depleted or just not drawing much power right now."<br>_"What else?"_  
>"The really interesting part is that it seems to be coming from underground. Now, when I realized that, I started scanning for subterranean structures. The Tower is just the tip of the iceberg, and there is a massive structure buried beneath it. Now, it's hard to say without more detailed analysis, but, (he laughs) it could very well be comparable in size to Atlantis itself."<br>_"Doesn't really surprise me."_  
>John is standing in an exact replica of Atlantis' Gateroom, looking up the stairs that lead up to the Control Room. He turns to look around the rest of the room. It's all identical to the Gateroom except that the whole place is decorated with drapes, wall hangings, shields, candelabras, plants, some suits of armor and various other decorations - and where the Stargate would be, there's an Ancient Control Chair on its dais.<br>"I'm in the Tower right now, and, uh, I gotta say ... it does kinda look familiar!"

**THE TOWER.**

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

One of the side doors opens and an elderly man comes in followed by his entourage. They are all elaborately dressed. If they were on Earth, they would probably come from the nobility of the late medieval period, although there's a touch of Renaissance and baroque in there too. The old man is clearly rather infirm, although he shakes off the person trying to help him into the room and walks in under his own power. Initially ignoring John, he walks over to the Control Chair, flamboyantly wraps his cloak around himself and sits down. The floor of the dais and the back of the Chair immediately light up. John frowns. A young woman sits down in a chair beside the dais, and a young man takes his place standing on the other side of the dais while Otho stands behind the Chair. The old man squints and frowns at John.  
>"You there." He beckons to John. "Approach."<br>John walks closer, then stops and nods to the man, smiling.  
>"Lieutenant Colonel John Shep -"<br>"I know who you are. I saw you in the village."  
>"You did?"<br>"I see all that I need to see within my domain."  
>He places his hands on the control pads on the arms of the Chair, which reclines. A holographic screen appears above his head, showing live footage from the village. John gazes up at the screen but shows little surprise. Otho frowns at John's lack of shock. John watches as the image zooms in on the rest of his team standing in the middle of the village and talking, though there's no sound from the screen.<br>"Your friends - they are concerned about you." The Lord Protector says.  
>"Well, um, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little concerned about me too. I mean, um, I'm a prisoner, right?"<br>The Lord Protector takes his hands off the control pads and puts them in his lap. The Chair rises to an upright position.  
>"A show of force was necessary for the benefit of the villagers. It keeps them from getting ideas. But for the moment I would prefer it if you thought of yourself as a guest."<br>The young man speaks to the Lord Protector without taking his eyes off John. "Father, I must object." He looks John up and down derogatively. "This man should be punished. He challenged one of our constables."  
>"One of our constables?" The Lord Protector asked.<br>The young man looks at his father and bows minutely. "Forgive me. One of your constables."  
>"Lieutenant Colonel, it would be my pleasure that you dine with us this evening." The Lord Protector says.<br>John smiles at him nervously.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

As Marissa and Ronon stand nearby, Rodney is going over the scans he took of the Tower earlier, talking on the radio with John.  
>"From what I can tell by these readings, the underground structure's not just roughly the same shape and size as Atlantis, it's identical."<br>(Inside the Tower)

John is alone in a room, presumably guest quarters of some kind. The walls of the room are covered in lavish scarlet colored drapes. A large bed or couch is in the middle of the room, covered in different colored cushions. There are candelabras around the room.  
>"Yeah, it's pretty much the same on the inside, too - although, it's been redecorated!"<br>_ "If it's a city like Atlantis, then where are the other spires?"_ Marissa asked.  
><em> "Probably fell a long time ago - maybe they were destroyed during a Wraith attack. Look, in the intervening ten thousand years, the whole thing must have been overgrown by the forest." <em>McKay said.  
>"One thing's for certain, these people are no Ancients." John said.<br>_"Well, from what you're saying, the Lord Protector must have the gene required to activate the advanced technology."_ McKay said.  
>"So it would seem."<br>_"Are they using any other technology?"_ McKay asked.  
>"No, not that I can see. They've turned the Control Room into a gallery for royal audiences. There are some systems that seem to be operational but I think they're just running on automatic."<br>_"Are you certain you are in no immediate danger?"_ Marissa asked  
>"I don't think so. They don't have me under guard and they've even given me my own room."<br>_"I don't like it. I say we call the troops and get you out."_ Ronon said.  
><em>"I don't think it would work even if we tried. Look, the combination of the hologram technology and a healthy supply of drones - huh, they'd pick us off pretty easily."<em> McKay said.  
>"For the moment, I don't want anybody to do anything. Just keep a low profile."<br>Rodney sighs. "Alright."  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

The team, minus John, is sitting around a table in Eldred's house. Eldred is sitting at one end of the table, with Baldric and Marissa on one side and Rodney on the other. Ronon sits at the opposite end of the table. Each of them has a bowl of what I imagine is soup or broth in front of them. Baldric offers around a bowl containing pieces of bread. As they each take a piece, a young woman comes in with a jug and puts it on the table.  
>"We are happy you could share our evening meal."<br>"The pleasure is ours." Marissa smiled.  
>Rodney smiles grimly as the woman sits down next to him. Eldred holds out his hands to Petra and Baldric and they each take one and hold out their other hands to Marissa and Rodney. The two of them take the offered hands, and then Rodney sighs and turns to Ronon, grimacing, and reluctantly holds out his other hand. Ronon takes Marissa's hand, then looks at Rodney and rolls his eyes, holding out his clenched fist with a look of distaste on his face. Rodney winces and puts his hand over Ronon's fist. The villagers bow their heads and close their eyes. Marissa follows suit.<br>"We thank the Ancestors for the great bounty bestowed upon us and we ask that they bless the Lord Protector," Marissa opens her eyes at this "that he may ever watch over us and keep us safe."  
>The prayer ended, they all release each other's hands.<br>"Please, enjoy." The woman said.  
>Everyone picks up a spoon and begins to eat.<br>"It is generous of you to remember the Lord Protector in your prayers, especially after what happened this afternoon." Marissa delicately said.  
>"It is unfortunate, but the soldiers serve the Tower, and without the Tower we are vulnerable to the Wraith." Eldred nodded.<br>"In exchange, you give them a portion of your crops?" Ronon asked.  
>"Half of every harvest."<br>"Half?" Marissa looks concerned. The villagers clearly can't afford to give away so much.  
>҉<br>**THE TOWER.**

The Royal Court is eating dinner. It's not a pretty sight. Unlike the villagers who have learned table manners, they are all stuffing food into their mouths with their fingers - and there's an enormous amount of food on the table. The courtiers chat and laugh and drink and eat - all at the same time. John sits at the table looking rather squeamish at their behavior. Mara, the Lord Protector's daughter, is sitting beside John and now turns to talk to him flirtatiously.  
>"I've never heard of anyone called Lieutenant Colonel before. What does it mean?"<br>Opposite her, Tavius, the Lord Protector's son, breaks off from flirting with the woman sitting next to him to speak derogatively to his sister.  
>"It's not his name, you simpleton. It's his rank."<br>Mara looks embarrassed. "My apologies."  
>"That's alright. Don't usually stand on ceremony anyway. How about you just call me John?" He turns and smiles at her, then jumps as the woman sitting on his other side gooses him. She giggles as he turns to her with a startled look on his face. The woman attempts to look seductively at him. John turns away, appalled.<br>"Alright, John." Mara smiled.  
>"It's obvious to anyone with eyes to see that you're a military man, which makes me wonder - why is it you question the actions of my father's soldiers? Do you not agree that discipline is necessary?" Tavius asked.<br>"I guess I just don't think whipping people is a good motivator."  
>Various people laugh at this.<br>"The villagers are mindless brutes. They understand nothing else." Tavius waved his hand.  
>"Maybe 'cause they've never known anything else." John told him.<br>"I don't think that any of us would deny that the peasants can be difficult, but how much worse would it be if they fell victim to the Wraith?" The Lord Protector said.  
>"You protect 'em with these, uh, lights - like the one that hit the village today?" John asked.<br>"Of course."  
>"Where do they come from?"<br>"The Lord Protector calls them forth with his mind." Tavius butted in.  
>"But from where? I mean, they rise up from the ground, but has anybody bothered to go down there and check it out?" John asked.<br>"You mean the catacombs?" Mara asked.  
>"Yeah, whatever you call them."<br>"They're dark and filthy - why would anyone want to go down there?"  
>The Lord Protector grasps his stomach, gasping and groaning. Otho, who was standing nearby, hurries forward to help him as he struggles to his feet. Mara jumps up from the table and runs round to her father.<br>"My Lord!" Otho yells.  
>The Lord Protector was gasping and still clutching his stomach. "It's nothing. Leave me be."<br>"Take him to his chambers." Otho said.  
>A couple of servants support the old man as he walks away. Mara watches him go, concerned. Everyone else has risen to their feet in a mixture of respect and worry - all apart from Tavius who is still sitting at the table drinking wine as if nothing had happened. John walks over to Otho and they watch the Lord Protector leave the room.<br>"What's wrong with him?"  
>"He will be alright. It isn't the first time this has happened."<br>Otho follows the Lord Protector out of the room. At the table, Tavius smiles and nonchalantly picks his teeth with his fingers, letting out a prolonged and loud belch. John and Mara look round at him as he sucks whatever he picked out of his teeth off his thumb.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

Their frugal meal finished, Baldric and the woman (Petra) are clearing the table. Eldred has already left the table and gone elsewhere. Petra offers some more of the contents of the jug to Ronon but he declines politely. Petra and Baldric take the crockery out of the room.  
>"Well, that was a particularly unsatisfying meal." McKay said.<br>"We should be honored that those with so little would wish to share with us." Marissa said.  
>"No, I'm honored. I'm honored and hungry. Seriously, we should be feeding them. We've got better food in our emergency rations."<br>"I'm not sure that they would accept it. They are a proud people."  
>"Not so proud that they'll stand up for themselves." Ronon said.<br>"That could change." Marissa told him.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. Hold on a minute. We need to be careful, right? We have no idea who's watching, remember? And we are supposed to be keeping a low profile, not starting a revolution." McKay said.<br>"You cannot seriously believe that this is a just society?" Marissa asked.  
>"It is a society that has not been culled by the Wraith in a long time. That much we know for sure." Marissa and Ronon look at McKay for a moment, then settle back in their seats. "Now, where are the emergency rations?"<br>҉  
><strong>THE TOWER.<strong>

In his room, John is sitting on his bed and going through the contents of his pack. He looks up as Mara approaches and walks through the drapes that serve as a doorway.  
>"Am I disturbing you?"<br>"Mara, no, uh," he puts his pack down and stands up "how's your father?"  
>"He is resting. Thank you for your concern."<br>John walks over to her. "Uh, look, maybe it'd be best if I just, uh, came back another day."  
>Mara looks horrified at the thought and holds up her hand to stop him. "No! You can't leave! Please - there's a matter of great importance my father wishes to discuss with you. Perhaps in the morning?" John grimaces. "If these chambers are not to your liking ..."<br>"No, no, they're fine."  
>"Well, then, maybe there's something I can do to make you more comfortable."<br>"Uh, I don't think so, uh ..."  
>"Are you certain?"<br>She undoes the waist buckle of her gown, slides the gown off her shoulders and drops it to the ground. She's not wearing anything underneath. John stares in shock.  
>"Oh, wow! I ... I never see this coming!"<br>"You don't find me pleasing?"  
>"No, no, it's not that - it's just ..."<br>Mara grabs him and kisses him passionately. "What you said at dinner, did you mean it?"  
>"Absolutely!" She kissed him again. "What did I say again?"<br>"About the villagers. My brother thinks it's a sign of weakness, but I know that it means you'll be a great ruler someday."  
>"Right!" He grins and then his head snaps up from where it was fixed on her chest. He shook his head to make sure he could hear. "Ruler? Wh-wh-what are you talking about?"<br>"My father has promised that if we are married, the succession will fall to me!"  
>John stares at her, aghast. Mara laughs delightedly and shoves him backwards onto the bed, following him down."<p>

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa." John yelled, rolling out from under her and stands up, backing away and grasping the curtains. "Mara, you-you're sweet," He chuckled nervously, "But-"

"Have you not done this before?" Mara asked innocently enough, squirming around on the bed. Naked. John was having a hard time breathing.

He shut his eyes tight and blew out a large breath. "I-I can't, Mara."

She giggled. "It's not that hard, John." John felt her take his hand—and place it on her breast.

John choked and pulled his hand back as if it had touched fire. He saw the heart-break in her face. "Wait- Mara, it's not you…"

"Am I not appealing? Am I not beautiful?" Mara began to sob as she sat down heavily.

John looked around before hesitantly kneeling in front of her, patting her knee. "You are, Mara….really. But, I-"

"You're what, John?"

He paused and bit his lip, gathering his thoughts. "I'm married….."  
>҉<br>**MORNING. **

**CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE. **

The room is lined with shelves full of papers and scrolls. Otho is seated at a desk studying some papers when John walks up and stops in the doorway.  
>"We need to talk."<br>Otho looked up at him. "Colonel Sheppard. Yes. Come in, please."  
>John walked into the room and looked around. "It seems that, uh, certain people around here have somehow, uh, gotten the wrong idea about me." Otho looks at him, not understanding. "Uh, Mara came to visit me last night."<br>"You must forgive her forward behavior, Colonel. She doesn't have much time."  
>"What's that supposed to mean?"<br>"I have many duties here in the Tower, the most important of which is as royal genealogist." Otho stands up and gestures around the room. "These scrolls record the bloodlines of the Lord Protector's family going back twenty generations. It's my duty to study them in order to determine the best possible match for every member of the Royal house so that we may maintain the integrity of those bloodlines. This is necessary because only one of the Royal blood can control the Throne Chair which in turn controls the weapon that protects us from the Wraith. But I suspect you know some of this already. Most people when they see the Throne Chair activated for the first time react as though they've seen some kind of magic, but you - you didn't bat an eye." John looks uncomfortable. "What's more, you have in your blood the very gene for which our Royal family has been so selectively bred all these generations." Otho picks up the scanning device he used on the team the previous day. "I scanned you shortly after we met, remember?"  
>"Right!"<br>"Colonel, you must understand how important this is to us. Over the centuries, despite our best efforts, the bloodlines have deteriorated. The ability of each new Lord Protector to control the Throne Chair - it is no longer a certainty."  
>"Well, then, maybe it's about time to start thinking about a new system of government."<br>"You have observed the inequalities of our society and you disapprove. I can hardly blame you."  
>"Well, you didn't seem to have much of a problem with that in the village."<br>"I must maintain the image of my authority in front of the villagers. It is my duty. But believe me, between the two of us, you are in a better position to change things. The gene in you is stronger than it has been in any recorded member of the Royal family for three hundred years."  
>"You sent Mara to my room…"<br>"I didn't have to. She understands the situation perfectly well. Right now, Tavius is next in line, but the possibility that his sister might one day bear children with superior genetic make-up to him or his progeny, that will always be a threat."  
>"So, if the old man dies ..."<br>"Precisely. And his condition grows worse every day."  
>"I know someone who may be able to help with that."<br>҉  
><strong>VILLAGE.<strong>

Doctor Beckett walks through the village, wearing a large backpack on his back and struggling to carry a large heavy case. Marissa and Rodney come over to meet him.  
>"Doctor Beckett." Marissa smiled.<br>"Good morning. I understand there's a patient waiting for me in the Tower."  
>"So Colonel Sheppard informed us over the radio."<br>Ronon, who has been standing nearby smiling at the sight of Carson panting under the weight of the case, walks over and takes it off him. Carson sighs with relief.  
>"Oh! Thank you, Ronon." Marissa and Rodney lead him through the village as Ronon follows behind. "Do you have any idea what I'm walking into?"<br>"Not really, no." McKay said.  
>"According to the Colonel, your safety has been guaranteed by the Chamberlain of the Tower." Marissa informed him.<br>"And we can trust him?" Carson asked.  
>"Uh, not really, no. But I have a back-up plan. Look, uh, Baldric, my trusty local guide, says he knows a way into the underground city. He's not exactly thrilled about going under there but, uh, I think I can talk him into it." McKay said.<br>"And what good does that do us?" Carson asked.  
>"Well, if I can find the ZedP.M., then we can shut these people down whenever we want. Without the Drone Chair, they're just a bunch of primitive thugs with axes and knives."<br>"Axes and knives can cause damage, Rodney!"  
>"You know what I mean!"<br>Carson sighs. "Great!" He sighs again. "Alright."  
>҉<br>**THE TOWER. **

**CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE. **

Otho is alone in his office, taking a scroll from one of the shelves. Unknown to him, Tavius is standing in the doorway watching him.  
>"Busy as usual, I see. Always making plans, plotting little strategies, all for the benefit of the Royal House, of course!"<br>"Of course."  
>" Of course! I understand you've recruited someone new into your little schemes - this Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard. Something about medical assistance for the Lord Protector?" Tavius sarcastically said.<br>"He offered. What was I supposed to say?"  
>"Just be careful, Chamberlain. Remember your place - and remember our arrangement."<br>"What about the Colonel?"  
>Tavius smiles unpleasantly. "I'll deal with him when the time comes."<br>҉  
><strong>WOODLAND.<strong>

Rodney and Baldric lift a heavy stone cover from the ground, revealing a stone-lined shaft underneath.  
>"This is it."<br>"Alright. Let's do it." McKay picks up a rope he has brought with him.  
>"I-I-I'm not so sure this is wise."<br>"OK, I'm not interested in your primitive taboos, OK? It's a dark and scary place, but it's not cursed or haunted or anything like that. It's perfectly safe." McKay drops one end of the rope down the shaft.  
>"Actually, the catacombs are prone to earthquakes."<br>Rodney looks concerned. "Oh, they are?"  
>Baldric nods. "Three village children died in a cave-in just last year."<br>Rodney backs away from the shaft nervously. "I thought it was a superstition thing."  
>"Oh no. The danger's quite real."<br>"Oh, now he tells me!"  
>҉<br>**THE TOWER. **

**LORD PROTECTOR'S BEDROOM. **

The Lord Protector is lying in bed as Carson stands at his side and finishes his examination. He turns and walks over to John and Otho who are standing nearby.  
>"He's anaemic, and both his liver and kidneys seem to be malfunctioning, but he's not running a temperature, so I don't think it's an infection. I'll need to run some more tests."<br>"I wanna talk to him." John said.  
>"Right now, he needs to rest."<br>"Carson."  
>"He's not lucid at all."<br>"Thank you, Doctor." Otho said.  
>"Aye."<br>Carson turns back to his patient as Otho walks closer to John.  
>"Colonel, I am authorized by the Lord Protector to speak with you on his behalf. Please come this way."<br>He leaves the room. John follows him.

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Otho has brought John to another very familiar-looking room. It's a Jumper Bay containing at least four, possibly more, Puddle Jumpers. A couple of them are covered with sheeting but others are not, and they are covered instead with cobwebs and dust. The whole Bay obviously hasn't been used for many years. John and Otho walk alongside one of the Jumpers.  
>"Do you know what this is?" Otho asked.<br>Evasively, John said, "You tell me."  
>"It's a flying machine - or at least it used to be. We ran out of power a long time ago. I know you have some understanding of these things, even though you try not to show it. I also know that this place was once home to a much more advanced civilization. Unfortunately, aside from a few trinkets and useless relics, all we have left is the Throne Chair, and if the bloodline continues to deteriorate, soon that will be taken from us as well."<br>"What if I told you there was a way around that? A way to protect the planet without worrying about all these royal bloodlines or any of that crap?"  
>"That's impossible."<br>"What if it wasn't?"  
>"Such talk is dangerous."<br>"He can't watch everyone all the time. Look, I know you serve these people, but if you're right, and eventually they lose their ability to control the Chair, well at that point what good are they?"  
>"What are you suggesting?"<br>"A drug. Gene therapy. You give it to the people in the village, half of them will be able to control the Throne Chair, no problem."  
>"You're talking about revolution!"<br>"I'm talking about survival. What's gonna happen when the Royal family can't protect this planet anymore?"  
>"And in exchange for this drug? What do you want in return?"<br>҉  
><strong>CATACOMBS.<strong>

Rodney has descended the rope and Baldric is just lowering himself down. Rodney is shining a torch around when John's voice comes over the radio. It is so distorted that it barely makes sense.  
><em>"Rodney, come in."<em>  
>Rodney activates his headset. "Go ahead."<br>_"Rodney ... "_ The rest of what he says is lost in static and distortion. Rodney turns and walks back to stand underneath the opening to the catacombs.  
>"Say again? I'm not getting very good reception down here."<br>A little more clearly, John repeated, _"I said, have you found anything yet?"_  
>"We've only just made our way into the city."<br>_"Look, I may be able to swing a little deal here. Drones in exchange for gene therapy. I just need to know how many they have left."_  
>"Alright, I'm on it." McKay shouted to Baldric. "Let's go!" They start to walk into the city but almost immediately the ground shakes for a few moments. "What was that?"<br>"I-I told you - the catacombs are unstable."  
>"Alright, let's just keep moving."<br>They head deeper into the city.  
>҉<br>**THRONE ROOM.**

The Court are going about their everyday business, milling around and chatting and generally having a good time. John stands on the balcony of what would be the Control Room in Atlantis, looking down at them. Carson walks over and speaks quietly to him.  
>"Colonel Sheppard. I've completed my examination of the Lord Protector, and I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for him. He's dying."<br>"How much time does he have?" John said, equally as quiet.  
>"It could happen any day now. But there's something else. The reason he's dying is because he's been poisoned."<br>John stares at him in shock. "What?"  
>"Aye. My guess is it's been done slowly over the last couple of months, probably in his food. Any idea who'd like to see him dead?"<br>"Yeah. I have a theory."  
>He turns his head and looks down at Tavius some distance away in the Throne Room, who gazes back up at him for a moment, then turns away.<br>҉  
><strong>CATACOMBS.<strong>

Rodney has found a partially closed door. "This is it."  
>"What?"<br>Rodney groans as he starts to force the doors open. "Drone storage." With Baldric's help he gets the doors open and they walk inside. The room is completely dark.  
>"I don't understand." Baldric was referring to what Rodney just said.<br>"OK, those brilliant lights that magically rise up into the sky and destroy the Wraith ships? They're not magic - they're, uh, real, physical objects. They're-they're projectile weapons. Incredibly powerful projectile weapons." Rodney reaches a wall panel and puts his torch down. "The only question is, have they used them all up?"  
>He takes the cover off the panel and reaches inside as Baldric walks deeper into the room, trying to see further with the light of his lantern.<br>"I can't see anything."  
>"OK, hold on. There's a working ZedP.M. in here, so it should just be a matter of ..." Rodney switches some components around inside the panel, "this."<br>He attaches the last component and the lights come on in the room. Rodney turns around to be greeted by the sight of scores, maybe hundreds, of drones in storage racks. He gazes in amazement.  
>"OK! There are still a few left."<br>As he smiles in delight, the catacombs begin to shake again.  
>"Maybe turning on the power wasn't such a good idea."<br>"I think you might be right about that." Rodney runs back and grabs his torch from the floor. "Let's get outta here."  
>The two of them run back the way they came as the catacombs continue to shake. Out in the corridor, debris begins to fall from the ceiling. A few yards further on, the ceiling collapses just in front of them. They duck down as tons of concrete and earth plummet to the floor in front of them. The rumbling and shaking stops. Coughing from all the dust in the air, Rodney stands up to see the way ahead of them completely blocked. Baldric stands and shines his torch on the blockage.<br>"Is there another way out?" Baldric asks.  
>"Technically, no. That's the only way out of this section. There's no need to panic - I'll radio for help." Rodney turns away from the blockage and activates his headset. "Colonel Sheppard, it's McKay, come in please." There's no reply. "Ronon. Frio. Please respond." Again, no reply. "Anybody?" After a moment, he turns back and stares at the blockage. "OK, we may need to panic a little."<br>҉  
><strong>VILLAGE.<strong>

The Constable and his colleagues have returned and are examining the contents of a cart laden with food ready to take to the Tower. Marissa and Ronon stand nearby watching. The Constable picks up one of the vegetables, looks at it and tosses it back onto the cart. He turns to Petra.  
>"You call this a harvest? I bring this pathetic tribute to the Lord Protector and I'll be whipped for my insolence."<br>"This is all we could spare."  
>"Well, then, maybe there's something besides food that you can offer." Leering at her, he seizes her wrist. She tries to pull free, terrified.<br>"No!" As she continues to struggle, Ronon walks towards her and the Constable.  
>"Hey."<br>The Constable releases Petra abruptly, causing her to fall to the ground, and turns to face Ronon. "You again."  
>"Let's see how you do against someone who can defend himself." Ronon glances round, noting that one of the other guards has circled around behind him.<br>"You have an impudent tongue. I think I'll remove it."  
>He draws a long knife from his belt. The other guards have done similarly. Ronon swings round quickly and punches the guard behind him to the ground. A second guard runs at him. Ronon punches him in the stomach and grabs his arm while kicking a third guard in the stomach. He throws the second guard away from him and grapples with the third guard, punching him to the ground and taking his knife from him. He turns to face the Constable, who runs at him with his own knife. With a roar of rage, Ronon easily sidesteps the knife and slashes the Constable brutally across the throat. As the Constable collapses, Ronon walks away without looking back. The villagers look on in horror. Marissa walks over to Ronon, her face full of concern at what he has done. She activates her headset.<br>"Colonel Sheppard?"  
><em>"Go ahead."<em>  
>"We have a problem in the village. There's been an ... altercation."<br>҉  
><strong>CATACOMBS.<strong>

Rodney and Baldric enter a dark room.  
>"Where are we?"<br>"This should be Auxiliary Control." Rodney sees a console in the middle of the room. "Yes." He walks over to the console, pushes a few buttons and the lights come on. Rodney looks around the room. "That's amazing! The layout of this place is almost identical."  
>"Identical to what?"<br>"Never mind." Rodney walks over to a wall panel. "OK, we need to access the city's internal communication systems, so ..." He starts to work on the panel.  
>"Remember what happened last time you started turning things on?"<br>"At this point, I don't think we have much choice." Rodney continues working.  
>҉<br>**CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE.**

Otho is there with John and Carson.  
>"This is terrible. I knew Tavius was cruel and vindictive, but to want to murder his own father?"<br>"Raising children can be very dangerous." Carson tried to hide his smile, given the circumstances. John gave him a sideways glance and continues, "The key is, we don't let him succeed to the throne. We need to talk to the Lord Protector."  
>"I'm afraid it's already too late. I received word a few moments ago. He is dead. You must leave, now." John frowns at Otho. "Tavius will arrest Mara and anyone he considers was conspiring with her, and that includes you."<br>"What about the villagers?" Carson asks.  
>"He'll kill them all - burn the place to the ground to make an example of them."<br>"They had nothing to do with what happened." John said.  
>"It doesn't matter. Any defiance must be crushed without mercy to keep it from spreading to the other villages."<br>Carson takes a capsule out of his vest. "Look, this is the gene therapy we're talking about. You can take it to the people and tell them what it means." He hands the capsule to Otho.  
>"You don't have to be slaves to this Royal bloodline anymore." John said.<br>"Well, this may be too late. Tavius will consider this to be treason. He'll fight it. And if the soldiers support him..."  
>He stops as a bell starts to toll somewhere in the Tower.<br>"What's that mean?" John asked.  
>"It means news of the Lord Protector's death is already spreading. The Court has been called to assemble in the Throne Room. Go now, before it's too late."<br>Carson nervously clutches John's arm and tries to tug him out of the room. "Colonel?"  
>John looks at Otho for a moment, then he and Carson turn and hurry out of the room. Otho looks down at the capsule that Carson gave him.<br>҉  
><strong>CATACOMBS.<strong>

**AUXILIARY CONTROL**.

Rodney has hooked up a computer tablet to a control panel. "This is interesting. Looks like the ZedP.M.'s almost depleted."  
>"What?"<br>"The ZedP.M. - it's, uh, um... " He sighs. "Look, you know what?"  
>"I know - never mind."<br>"More importantly, I can't bring internal communications online."  
>"What, so we can't send a message?"<br>"No, and my radio won't work because we're too far underground. Oh - that leaves us only one option."  
>He runs out of the room. Baldric follows him.<br>҉  
><strong>THE TOWER.<strong>

John and Carson are hurrying through the corridors when John suddenly stops, thinking.  
>"Head back to the village. There's one more thing I need to do."<br>"Right."  
>They hurry off in different directions.<br>҉  
><strong>VILLAGE.<strong>

The villagers have laid the Constable's body on a wooden stretcher and are carrying him away. The other guards are being hustled away by other villagers. Eldred turns to Ronon in panic.  
>"You should not have killed the Constable."<br>"Somebody had to do something."  
>"Now more soldiers will come."<br>"Then stand up to them. Gather your people together and fight." Marissa said.  
>"And if the Lord Protector uses the Throne Chair?" Eldred asked.<br>"We'll deal with that." Ronon said.  
>"It's too late to argue, Eldred. What's done is done. The Lord Protector will take his revenge on all of us. And if we're going to die, I would rather die fighting." Petra said.<br>҉  
><strong>THE TOWER.<strong>

As John hurries along a corridor, he sees Mara approaching. "Mara!"  
>"John! What are you still doing here?"<br>"I've been looking all over for you."  
>"You have to leave, now."<br>"I know. I want you to come with me. We both know what's gonna happen if you stay here. I can find a safe place for you to go."  
>"John." Mara was touched by his offer. Not an offer by a lover-<p>

But by a friend.  
>"None of this is your fault." John said.<br>Mara steps closer to him and puts her hand on his cheek.  
>"You really would take me with you, wouldn't you? Even though you are married?"<br>"Of course," John smiles at her. "What are friends for?"  
>"That won't be necessary." John turns to see Otho standing behind him. "Mara is perfectly safe now. Tavius has been arrested for the murder of the Lord Protector."<br>"That's good news."  
>Otho puts his hand on John's shoulder, smiling initially but his smile fades as he speaks. "You really should have got out while you had the chance."<br>He lowers his hand and steps back. Behind him, a guard hustles Carson into the corridor, holding a knife to his throat. Otho stares threateningly at John as two more guards approach from behind Mara.  
>"What the hell is this?" John asked.<br>Mara backs away from him, looking upset. "I'm sorry, John."  
>"I was prepared to let you walk away, but your colleagues in the village forced my hand. They're inciting an uprising - and as the new Lord Protector, that is something that I just can't have."<p>

**CELL ROOM.**

The guards approach a room which has a heavy set of wooden doors, open them and shove Carson and John into the room. Carson crashes to the floor. John manages to keep his feet, but only just. This room presumably isn't usually used as a cell, as it is still ornately decorated with drapes, candelabras and comfortable furniture. As Otho walks into the room, they see that Tavius is already in the room, lying sprawled on a sofa with his arms behind his head and acting nothing like a prisoner.  
>"Wait outside." Otho said to the gaurds.<br>Nonchalantly, Tavius said, "I'll have your head for this, Chamberlain."  
>"You are in no position to make threats."<br>"Is it really necessary to insult me further by imprisoning me with these people?"  
>"We're not the ones who committed murder." Carson said.<br>Tavius sits up. "True," He stood. "There is only one murderer in this room. Isn't that right, Otho?" Otho smiles. Tavius turns to the others. "Oh, let me guess. He told you I did it. Do I look like the sort of person who knows anything about poisons and chemicals? Otho, on the other hand, is always making elaborate studies of things - topics you and I might find boring, but which sometimes can turn out to be quite useful."  
>"You're saying that he's the one that poisoned the Lord Protector?" Carson said.<br>"I had no choice. I offered to guarantee him," Otho pointed to Tavius, "the succession. In return, he would spare Mara's life."  
>"Ah, but you're leaving out the best part. Once I assumed the throne, Mara was to be given to Otho as his wife. All she had to do was bat her eyes at him a couple of times, and the fool was hooked."<br>Otho slaps Tavius around the face. "Guards!" He turned to John and Carson. "It's true we were to be married, and so we will." He turns to leave, then turns back. "Only now she won't be marrying a lowly servant, but the Lord Protector himself."  
>Otho leaves and the guards lock the doors.<br>Plaintively, Carson said, "I really need to stop making house calls."  
>҉<br>**CATACOMBS. **

**AUXILIARY CONTROL. **

Rodney has retrieved a drone from the storage room and has set it up on a stand facing towards the doorway. Baldric walks over to him as he tinkers with the drone.  
>"You said these weapons have great destructive power?" Baldric asked.<br>"Yes."  
>"What do you intend to do with it?"<br>"Blow a hole straight up to the surface - assuming I can get it to fly in a straight line. I've never actually done anything like this before."  
>"What'll happen if you succeed?"<br>"Well, two possibilities. Either we create a nice sturdy shaft that will give us some much-needed air and provide a big enough gap for the radio signal to get through, or it will bring the already unsteady ceiling down on us, burying us both alive." Rodney starts to work on the computer tablet.  
>Baldric was backing away from the drone nervously. "I prefer to imagine the first possibility."<br>"Yes, yes, the power of positive thinking. Very good. While you do that, I will rely on my experience and expertise."  
>"You said you'd never done this before."<br>"General expertise. Will you be quiet while I do this?" Baldric nods. "Alright," Rodney activates something on the tablet and the drone makes a whooshing sound and lights up. Rodney winces away from the drone as it glows and then rapidly shoots out of the doorway before curving upwards and disappearing from sight as it punches into the ceiling in the corridor outside. A spray of cement dust rains down into the corridor. As it dissipates, Rodney puts down the tablet and he and Baldric run into the corridor and stare upwards. The drone has punched a small circular hole right up to the surface.  
>"I can't believe that worked!" Baldric shouted, smiling.<br>"What happened to positive thinking?"  
>"I lied."<br>Rodney activates his headset. "This is McKay. Is anyone reading?"  
>(Marissa answers from the village.)<br>"Rodney, where have you been?"  
><em>"Where have I been? I have been trapped underground by an earthquake that blocked off our one exit from this section of the city, that's where I've been!"<em>  
>"Do you have access to the ZeeP.M.?"<br>_"No, I don't have access to the ZedP.M., but thank you for your concern, by the way!"_  
>"Rodney ..."<br>"No-no-no-no-no-no. No, it's fine. Your beloved friend has nearly died and while he has had to face the imminent threat of death, your first concern is for the ZedP.M.? It's only natural! Illyria would be all over me, practically crying at her near loss-"  
>"I am sorry, Rodney, but we have a few problems of our own. Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Beckett are no longer responding to our radio calls. As well, there is a good possibility that the Lord Protector is about to launch a drone attack on this village. If that happens, everyone here will die."<br>"Oh."  
>҉<br>**THE TOWER. **

**CELL ROOM. **

A couple of guards approach and one of them unlocks the doors. Mara walks in, and then turns to the guards.  
>"Leave us." The guards look at each other for a moment and then leave the room, pushing the doors almost closed. Mara turns to John. "I'm really sorry, John."<br>"Oh, please! Don't play the sweet little innocent here." Tavius shouted.  
>Mara ignored her brother. "I never meant for you to get hurt."<br>"Then help us get out of here." John said.  
>"I can't - but I may be able to convince Otho to spare your lives."<br>"That would be a good start!"  
>Mara glances round at the guards to make sure they aren't looking before turning back to John. "In the meantime, I did bring you this." She hands him his radio. "You must tell your friends to leave before it's too late. For his first act as Lord Protector, Otho intends to destroy the entire village using the Throne Chair so that no other villagers will ever rise up against him again."<br>҉  
><strong>CATACOMBS. <strong>

**AUXILIARY CONTROL. **

John's voice comes over Rodney's headset.  
><em>"Rodney, come in."<em>  
>"Sheppard, are you alright?"<br>_"I'm fine. Listen, I need you to pull the ZeeP.M. and cut the power right away or Ronon and Marissa are dead."_  
>"I already know all that. Look, unfortunately I am cut off from the ZedP.M."<br>_"There's gotta be something you can do."_  
>"Yeah, I'm workin' on it!"<br>_"Well, work faster!"_  
>҉<br>**THRONE ROOM.**

As the Court watches, Otho walks towards the Control Chair and sits down. The Chair lights up. He places his hands on the control pads and the Chair reclines.  
>"Those fools. They actually think they can stand against me."<br>҉  
><strong>AUXILIARY CONTROL.<strong>

Rodney is studying his computer tablet while talking to John on the radio.  
>"Alright, I think I've got something. According to my readings, the ZedP.M. is nearly depleted. If we can activate enough systems simultaneously, it might drain power completely, thus rendering the drones inert."<br>_"So do it!"_  
>"No, I can't. I don't have access to enough systems to draw that kind of power. I need something really big."<br>(In the Cell Room)

John grimaces as he thinks. He looks at Carson for inspiration but Carson looks back at him blankly. Then John has an idea.  
>"How about the star drive? The city's just like Atlantis, right, a city that was designed to fly?"<br>_"You want me to fly the city right up out of the ground?"_  
>"No! You don't have to go anywhere. Just charge the engines. That should be the greatest single drain of power you can create."<br>_"You're right - that could work. Yeah, but there's only one problem."_  
>"What?"<br>_"This place is pretty unstable. If I fire up the engines, the vibrations alone could cause the whole thing to come down on us."_  
>"That's a risk we're gonna have to take."<p>

Rodney sighed. _"John, if-if I don't make it-"_

"Of course you're gonna make it, McKay."

"_Would you just listen to me! If I don't make it, tell Illyria….tell her I love her, okay. Not-Not romantic love, but you know-"_

"I know, Rodney." John sighed. "I know. Good luck."  
>҉<br>**THRONE ROOM.**

Otho closes his eyes, concentrating. Power can be heard rising. Outside the Tower, scores of drones rise up out of the ground and circle around the Tower.  
>҉<br>**AUXILIARY CONTROL.**  
>McKay had a look of dread on his face. "Firing up main engines."<br>He activates the controls on a console. The room begins to shake.  
>҉<br>**THRONE ROOM.**

The Court looks concerned as the room begins to shake. Otho lies in the Control Chair, his eyes closed in concentration. Outside, the drones stop circling the Tower and head away towards the village.  
>҉<br>**CELL**** ROOM.**

As the room shakes, Mara stares up at the ceiling in bewilderment as the guards come running.  
>"What's going on?"<br>John punches one of the guards, elbows the other one in the stomach, then punches the first one to the ground before throwing the second one down.  
>"Let's go." John said.<br>Carson and Mara hurry towards the doors. Carson glances back at Tavius.  
>"What about him?"<br>"Forget about him." John said.  
>As he and Mara hurry away, Carson steps outside the doors, then turns and closes them on an approaching Tavius. "Sorry, wee man." He runs off after the others, leaving Tavius clutching the bars of the doors hopelessly.<br>҉  
><strong>VILLAGE.<strong>

A villager is sharpening an axe on a grindstone. He looks around at a whooshing sound approaching from a distance. All the other villagers, together with Marissa and Ronon, walk into the center of the village and gaze up into the sky at the sight of the drones flying towards them.  
>҉<br>**AUXILIARY CONTROL.**

Rodney clings on to the console in an attempt to stay on his feet as the room continues to shake. Cement dust falls from the ceiling and the lights flicker on and off. After a few seconds, all the lights go out. In the Throne Room, the Control Chair shuts down and rises to an upright position. Otho opens his eyes and stares in shock.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

The villagers stare upwards in dread as the drones continue to approach. Suddenly all their lights go out and the drones stop in midair and drop to the ground some distance from the village.  
>҉<br>**AUXILIARY CONTROL.**

Rodney and Baldric are standing in the dark.  
>Sarcastically, McKay said, "Well, this is better! I guess." He switches on his torch and looks at the console.<br>҉  
>THRONE ROOM.<p>

Otho sits in the Chair looking bewildered as John, Carson and Mara walk in. Otho stands to face John.  
>"This is your doing." Otho spoke to the guards, "Seize them!"<br>John holds out a pacifying hand to the guards and steps forward towards Otho. "You're only Lord Protector if you can control the Chair. You said it yourself." Otho stares at him in dread. "It's over." John turns around to look at the members of the Court. "You don't have to bow down to this man, or Tavius, or anyone else."  
>Behind him, Otho pulls a knife out of his belt. Mara sees what he's doing and screams a warning.<br>"John!"  
>As Otho runs towards him with the knife extended, John turns and ducks out of his way. Otho turns and slashes at him again but John jumps backwards to avoid the blow. Otho tries again. John grabs his wrist with one hand and rips the knife out of his hand, slashing Otho across the palm as he does so. Otho cries out in pain. As John stands with the knife held towards him, Otho looks down at his bleeding palm, then looks up at John and smiles.<br>"Tavius was right about one thing. I do have a fair knowledge of poisons." His knees buckle and he collapses to the floor, dead.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**GATEROOM EXTERNAL BALCONY. **

Elizabeth is standing gazing out over the ocean. John comes out to join her.  
>"We got the drones, we got a few Jumpers; I even got the girl." John said.<br>"You got the girl?" Weir whipped around.  
>"Well, I mean I could have got the girl. I turned her down; told her I was married."<br>Elizabeth smiles. "What did you offer them in return for the drones and the Jumpers?"  
>"A supply of medicines and an I.D.C. if they need to reach us. We also offered to help 'em come up with a new way of running things when the time comes."<br>"They didn't offer you King?"  
>"I turned that down too!" John looks at her. "Illyria is heading back there to <em>assert<em> herself. Said it was a joint idea you and McKay came up with…."

"Yes, well, they are her people after all, they might as well know it." Weir looked at him. "She is a Queen, John, born and raised-"

"Did I say any different?"

"No, but I could see it was...tearing her apart, me being in control." Weir shrugged, "I gave her some of the genealogy we had found and showed her it was her bloodline that started that Royal Family. It was her decision to go; Rodney and I only nudged her."

John nodded. "I was tying her down."

"She's coming back, John."

"What-What's her plan?"

"She's going to show the Royal family her scrolls and once they realize what they're looking at, she was going to assert herself as Queen, but return to Atlantis."

"Then who's going to rule?"

"Mara or at least that was Illyria's plan."

"She'd make a good ruler, Mara, from what I've heard."

"Yeah, but she's no Illyria."

Elizabeth smiles at him for a moment, then they both look out over the ocean.


	23. Chapter 21

**SPACE. **

**PUDDLE JUMPER. **

Team Sheppard is on board: John piloting, Marissa in the co-pilot's seat, and Doctor McKay and Ronon sitting behind them.  
>"So people just sit and watch this box for hours at a time?" Ronon asked John.<br>"Yeah, people do."  
>"Is it that engaging?"<br>"Depends what's on it. There are lots of programs on dozens of channels, every day, all day."  
>"Most of which are fictional representations of ridiculously attractive people in absurd situations." Marissa said.<br>"There are educational programs, all sorts of documentaries. Not many people watch 'em but, uh, well, they're on." John shrugged.  
>"And that's what everybody on your planet does for entertainment? Watch a box?" Ronon asked.<br>"Not everyone - although I will confess to the occasional half hour of "'Jeopardy.'" McKay said.  
>"Jeopardy?" Ronon asked.<br>"It's the name of the show – 'Jeopardy'." John said.  
>"Sounds dangerous." Ronon mused.<br>"Double jeopardy - that's twice as dangerous."  
>The heads-up device appears on the windshield, flashing the words "PROXIMITY ALARM". McKay turns around to his console as the H.U.D. shows a planet and some items above it.<br>"It's a proximity alarm. Somethin's out there." John said.  
>"A ship?" Ronon asked.<br>"No. There's two of 'em. There's another one in a lower orbit."  
>"Yeah, but another what?" McKay said.<br>"I don't know, but big enough to hold a person." John said.  
>"Maybe it's a coffin." Ronon said.<br>"Jettisoned from a ship?" Marissa asked McKay  
>"Space burial?" John smiled.<br>McKay, turning around from his console, said, "No. It's definitely not a coffin. I'm reading life signs coming from inside of both of them. Whoever's in there, they're still alive."  
>The Jumper flies towards the two life pods as they drift in space above the planet's surface.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**DAY TIME. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE. **

Doctor Weir gets a message over her headset radio from Doctor Beckett.  
><em>"Doctor Weir? The first pod is ready."<em>_  
><em> "I'm on my way down." She turns to leave the office but stops as Colonel Caldwell approaches. "Colonel Caldwell. I see you have arrived without your ship!"  
>"Yes, well, Hermiod's doing some repairs to the hyperdrive that requires travelling in a wide orbit around the solar system, so while my ship flies in circles I thought I'd beam down early and see if I could do a little repair work of my own."<br>"That's not necessary."  
>"I think it is. The host to a Goa'uld parasite is aware of what's happening to them. I won't soon forget what I was forced to do."<br>"Still, you can't be held responsible for your actions ... whereas I can."  
>"No. You did what you had to do. Lives were at stake. I would have done the same thing if the situation had been reversed."<br>Elizabeth nods gratefully to him. "Colonel Sheppard's team just discovered something very interesting in the Cohall system. I was on my way down to see - do you care to join us?"  
>"I would love to. Thank you."<br>They head off.  
>҉<br>**LAB 3.**

The pod is in the center of the room on a stand. Rodney is sitting on the floor underneath the pod attaching leads to it and looking at readouts on a computer tablet. John strolls around the pod looking at it while Carson scans it. Elizabeth and Caldwell enter the lab.  
>"Doctor Weir." Carson sees who is with her. "Oh! Colonel Caldwell! Welcome back!"<br>"Thank you, Doctor." Caldwell looks at John. "Colonel. What've we got?"  
>"We think it's a life pod of some kind." John said.<br>"It appears to be designed solely for the purposes of maintaining a single human life in stasis. This one's a female." Carson said.  
>"There's another one in a decaying orbit but, uh, we could only fit one inside the Jumper." John sadi.<br>"I've already sent Even- Lorne- in Jumper Six to recover the second pod. Ronon and Marissa went along to help them locate it." Illyria said, coming into the lab holding her swelling stomach. She was wearing a short Sleeved baby-doll maternity capri pant-set, the white bow comfortably resting on her stomach.  
>Rodney stands up from underneath the pod. "OK! I'm ready to crack her open." He looks up and freezes at the sight of Caldwell. "Hey."<br>Caldwell smiles at him. "Hello, Doctor."  
>Rodney stares at him for a moment, then pointedly looks down to his computer tablet. "Hmm," He presses something on the tablet and the lid of the life pod slides open. Inside lies a very elderly woman in a green uniform. Carson looks at his scanner.<br>"She's alive - barely. It appears we found her very near the end. All the major organs are shutting down."  
>"How long was she out there?" Weir asked.<br>"There's no way to tell for certain."  
>"So she could be an Ancient?"<br>"The pod design makes me doubt that." Illyria said.  
>"It's a shame she can't speak with us." Weir walks closer to the pod. "Just imagine what she could tell us about her people and about what happened to her." She looks down at the woman. A white beam shoots out of the pod and envelops Elizabeth, who starts to collapse. John and Caldwell catch her.<br>"Elizabeth!" McKay shouted.  
>John and Caldwell lower her gently to the floor.<br>Carson activated his radio. "Medical team to Lab Three, stat!" He rushes over to Elizabeth.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Elizabeth is lying unconscious in bed as Carson tends to her. Caldwell is standing on the other side of the bed. Rodney walks over to John who is standing nearby. He points at Elizabeth.  
>"This is not my fault."<br>"We were all there - relax." John said..  
>Elizabeth starts to rouse.<br>"She's coming around." Carson said.  
>John and Rodney turn and walk over to her bedside, Illyria sits on the edge of her bed. Elizabeth opens her eyes, looks around at everybody and sits up.<br>"You OK?" Illyria asks.  
>"Doctor Weir is fine." Weir smiles.<br>John frowns suspiciously. "Doctor Weir doesn't talk about herself in the third person."  
>"She was simply overcome by the effects of the imprinting." Weir said.<br>Caldwell activates his headset radio. "Security team to the Infirmary."  
>"That's not necessary, Colonel ... Caldwell. She is merely harboring my consciousness."<br>"Oh, here we go again!" McKay shouted.  
>"And you are ...?" John asked Weir's body.<br>"I am Phebus. We are a race of explorers. On our journey home our vessel was attacked."  
>"By the Wraith?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Yes. We were forced to abandon ship and launch our life pods. If this has happened to me, then I've been adrift for some time and the pod has determined my body is beyond resuscitation."  
>"You're quite correct." Carson said gently.<br>"Then for all intents and purposes I am already dead." Phebus said through Weir.  
>"I'm sorry." Carson said.<br>"So am I."  
>"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're all very sorry. Where's Elizabeth?" John asked.<br>"She is here also."  
>"And I suppose you'd like us to take your word for that?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Would you like to speak with her?"  
>"Yes, we would." Illyria smiled.<br>Elizabeth lowers her head in an uncannily similar movement to someone allowing a host to take over from a Goa'uld or Tok'Ra symbiont. She falls back against the pillow momentarily. Carson hurries towards her but Elizabeth rouses instantly and holds her hand to her head. She sighs.  
>"Doctor Weir?" Carson asked.<br>Weir was sitting back up. "Oh! Oh, it's OK, Carson. I'm - I'm fine."  
>"Elizabeth? I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there's another, um ..." John said.<br>"I know. Her name is Phebus."  
>"You seem remarkably sanguine about all this." McKay said.<br>"Well, the imprinting will only last a matter of hours. The other pod - Phebus urgently desires to be here when we bring the other pod back to Atlantis." Weir pressed.  
>"Why?" John asked.<br>Elizabeth smiles. "She believes it's her husband."  
>"Husband?" Caldwell asked.<br>"He escaped the ship - she's certain of it and, uh..." Weir laughs "the rush of emotion is ... it's overwhelming."  
>"I can imagine." John said, trying not to look over at Illyria.<br>"No, no, you can't." McKay pointedly said.  
>"No - I can't." John rolled his eyes at Illyria and she smiled.<br>"John, I'd like you to try." Weir smiles at him. "Phebus has a favor she would like to ask of you." She raises her eyebrows at him, smiling. Illyria looks at her suspiciously.  
>҉<br>**LAB 3. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

The second pod has arrived and is being put into place where the earlier pod stood. John, Rodney, Caldwell and various scientists are in the room.  
>"As I understand it, the beam that hit Elizabeth was part of a failsafe feature built into the pod system. As cellular failure progressed, the pod stored her consciousness in a sort of, uh, flash memory." McKay said.<br>"Why? I mean, what good is the technology if the effects are temporary?" Caldwell asked.  
>"It's a Black Box!" John shouted.<br>"Well, that makes sense. Even if the body is incapable of being revived, the survivor can still report what happened to their ship. The rescue team could interrogate them even if they were incapable of regaining consciousness." McKay said.  
>"You're talking about a human flight recorder. That's pretty dark." Caldwell said.<br>"Pretty useful thing in times of war." John said.  
>"Well, it could also be the means for two survivors to say one last goodbye, hmm?" McKay grins at John. Carson wheels Elizabeth into the lab in a wheelchair, Illyria walking behind them. Weir stares at the pod.<br>"Are you sure she's up for this?" Caldwell asked.  
>As Carson wheels her closer, Elizabeth stands up and steps closer to the pod. The other scientists leave the room. "Physically, she's perfectly fine. Besides, Elizabeth wouldn't take no for an answer."<br>"Ah, love is a powerful thing, Carson." Illyria smiled.  
>"You're a hopeless romantic, you know that?" John told her.<br>Weir was smiling at him. "Well, you're just as hopeless, otherwise you wouldn't have agreed."  
>"I've gone over the respective E.E.G. patterns and I can say with some degree of confidence that this ... imprinting ... that Doctor Weir's temporary occupant calls it won't last more than a few hours." Carson said.<br>"You can guarantee that?" Caldwell asked.  
>"A day at most."<br>"Well! I'm sold! Shall we?" McKay backs away from the pod. "And..." He presses something on his computer tablet. The lid of the pod slides open, revealing an elderly man inside. He too is wearing a uniform although his is brown whereas Phebus' was green.  
>Carson was checking his scanner. "He's still alive." Elizabeth looks down at the old man. "Same as before. Life signs even fainter than the first one. If we're gonna do this, we should do it now."<br>Caldwell turns to John. "I'd prefer if this alien consciousness weren't armed."  
>"Right." John takes his pistol out of its holster and holds it out to Rodney.<br>"Oh!" McKay takes it. John looks down at the old man in the pod.  
>"Colonel Sheppard. You'll have to be in close proximity to the pod for the transfer to happen." Carson said.<br>"Yeah, yeah, I know." John said nervously as he continues to look down at the old man.  
>"But you're not moving."<br>"You know, they were husband and wife. Anything could happen."

Illyria stepped forward. "Doctor Weir, I want Phebus to promise me nothing will happen."  
>Elizabeth lowers her head, takes a deep breath and raises it again as Phebus takes over. "I promise to be discreet, Colonel."<br>"Well, um, I guess I'll see you guys later." John kissed Illyria on the cheek and he starts to walk slowly towards the pod.  
>"Have fun!" McKay said.<br>John walks closer to the pod until he is right beside it. He leans forward slightly and the white beam shoots out of the pod and envelops him. As the beam dissipates, John totters, his eyes closed. Carson starts to move towards him but Phebus holds out her hand to stop him.  
>"Give him a moment."<br>John stands with his head lowered for a moment longer, then his eyes open and his head snaps up. He stares at Elizabeth's body.  
>"Thalen? It's me."<br>"Phebus?"  
>"It's alright - these people recovered our pods."<br>Carson waves to John.  
>Phebus (Weir) was starting to walk around the pod towards Thalen (John). "We may well be the very last of our kind. These generous people have allowed us to be together one last time."<br>Thalen (John) looks round at Caldwell. "You consented to this?"  
>"One last chance..." Thalen (John) looks at her again "...to say goodbye to my husband." She seizes his head and kisses him deeply. Carson blinks a couple of times, then looks away diplomatically. Caldwell, looking a little startled, also looks away, turning Illyria with him. Rodney's eyebrows lift, then he chuckles. Eventually Phebus (Elizabeth) breaks the kiss. Thalen (John) stares at her.<br>"It's not what I expected."  
>"I know this body is different but I assure you, Thalen, it's me." To the others, without breaking her gaze at John, Phebus said, "Is it possible for us to be alone, just for a few minutes?"<br>"No, absolutely not." Caldwell said.  
>"Oh, don't be so heartless!" Carson said.<br>"They are two consenting adults!" McKay said.

"Not the point!" Illyria huffed. "That's my- _my_ John!"  
>"That's not what I'm concerned about." Caldwell said.<br>Thalen (John) was still looking at Phebus (Elizabeth). "The Colonel's right."  
>"Doctor Weir is in charge of this facility." Phebus (Weir) said.<br>"I'm just saying, there should be an armed guard just outside the door." Thalen (John said).  
>"Two guards - one in each door." Phebus (Weir) amended.<br>"I've already taken that precaution. They're right outside." Caldwell said.  
>Phebus (Weir) was staring at Thalen (John). "Of course they are."<br>Thalen (John) smiles at her. A moment later, they rapidly turn around and race for one door each.  
>"Hey!" McKay shouted, startled.<br>Thalen (John) races out of one door and punches the guard to the floor while grabbing the Wraith hand stunner that he is holding. Phebus (Elizabeth) punches the other guard and grabs his hand stunner. Thalen (John) turns and heads back into the room again, firing his stunner towards the other door.  
>Caldwell activating his radio. "Security to Lab Three!"<br>Thalen (John) shoots him with the stunner. As Phebus (Elizabeth) stays out of sight around the door, McKay, cowering against the pod, aims the pistol that Thalen (John) gave him and fires it wildly three times in Thalen's (John's) direction.  
>Carson was cowering nearby, shielding Illyria with his body. " Rodney, don't shoot! That's Colonel Sheppard!"<br>Thalen (John) turns and runs off.  
>McKay was yelling sarcastically. "I'm sorry! I..." He breaks off as Phebus (Elizabeth) comes into the room, aiming her stunner at him. He raises his hands in surrender. "You two need some very serious marriage counseling."<br>"He's not my husband - he's the enemy. Drop your weapon." Rodney drops the pistol to the floor. "Now radio security and tell them everything is fine."  
>Carson stood up and walked towards her, signaling for Illyria to keep down. "Everything's not fine."<br>Phebus (Elizabeth) shoots him. He collapses. Phebus (Elizabeth) aims the stunner at Rodney. "Rodney?"  
>Rodney activates his headset. "Security, this is Doctor Rodney McKay. Everything is fine, never been better. Uh, Colonel Caldwell was kidding when he said what he said..."<br>"Oh, forget it." She shoots him. As he drops, she walks over to him, takes his headset off and speaks into the mouthpiece, aiming her stunner at Illyria. "This is Doctor Weir. Attention all personnel. Colonel Sheppard is not - I repeat, _not _- who he pretends to be." She bends down and picks up the pistol that Rodney dropped. "If you find him, secure the area and contact me immediately. I'll deal with him myself." She looked over at Illyria. "I'll shoot you if you move. Don't try an follow me."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

As Phebus (Elizabeth) walks along the corridors, Major Lorne and three other marines fall in behind her.  
>"Heard there was trouble." Lorne said.<br>"Yes, Major - it's Colonel Sheppard. He's not himself."  
>"What exactly does that mean?"<br>"It means he's a threat to the city. We have to find him. Your team's with me."  
>"Yes, ma'am."<br>҉  
><strong>LAB 3.<strong>

As Caldwell, Rodney and Carson lie on the floor unconscious, Illyria stands up just as Ronon and Marissa run in.  
>Marissa spoke into the radio. "We have a medical emergency in Lab Three." To Illyria. "You alright?"<br>"Yes. I'm fine."  
>"What happened?" Ronon asked.<br>"She was playing us from the beginning." Illyria told him.  
>"Weir?"<br>"John too. It's both of them now." Illyria activates her radio. "Control Room: patch my radio through to security teams only." Ronon bends down to Carson, who is reviving and sitting up. "This is Illyria. Both Doctor Weir and Colonel Sheppard are under the influence of alien entities. If at all possible, subdue and contain them with non-lethal force."  
>Ronon was standing up. "We can track them down faster."<br>"There is a medical team on its way." Marissa told them.  
>"Go." Illyria ordered.<br>Marissa and Ronon race off. Illyria does her best to bend down to Carson, who is holding his head in pain.  
>҉<br>**CORRIDORS.**

Phebus (Elizabeth) leads Lorne and his team along the corridor.  
>"You know, it would help a lot if we knew more about what was going on." Lorne said.<br>As Phebus (Elizabeth) continues on, Lorne and his team stop as they receive the radio message from Illyria. Phebus (Elizabeth) walks a few more paces, then stops, realizing that the boys have stopped behind her.  
>"Ma'am!" Lorne and his team cock their rifles as she turns around. The other three marines move to encircle her. "I'm gonna need you to hand over that weapon."<br>"Did it occur to you that Illyria or even Colonel Caldwell might be under the same influence as Colonel Sheppard? You weren't there."  
>Lorne walks closer to her, aiming his rifle at her. "Hand over the weapon, now." He holds out his hand to her.<br>Phebus(Elizabeth) smiles. "I guess you leave me no choice."  
>She hands the stunner to him. Behind her, one of the marines takes the pistol out of her waistband with one hand and puts his other hand on her shoulder. Phebus (Elizabeth) looks at his hand, then grabs it and pulls the marine forward and off balance while simultaneously punching Lorne in the throat with her other hand. As he reels back and falls, she spins and kicks the third marine in the knees before grabbing the marine who was holding her and throwing him aside. She grabs the fourth marine by the throat and slam dunks him to the floor, grabbing his pistol at the same time. She aims the pistol down at the marines for a moment, blowing her hair out of her eyes, but none of them are in any fit state to do anything. She has taken all four of them down in four seconds. She bends down and grabs a P90, some ammunition and one of the marine's packs and trots to the nearest door. She goes through it, waves her hand across the wall panel to close the door, opens the panel and takes the middle crystal out to stop anyone opening it from the other side, then heads off.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Caldwell, Illyria, Rodney and Carson come down the stairs.  
>Caldwell spoke to the Canadian technician. "Report?"<br>"We just lost contact with Major Lorne."  
>" Alright - I want all non-essential personnel to return directly to their quarters and remain there until notified. The only people I want moving through the city are my security teams."<br>"Sir."  
>"We may be able to track their progress using the life signs detectors." McKay said.<br>"How? They'll read as human. We won't be able to differentiate." Carson said.  
>"Security teams travel in groups of two or more. They'll be the only individual signals travelling through the city. Let's go!" Caldwell turns to Rodney. "What are you waiting for?"<br>"Uh, look, I don't wanna get all, uh, chain of command on you here but, um, with Elizabeth and Colonel Sheppard out of the equation, then...

"... I'm in charge." Illyria told the Colonel.  
>"Is it possible that because I was host to a Goa'uld, you don't trust me, Doctor?" Caldwell asked.<br>"I didn't say that."  
>"I'm the highest-ranking military officer here, and this is clearly a military situation. Does that clear things up for you?" Caldwell turns away as Rodney glares at him and then turns to Carson as if for help. Carson looks away.<p>

"Fine!" McKay yelled.

"Actually," Illyria called after Caldwell. "I would be the highest of military rank. I am Queen and my rank in the Atlantian Military would make me the equivalent of one of your generals. So, Colonel Caldwell, does that clear things up for you?"  
>҉<br>**CORRIDORS.**

Phebus (Elizabeth) is making her way cautiously along, aiming her P90. She spoke into her radio. "Weir to Sheppard. I'm assuming you can hear me?"  
>(Thalen (John) is on a walkway somewhere.)<br>"Yeah, I can hear you, but if we keep using these radios, it'll only help them find us."  
><em>"We don't have much time, Thalen. The imprinting is temporary and these people are gonna try to stop us."<em>  
>"We've got all the time in the world and there's only one of them I'm worried about."<br>_"We both want a shot at the same thing."_  
>"You mean each other."<br>Phebus (Elizabeth) laughs. _"And neither one of us will get that chance if you keep running."_  
><strong>(In the Control Room)<strong>

The technician frowns as he listens to the conversation. He looked up at Illyria. "Ma'am, I'm picking up some chatter I think you'll want to hear."  
>"Put it on speaker."<br>She, Caldwell, Rodney and Carson walk over and listen as the conversation is piped through the Control Room speakers.  
><em>"You're the one that likes to run. My ship ran out of fuel before I could even get a clean shot."<em> They heard John's voice.  
><strong>(Walkway)<strong>

_ "That was my plan."_ Weir said.  
>"You didn't have a plan. You just wanted me dead." Thalen (John) is fixing a dressing to his arm, so presumably one of Rodney's shots must have grazed him.<br>_"Still do. As a matter of fact, I can't wait to see that look of defeat on your face, just one last time."_  
>"You mean the look on my face when you rammed my fighter, making sure neither one of us would win? That was hatred, not defeat, Phebus."<br>_"Is that any way to talk to your wife?"_ Thalen (John) doesn't reply. _"Thalen?"_ Still no reply. _"Run all you like. The moment I find you, you die."_  
><strong>(In the Control Room)<strong>  
>"Well ... they're headin' straight for divorce." Carson said.<br>"That whole thing was a ruse - in fact, I doubt very much if we were ever speaking with Doctor Weir." Caldwell said.  
>"It was a remarkable impression - I'll give you that." Illyria muttered as she stared at the Tech's screen.<br>"From the sound of it, we have two fighter pilots who don't know that their war is over." Caldwell said.  
>"It is much worse than that. They know everything about this city - the layout, defensive systems, how to access weapons." McKay said.<br>"We just need to find a way to stop them without unduly harming the hosts." Carson said.  
>"'Unduly'. What does that mean?" McKay asked.<br>"Well, obviously, some force may be necessary." Caldwell said.

He walks away. Carson and Rodney look at each other in dread.  
>҉<br>**BALCONY.**

As Phebus (Elizabeth) makes her way along a balcony somewhere in the city, Marissa is lurking nearby. She ducks out of sight as Phebus (Elizabeth) passes nearby, then looks round to where Ronon is also hiding. They wait as Phebus (Elizabeth) moves nearer to them, waiting for the ideal shot with their stunners.  
>Elsewhere, two marines make their way down some stairs, unaware that Thalen (John) is hiding underneath the steps. As they pass him, he reaches through gap in the runners and grabs their ankles, tipping them down the stairs. One of them is knocked out by the fall. Thalen (John) jumps out, punches the other one unconscious, picks up his P90 and heads off.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>  
>Illyria spoke to a technician. "Contact any teams that may be offworld - let 'em know that we're suspending all Gate activity until further notice." She calls out to the room. "We're going to full alert status."<br>Rodney turns from the screen that he, Caldwell and Carson are watching.  
>"I think I just located one of them near the Power Room." The lights in the Control Room go out. All the consoles go dead and all the screens go off. "Oh, you're kidding!"<br>҉  
><strong>BALCONY.<strong>

At Marissa and Ronon's position, the lights go out. Phebus (Elizabeth) looks around towards where the other two are hiding, then races to the balcony and vaults over it. Ronon and Marissa run to the balcony. Ronon aims his stunner down to where Phebus (Elizabeth) dropped but it's too dark to see anything.  
>"How'd she know?" He asked Marissa.<br>"Intuition."  
>"Alright, we need to split up. I'll take Sheppard, you go after Weir."<br>"Why?"  
>"'Cause I know how he thinks. I don't have the slightest clue how she thinks." He runs off.<br>"All-righty then." She heads in the opposite direction.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>Carson was shining a torch around the dark room. "What happened?"<br>"The whole city just went dark!" McKay turns to Caldwell. "Oh, tell me you had someone guarding the Power Room?"  
>"Two marines from Daedalus." Illyria said and Caldwell activates his headset.<p>

"Hutchinson, this is Caldwell, report?"  
><strong>(In the Power Room)<strong>

Thalen (John) aims his P90 at the central console and fires a hail of bullets into it. He looks around and heads off, running past two unconscious marines lying on the floor.  
><strong>(Control Room)<strong>  
>"Where's auxiliary power?" Caldwell asked the Tech.<br>"Naqahdah generators aren't kicking in. He or she must have damaged the back-ups."  
>"We've lost everything?" Illyria asked.<br>"Shields, communications, long range and biometric sensors." McKay said.  
>"The sensors from the Daedalus - we can contact them." Caldwell said.<br>"Subspace communications are also down." McKay said.  
>"I need for you to get down to the Power Room, Rodney. Restore primary systems." Illyria said. "Carson, go along too. Marines could be hurt."<br>"Exactly! Marines may have been injured. We can't go down there!" McKay shouted.  
>"I will send two of my people along with you just in case." Caldwell turns and nods to one of the marines in the room.<br>"Well, how do we know that Sheppard isn't down there waiting in ambush?" McKay asked.  
>"Because he's not tryin' to kill us - he's tryin' to kill Doctor Weir." Carson said.<br>"Oh, that is so much more comforting!"  
>"This is not a request, Doctor McKay!" Illyria shouted. Rodney turns and stares at her. Illyria speaks more quietly but still firmly. "Let me know the moment you have a damage assessment."<br>Rodney glares at her for a moment, then turns to the marines who will escort him and Carson. "Go!"

They head off.  
>҉<br>**ARMOURY.**

As Thalen (John) approaches the open doorway, he hesitates, and then calls out softly. "Ronon? Are you in there?" He walks cautiously into the dark room, his P90 aimed. "Ronon? Are you there?"  
>Ronon is indeed inside the room, waiting around the corner of a gun rack for Thalen (John) to walk into range.<br>"Look, I came here looking for you, buddy, so, uh, don't shoot or you'll ruin my entire plan. What'd Caldwell tell you?"  
>Ronon was remaining in hiding. "That you're not who you say you are."<br>"Yeah, well, consider the source. There are two alien entities running around, and it's him and Weir. I'm the good guy here."  
>"So who cut the power?"<br>"OK, I admit - that was me."  
>"And why?"<br>"I'm just tryin' to stay alive here. Caldwell's giving the orders and you're the only one I can trust not to shoot me on sight."  
>"And what about Weir?"<br>"Her you can shoot ... and ... by shoot, I mean stun, and only because she's not herself."  
>"Can you prove you're you?"<br>"No, I can't."  
>Ronon spins around the rack and faces Thalen (John), aiming his blaster at him. Thalen (John) lowers his rifle. "What would Sheppard watch on TV?"<br>"No, that won't work."  
>Ronon was walking closer. "Why not?"<br>"Because if there was an alien consciousness in my head, he'd know the answer was football."  
>"But only Sheppard would admit that, so..."<br>"Right!" Ronon lowers his blaster. "Look, just help me find her before they do - that's all I'm asking."  
>"Give me the gun."<br>"Can I keep my stunner?"  
>"Yeah."<br>John hands over his P90. Ronon puts it down on a nearby box, then turns and picks up a life signs detector and some stun grenades.  
>҉<br>**ELSEWHERE.**

Phebus (Elizabeth) races up some stairs, then stops when she realizes that a couple of marines are on the level below, searching. She waits silently until they move on, and then heads off again.  
>Back with Thalen (John) and Ronon, both of them are wearing night goggles as they walk through the dark corridors, Thalen (John) consulting the life signs detector as they go. He gestures in the direction they should go and they continue on.<br>҉  
><strong>POWER ROOM.<strong>

Rodney and Carson have arrived. Rodney is checking the Z.P.M. while Carson tends to the injured marines.  
>"Well, the good news is the ZedP.M. is still intact."<br>**(In the Control Room)**

"And the bad?" Illyria asked.  
><em>"Well, the control system's been damaged by some well-placed weapons fire."<em>  
>"How soon 'til it's operational again?"<br>_"I just got here! I have no idea!"_  
>"Report when you can."<br>Rodney sighs heavily. _"Right."_  
>Back with Thalen (John) and Ronon, they round a corner. Thalen (John) lifts his night goggles onto his forehead. "She's not here. Keep movin'."<br>Ronon raises his own goggles and they move on. Around the corner, Phebus (Elizabeth) is waiting silently for them, her P90 raised. Ronon walks into view. He spots her and races to dive over some metal boxes as Phebus (Elizabeth) fires a hail of bullets at him. She turns and sees Thalen (John) aiming his stunner at her. He fires it but she ducks out of the way and shoots at him before running off. Nearby, Ronon lies on the floor, grunting in pain, a large bullet wound in his stomach. Thalen (John) walks towards him aiming his stunner at him.  
>"Sorry, buddy. The plan didn't work. She got away because all I had was this stupid little thing." He throws the stunner away. Ronon tries to reach for his blaster but Thalen (John) treads on his wrist to stop him, then reaches down, picks it up and aims it at him. "At least you're out of the way."<br>"You're not..." Ronon grunts in pain as Thalen (John) steps harder onto his wrist.  
>"Not Sheppard, no. But I tell you what: he's screaming in my head right now like you wouldn't believe." He activates his radio. "Medical team to the south fork Cargo Hold. You have a man down."<br>He turns and walks away. Ronon looks down at the bullet wound in his stomach, then lies back, unable to move.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"Who called in the man down?" Illyria asked, worried.<br>"I don't know, ma'am, but it sounded like Colonel Sheppard."  
>"Alright. Send in a medical team. Tell them to be careful not to walk into an ambush." The technician nods. Illyria activates her headset. "McKay, report please."<br>**(In the Power Room)**

Rodney looks up in exasperation from his work on the fibrotic cables under the console. "Still working."  
><em>"It doesn't have to be pretty, Doctor, just get the primary systems up and running again."<em>  
>"Yeah, that is what I'm doing."<br>Carson walks away from the marines that he has been treating. "Instead of running after them with bloody guns, why don't you try talking to 'em?"  
><em>"And say what?"<em> Caldwell asked, coming over the radio.  
>"I don't know, just stall 'em. We know it's only a matter of time before Doctor Weir and Colonel Sheppard are themselves again."<br>_"Yeah, I'll take that under advisement, Doctor. In the meantime, I think you should return to the Infirmary. I'm sending you a patient."_  
>"On my way." Carson leans down to Rodney and puts his hand on his shoulder. "Rodney, I could use some light down there as well."<br>"Yes, working!"  
><strong>(<strong>**Somewhere in the city)**

Phebus (Elizabeth) walks over to a metal wheel on a system of pipes. She turns the wheel and gas starts to hiss through the pipes. Not far away, but far enough not to be able to see her yet, Marissa heads cautiously in her direction.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Ronon has been brought in and prepped for surgery. A nurse is bagging him. Carson walks over, holding his hands out in front of him as a medic gets him into a surgical gown. A marine walks alongside him, shining a torch down onto Ronon.  
>"He was unconscious when we found him. He's been shot."<br>"I can see that, son. Now go drum us up a few more torches." The marine looks at Carson blankly. "Flashlights. Off you go." Carson looks around the dark Infirmary as the marine heads off. "Bloody dark ages! Gloves."  
>A medic opens a pack of surgical gloves as the nurse continues to pump air into Ronon.<br>҉  
><strong>CENTRAL TOWER.<strong>

Marissa activates her radio and speaks quietly.  
>"Colonel Caldwell, this is Marissa. I'm at the base of the central tower tracking Doctor Weir."<br>(In the Control Room)  
>"Understood. I'll send reinforcements."<br>_ "I can handle Doctor Weir. But if she is here, Colonel Sheppard is also close by."_  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Carson is operating on Ronon.  
>"Just a little more light over the wound." A nurse aims the light of a torch over his shoulder and onto Ronon's stomach. "Thank you, dear." He reaches into the wound with a pair of surgical scissors. "Come on. ... There it is, you little bugger!" He lifts the scissors out of the wound and holds them up. "One bullet." He drops the bullet and the scissors into a tray that another nurse is holding ready. "Now to stop the bleeding."<br>҉  
><strong>CENTRAL TOWER.<strong>

Phebus (Elizabeth) prowls through the corridors. Marissa does likewise nearby. A short distance away from her, Thelan (John) - wearing night goggles - is kneeling behind a box with his arms braced on the top of the box and Ronon's blaster aimed down the corridor. Phebus (Elizabeth) moves on. Marissa comes around the corner, stalking her, and walks into Thelan's (John's) line of fire. He shoots her. As she drops and Phebus (Elizabeth) runs off, Thelan (John) adjusts the blaster to a higher setting and heads towards Marissa.  
>"Will you people stop getting in the way?" Thelan (John) shouted angrily. He passes Marissa and heads towards Phebus (Elizabeth) who is lurking around a corner. He fires at her but misses. She fires her rifle at him. He ducks for cover.<br>Thelan (John) was calling out. "Go ahead and expend all your ammunition, just like you did last time! You people don't know how to fight, Phebus. That's why we're gonna win the war!" He swings around the corner and fires his blaster in her direction.  
>"This war's not over yet!" Phebus (Weir) comes out of cover and fires at him again, blasting some nearby plants and wall cabinets into bits.<br>҉  
><strong>POWER ROOM<strong>.

Rodney puts the cover of the console back in place and stands up. He picks up the Z.P.M. and puts it into its slot on top of the console.  
>"Colonel Caldwell, I'm ready to attempt a partial power-up." The Z.P.M. lights up as it sits on top of the slot.<p>

_"Give me everything you've got, Doctor. I have a report of automatic weapons fire and Marissa's not answering her radio."_ Caldwell said.  
>"Here we go." McKay types on the console and the Z.P.M. begins to lower into its slot. As it reaches its final position, the city lights up.<br>**(In the Infirmary) **

The lights come on. Carson grimaces in exasperation.  
>"Of course - now they come on." He pulls down his surgical mask. "Right - let's get him under a scanner. I wanna make sure I didn't miss any tissue damage. Lovely work, everyone."<br>҉  
><strong>CENTRAL TOWER.<strong>

Phebus (Elizabeth) looks round as the lights come on. Thelan (John) marches towards her, his blaster aimed. He fires at her as she ducks across a doorway. She activates the panel to close the door. He fires again but the door closes before he can reach it. Phebus (Elizabeth) pulls out the middle crystal and heads off.  
>Thelan (John) was yelling. "There's more than one way in, Phebus!" He runs off past an unconscious Marissa and races up a flight of stairs.<br>Phebus (Elizabeth) finds herself in a lab. She walks over to a computer and scrolls through the options on it, selecting "LOCKDOWN". The computer seeks her password, which she types in. The computer shows "ACCESS GRANTED - ELIZABETH WEIR" . All around the city, the lockdown alarm sound and bulkhead doors begin to close. In the Control Room, Rodney comes in through the door just in time as it closes behind him.  
>"Now what the hell's going on?" McKay said.<br>"I don't know. Sections of the city have begun automatically sealing themselves off." The Tech goes over to a laptop computer to take a look but Rodney gets there at the same time.  
>"Move." The technician backs away.<br>**(In the Central Tower)**

Marissa rouses. She opens her eyes, looks up, then gasps and scrambles out of the way of the closing bulkhead doors that were just about to crush her head.  
>Nearby, John races for a bulkhead door but can't reach it in time to get through before it closes.<br>In the Control Room, Caldwell types his password onto a computer but gets an "OVERRIDE REQUEST DENIED" message.  
>"It's not letting me override."<br>"Because the moment the power came back up, she used a remote computer terminal to take control of the city." McKay types his password onto another computer but gets the same message. "She's put us into a total lockdown under her command code."  
>"Can you invalidate her code?" Illyria asks.<br>"Maybe I could have before the lockdown but the command's already been given." McKay folds his arms. "Look, somebody shoulda thought of that, huh?"  
>Caldwell turned to face him. "You mean I should've thought of that." Rodney looks away, trying not to look smug. "Can you hack it - somehow override her code?"<br>"You do know who you're talking to?"  
>"So that's a yes?" Illyria smiled.<br>"I'm just saying, if anyone can, I can. I helped design the system."  
>"Then do it, please."<br>"Alright, but I'm using my command code."  
>"Why, 'cause you still don't trust me?" Caldwell asked.<br>"No, because it is a sixteen digit alphanumeric code that I will have to enter God knows how many times, and I haven't got around to memorizing yours yet."  
>"Just get me control of the city back."<br>"Fine!"  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

Phebus (Elizabeth) contacts the Control Room over the radio. "Illyria. Can you hear me?"  
><em>"Go ahead, Phebus."<em>  
>"By now you're aware the city is entirely under my control, and there are several bulkhead doors between me and your nearest search teams. You can't possibly get to me."<br>_"Yes, we are well aware."_  
>"I'm sure Doctor McKay believes he can override my command code - and it's possible in a matter of several hours he could, but I don't have that kind of time."<br>_"We'd be more than happy to wait this out."_  
>"Now who knows what kind of trouble I could cause with life support while I wait? Or maybe I'll just send a signal to the Wraith, like you did."<br>_"What do you want?"_  
>"I want Thelan-Sheppard."<br>_"Well, I'm sorry I can't help you with that. Is there something else I can do for you?"_  
>"Don't screw with me, Illyria. At the very least, I can kill Weir." Illyria doesn't reply. Phebus (Elizabeth) smiles. "When you get him, contact me."<br>**(In the Control Room)**

The technician calls Illyria over to a screen.  
>"Queen Illyria. We have three signals on two separate floors at the base of the tower."<br>"Doctor Weir has to be the one in the Science Lab, which leaves these other two over here."  
>"The other one is Captain Marissa."<br>"Then the other one has to be John." Illyria activates his headset. "Marissa, this is Illyria."  
>(In the Central Tower)<p>

Marissa is rubbing her neck, still recovering from the stunner blast. "I was unable to capture Doctor Weir."  
><em>"So were a lot of people. Doctor Weir has put the city under a lockdown. I want you to go after Colonel Sheppard. You and he have been locked in the same section. He's one floor up."<em>  
>Marissa was hurrying towards the stairs. "I'll contact you as soon as I have him. Marissa out."<br>**NEARBY.**

Thelan (John) waves his hand past a wall panel in an attempt to open a bulkhead door but it doesn't move. He turns away, angry. He turns on his radio, angry.  
>"Is this what you wanted, Phebus? Another stalemate? I thought you wanted to finish this."<br>Phebus (Weir) spoke back in a taunting voice over radio. _"What's wrong, Thalen? You can't get out?"_  
>Breathing rapidly in his fury, Thalen (John) aims his blaster at the wall panel of another nearby bulkhead and fires. The panel explodes and the doors jerk, opening a tiny bit. He walks to the doors, crams his fingers into the gap and, with a great deal of effort, forces them open a little further and starts to squeeze through. He is only partway through when he turns his head and stares in shock at the sight of Marissa standing on the other side with her Wraith stunner held in both hands and aimed at him. She fires and he slumps in the doorway. She activates her headset.<br>"This is Marissa. I have Colonel Sheppard."  
><em>"Good work. Secure him and stand by for further instructions."<em> Illyria looks round to Rodney. "The next move is hers."  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

Phebus (Elizabeth) has adjusted the computer to show footage from various security cameras around the city. She radios to the Control Room.  
>"Illyria? Do you have him or not? I'm losing patience."<br>**(In the Control Room)**

Rodney is sat at a computer typing busily. He looks up at Illyria and Caldwell. "I'm working."  
>Illyria spoke into radio. "We're working on it."<br>_"I don't buy it, Queen."_  
>"I am telling the truth."<br>_"Oh, please! Even Weir thinks you're hopeless."_ She laughs. _"She can't hide it."_  
>Illyria looks startled but keeps her voice steady. "We're close."<br>"We're not close." McKay told Illyria.  
><em>"I have found an interesting way of rerouting your new halon fire suppression system all the way from Hazmat storage to personnel quarters."<em> Rodney stares up at Caldwell in shock. _"Now, that's where the majority of your city's population is holed up, isn't it?"_  
>Illyria was trying to keep her voice calm. "You know it is."<br>_"Ironically, Doctor Weir was concerned when the system was installed that halon gas extinguishes people as well as fires. So, shall we take it to the point that I start counting down from an arbitrary number?"_  
>Caldwell lowers his head in defeat. "We have him."<br>**(Lab)**

Phebus (Elizabeth) smiles. "I thought you might." She walks over to the computer screen. "There's a new security camera on the northern-most stairwell of that part of the tower. I want him taken there so that I can see him - kicking and screaming, if possible."  
><strong>(Control Room)<strong>  
>Illyria closes her eyes briefly and then nodded briefly to Caldwell.<br>"Captain, we've been requested to put the Colonel in front of the nearest security camera." Caldwell said.  
><em> "I'm doing that right now, Colonel."<em>  
><strong>(In the lab)<strong>

Phebus (Elizabeth) watches the screen as Marissa drags an unconscious Thalen (John) by his collar across the floor into view of the camera. Marissa has bound his hands and feet with plastic tethers. Phebus (Elizabeth) smiles in delight.  
>"I'm not surprised that you're the only one that managed to get to him."<br>Marissa settles Thalen (John) on the floor, then walks over to the camera and looks up into it. "What do you want?"  
>"We're just gonna wait until he regains consciousness."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Caldwell walks around the console to Rodney. "Are you making any progress?"  
>Rodney looks up, rolling his eyes in irritation. "Yes."<br>Caldwell sounded unconvinced. "Really?"  
>McKay was turning away from the computer furiously to face Caldwell. "I would just like to state for the record that it is astounding to me that, once again, I find myself in a position of having to save this city when you and your ... space marines can't figure out how to track down two people!"<br>"They're two people with the skills and resources of Doctor Weir and Colonel Sheppard, who probably know this city better than anyone else." He nodded to Illyria, "With the exception of Illyria." He leans down and gets into Rodney's face. "And also for the record, I was against this from the very beginning."  
>Rodney points at him vehemently. "Yes, y..." He trails off and calms down. "...Yes you were."<br>"Thank you! Please - continue."  
>҉<br>**NORTHERN-MOST STAIRWELL**.

Thelan (John) starts to revive. Marissa snatches out her stunner, aims it at him and glances at the camera. "He's regaining consciousness."  
>Thelan (John) props himself up on one elbow. "Marissa- it's me."<br>Marissa squats down to him, still aiming her stunner at him. "Don't waste your breath trying to convince me you're John Sheppard. I don't believe you."  
>"Don't you see what they're doing? They're pitting us against each other. You know me!"<br>Phebua (Weir) yelled over radio. _"Oh, please! You call that acting?"_  
>Thelan (John), who has now sat up, stares up at the camera. "Phebus!"<br>Phebus (Elizabeth) turns around to look at a larger screen behind her which also shows the camera footage. "There's that look of defeat I love."  
><strong>(In the Control Room)<strong>

The technician has tapped into the same footage. "Ma'am. I have Colonel Sheppard on my screen."  
>Caldwell and Illyria walk over to watch.<br>**(Northern-Most Stairwell**.)

Thalen (John) spoke to (Elizabeth) through the camera. "Wrong again. Still hatred."  
><em>"I guess I'm satisfied with this. Captain?"<em>  
>Marissa stands and looks up at the camera while still aiming her stunner at Thalen (John). "Yes?"<br>_"Kill him."_  
>Marissa stares in shock, then turns to look at Thalen (John).<br>"Don't listen to her." Thalen (John) told Marissa.  
><em>"Kill him now, or I vent halon fire suppressant into all the living spaces in Atlantis."<em>  
>(In the Control Room)<p>

Illyria looks round to Rodney. "McKay?"  
>"I know, I know. I'm almost done here."<br>Marissa spoke to Caldwell over radio. _"Colonel - can she do this?"_  
>The technician looks up at Caldwell. "Yes. She's created a shunt between the fire suppressant system and life support."<br>Caldwell told Marissa over radio. "I believe so."  
><em>"How many people are at risk?"<em>  
>"Three-quarters of the expedition."<br>**(Stairwell)**  
>Marissa looks up at the camera. "Why are you doing this?"<br>_"I have spent my entire life at war with his world. Thousands have died with no hope for victory, both sides reduced to a mere handful of fighters. If he really is the last, then in the end my people will have won."_  
>Marissa looks around at Thalen (John).<br>"Don't believe her." Thalen (John) said.  
><em>"Believe me when I say I have absolutely nothing to lose. In a very short time, I will feel excruciating pain, this body will convulse, and I will cease to exist. That's what is ahead for me. All I can hope for now is to achieve victory for my people."<em>  
>Marissa was looking at the camera. "Phebus, your people are long dead. Who lost or won a war so many years ago does not matter."<br>_"It matters to me."_  
>Marissa looks round at Thalen (John) with an expression of dread on her face.<br>"If you kill me, you're killing him. Illyria loves you like a sister; she would never forgive you."  
>Marissa turns to the camera again. "Please do not make me do this."<br>"You don't have to." Thalen (John) pleaded.  
><em>"Shoot him, or I release the gas and just hope it reaches the both of you."<em>  
><em>"She has the capability of doing what she claims. Captain ... I'm not gonna tell you what to do."<em> Caldwell said, adverting his eyes from Illyria's pained face.  
><em>"I am. Kill him."<em> Phebus (Weir) ordered.  
><em>"Please…" <em>Marissa heard Ilyria plead, sniffling slightly. _"Phebus, please don't…don't make Marissa do this…John-John is innococint. It's Thalen you want."_

"_And it is Thalen inside John. Therefore, John must die. Now, Captain Marissa,_ kill him."  
>Rodney turns round from his computer to stare at Caldwell. Illyria turned her back away, not wanting the others to see her tears. Marissa stares down at the floor, wracked with indecision for a moment. Then she turns to face John. Somewhere during the conversation she has put away the stunner and taken hold of her P90, which she now raises and aims at him. Thalen (John) stares up at her.<br>**(In the Control Room)**

Rodney continues typing frantically.  
><strong>(In the stairwell)<strong>

Marissa stares at Thalen (John) as she aims her rifle at him. He looks up at her.  
>"Sheppard doesn't believe you'll do it." He doesn't look totally confident, however.<p>

**(In the lab) **

Phebus (Elizabeth) glares at the screen as she waits to see what Marissa will do. In the stairwell, Marissa stares wide-eyed, then cocks the rifle.  
>"Forgive me, John."<br>**(In the Control Room)**

Rodney's computer beeps. "I've got it! I'm overriding her code now."  
>"Are you sure?" Caldwell asked.<br>"It's done! Go!" McKay Yelled.  
>"Marissa, this is Illyria. Do not fire! I repeat, do not fire!" Illyria yelled into the console's microphone.<br>**(Stairwell)**  
>Marissa's eyes widen in relief and she lowers her rifle.<p>

**(In the lab) **

Phebus (Elizabeth) races to the computer and types. The computer beeps at her in a negative way. She slams her hands down on the desk, crying out in rage, grabs her P90 and fires it at the large screen, shattering it. She storms out of the lab.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Illyria turns to Rodney. "Can you maintain the lockdown on the science lab - keep Weir where she is?"  
>"Nope. The only way to do it is to override everything. Nobody's in control now. She is long gone."<br>Caldwell spoke into radio. "All security teams - this is Caldwell. Resume your search for Doctor Weir."  
><strong>(Out in the city) <strong>

Marines race off through the newly opened bulkhead doors.  
>҉<br>**NORTHERN-MOST STAIRWELL.**

Marissa turns to run off but Thalen (John) calls her back. "Marissa! Come on - you can't leave me like this."  
>"I'll not let her harm you."<br>"You don't know how determined she is." Thalen (John) grunts as if he is in pain. "You can't let her win." He grunts again, then starts to groan in pain and topples over.  
>Marissa spoke into radio. "He is going into convulsions."<br>_"Do not release him, no matter what happens!"_ Illyria said.  
><strong>(In the corridors)<strong>

Phebus (Elizabeth) races along, turning to fire on approaching marines, who duck for cover. She runs on.  
><strong>(In the stairwell)<strong>

Thalen (John) is writhing on the floor as Marissa stands over him. After a moment, his convulsions stop and he appears to fall unconscious. Marissa steps forward and squats down to him, looking concerned. John opens his eyes and stares upwards. He looks at her.  
>"Marissa."<br>"Is that really you?"  
>"You're never gonna believe me, so..." John turns his head away from her "...I'm not even gonna try."<br>Behind Marissa, Phebus (Elizabeth) comes through the doorway, aiming her rifle. "Stand away from him and up against the wall."  
>Without turning around or standing up, Marissa said, "He's unconscious."<br>John, whose face cannot be seen by Phebus (Elizabeth), closes his eyes.  
>"I don't know how many bullets I have left in this thing, or I would have already shot you!" Carefully, her body blocking Phebus's (Elizabeth's) view, Marissa puts her Wraith hand stunner into John's hands. "I said back off!" Marissa raises her hands and stands up slowly, turns to face Phebus (Elizabeth), and starts to move slowly away from John, who is holding the stunner so that Phebus (Elizabeth) can't see it. Phebus (Elizabeth) walks towards John. "Unconscious or not, I wanna see his face."<br>Marissa looks down at John who is still lying with his eyes closed. Suddenly he sits up and shoots Phebus (Elizabeth). She convulses and collapses to the floor. Marissa kicks the stunner out of John's hands. Lorne and some other marines run in.  
>"You alright?" Lorne asked Marissa.<br>"Yes, it's over."  
>"Sorry we took so long. We got stuck in that damned corridor for two hours. Call a medical team and have them both taken to the Infirmary."<br>"You got it." Marissa activates her headset. "This is Captain Frio. I need a medical team to my location."  
>John looks up at Marissa. "How'd you know it was me?"<br>"I still don't." She turns to one of the marines. "Keep his hands bound until Doctor Beckett tells you otherwise."  
>The marine nods.<br>"Well, if you didn't know, why'd you give me the stunner?" John asked.  
>"Because you would have shot her either way." Marissa turns and walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>DAY TIME. <strong>

**INFIRMARY. **

Elizabeth wakes up in bed.  
>"Good morning!"<br>Elizabeth stares upwards for a moment, her eyes wide, then turns her head to see John sitting up in the bed next to hers working on a palm pilot and studiously avoiding looking at her. She looks away, horrified by her memories, closes her eyes and sighs.  
>"Good morning."<br>Still working on his palm pilot, John said, "What's-her-name sure hung in there for a while."  
>"When-when did she ...?"<br>"Some time in the middle of the night - kicking and screaming."  
>Elizabeth glances across at him but he carries on working. "Yeah, well, that was ... the strangest feeling, you know?" John nods in agreement. "The entire time I was shouting to everyone, but nothing I wanted to would come out of my mouth."<br>"I know. It was a real nightmare. Especially when you shot Ronon."  
>"Oh God! But I wasn't..."<br>"I know. I know. It was her."  
>"How is he?"<br>"He's fine. Marissa and Rodney just went to see him in post-op."  
>"Did they believe you were ... you?"<br>"To be honest, I think the only people who believe one hundred percent are Beckett, ... you ..." "... and me." John and Elizabeth look up as Illryia walks over to them. "I have a knack for these things."  
>"Thank you, Illyria - for keeping a potentially explosive situation under control!" Weir said.<br>"Yeah, well, it was a lot closer than I would like to admit."  
>"For what it's worth, uh, McKay says you did a good job." John said, taking Illyria by the hand and guiding her down to the edge of the bed.<br>"Did he? Well..." she smiles across at Elizabeth, "maybe there's still hope for me yet!"  
>John glances across at Elizabeth, who suddenly remembers what she, as Phebus, said to Illyria.<br>"Oh God, no! Don't believe anything she might have said!"  
>"I'm kidding." Elizabeth smiles in relief. "Don't give it another thought. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm sure you'll both agree that the paperwork on this is going to be a nightmare..." she smiles tight lipped, "especially that kiss."<br>John and Elizabeth stare at him in horror.  
>"Illyria-" John said.<br>"Well, try not to kill each other while I'm gone." Illyria said and Elizabeth gives her a half-hearted thumbs-up as she turns and walks away. Elizabeth smiles ruefully at John, then looks away and slides down in the bed in embarrassment.

"I'm screwed…" John mumbled, slamming his head down into his pillow.


	24. Chapter 22

**PLANET 177 **

**NIGHT TIME. **

Colonel Sheppard and his team - Doctor McKay, Captain Frio and Ronon Dex - are following a scientist from Atlantis, Doctor Lindsay, as she leads them through a village.  
>"How much further?" John asked.<br>"Uh, just around this next corner." Doctor Lindsay said.  
>"When was the last time you had any contact with them?" Marissa asked.<br>"Uh, they came under fire about half an hour ago. Uh, the major told me to head to the Gate and radio for back-up. I haven't heard from him since."  
>"They were under fire and you didn't head back to help?" Ronon asked.<br>Doctor Lindsay was looking at him nervously. "Major Lorne told me to stay by the gate."  
>"You did the right thing." John said.<br>They turn the corner and stop, staring in shock at what they see. Lindsay gasps. The house ahead of them is burned out. Smoke is rising from the doorway and windows.  
>"Oh, my God." Doctor Lindsay gasped.<br>"Is that the building they were in?" John asked.  
>Doctor Lindsay nods, horrified.<br>"Well, shouldn't there be villagers? Why aren't they trying to put out the fire?" McKay asked, looking around.  
>"The fire's out. That's just steam and smoke." Ronon pointed out.<br>"Let's take a look." John looks over his shoulder to Rodney. "You stay here with Lindsay." He, Marissa and Ronon head towards the house.  
>In a loud whisper to their departing backs, McKay said, "Right, sure! Oh, and hey - if you hear gunfire, just know that that's me holding back our attackers all on my own, huh?"<br>The other three walk to the front of the house, looking around cautiously. The house is several stories high and, because the streets are on different levels, they are at the first floor level of the house. Behind them, Rodney draws his pistol and cocks it, and he and Lindsay look around nervously. At the closed door of the house, John puts his hands on the wooden door to check whether there's heat behind it. It appears to be alright, so he pushes the door open and the three of them walk inside. Smoke is still rising from the burned-out room and it's hard to see. As they walk inside, wooden beams from the ceiling fall to the floor. They progress carefully, shining the lights from their P90s around the room.  
>"A fire like this would have burned the whole village if someone hadn't dealt with it." Marissa said. Her father was a Fire Chief and on the weekends when he was home and not out drinking, he'd teach her a little something about the world of Fire. "Somebody put it out. They just don't wanna stick around to talk about it.<br>Another beam crashes to the floor.  
>"Uh, it's not safe to be up here." Ronon said.<br>"Thanks for that!" John said as he shines his light around the floor and sees something underneath a fallen beam. "Ah, I got somethin'."

He kicks some of the debris away from what he's looking at, then lifts the beam and tosses it carefully aside. There is a burned body underneath. It is so badly burned that there is no way of recognizing the person, nor what sort of clothes he had been wearing. John squats down, takes out a small knife and uses the point to lift up something around the body's neck. "Dammit!"  
>Whatever he is lifting clinks metallically.<br>"What?" Ronon asks.  
>John lifts the metal clear of the body and we see what he has got. "Dog tags." He holds the knife up so that he can look at the tags in the light of Ronon's P90. "These are Lorne's."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Body bags on stretchers are being carried through the Gate. Illyria stands on the balcony overlooking down into the Gateroom, tears streaming down her cheeks. John approaches her.  
>"What the hell happened out there?"<br>"As you know," John said softly, grabbing her hand and stroking it with his thumb, "Lorne and his team had the weekly detail escorting Doctor Lindsay to 177."  
>The gate closes down.<br>Illyria whipped the tears off her cheeks and sniffled. "Yes - the one who was educating the people on more effective agricultural and fishing methods."  
>"Yeah, that's right. Things were going along smoothly until our guys were attacked."<br>"Just like that, out of the blue?"  
>"It seems that way."<br>"By who? The villagers?" Illyria scoffed lightly.  
>"I don't know. Lindsay's not a real useful source of information right now. She's a little shook up. Beckett gave her a sedative. Hopefully she'll be able to give us more info later."<br>The Gate starts to dial in again. "Unscheduled offworld activation." The Tech calls out.  
>The Gate whooshes. The technician looks at his screens as John and illyria walk over to him.<br>"What have you got?" John asked.  
>"No I.D.C. - but we are receiving a pretty weak transmission on the V.H.F. band. Audio and video."<br>"Let's see it." Illyria waved to the screen.  
>A slightly blurry image appears on the large screen behind the technician. The face is familiar. It's one of the Genii who took over the base when the planet was hit by a massive hurricane. He's the man who tracked John when he was lurking around the base, and who got comprehensively thumped by John when John made it to the Control Room and locked the shield over the Gate when the Genii reinforcements were attempting to come through.<br>_"Atlantis base, this is Ladon Radim. Are you receiving transmission?"_  
>"It's one of Kolya's men." John said.<br>"Yeah, I know who he is. We can't answer this, though. I need the Genii of all people to believe that Atlantis has been destroyed." Weir said, coming into the control room.  
>"I know we got the word out." John said.<br>_ "My men have witnessed your teams dialing and returning through the Stargate to Atlantis more than once. From that I can deduce that the rumors of your city's demise are greatly exaggerated_." Landon said.  
>"Sneaky - I'll give 'em that." John said, crossing his arms.<br>_ "Your secret is safe as long as you respond to this transmission."_  
>Illyria spoke to the technician. "Open a channel."<br>The technician nods and activates his controls.  
><em>"<em>_Atlantis base, this is Ladon Radim -"__  
><em> "We hear you. This is Weir."  
><em>"Doctor Weir. I was beginning to fear the rumors of your destruction were true."<em>  
>"What do you want?" Weir asked.<br>_"__I have something to trade."_  
>"Don't think I don't recognize you, Ladon. You're a member of Kolya's strike force. You tried to forcibly take this city from us. Why would we wanna do business with you?" Weir asked, mimicking John's stance.<br>_"Because I have defected from the Genii."_  
>"Well, good luck with that!" Weir chuckled.<br>Ladon reaches down and picks up something very interesting, showing it to the camera. "And I have a Zero Point Module."  
>John and Elizabeth stare at each other in amazement for a moment; Illyria recovers and turns back to the screen. "And I have a tentative truce with the Genii that I'm not very eager to jeopardize."<br>_"The Genii got what they wanted. They want no more from you..."_ Landon holds up the Z.P.M. _"...and this is of no use to me. But I know how important these devices are to your continued survival. Now, we can discuss this in person. Lower your shields and allow me safe passage into the city."_  
>Elizabeth and John exchange another glance.<br>"We're not interested, Ladon." Weir said.  
><em>"This is far, far better than the last trade you made with the Genii, Doctor - and you know it. I'm transmitting the Gate address to the planet I'm on. You can send a team to search me if you wish, but I am unarmed and alone. I'll be here for two hours. If I don't hear from you within that time, this Zero Point Module will be lost to you forever."<em> Landon moves closer to the camera and stares into it. _"The choice is yours." _

He cuts off the transmission.  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM.**

Elizabeth, John, Illyria, Marissa and Ronon are seated around the table. Rodney walks over to a screen and pulls up a still image of Ladon holding the Z.P.M.  
>"A ZedP.M. is a ZedP.M. Who cares where it comes from?" Rodney said.<br>"We've already got one." John reminded him.  
>"Yes, one." Rodney pointed out.<br>"Two's better than one." Ronon smiled.  
>"And three is better than two. Look, we all know that eventually the Wraith are gonna discover we're still here. Having more power means that we have more options. We might even be able to light up the engines and get the city to fly." Rodney said.<br>The others stare at him.  
>"Really?" John asked.<p>

"...No. But we still need it." Illyria smiled.  
>"Well, flying city or not, I think we should consider this." Weir said.<br>"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the one the Genii threatened to kill on two separate occasions?" John asked.  
>"He says he's alone and he's willing to be searched."<br>"Wait a minute. We should be dealing with Lorne and his team - find out what happened to them." Illyria said.  
>"Marissa and Ronon will continue with that investigation, and John can join them once you finish up with this." Weir said.<br>Illyria sits back in her chair, thinking about it for a moment. "Alright."

John looks at Rodney. "Get a M.A.L.P. ready with a life signs detector." He looks at Elizabeth. "I'm not sending my team in there blind."  
><strong>LATER.<strong>

In the Control Room, Rodney and the technician watch the screens as a M.A.L.P. arrives on the planet whose coordinates Ladon gave them. The camera shows Ladon squatting near the D.H.D. He stands up as the M.A.L.P. approaches him.  
>"I'm getting telemetry back from the M.A.L.P."<br>On the screen, Ladon holds his arms wide as he looks at the M.A.L.P. Rodney turns to Illyria, John and a team who are standing ready.  
>"I'm only reading one life sign." McKay said.<br>"Then so far he's telling the truth." Illyria said.  
>"So far."<br>Ladon walks towards the M.A.L.P., kneels down in front of it and puts his hands on his head. _"As I'm sure your machine has already determined, I am unarmed and alone. You can go ahead and send your team to search me."_  
>John turns to the team standing behind him. "Go ahead."<br>"Yes, sir." A marine and his team head for the stairs down to the Gateroom.  
>҉<br>**INTERVIEW**** ROOM.**

Ronon and Marissa are sitting at a table with Doctor Lindsay.  
>"They're peaceful people - they really are. I just can't imagine the villagers doing something like this." Lindsay was telling them.<br>"Tell us what happened." Marissa said.  
>"We were invited into one of the villager's homes for tea - a welcoming custom we've been through a dozen or so times. Deera, one of the villagers, asked for a word with me in private. She took me downstairs..."<br>"You went alone with her?" Ronon interrupted.  
>"They're farmers and fishermen. I've been dealing with them for months. I trusted them."<br>"Yeah, that was a mistake."  
>"Ronon." Marissa warned.<br>Ronon looks at her and shrugs as if to say, 'Am I wrong?' Marissa looks at Lindsay.  
>"Go on." Marissa said.<br>"Um, once I was downstairs I heard the first shots. They sounded like Wraith blasts."  
>"Wraith?"<br>"I-I can't be sure, but, yes, that's what it sounded like. Major Lorne radioed me from upstairs and told me to go to the Gate and call for back-up. The rest you know."  
>"Did this, um, Deera try to stop you?" Ronon asked.<br>"No."  
>"Did she look surprised when she heard the shots?"<br>"Uh, I don't remember."  
>"Can you think of any reason, any reason at all, that the people of this village would want to attack Major Lorne and his men?" Marissa asked.<br>"No."  
>҉<br>**GATEROOM.**

Ladon and the security team come through the Gate.  
>"He's clean, sir." One of the security members said.<br>John walks over to them. "What - no ZeeP.M.?"  
>"I sent it to another planet for safe keeping. How stupid do you think I am?" Landon asked.<br>"From what I remember, I gave you a pretty good crack on the head last time we met, so I was kinda hoping it made you simple."  
>"No, it didn't ... but ever since then I've been plagued with headaches."<p>

John smiles. "You're just sayin' that to be nice." He stops smiling. "What do you want for it?"  
>"I'll only talk with The Queen."<br>"Do I make you nervous?"  
>"Not at all, Major. I'm just not interested in talking to the errand boy."<br>"That's Lieutenant Colonel Errand Boy to you." John jerks his head to the security team and they start to walk Ladon away.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

A nurse, wearing a face mask, is carrying out a post mortem on one of the bodies found in the village. Illyria stands looking down at a second body, holding a face mask over her nose and mouth. Doctor Beckett, who either has _no_ sense of smell or is immune to the smell, is wearing no mask. Carson walks over to her and says, "It's not them."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"These bodies you found are not Lorne and his men." Carson turns and walks away to where Ronon and Marissa are waiting. Illyria follows him, lowering her mask.  
>"But they were wearing their dog tags."<br>"I don't know what to tell you. I've run the D.N.A. tests three times now." Carson said.  
>"Then Lorne and his men could still be alive." Ronon said.<br>"Aye."  
>"Doctor Lindsay heard Wraith stunners before the fire broke out." Marissa said.<br>"But this wasn't a Wraith attack, so..." Illyria said.

"... so whoever it was wanted us to think they were dead." Ronon finished.  
>"Then who? What could they possibly want with Lorne?" Illyria asked.<br>"We need to go back - question the villagers." Ronon said.  
>"OK. But regular radio contact, please." Illyria nodded.<br>Marissa and Ronon nod their agreement. John radios in. _"Illyria. We have Ladon."_  
>Illyria spoke into her headset radio. "Was Doctor Weir notified? What has he said?"<br>_ "Yes and not much. Apparently he doesn't like me. He'll only talk to you. Weir wants him in her office."_  
>"Her office? Really? I'm on my way." Illyria hands her mask to Carson, then turns to Marissa and Ronon. "You two be careful."<br>҉  
><strong>ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.<strong>

Ladon is seated in the chair opposite Elizabeth's desk with the security team standing around him. He looks up as Illyria and John walk in.

"Queen Illyria. Thank you for your warm..." He starts to stand up, but the team leader puts his hand on his shoulder and pushes him back down into the chair again.  
>"What do you want for the ZeeP.M?" Illyria asked.<br>"You people aren't much for small talk, are you?"  
>"Not with criminals, no."<br>"As a member of Kolya's strike team, I was following orders. I harbor no ill will towards you or your people."  
>"That's nice." John said.<br>"It's the truth."  
>"What do you want for it?" Illyria redirected.<br>"I need about a hundred machine guns, a couple of dozen grenades and any C4 that you have to spare."  
>"Sounds like you're havin' a party." John said.<br>"Explain: how is turning you into a threat in our best interest?" Illyria asked.  
>"The real threat are the Genii. Their nuclear weapons are fully operational and it is my considered belief that they will soon begin using them as a first-strike offensive weapon - not just against the Wraith but human populations as well. Now, you give me and my men the arms we need - you'll never have to worry about the Genii again."<br>"You're planning a coup." Illyria nodded.  
>"Yes. And you're going to help me. Cowen has led our people for too long. Yes, it's true, he has made the Genii a force to be reckoned with, but the Cowen of the past bears little resemblance to the Cowen who's in power now."<br>"How so?" Illyria asked.  
>"He's become obsessed with uniting the galaxy under a single ruler."<br>"And that would be him." John said.  
>"He thinks it's the only chance we have of defeating the Wraith."<br>"Whether the galaxy likes it or not." Illyria said.  
>"Commander Kolya was the only Genii who could stand up to him, keep him under control. He went missing several months ago. We suspect Cowen had him murdered."<br>"But you can't prove it?" Illyria said.  
>"Not yet."<br>"And in Kolya's absence?"  
>"Our people were looking for leadership. They looked to me."<br>"Get to the part where you find the ZeeP.M." John prompted.  
>"Kolya often spoke about the Brotherhood of the Fifteen, the last mission you encountered him, no?" Landon asked.<br>"The last time he tried to kill me, yes." John said.

"Finding resources for the resistance has been next to impossible. We have a few rifles, limited ammunition, nowhere near enough to stage a rebellion."  
>"So you thought if you found a ZeeP.M., we would give you everything you needed." Illyria said.<br>"It's very hard to find trading partners who don't fear the Genii. Cowen has spies all over the galaxy. I figured you'd be more than willing to help if we could give you something of value."  
>"How do we know you're gonna be any better than Cowen?" John asked.<br>"Look, I know you don't trust me, but if Cowen uses his new atomic weapons to enslave other worlds, then the Genii are no better than the Wraith. Now, you can have your ZeeP.M., but you must help me stop that from happening."

"Landon, there is one thing that's puzzling me." Illyria said, leaning back in her chair. "How is it that you know who I am and will only speak to me?"

"The Genii have known of the Queen of Atlantis for quite some time. I can honestly say it has been an honor having met you. And as for only wanting to speak with you, the Genii, myself included, think you are the one in charge. Not Doctor Weir."  
>҉<br>**177.**

Marissa and Ronon are in the village inn talking with the barkeep as he collects empty drinking vessels and walks back towards the bar.  
>"Never heard of her." The barkeep said.<br>"Are you certain? Deera. She was friends with the men who were killed last night." Marissa told him.  
>"I said I never heard of her." The barkeep hands the empty goblets over the bar to a young woman standing behind it.<br>"This is a small community, friend - surely you know her? She lived in the house that burned down. We would just like to ask her some questions."  
>"I just tend to my bar and my family. I mind my business and I suggest you do the same."<br>Ronon, standing behind the barkeep, slaps a hand down on the barkeep's left shoulder, then leans over his right shoulder while draping his arm around the man's left shoulder. From the perspective of others in the bar, it might look like Ronon is just being friendly.  
>Quietly, Ronon spoke into the man's ear. "We wanna know why our friends were killed."<br>"Ronon." Marissa warned.  
>"He knows something. Everyone here knows something." Ronon still spoke quietly.<br>"Let him go." Marissa told him.  
>Ronon takes his arm from around the barkeep's shoulder but stays close to him and continues to talk quietly to him. "Who are you trying to protect?"<br>"If you know what's best for you, you'll both go back from where you came." The barkeep walks around to the other side of the bar, then wipes the bar down as he talks quietly to them. "They're watching us. They'll kill us all if you're not careful."  
>"Who?"<br>The barkeep doesn't answer Ronon's question.  
>"We can protect you - help you fight them." Marissa said.<br>"No you can't. Leave me be." The barkeep and the girl walk away. Marissa and Ronon glance casually around at the people in the bar, many of whom are looking at them, and try to work out if they're the bad guys or are just afraid. Eventually they turn and leave.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

In Elizabeth's office, Illyria and John watch as Ladon is escorted down into the Gateroom by the security team.  
>"Do you believe him?" John asked.<br>"Well, he has a ZeeP.M."  
>"What about the other stuff? Evil Cowen?"<br>"He's lying about something." John nods his agreement. "When Cowen handed over two of his atomic weapons to us, it was a sort of olive branch, and I would hate to jeopardize what little momentum we have going with them."  
>"Stick with the devil we know."<br>"Exactly."  
>"So, give 'em the heads-up, tell the Genii he's planning something?"<br>"I think so. I'll tell Ladon that we need a bit more time and to set up a way to contact him."  
>"I left one of our best Special Ops guys on the planet when we searched him. If Ladon goes anywhere, my guy will find him."<br>"Good thinking, John." Illyria smiled up at him and rubbed his arm.  
>"Could've been Mensa!" John smiled back.<br>҉  
><strong>177.<strong>

Marissa and Ronon are walking through the village.  
>"I hope Beckett found some sort of clue, 'cause this was a giant waste of time." Ronon said.<br>The girl who was serving behind the bar calls out to them. "Excuse me?" They turn to face her as she walks over and holds out a bag to them. "You-you left this behind."  
>"It's not ours." Ronon told her.<br>The girl smiles nervously at them. "Yes it is."  
>"Of course. How foolish of me." Marissa takes the bag. "Thank you."<br>The girl smiles at them again, then hurries away.  
>"What's inside?" Ronon asked.<br>Marissa glances around at the villagers. "Not here." She leads him away.  
>҉<br>**GENII HOMEWORLD.**

John and Rodney are walking down a narrow tunnel in the underground complex followed by two Genii guards.  
>McKay spoke in a low tone to John. "You know, I'm not sure that you've sufficiently trained me in actual combat. I-I-I don't know how much use I'd be in a fight-our-way-out kind of scenario."<br>"Well, I look at it this way: the Genii have tried to kidnap you on numerous occasions to mine that big old brain of yours."  
>"Yes."<br>"Well, if we get into trouble, I'll just trade your life for mine."  
>"Oh, funny."<br>"Don't worry - if you survive, I'll mount some sort of rescue mission ... eventually."  
>They round a corner to find Cowen approaching them. "Doctor McKay! Oh, and it's Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard now, I hear." He holds out his hand to John and they shake hands.<br>"Somebody's been paying attention." John commented.  
>Cowen offers his hand to Rodney, who looks at it nervously but then shakes it. "Uh, I'm afraid I don't have much time, but, uh, please tell me, what can I do for you?"<br>"Well, we're just checkin' in, sayin' hi, since we really haven't been in contact since the last culling." John said.  
>"We barely survived the last culling. I can't help but think how close to extinction we came as a people. Our former ambitions have been tempered by the real world, I'm afraid. We've been busy trying to fulfil our people's most basic needs." Cowen said.<br>"Y'know, we could help with that." McKay said.  
>"Yeah, with supplies - even manpower." John said.<br>"And why would you do that?" Cowen asked.  
>"Well, we probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the nukes you gave us, so, uh, we owe you one."<br>"We are a proud people, Sheppard, but we do know how to accept help when we need it."  
>"And on that note, we've been contacted by a Genii named Ladon."<br>"Ah!" Cowen laughs. "At last the real reason why you're here. What has he been saying?"  
>"Oh, something about, uh, uh..."<p>

"... conquests of other worlds using your atomic weapons." John finished for Rodney.

"He's been telling the Manarians that I've been slaughtering our own people for food." Rodney laughs nervously. "Ladon blames me for Kolya's disappearance - and while, yes, it's true I neither respected nor liked the man, I had nothing to do with his presumed demise. Anything he tells you is a lie."  
>"He's trying to mount a rebellion." John told Cowen.<br>"Let him try. He commands a couple of dozen men and has no weapons to speak of. Believe me, the city's plumbing is of more concern to me right now. But still, you didn't have to tell me. Apprising me of Ladon's plans was the act of a friend."  
>"Well, if you, uh, wanna contact us, we have a new number."<br>"I've known for some time that Atlantis survived the Wraith attack, Colonel Sheppard. I hope you'll accept it as an act of good faith that your secret is safe with the Genii." Cowen offers his hand to John again, who shakes it, then Cowen and Rodney shake hands. "My men will see you to the Gate." He walks away.  
>"Well, that was refreshing! He didn't try to kill us even once!" McKay smiled. He and John turn and head back the way they came, still escorted by the two guards.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Illyria is walking with John, Rodney, Weir and a couple of security guys to the Control Room.  
>"The Special Ops guy's followed Ladon to M6R-867. Looks like he's occupied a warehouse in a bombed-out abandoned city." John pointed to one of the military guys.<br>"It was most likely destroyed by the Wraith and never re-inhabited." McKay said.  
>"He did a quick fly-over in a cloaked Jumper and sure enough there are about twenty life signs in the building." John said.<br>"Well, twenty life signs on the whole planet, actually." McKay said.  
>"So Cowen's intel was accurate?" Weir asked.<br>"Yeah. It appears that way, yes."  
>"Even if these men are highly trained and armed to the teeth ..." John trailed.<p>

"...which most probably they are not..." McKay middled.

"...they're no match for our guys." And John finished.  
>Illyria looks at John in surprise for a moment. "A raid?"<br>"Oh, yes, a raid! If this is their main base of operations, I'm willing to bet the ZeeP.M. is there." John said.  
>"And, what, just steal it?" Weir asked.<br>"Well, the Brotherhood stole it from us, Ladon stole it from the Brotherhood - it's not really stealing, it's, um ..." McKay said.  
>" ... recovery! Look, we tell Ladon we're ready to do business; he needs to send a dozen guys here to carry back supplies ..." John said.<p>

"... along with the ZedP.M.".  
>"He won't do that but, sure, we can ask. When they get here, we detain them, leaving eight men in the building for two small strike teams to deal with."<br>Elizabeth nods. "OK. It's worth the risk. Go get us a ZeeP.M!"  
>John, after kissing Illyria on the cheek, head down to the Gaterom with Rodney and the marines.<br>҉  
><strong>177.<strong>

Marissa and Ronon make their way to a quiet alley in the village where they won't be overlooked. Marissa puts the bag down onto a box and opens it.  
>"What is it?" Ronon asks.<br>"I do not know." Marissa takes out some of the contents and looks at them. They are black and white photographs of men in Earth uniforms, and they each have writing in several different languages on them. "These are pictures of some of the Atlantis offworld team members."  
>She gives them to Ronon, who flicks through them, then shows the bottom photograph to Marissa. "There."<br>Marissa was staring at the photograph. "Major Lorne! Why would the villagers have these?"  
>"The writing on the side here is in a bunch of different languages, offering a great reward for their capture. I bet they've been circulated to dozens of planets."<br>Marissa takes two more photographs out of the bag. "I hope you are wrong."  
>She shows him the first photograph. It's a picture of Rodney. She lowers that one to show the photograph underneath. That one is of John.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS GATEROOM.<strong>

The Gate starts to dial in.  
>"Offworld activation!" The Tech yelled.<br>Marines take up positions near the Gate, aiming their rifles. Elizabeth calls out to them from the Control Room balcony, "Everybody relax - we don't wanna tip 'em before they're all in position."  
>The marines lower their weapons as the Gate whooshes. Three men and three women in Genii uniforms walk through the Gate and stare around the Gateroom. Elizabeth trots down the stairs to meet them. One of the women looks at her. Behind her, six more Genii come through the Gate.<br>"Queen Illyria?"  
>"No, I'm D-"<p>

"The Queen is the one I must speak with."

Weir sighed heavily and nodded to the closest marine who took off. Moments later, Illyria hobbled down the stairs, clutching her stomach. "I am Queen Illyria."  
>"I am Dahlia Radim." She offers her hand to Illyria, who shakes it. Dahlia looks very tired or weak.<br>"Radim?"  
>"Yes. I am Ladon's sister. Where are our supplies?"<br>"Where is our ZeeP.M?"  
>Tiredly, Dahlia said. "Ladon will send it through once we have returned to our world safely."<br>"I thought you might say that." Illyria nods to the marines, who cock their rifles and aim them at the Genii, who look around, startled.  
>"What's going on?"<br>"I'm sorry, but you're being temporarily detained." Illyria activates her headset radio. "John?"  
>John, Rodney and five marines are already on M6R-867, crouched down behind some steps near the warehouse, waiting for orders.<br>"Go ahead."  
><em>"You have a go."<em>  
>"Understood." John looks around at his men. "Alright - use non-lethal force wherever possible, so men with stunners take the point. That being said, if they engage us, do what you need to do." He pats the shoulder of the man in front of him and the team heads out.<br>҉  
><strong>WAREHOUSE.<strong>

Some Genii soldiers are seated at a table while other soldiers are patrolling around inside the warehouse. A flash-bang is thrown through a window and crashes to the floor. The soldiers jump up and turn to look at it and it explodes, filling the room with bright light. As they cover their eyes, the door to the warehouse blows in. The soldiers duck for cover and the Atlantis team races in. Those with stunners fire at the soldiers and take them all down quickly, then start retrieving their weapons. John, Rodney and two of the marines walk forward carefully. A Genii soldier runs at them from cover. John and Rodney turn and fire their stunners almost simultaneously at him - John's blast hits him while Rodney's goes a little wide. As the man drops, John looks around the room.  
>"Clear! Start doing a room sweep." John turned to Rodney and the two marines with him. "You three with me. We're finding Ladon."<br>They start to walk.  
>"See how I almost stunned that guy?" McKay said.<br>"I must have missed it." John said.  
>"Yeah, but if he was, like, a step to the right, I would've stunned him for sure."<br>"Good for you!"  
>Rodney looks at his life signs detector. "It's, uh, this way."<br>They head off.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS **

**GATEROOM. **

The Genii are sitting on the steps near the Gate, which is open. Marissa and Ronon walk through the Gate. Elizabeth comes over to them.  
>"How did it go?"<br>Ronon was looking around the Gateroom. "What did we miss?"  
>"We have some guests."<br>"Yeah, I can see that."  
>"Doctor Weir, there is something you need to see." Marissa said.<br>"Let's go to my office."  
>҉<br>**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.**

Ronon is laying out the photographs on Elizabeth's desk.  
>"What is all this?" Illyria asks.<br>"It's a wanted list. We figure it's on as many worlds as there are languages on the photos." Ronon said.  
>"Who would do that?" Weir asked.<br>"We're not sure, but the planet where Major Lorne's team disappeared is quite poor. It's conceivable they gave up Major and his men for some sort of reward." Marissa said.  
>"To who?" Illyria asked.<br>"And why aren't we on it?" Ronon asked.  
>"Excuse me?" Weir asked.<br>Ronon was showing her the relevant photographs. "Sheppard's on the list; McKay is on the list. Why aren't Marissa and me?"  
>"What, you're feeling left out?" Weir asked.<br>"I just wanna know who thinks I'm not a threat and give 'em a chance to change their mind." Ronon smiled devilishly.  
>Elizabeth looks at the photographs. "The gene. They all have the gene."<br>"My gene?" Illyria asks.  
>"Yes. Naturally or not, all these men possess the A.T.A. gene." Weir said.<br>"But why would someone want people simply because they possess a certain kind of gene?" Marissa asked.  
>"Maybe they think it will hurt our ability to operate the city. But Ronon, that's why you're not here. See? Most of Edison's team is on the list - except Toreil. He's the only one on that team that doesn't have the gene." Illyria said.<br>"Still doesn't make any sense." Ronon said.  
>Marissa spoke to Elizabeth. "I suggest you call these men back if they are offworld."<br>"Yes. And most of these guys are on an operation with Sheppard right now. We are raiding Ladon's warehouse and stealing back the ZeeP.M. We detained most of his team when they came here to pick up the weapons we offered them. Once Sheppard and the team get back, I will suspend all their offworld activity until we can get to the bottom of this."  
>Carson contacts Elizabeth over the radio. <em>"Doctor Weir, please report to the Infirmary."<em>  
>"On my way, Carson." To Marissa, Illyria and Ronon, "This is probably about the bodies. You three should come along."<br>҉  
><strong>M6R-867.<strong>

John and his group, joined by a third marine, progress onwards. Rodney, consulting the life signs detector, taps John's shoulder to get his attention, then points the way they need to go. They leave the warehouse and take up positions outside another building. Rodney looks at John and extends the index finger on his left hand, pointing it skywards, then draws a circle around it with the index finger of his other hand.  
>McKay was whispering. "One tango, middle of the room." John stares at him blankly. Rodney looks upset. "What, isn't that right?"<br>John raises an eyebrow at him, then grimaces before gesturing to two of the marines who creep further along the wall outside the building. John looks round to check that the other marine and Rodney are ready for action. Rodney stares back at him nervously, but ready.  
>Inside the building, Ladon sits on a chair in the middle of the room as Rodney indicated. He seems relaxed and is cutting into what looks like an apple with a small knife. As he cuts a slice off and puts it in his mouth, the two advance marines slide one door open and run inside while the other marine slides open a second door and John and Rodney walk in, all aiming their weapons at Ladon. He looks round at them, unperturbed.<br>"Colonel Sheppard. What a surprise." Ladon calmly said. He swings his chair around to face John and puts a foot up on a small metal box on the floor in front of him. John walks towards him, gesturing with his stunner.  
>"Drop it." John commanded.<br>Ladon looks at the small knife he is holding. "Alright." He puts the knife on the ground. "Feel safer?"  
>"A little bit." John looks at the box. "Is that it?"<br>"It is."  
>"Slide it over."<br>Ladon shoves the box across the floor with his foot. John walks over to it and bends down with the intention of opening it.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" John straightens up again at the sound of McKay's voice. "It could be booby trapped and blow up in your face."<br>"Relax, Sheppard. I have no interest in killing you." Ladon said.  
>John squats down, looks nervously at the box for a few moments, then quickly opens the lid. As Rodney stares anxiously, too far away to see what's inside, John reaches into the box and takes out the Z.P.M.<br>"It's all yours. One ZeeP.M."  
>John puts it back in the box and closes the lid, then slides the box across the floor towards Rodney without looking away from Ladon. Rodney looks down at the box, obviously dying to get the Z.P.M. out and look at it himself, but then resolutely looks away and continues to aim his weapon at Ladon.<br>"One that's probably been out of power for a thousand years." Ladon smiled.  
>Before anyone can react to that statement, there's a hissing sound. At the same time, both of the doors slide shut. The marines on the other side of the room gasp and collapse. Rodney crumples to his knees and falls flat on his face on the floor. John, being the heroic type, stays on his feet for a couple more seconds but then falls to his knees. Ladon sits watching him, unaffected.<br>"Oh, that's gas." John falls backwards and passes out. "Don't worry. It's not gonna kill you either."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY.**

As a medic zips up the body bag over one of the burned corpses, Carson leads Elizabeth, Illyria, Ronon and Marissa into the room.  
>"I think I know who's behind this." Carson says.<br>"OK."  
>"Whoever these bodies belonged to, they didn't die in that fire." Carson said.<br>"They died before they burned?" Marissa asked.  
>"Aye, mostly from internal bleeding and a breakdown of the bone marrow."<br>"What does that mean?" Ronon asked.  
>"It means they probably died of severe radiation poisoning. Now, from what I know, there's only one race of people that could possibly be exposed to the amount of radiation that would cause this kind of damage."<br>"The Genii." Weir and Illyria chorused.  
>"Aye, exactly."<br>"If the Genii are behind this..."

"...we need to call back Sheppard's team." Ronon finished for Marissa.  
>҉<br>**M6R-867.**

John, still unconscious, has been sat in the chair that Ladon was occupying. Ladon sticks a needle into John's neck, then withdraws it. John starts to rouse as Ladon walks over to a table and puts the needle down before turning around.  
>"How'd you feel?"<br>Drowsily, John said. "Like I've been gassed. How come it didn't affect you?"  
>"I was injected with what I just gave you."<br>John, his hands tied behind the chair, looks around the room but can't see anyone else there. "Where are my men?"  
>"Oh, they'll wake up in an hour or so with a pretty big headache, but they're fine. Just like you."<br>"I'm a lot of things right now - fine isn't one of them."  
>"We stumbled across the dead ZeeP.M. in our archives. One of our operatives found it hundreds of years ago, didn't know what it was, filed it away. I'm sure he had no idea how valuable it would eventually be."<br>"That was your plan: lure us here, take our weapons, trade us for some more, arm your rebellion. Is that about it?"  
>Ladon shakes his head. "Couldn't be more wrong."<br>"There is no rebellion, Colonel Sheppard." John stares as Cowen walks into the room. "Ladon here has only the best interests of the Genii at heart."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS **

**GATEROOM. **

The Gate starts to dial in.

"Unscheduled offworld activation!" The Tech yelled.  
>The Gate whooshes and the shield comes on. Elizabeth walks into the Control Room. "What have we got?"<br>"Not sure yet, ma'am. I'm not reading an I.D.C."

**M6R-867.**  
>"What the hell is going on here?" John asked.<br>Cowen holds up an Earth radio which he presumably took off one of the team. "I want to talk with your girlfriend, _The Queen_."  
>"The Gate has to be active."<br>"It already is."  
>"Oh, well..."<br>Cowen holds out the radio to Ladon, who activates the button to make it work.

(In the Atlantis Control Room)

Cowen's voice comes over comms. _"Doctor Weir, this is Commander Cowen, leader of the Genii. I wish to speak with the Queen."_  
>"Where is John?" Illyria asked, rushing into the room.<br>_"He's right here with me, along with the men you sent to storm this complex. Some would view that as an act of war."_  
>"We were just trying to quell your rebellion before it started."<br>_"I think we both know what your intentions were, your Highness. And now it's time you became aware of mine. I will release your men, but I expect something in return."_  
>"We have twelve of your own: how about a straight trade?"<br>_"The Genii you've imagined as your potential hostages are terminally ill. They volunteered for the mission. They knew they were never coming back from the moment they heard of my plan."_  
>Illyria leans on the balcony railing in despair. "Why are you doing this?"<br>_"The Genii people need the Lantean ships you call Jumpers. I believe you have ten of them. You have one hour to bring them all here."_  
>"And if I don't?"<br>_"We will kill one of your team every fifteen minutes until our demands are met. Oh, and we will be starting with the father of your children; Colonel Sheppard."_  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**INFIRMARY. **

Several of the Genii are sitting on beds. Carson is examining Dahlia.  
>"It's no use. The doctors on our world have tried to cure all of us." Dahlia wearily said.<br>"I don't mean to speak ill of your doctors, but our medicines are a lot more advanced than theirs."  
>Dahlia sighs. "I know what you're trying to do."<br>"There's really nothing sinister about it, love."  
>"They won't give your men back. Even if you cure us, Cowen will never relent."<br>"I'm afraid that's not my department. Now, are you experiencing any pain at all?"  
>"Why? Why would you help us?"<br>"Because I'm a doctor. That's what I do. Why would you do this - allow yourself to be used like this?"  
>"I'm dead anyway - what does it matter?"<br>"Not yet, last time I checked your pulse. Besides, even if there was no hope, I'd prefer to die surrounded by my friends and family in my own home."  
>"Well, I am doing this to ensure that my friends and family have a home. Can't you understand that? This is the one thing that I can do, and I am glad to do it."<br>҉  
><strong>M6R-867<strong>.

One of the Genii guards is untying John's hands as Cowen and Ladon stand nearby. "What do you want with the Jumpers?"  
>Cowen chuckles. "What do I want with invisible spaceships that could fly to other worlds and even deliver our atomic weapons?" He chuckles again.<br>"Well, since you put it that way ... They're never gonna deal. You're gonna have to kill us."  
>"Mmm-hmm. I fully expect to have to kill you."<br>"Lookin' forward to it that much, huh? Why didn't you just take us hostage when we came to visit?"  
>"Why take two hostages if you can have a dozen?" Cowen turned to Ladon "Take him to his cell."<br>Ladon pulls John out of the chair and marches him away.

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

John is preceding Ladon through the complex, Ladon holding a Genii pistol on him. "Even if we give you the Jumpers, none of the Genii'll be able to fly 'em."  
>"Oh no? Why's that?"<br>"You know why."  
>"Well, if you're referring to the Ancient gene, I'm working on a treatment that can artificially produce it. In fact, we've been collecting samples for some time."<br>"From where?" They reach the cell. Inside, Rodney and the marines from the strike force are lying unconscious on the floor. They're not alone. Three other men are sitting inside, and they stand as Ladon unlocks the door. "Lorne!"  
>"Starting to put it all together?" Ladon asked.<br>"I'm getting' there." John walks into the cell and Ladon locks the door again. "Major." He looks at the other men. "Boys."  
>"Colonel." Lorne said.<br>Ladon walks away.  
>John turned to Lorne. "Way to be alive."<br>"Thanks, sir! So, uh, have you come to rescue us?"  
>"Well, until about a moment ago I thought you were dead, but now that I see you speaking and breathing, yeah, I'm thinkin' about it. Besides, Illyria would have my ass if I don't."<br>"Well, good! Let me know if there's anything we can do to help, huh?"  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.**  
>"Lieutenant Miller performed a cloaked scan of the planet. It looks like the Genii have moved in a massive amount of troops over the past fifteen minutes. I'm afraid they have us greatly outnumbered. Any attempt to extract our men would result in many casualties on both sides." Marissa reported.<br>"Let me get in there and see what I can do." Ronon said.  
>"No. The last thing I need is for more of us to fall into their hands." Wier shook her head.<p>

Illyria looks at Carson. "How are our Genii guests doing?"  
>"Well, they have a number of different symptoms and ailments, but they all trace back to one thing: radiation poisoning."<br>"Well, McKay warned them that the shielding for their fission experiments was dangerously insufficient. I guess they didn't listen." Weir said.  
>"Aye."<br>"Can you cure them?"  
>"There are some experimental treatment protocols I've been able to get my hands on, although some of them are just too far gone to do anything but pain management, but I do believe I can save at least eight of them."<br>"Alright. Let's hope they will trade their people for ours."  
>"Do we have a back-up plan?" Ronon asked.<br>"We're not handing ten of our Jumpers over to the Genii. Let's just hope this works." Illyria said.  
>҉<br>**Speaking to M6R-867.**

Illyria speaks over to the radio to Cowen as Ladon sits beside him. "I don't think you understand. Most of your people can be cured, including Ladon's sister."  
>Cowen looks at Ladon for his reaction, but Ladon shows nothing on his face. <em>"Oh, I understand. What you need to understand is, I don't care."<em>  
>"What?"<br>_"I think you're playing for time, Queen Illyria."_  
>"Your people can be cured. Now let me return them to you and let them live out the rest of their lives with their families on their homeworld."<br>_"The Genii need those Jumpers. Until you are prepared to part with them, this conversation is over."_  
>"You kill one of my people and we are in a state of war."<br>Cowen was chuckling. "Oh, yes, yes!" Sarcastically: "I - well, I don't quite know how I'll live with myself!" More seriously: "I will contact you again in fifteen minutes, so you can decide whether you would like Doctor McKay to live. In the meantime, you have forfeited the life of your beloved Colonel Sheppard." He switches the radio off.  
>"Cowen, wait!" Illyria yelled. "Wait, Cowen! Cowen wait…..Cowen!"<p>

Ronon walked up and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Illyria-"

"No! No! Cowen! Goddamitt- Cowen!" Illyria was starting to gasp heavily with tears pouring down her face. Her legs were trembling so she gripped the edges of the console, her eyes wide. "No….John-no-no-no-no-no!"

"Come here," Ronon said and pulled Illyria into his arms, rocking her slowly and petting her hair, whispering sweet nothings.  
><strong>(On M6R-867)<strong>

Cowen turns to Ladon. "Kill him."  
>Ladon was smiling. "Yes, sir." He stands up and leaves the room.<br>**҉**

**CELL.**

The gassed marines are reviving. Lorne and his team help them. John goes over to Rodney as he wakes up. "What the hell happened?"  
>"We got gassed." John told him.<br>"Are we in some sort of trouble?"  
>"Was it the gas or the prison cell that was your first clue?"<br>A Genii guard unlocks the door as Ladon approaches. He stands in the doorway and points his pistol at John. "Time's up."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

The Gate is open. Elizabeth paces around the Control Room. Ronon had taken Illyria to the Infirmary for some rest. Carson was on his way back from giving her some sleep medication.  
>"Anything?" Weir asked to Tech.<br>"We're still connected, but he's turned the radio off. I'm not getting any signal."  
>"Dammit! Elizabeth, what if we offered them one Jumper in exchange for Colonel Sheppard?" Carson said, coming into the room.<br>"Carson, we have less than fifteen minutes before they kill McKay."  
><em> "You can deliver all the Jumpers you want. They're gonna kill everyone. We need to attack them now."<em> Ronon said over the radio.  
>҉<br>**M6R-867.**

John sits in the cell staring at Ladon as he continues to point his pistol at him.  
>"Illyria says your Doctor Beckett can cure the people I sent through the Gate. Is that true?"<br>"Beckett's the best doctor in two galaxies. If there's a cure, he's got it."  
>Ladon looks round to the guards standing behind him. "We're letting them go." He lowers his pistol and steps back. John and the others stand up and walk cautiously out of the cell. Ladon leads them away. "Hidden away at the bottom of this building is a nuclear device."<br>"How'd you get your hands on that?" John asked.  
>"You forget I'm the chief scientist. I made it."<br>"You're gonna start your coup!" McKay announced.  
>"I needed Cowen and his elite guard together in one place. I knew the chance at some Puddle Jumpers would get him here."<br>"Good one!" John told him.  
>"Most of my men are waiting for me on our homeworld. Tonight, the leadership of our people changes hands."<br>"You were just gonna leave us here to be vaporized with the others?" John said.  
>"Yes, I was. Things have changed. Let's go."<br>In the room where John and the others were gassed, Cowen sits in the chair with an upright wooden box in front of him. There is a plate of food on the box and Cowen is eating as a couple of his guards stand nearby. He looks up and addresses the guards.  
>"Go see what's keeping him." The guards bow and leave the room.<br>In the cell complex, Ladon and his men are leading John and the others towards the exit. Cowen's guards walk through the door and raise their weapons. "It's alright. We're just escorting these prisoners."  
>The guards lower their weapons. Two of Ladon's men promptly raise their own pistols and shoot them. Two other men run to the door and check to see that the coast is clear, and then nod to Ladon.<br>Ladon spoke to John. "There's a hidden passage this way. We shouldn't run into any more resistance."  
>They head off.<br>In Cowen's room, one of his guards radios in.  
><em> "Commander Cowen. Someone has freed the Atlanteans."<em>_  
><em> "What?" Cowen stands up and activates his wrist radio. "Ladon - come in."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS ****CONTROL**** ROOM.**  
>"Receiving Doctor McKay's I.D.C." Tech announced.<br>Weir was calling down into the Gateroom, "Defence teams, stand by!" She turned to the technician. "Lower the shield."  
>She runs for the stairs down into the Gateroom. As the shield lowers, the group of marines and Genii walk through the Gate. The Genii immediately hold up their weapons in surrender and the marines take them off them. Rodney waves to Elizabeth as he comes through.<br>"Rodney!"  
>"It's Ladon. He's letting us go in exchange for his people." McKay said.<br>"Ladon's in charge?"  
>"Yeah, he's about to be."<br>"He really was planning a coup."  
>"Apparently we're a part of the plan."<br>҉  
><strong>COWEN'S ROOM.<strong>  
>"Ladon, come in!" Cowen yelled.<br>_ "This is Ladon."_  
>"What's going on?"<br>Ladon is in the Atlantis Gateroom where he and John have just come through the Gate and are standing just in front of it. Ladon spoke into his wrist radio. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Cowen. You have served our people well."  
><strong>(In Cowen's room)<strong>

Cowen walks to the window and stares out of it. "What have you done?"  
>The air fills with white light as the nuclear device detonates.<br>**(In the Atlantis Gateroom)**  
>"Shield up." John called.<br>The shield raises. John and Ladon walk forward, then stop and turn to the Gate as the nuclear blast impacts the shield and shakes the Gateroom. The Gate shuts down. Ladon turns and walks over to Elizabeth.  
>"Now, please, I would like to see my sister."<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Elizabeth and Ladon are standing in an observation room looking down into an operating room where doctors are operating on Dahlia. Carson, wearing scrubs, walks into the observation room. Ladon turns to him.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"We found a malignant tumor in your sister's left lung. We had to remove it as soon as possible." Ladon closes his eyes. "Not to worry - it was a complete success. She did great."  
>"And then she'll be cured?"<br>"She's not out of the woods entirely, but if she keeps up with her treatments..."  
>Ladon turns to Elizabeth. "Many Genii suffer from similar afflictions."<br>"We'd be more than happy to cure as many of your people as we can - the ones who survive your coup, that is." Weir said.  
>"I don't anticipate any more casualties." Ladon said.<br>"Good. Let's make that a condition."  
>Ladon nods to her, then draws in a deep breath. "My day is far from over. I must return to my planet."<br>"We'll take good care of her, I promise." Carson said.  
>"Thank you, Doctor."<br>Ladon and Elizabeth leave the room. Carson walks over to the window and looks down into the operating room.  
>҉<br>**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.**

**DAY LATER.**

**NIGHTFALL.**

Elizabeth is sitting at her desk working on her computer as John walks in. "It's been a while," Weir smiled, knowingly. Since Ronon lives next door, he was dispatched by Weir to see if there was a problem when John didn't report for this morning's duties. As it turned out, Illyria had a mild panic attack from John's latest death and wouldn't let him leave. The guys got a kick out of that.  
>John chuckled. "Very funny. The coup was successful. Ladon Radim is the new leader of the Genii." He sits on the edge of her desk.<br>"Wow, that was fast."  
>"Well, once people found out Cowen and his elite guard were out of the picture, his loyalists laid down their weapons. They're billing it as a bloodless coup 'cause no-one died on their home soil."<br>"So a nuclear explosion and the lives of an entire battalion of men don't count?"  
>"Yeah, it's all spin. What d'you think the fallout's gonna be?"<br>"Well, historically, most coups end up with the new government being about as bad as the old one."  
>"I don't know. He seemed pretty grateful we saved his sister."<br>"There's that."  
>"He did save me and my team."<br>"There's that too."  
>"So I say we call it a win."<br>"Who's spinning now?"  
>"Alright. Then I say we call it a night." John gets off the table and starts to leave.<br>"That we can do! Oh and tell Illyria I need you from tomorrow morning!"  
>John nods and leaves the room. Elizabeth smiles, thinks about the situation for a moment, then gets back to work.<p> 


	25. Chapter 23

**ATLANTIS. **

**INFIRMARY ISOLATION ROOM. **

A man in his mid-thirties wakes up with a gasp in a hospital bed. He looks around the room, apparently confused as to where he is. He looks down at his hands, and then stares around the room again. There is no-one in sight but he is surrounded by several monitors, most of them turned away from him so he can't see what they are showing.  
>҉<br>**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.**

As Doctor Weir works at her desk, Doctor Beckett reports to her over the radio.  
><em>"Elizabeth?"<em>  
>Elizabeth activates her headset radio. "Yes, Carson?"<br>_"He's awake."_  
>҉<br>**ISOLATION ROOM.**

The man is now sitting up on the bed. Carson is shining a penlight into his left eye, then flicking it away again, then shining it into his eye again. The doors to the room open and Elizabeth comes in, accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard. They walk across to the bed as Carson talks to the man.  
>"Blood pressure's fine, pulse normal. You're bouncing back quite nicely."<br>"Bouncing back from what?" The man asks.  
>"Hullo, Michael." Weir smiles at him, "D'you remember me?"<br>Michael looks at her for a moment, then shakes his head. "No."  
>"I'm Doctor Elizabeth Weir. This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."<br>"You serve under my command." John said.  
>Michael looks at him blankly.<br>"Do you know where you are?" Weir asked.  
>"I don't even know who I am!" Michael yelled.<br>"Your name is Lieutenant Michael Kenmore. You're in a private room off the Infirmary here in Atlantis."  
>Michael lifts his head as if he recognizes that last word.<br>"Is that familiar to you?"  
>"Atlantis. Yeah ... I think."<br>"You're a member of a team that went offworld. You were captured by the Wraith." John said.  
>Michael looks away as if lost in thought.<br>"I see you remember the Wraith." Carson said.  
>Michael looks at him. "What did they do to me?"<br>"We're not quite sure yet." Weir said softly.  
>"We sent a rescue team for you but, um, you were wounded during the mission." John said.<br>"You've been unconscious for days now - had us worried sick." Carson said.  
>"Why can't I remember anything?" Michael asks.<br>"We don't know yet. Hopefully we'll learn more as we conduct further tests." Carson said.  
>"And in the meantime, I can assure you that we will give you the best possible care to help in your recovery." Weir said.<br>҉  
><strong>ABOVE THE ISOLATION ROOM.<strong>

In an observation room similar to the one above the operating room Ladon's sister was in last week, two marines are watching a bank of screens. They show several different angles of the Isolation Room below. Elizabeth, John and Carson walk in, go to the window and look down at Michael lying in bed. Elizabeth sighs.  
>"Keep a close eye on him. Until we know more, we need to proceed with caution." Carson nods.<br>"This may just be the start of our problems."  
>҉<br>**LATER.**

In the Isolation Room, Carson is standing at Michael's bedside with his back to the bed as he turns the dial on a device that looks a little like a fountain pen. He turns to the bed. Michael looks at the device.  
>"What is that?"<br>Carson puts the tip of the device on Michael's right arm and presses the plunger.  
>"I'm afraid you have type one diabetes. You require a daily injection of insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level. You've managed it quite nicely, actually." Michael looks away, lost in thought. "Michael, we believe you may be suffering from what's called generalized dissociative amnesia, which usually occurs as a result of significant trauma."<br>"Trauma caused by the Wraith?"  
>"We don't know for certain. Hopefully, over time, your memory will return. In the meantime, we'll do our best to help you fill in the gaps - a wee bit at a time so as not to completely overwhelm you."<br>Michael smiles ruefully. "I'm already completely overwhelmed. How much worse can it get?"  
>Carson smiles and pats his shoulder, then turns away. His smile fades.<br>҉  
><strong>OBSERVATION ROOM.<strong>

Illyria comes in and looks at Carson, who is sitting studying a laptop computer.  
>"I heard he was awake."<br>"Aye. Complete amnesia. Doesn't remember a thing."  
>Illyria walks over to the window to look down at Michael. Carson stands up and walks over to join her. "May I speak with him?"<br>"Of course."  
>Illyria nods, looks down into the room again, then looks at Carson. "You need to rest."<br>Carson nods wearily.  
>҉<br>**ISOLATION ROOM.**

Michael is sitting up on the bed. The doors open and Illyria walks in. An armed guard is standing outside the room.  
>"Hello, Michael." She smiles as she walks over to him.<br>Michael turns to look at her. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"  
>"Yes, quite well," She rubbed her belly.<p>

"Oh, God! Am I-"

"No, oh, no, Michael." Illyria held her plams out in reassurance. "No, the twins are not yours."

"Twins," Michael's eyebrows went up. "Wow –uh, who's are they? If you don't mind me asking…You're the Colonel's girl?"

"You remember?"

"I-I don't know. There's more though…" He looks at her as if trying to work out how he remembers her. "Are ... are we friends?"  
>Illyria smiled. "Yes."<br>Michael laughs. "That's the best news I've heard all day!"  
>"How are you feeling?"<br>"Oh - physically fine, but my mind is completely blank. They said I'm a lieutenant."  
>Illyria nodded. "You have only recently arrived in Atlantis but you have already proven yourself to be one of the finest soldiers in this city."<br>"Well, if I'm such a fine soldier, how did I get captured by the Wraith?"  
>"Your team came upon a landed Wraith cruiser and were ambushed. You sacrificed yourself in order to give your team mates time to escape. Quite heroic."<br>"Were you part of the team that rescued me?" He glanced down at her stomach and then shook his head. "Stupid question."  
>"Yes that was a stupid question, but I need give the command for the search and rescue."<br>"Well, then that makes you even more heroic."  
>He smiles at her. Illyria grins back at him.<br>҉  
><strong>CONFERENCE ROOM.<strong>

Illyria is reporting to Elizabeth, Carson, John and Doctor Kate Heightmeyer, the base's psychologist.  
>"He said I was familiar to him. He asked if we were friends."<br>"How did you respond?" Weir asked.  
>"I said we were. After everything he has been through, I thought some positive news could not hurt."<br>"I think you're right. Stabilization is the first critical stage in his psychological treatment." Kate turns to Elizabeth. "He's doing quite well so far, but it's important we do what we can to ease his recovery."  
>"What's the next stage?" Weir asked.<br>"Integration into the community," John grimaces "followed by relational development."  
>Weir turned to Carson. "How is he doing physically?"<br>"Excellent. Vitals normal. All he needs is a bit of physical therapy to regain muscle tone and coordination."  
>"Do you think he's ready to be released?"<br>"I do."  
>"I don't think that's such a good idea. We still don't know if there are any residual effects he might be carrying around." John said.<br>Elizabeth turns to Kate. "What do you think, Doctor? Is he ready to join the community?"  
>"A change of scenery could be very beneficial to him."<br>"Alright, then." Weir turns back to Carson. "Release him."  
>John looks away, apparently unhappy with her decision.<br>҉  
><strong>SOME TIME LATER. <strong>

Illyria leads Michael, followed by two guards, to a glass door and opens it for him. They go inside, Illyria was smiling back at the guards who wait outside. Michael walks into the room and looks around.  
>"These are your quarters."<br>**(****In the Observation Room)**

An airman and another guy, possibly a scientist, are watching Michael's quarters on closed circuit TV. The quarters have cameras watching all angles. John stands behind the two men, watching the screens.  
><strong>(Michael's Quarters)<strong>  
>"Does any of this look familiar to you?"<br>"No." Michael walks over to a table and picks up a cowboy hat which is lying on it. He looks at Illyria questioningly.  
>"It is a cowboy hat." She takes the hat from him. "You come from a place called Texas."<br>Michael shakes his head at her blankly as she hands the hat back to him. "Texas." Illyria nods. "Hmm."  
>He puts the hat down and continues looking around the room. On another table is a framed photograph of a man and woman in their sixties. He picks it up and again looks at Illyria.<br>"They are your parents."  
>Michael stares at the photograph for a moment, then looks at Illyria again, obviously not recognizing them.<br>҉  
><strong>COMMISSARY.<strong>

Doctor McKay is sitting at a table and has just finished his meal. He stands up as a member of the commissary staff comes over to clear his table.  
>"Ah. Hey, what happened to the, um, to the blue jello?" He points down to his tray where he has left some red jello. "My favourite - all of a sudden it's off the menu. What gives?" The man shrugs and walks away. "Thank you!"<br>An Australian woman in military uniform walks over and takes the seat next to Rodney. He looks round at her and rolls his eyes, then picks up his computer tablet and walks away as she beckons someone to come and join her. Rodney walks a few paces, and then hesitates at what he sees in front of him. He takes a deep breath and keeps walking, going over to Michael who is sitting at a table alone and eating. Two guards stand nearby.  
>"Ah. Lieutenant Kenmore." McKay said.<br>Michael looks up at him. "So they tell me. Call me Michael."  
>"Michael. Right, yes, of course. Michael."<br>He looks at him a little uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. Um, I'm probably supposed to know you but..."  
>"Right, right, the amnesia. Yes, of course, I heard." McKay holds out his right hand. "I'm, uh, Doctor McKay." Michael wipes his hands on his trousers. "Rodney McKay. Doctor."<br>Michael stands and takes his hand, shaking it. He looks down at Rodney's hand curiously, though it's not clear why - perhaps Rodney doesn't grasp his hand as he was expecting. They release hands and Michael sits down again.

"So, you've been, um, released, I see." McKay looks at the guard standing opposite Michael.  
>"Just now, but I have some bodyguards following me around everywhere, and Colonel Sheppard's probably somewhere close by. They wanna keep an eye on me in case I suddenly, um...freak out."<br>He smiles down at his tray. Rodney laughs falsely. "Yes, freak out, yes." His smile fades. "Well, I don't think you're gonna ... you're not gonna ... You're fine, aren't you?"  
>"I think so. I feel fine. I guess time will tell. Hopefully the amnesia won't be permanent." Michael looks at the screen of the tablet that Rodney is holding. "Wraith materializer schematics?"<br>"Yes. Yes, I was just, um ... just studying them, you know?"  
>Michael looks puzzled. "How did I know that?"<br>"Um, one of your team's mission objectives was to, um, infiltrate, um..." Rodney appears to be thinking quickly "…a Wraith ship and obtain, um..." Rodney looks round to the guard as if for help but the guard is gazing off into the distance and taking no notice of him "...you know...uh, intelligence."  
>"And our mission was successful?"<br>"Yes, very successful."  
>"Except for getting captured."<br>"Ah, well, we've, uh, we've all been captured by the Wraith at one point or another, haven't we? It's just, uh, the important thing is that you were rescued, safe and sound."  
>"Safe, yes. The sound part I'm not so sure of." Michael smiles. Rodney chuckles nervously.<br>"Y-Yeah, well ... it's ... um ..." Rodney trails off, desperately trying to think of something to say.  
>"Well, um, I guess I'd better be going." Michael said.<br>"Right. You got it."  
>Michael stands and walks away, accompanied by his guards. "See ya."<br>Rodney watches him walk away, then looks down at the computer tablet. All the writing on it is in Wraith.  
>҉<br>**GYM.**

Illyria is coaching Michael in Athosian hand to hand combat techniques, very lightly given her condition. As she does each move, she tells him what to do.  
>"Defend. Defend. Parry, strike..."<br>So far he has fended off each punch but now she whirls, her arms moving almost too fast to see, and, fending off his blows, drops to one knee and punches him in one knee. As he cries out in pain, she rises up quickly and, standing on one leg while holding him by the arms, brings her other thigh up and rams it into his stomach. While he is still off balance she spins him around and slams her leg into his chest, knocking him to the floor.  
>"Ow!"<br>"It is all about catching your opponent off balance."  
>Michael gets up onto his knees and looks up at her. "You succeeded!" He gets to his feet, out of breath.<br>"Now you try."  
>Michael laughs ruefully. "I can't do that move." He bends over, still trying to catch his breath. "Especially to a <em>very<em> pregnant woman who happens to be my Queen and closest friend."  
>"Oh yes you can."<br>"You keep saying I'm a good fighter."  
>"You are. Very good."<br>Michael shrugs, straightening up. "Alright."

"Do not go soft."

"Are you sure? Colonel Sheppard would have my ass if I-"

"Go soft on my middle section?"  
>He starts to attack her, doing the same moves that she just taught him. Although she fends off each blow, he is obviously starting to get the hang of it.<br>"Hey," Michael sounded pleased with himself.  
>Illyria comes at him. They parry for a few moments, then she does a move which she obviously expected would get through his defense, but he blocks her. He laughs delightedly. Illyria comes at him again. This time as she tries to bring her knee up, he grabs it, stopping the blow, and then releases her. She spins and tries to slam her leg across his stomach again but this time Michael is ready, grabs it and uses her momentum to slam her down to the floor on her back. He follows her down, shoving the palm of his hand onto her upper chest to hold her down. Illyria's eyes widen in fear but Michael doesn't notice.<br>Michael was laughing in delight. "Woo! Wow, are you alright? I can't believe I..."  
>A pair of hands grabs him from behind. It's Ronon, who hauls him off Illyria, drags him across the gym floor and, with a roar of rage, and slams him hard against the wall by the throat. "Keep your hands off her!"<br>Illyria scrambles to her feet. "Ronon! We were sparring as part of his physical therapy. Let him go." Ronon continues to hold Michael against the wall, half strangling him. "NOW!"  
>Ronon, his face contorted in a snarl, releases Michael and walks away without a word.<br>Michael was holding his throat. "I'm sorry."  
>҉<br>**KATE'S OFFICE.**

Kate and Michael are sitting opposite each other.  
>"Ronon is fairly new here in Atlantis. He's still making the adjustment to our way of doing things. He's clashed a few times with some of the personnel, including yourself, and even Colonel Sheppard." Kate told Michael.<br>"I'll just have to stay clear of him. Whatever I did to make him angry, he doesn't look like the kind of person you wanna have as an enemy!"  
>"Give him time. I'm sure you'll work out your differences, put the past behind you."<br>"The past - whatever that is. It-it's just so frustrating. I didn't even remember the faces of my own parents."  
>"They've been informed of your condition. In time we'll send you home to be reunited with them, but for now I think it's best if we hold off."<br>"So what do you think? Will my memory ever return?"  
>"We can't be sure. But we'll continue with these sessions, perhaps even try hypnosis."<br>Michael looks wistful. "I just wanna get back to normal - be like everybody else."  
>҉<br>**DREAM SEQUENCE.**

Looking through the eyes of the dreamer, we are walking through a Wraith ship. Other Wraith can be seen.  
>Michael jerks awake in his bed, gasping for breath. He stares into the room, and then breathes out in relief. He gets out of bed and walks over to a small table with a jug of water on it. He pours himself a glass, then turns to face the mirror on the wall. A Wraith stares back at him, roaring.<br>Michael jerks awake in his bed, gasping for breath. He stares into the room, and then breathes out in relief.  
>҉<br>**MORNING.**

Michael and Illyria are sitting in the gym.  
>"It was so real. I-I know it was a dream but when I saw that face staring back at me ... They did something to me, didn't they - the Wraith, during my capture? They did something to my mind. Maybe - maybe they implanted something into my brain." He looks at Illyria. "What did they do?" Illyria looks worried. "Tell me."<br>"We do not know." Michael looks away. "Listen: many people here have had such dreams. You are not the only one."  
>"Really?"<br>Illyria nodded. "The constant fear of the Wraith attacking and the way they feed on us - it creates a tremendous amount of stress."  
>"You've had the dream too?"<br>"Yes. Many times." Michael sighs. "And I know how frightening it can be."  
>҉<br>**OBSERVATION ROOM.**

As John and Rodney continue to watch Michael on the monitors, Illyria reports her conversation. Elizabeth, Carson and Ronon are also in the room.  
>"He's only had the one dream?" Weir asked.<br>"Yes. He believes the Wraith did something to him during his capture."  
>Weir turned to Carson. "Can you do something to help him?"<br>"Perhaps I can give him a sedative to help him sleep. Or I could increase his dosage, although I question against it at this time."  
>"Why? If it's helping, what's wrong with giving him more?" McKay asked.<br>"Because, Rodney, I specifically calibrated his regimen according to his current physical condition. Any alteration could adversely affect his recovery. I say we remain patient - wait to see if he has any more dreams. If it's merely psychological, then Doctor Heightmeyer should be able to help him through it." Carson said.  
>"Why do we not just tell him the truth? I am finding it difficult keeping it from him, and I am beginning to question whether our course of action is the correct one." Illyria said.<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME. <strong>

**MICHAEL'S QUARTERS. **

Michael lies in bed asleep, but he is very restless. He jerks awake gasping, so has probably had the dream again. He looks into the mirror opposite his bed but can only see his own face.  
>҉<br>**DAY TIME. **

**KATE'S OFFICE. **

Michael is standing at the window gazing out of the city. His face is anguished.  
>"The dreams are most likely due to post traumatic stress - not at all uncommon in situations like yours. You can see Doctor Beckett after you leave - have him prescribe something for sleep."<br>"I just - I can't help thinking there's more to it. Something's not right with me."  
>"Do you feel sick?"<br>"No! I mean," Michael turns from the window to face her "I feel like ... I don't know what it is but ... it's not right. It's not." He sits down. "Everyone around here - I get the feeling like they know something - something they're not telling me." Kate sits back in her chair, looking worried. Michael points at her triumphantly. "See? That - your _expression. I see that a lot around here. People being careful with me, like they're trying to figure out what to say next."  
>"And you think this means that they're keeping secrets from you?"<br>"Maybe not deliberately, but yes. I get the feeling they know something about me but aren't telling me. And it's frustrating, because if the Wraith did something to me, I'd really like to know what it is."  
>҉<br>**CORRIDORS.**

Michael, followed as always by his guards, is walking through the corridor when he sees John and Ronon approaching.  
>"Lieutenant." John nodded.<br>"Colonel." Michael nodded back.  
>"Where you off to?"<br>'My quarters. Doctor Beckett gave me some pills, help me get some sleep." Michael takes the bottle of pills out of his pocket and shows them to John. "Thought I'd give 'em a try." He smiles and puts them away again.  
>John was smiling. "No alcohol or heavy machinery."<br>Michael looked confused. "Excuse me?"  
>"Nothin'. Sleep well."<br>Ronon starts to move off but Michael moves to block his path. "Ronon. Um, I don't know what happened between us in the past, but if I ever did anything to hurt or upset you, I just wanted to say that ..." he holds out his right hand "...I'm sorry."  
>Ronon glares at him.<br>"Ronon, shake the man's hand." John ordered.  
>"I don't think so."<br>Michael looks upset but continues to hold his hand out.  
>John spoke to Ronon. "He's trying to bury the hatchet. It's not a bad idea, don't you think?"<br>"I gotta go." Ronon said. He moves to walk past Michael but again Michael blocks his path.  
>"Look, I just wanna know…"<br>Without warning, Ronon punches him hard in the face. Instinctively, Michael punches back at him. Ronon ducks the punch and hits him hard in the stomach.  
>"Knock it off!" John yelled.<br>One of the guards grabs Michael and pushes him against the wall, while Sheppard steps into Ronon's way and holds out his hand to fend him off. The other guard and a marine who was nearby grab Ronon's arms and pull him back.  
>"Knock it off." John repeated and looks at Michael, who is looking at Ronon, ready to go again, then turns and glares at Ronon.<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME. <strong>

**MICHAEL'S QUARTERS. **

Michael lies restless and unable to sleep. Eventually he sighs and gets out of bed. He walks to the door and opens it, approaching his two guards.  
>"Lieutenant Kenmore. What are you doing up so late?" Cole, one of the guards, asks.<br>"The pills Doctor Beckett gave me aren't working. I'm gonna go to the Infirmary."  
>"After you."<br>They head off.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Michael walks in as the guards wait in the doorway. He says hullo to a passing nurse and walks towards Carson who is sitting with his back to him at a desk at the far end of the room.  
>"Doctor Beckett."<br>Carson doesn't respond. Michael walks over to him and sees that he is asleep with one hand propping up his head. Unsure whether to wake him or not, Michael looks around. He notices a wall calendar hanging above Carson's desk. It is of "Scenic Scotland" and shows a picture of sheep in a country lane. The month is July 2005 and on one of the days, Carson has written "Dinner with Cadman". It's not the date that attracts Michael's attention, however. The location of the country lane is given as "Kenmore". Michael reaches out to touch the word, bewildered. He looks round to the guards, who are standing in the doorway chatting to the nurse and taking no notice of him. He turns back to the table and bends down to a laptop computer on the desk. He types, but a message comes up seeking his password. He glances across at Carson to check that he is still asleep, then goes across to a trolley beside the desk which has some CDs on it. He lifts one up to look at what is written on it, puts it down and picks up a black plastic case containing several CDs. He flicks through the case. Each disk is labelled "DAY TEN, DAY FOUR, DAY FIVE" etc and underneath, "PATIENT #4364". He closes the case and looks at the cover. It is labelled "PATIENT #4364: 1Lt. Michael Kenmore".  
>҉<br>**MICHAEL'S QUARTERS.**

Michael goes back into his room, leaving his guards outside. He walks into the center of the room and looks up at one of the closed circuit cameras on the wall. He walks over to his desk, picks up a laptop computer and walks over to a sofa. Sitting down and opening the computer, he looks across to a small spotlight standing on the floor and pointing towards the sofa. Suspecting that it too might be a camera, he turns to face it and puts the computer down on the sofa so that its screen is facing away from the spotlight.  
><strong>(In the Observation Room)<strong>

A marine watches what he is doing. Suspecting that he is up to something, he gets up and leaves the room while the other marine flicks through all the camera angles trying unsuccessfully to get a good shot of the laptop's screen.  
><strong>(In his room)<strong>

Michael gets the CD case out from under his top, unzips it and takes out the CD labeled DAY TWELVE. He feeds it into the computer. He looks up at the spotlight/camera, then watches the computer as the CD begins to play. It shows a close up of Michael lying unconscious in bed in the Isolation Room. Carson reaches out and adjusts the flow of a drip.  
><em>"Delta wave frequencies are at two point nine Hertz."<em>  
>Elizabeth and John are also in the Isolation Room. <em>"Which means?"<em>  
><em>"He may regain consciousness soon."<em>  
>Michael ejects the disk and exchanges it for the one labeled DAY TEN. This one shows Michael tethered to the bed, screaming and writhing. Carson runs to his bedside, and then calls out for something.<br>_"Five milligrams!"_  
>Michael stares in shock, then inserts the disk labeled DAY SEVEN. This shows Michael writhing on the bed, desperately trying to pull his hands free of the tethers. He calls out, his voice deeper than normal. <em>"<em>_Release me!"_ He roars and cries out in anguish as Carson tries to calm him.  
>Michael inserts the disk labeled DAY ONE. He stares in horror as the disk starts to play. We hear a deep voice roaring. <em>"Arggh! You will die for this! Others will come for me! They will destroy you!"<em>  
>It's a high shot of the Isolation Room. John and Ronon are holding someone down on the bed but we can't see who it is.<br>_"Blah, blah, blah."_ John said.  
><em>"They have to find us first."<em> Ronon said.  
>The person on the bed roars in rage.<br>_"You're gonna need a name. How does Mike sound?"_ John said.  
>The camera angle changes and shows who is on the bed. It's a Wraith. In his quarters, Michael reaches out and hits the pause button, staring in horror. Just then, Carson and several guards burst in through the door of his quarters. Michael stares at up them, and then turns the computer around to show the screen to Carson. Carson stares, appalled that he has found out the truth.<br>҉  
><strong>MICHAEL'S QUARTERS.<strong>

Atlantis is swathed in fog. John and Elizabeth have arrived. Michael is on his feet and is staring at them in anguish.  
>"You lied to me. I'm a Wraith."<br>"You were a Wraith, yes. Michael, please..." Weir said.  
>"Don't call me that. That's not my name."<br>"Alright, take it easy." John puts his hand on his holstered pistol.  
>"If you would let us explain?" Weir asked.<br>"Go ahead. Explain. But no more lies." Michael angrily said.  
>"Alright. This is what we know of the Wraith: they evolved from a creature that we call the iratus bug. Now that bug began taking on characteristics of the humans it was feeding on and, over time, became the Wraith that we know now. So Doctor Beckett has developed a drug."<br>"It's a retrovirus designed to suppress the iratus bug elements of the Wraith genetic code, leaving only the human aspects behind. It took some time to perfect but we finally achieved a viable drug, which we then decided to test." Carson said.  
>"The injections? Insulin?" Michael asked.<br>"Not insulin. I'm sorry. You see, once the retrovirus was administered and the transformation begun, another drug was needed to prevent the Wraith elements from returning. It's actually a combination of drugs which unfortunately require a daily injection." Carson said.  
>"So what are you saying, that-that being a Wraith is some kind of disease - something you think you can cure? What gives you the right to do this to me?" Michael asked.<br>"We're at war. The Wraith will stop at nothing to kill every one of us. And we'll stop at nothing to make sure that doesn't happen." John said.  
>"You made up everything: my name, the photograph of my parents."<br>"It was my decision to keep the truth from you." Weir said.  
>Michael was getting angry "Why?"<br>"For a while, we were concerned that if you were told, you may react the way you are now." Weir said.  
>"The whole point was to erase any trace of Wraith inside you, not to keep reminding you of it. And trust me, you're a helluva lot better off now than you were before." John said. Michael snorts, but doesn't meet anyone's eyes. "You sense we're telling the truth."<br>҉  
><strong>CONFERENCE ROOM.<strong>  
>"This whole thing was a bad idea." Ronon said.<br>"No, it wasn't. The retrovirus works - that much is clear. Just look at the guy." Ronon narrows his eyes at John. "If we can figure out how to deploy this as a biological weapon, it's possible that we can hit entire hive ships and turn them into humans."  
>"That's still a ways off, and I've yet to develop an effective long term dose to keep the Wraith elements suppressed for a lifetime." Carson said.<br>"But the point is, we are getting closer." Weir pointed out.  
>"You know, you may be able to make him look like a human, talk like a human, but he'll still be a Wraith. Nothing you do will ever change that." Ronon said.<br>҉  
><strong>MICHAEL'S QUARTERS.<strong>

Michael is sitting on the end of the bed, lost in thought. Illyria walks in.  
>"Michael?" He ignores her. "I know you are angry. I am sorry for what you have been put through. But, in time, I think you may come to see this as..."<br>"Were you part of the team that captured me?" Michael inturupted. He finally meets her eyes, but then looks away.

"No. I was left uniformed about what Weir planned to do. I was just as shocked as everyone else when you came through the gate."  
>"You told me before that you and your team rescued me when I was captured by the Wraith. But now I'm starting to realize you did the actual capture." Michael looks up at her. "And you have the nerve to tell me you're my friend."<br>Illyria walks closer. "I would like to be your friend. I would."  
>"You expect me to believe that?"<br>"You may not understand this now but making you human ... I believe this could make your life better."  
>"Really? Because from what I was told, you made me human in order to make your lives better." Michael said sarcastically. Illyria stares at him, unable to argue against that. "So tell me then: what makes being human better than being a Wraith?"<br>"They are evil. They kill us, feed on us, show no mercy, know nothing of compassion..."  
>"And humans are different?"<br>"Yes."  
>"So what you did to me - that was done out of compassion?"<br>Again, Illyria cannot answer.  
>҉<br>**KATE'S OFFICE.**

Kate and Michael talk as guards stand outside the open door.  
>"Your feelings of betrayal are understandable, but it's important you talk about them - hopefully come to resolve them."<br>"With you?"  
>"Yes. Of course."<br>"I already tried that once - it didn't work out so well. But something was cleared up for me, though. Now I know what that strange feeling was, the one that's been ... gnawing inside of me. Seems I can't shake those basic Wraith instincts." Michael turns his head and looks at her. "Hunger, aggression - and now that I know the truth, I feel them even more."  
>҉<br>**OBSERVATION ROOM.**

Elizabeth, Carson, John and Illyria are watching Michael in his room.  
>"Doctor Heightmeyer confirmed he believes he's still experiencing Wraith compulsions. Is there anything more you can do to help suppress them?" Weir asked Carson.<br>"I don't know. It could merely be a psychological manifestation."  
>"Maybe we should up his dose." Everybody looks at John. "Yeah, I know you said give it more time, but now that he knows what's going on, things might start going from bad to worse."<br>"I agree." Weir said.  
>"He's due for his next injection now. I could go ahead and increase the dosage, monitor him closely." Carson said.<br>"Let's just hope he agrees to take it." Weir said.  
>"Well, if he doesn't, we'll have to insist." Carson looks at John, startled. "Who knows - maybe another big dose might wipe his memory clean again."<br>"And then what? We start the lies all over again?" Illyria asked.

҉  
><strong>MICHAEL'S QUARTERS.<strong>

Sergeant Cole comes in. "They want you in the Infirmary. Time for your injection."  
>҉<br>**CORRIDORS.**

Sergeant Cole precedes Michael along the corridor and up some stairs. The other guard follows, but then is relieved by a new guard who takes his place. Ronon falls in behind him. Michael glances round at the two men following him. When he reaches the top of the stairs, he stops and turns round to face Ronon.  
>"What are you doing?" Cole asks.<br>Michael walks down a couple of steps and looks at Ronon. "What do you want from me?"  
>Ronon smiles unpleasantly. "Just waiting for you to give me a reason to kill you. Keep it up with Illyria and I will."<br>Michael nods. "I guess I should thank you. You're the only one around here who's been honest with me from the start."  
>"Lieutenant Kenmore. The Infirmary?" Cole promted.<br>"You heard him. Better get moving..." Ronon sarcastically said, "...Lieutenant."  
>Michael looks at him for a moment, then slowly turns to face Cole and the other guard. Without warning, he grabs Cole and hurls him down the stairs into Ronon, then grabs the other guard and slams him face first into the wall. He grabs the guard's pistol out of its holster and tosses him into Ronon and Cole before racing off. Ronon shoves the guard aside, draws his blaster and fires towards Michael as he chases off after him. Cole checks on his colleague.<br>"This is Sergeant Cole. Kenmore's escaped. Level five, east tower." He spoke into his radio and draws his Wraith stunner and follows after Ronon and Michael as the other guard struggles to his feet. "Ronon's also in pursuit."

Ronon races down some stairs, looking for Michael. Nearby, Cole and his colleague come down another set of stairs. Cole gestures to his colleague to go in one direction while he heads off in another. He checks around carefully but Michael steps out of dark cover beside him, aiming his pistol at him.  
>"Drop your weapon." Michael said.<br>Cole freezes, not turning to face him. "Just take it easy, Lieutenant."  
>"Stop calling me that. Drop your weapon."<br>Cole starts to lower his stunner, then spins and aims his stunner at Michael. Michael fires four quick shots and Cole crashes to the ground. Michael stares in horror at what he has done. He walks over and squats down to Cole, who is lying on the floor staring up at him in agony. Michael puts his hand on one of the gunshot wounds, lifts his hand and looks at the blood, then raises his fingers to his face and smells them. He stands and turns to walk away, only to find Ronon's blaster pointed at his face. Before Ronon can fire, a Wraith stunner blast hits Michael from behind. Michael convulses and drops to the floor. John races up, grabs Ronon's blaster and looks at the setting before giving him a black look.  
>"I figured you'd forget to set it to stun."<br>Illyria runs over and squats down to Cole, whose eyes are now closed. "Sergeant Cole." She puts her fingers on his neck, then looks up at the others. "He is dead."  
>҉<br>**BRIG.**

Michael is standing in the cell with the force-field activated around it.  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM.**  
>"We can't keep him here, even locked up. It's too dangerous." Weir said.<br>"We can take him to the Alpha site. We'll sedate him first so he won't know where it is." John suggested.  
>"And then what?" Ronon asked.<br>"Continue with the drug treatments."  
>Ronon smiles bitterly. "Continue?"<br>"Doctor Beckett was about to start increasing the dosage. Hopefully that will be effective in eliminating any remaining Wraith impulses." Weir said.  
>"Why are we even talking about this? He killed one of your people. Your experiment didn't work. We should kill him right now."<br>"We can't kill him, Ronon. We're the ones who put him in this position." Kate said.  
>"Hold on a minute, Doc. If we hadn't given him the retrovirus, he'd still be a Wraith. We wouldn't think twice about killing him." John said.<br>"But we did give him the retrovirus. We made him human. Now we have the responsibility to treat him as we would any other..."  
>Ronon interrupted Illyria. "He's not human. He's a Wraith."<br>The others think about it for a moment, then Elizabeth turns to Carson. "Carson, what do you think? Is it worth continuing with these treatments?"  
>"I, uh ... I don't know. I ... suppose it's worth seeing how he fares with the increased dosage."<br>"I agree. We've come too far with this just to abandon it now."  
>Ronon stares at Weir bitterly. Carson looks anguished.<br>҉  
><strong>BRIG.<strong>

Michael is pacing slowly around the cell but stops and turns as the door to the Brig opens. Illyria walks in and addresses the two guards. "Would you please step outside?"  
>They nod and leave the room but stand just outside with the door open. Illyria walks over to the cell.<br>"What's going to happen to me?" Michael asked.  
>"You will be transported to another planet where we are establishing an offworld base."<br>Michael speaks quietly, upset. "You want to keep me from learning more about Atlantis. You're afraid that if a Wraith ship comes close enough, I'll communicate with them - tell them you're here." Illyria looks at him, not needing to answer. Michael looks anguished. "I didn't want to kill him. I just wanted to escape, to get out of this place."  
>"We would like to continue the drug treatments." Michael closes his eyes. "Doctor Beckett believes that an increased dose would fully suppress any Wraith urges you may still be experiencing." Michael lowers his head. "The alternative is death."<br>҉  
><strong>GATEROOM.<strong>

Carson is supervising his team as they carry equipment ready to take offworld. He talks with a German man. "All of this up to the Jumper Bay. The E.E.G., defib, cardiograph. Oh, cross-check the medications on the list I gave you - make certain we're good for at least a week." He stops to talk with Elizabeth as the team carry their gear up the stairs. "We've got a lot of equipment to take with us. From what I understand, the Alpha site's not exactly set up for this kind of work."  
>"It's not set up for much of anything yet, I'm afraid. Hey, how are you holding up?" Weir asked.<br>Sarcastically, Carson said, "Oh, I don't know - because of me, a man is dead."  
>"You can't blame yourself for that."<br>"Elizabeth, I'm the one who developed the retrovirus. I'm the one who pushed for this experiment. Of course I'm to blame."  
>"And I'm the one who approved it. This was my call, Carson, so if there's any blame to be laid, it starts and ends with me, alright?"<br>Carson looks away. He clearly doesn't feel any better.  
>҉<br>**BRIG.**

Michael is sitting on the floor in the corner of the cell. The shield around the cell turns off. Michael scrambles to his feet as the cell door opens and John approaches.  
>"Colonel."<br>"Time to go."  
>He raises a Wraith stunner pistol and shoots Michael, who drops to the floor. A medical team runs in with a gurney. Carson runs over to Michael and injects him in the neck.<br>"Clear."  
>A couple of medics pick Michael up and put him on the gurney.<br>**WORMHOLE TRAVEL.**  
>҉<br>**ALPHA SITE.**

Michael wakes up lying on a bed in a metal hut.  
>"It is alright. You are safe." Illyria calmed him.<br>Michael looks around to see her sitting nearby. "What happened?"  
>"You were sedated for transport to the Alpha site." Michael tries to sit up but finds that his hands and feet are tethered to the bed. "Just a precaution." Michael lies back down. "How are you feeling?"<br>"Hungry."  
>"I will see about getting you some food." She walks away.<br>Somewhere nearby, Carson takes a test tube out of a centrifuge. He takes the top off and siphons up some yellow liquid which he squirts into another test tube which already contains some clear liquid.  
>҉<br>**MICHAEL'S HUT.**

Illyria wheels over a trolley which has a bowl of vegetable soup on it, together with some M.R.E. bags. Michael looks at the trolley enquiringly.

"They call them Meals Ready to Eat. It was all I could gather on short notice. Doctor McKay quite likes them, actually." She smiles awkwardly. Michael tugs at his wrist tethers pointedly, making her realize that he can't feed himself. "Let me help you." She lifts up the bowl of soup and feeds him a spoonful. As he swallows, she offers him another spoonful but he shakes his head.  
>"It's OK." Illyria puts the bowl down. "You're different from the others. I noticed it the first time I saw you." He stares at her intently and Illyria stares back. "You're the only person willing to understand." Illyria blinks, unable to look away. "The only one with a truly open mind {mind} {mind}."<br>His voice echoes in her head. Still gazing at him, Illyria reaches down and undoes the tether around his left wrist. As he reaches across to untie his right hand, Illyira, her eyes still locked on his, moves to the foot of the bed. "The only one willing to show compassion {compassion} {compassion} {compassion}."  
>Illyria unties his feet. He gets up off the bed as she walks around to his bedside. He puts his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you, Illyria." He spins her around and seizes her around the throat, holding his other hand behind her head so that if she moves, he can snap her neck. She gasps, the mental connection broken. "I knew I could count on you."<br>҉  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.<strong>

John and Ronon are racing around the site looking for Illyria and Michael. Carson runs over.  
>"Colonel!"<br>"What happened?" John asked.  
>"Don't quite know. He somehow managed to get free of his restraints and take Illyria hostage. He forced a security detail outside the Infirmary to drop their weapons or he'd kill her."<br>"Where'd they go?"  
>"Up the ridge. Bravo team's on their way."<br>John and Ronon race off towards the ridge. The members of Bravo team are already halfway up it.  
>Somewhere nearby, Michael has Illyria on her knees as he fastens plastic tethers around her wrists behind her back. He pulls her to her feet as he finishes fastening them.<br>Michael quoted what Illyria said earlier. "Just a precaution." Illyria struggles. "I know - you're angry. I lied to you. But you had no right to do this to me. I won't let you experiment on me anymore." Illyria pulls free of him and turns to face him. He points a pistol at her. "Let's go."  
>Illyria turns and walks off.<br>Further back, Ronon is running ahead of John. He stops and looks at the ground. "He's changing directions. The tracks are difficult to follow." He scans the ground. "He's good."  
>"But you, uh, can follow them, right? I mean, that's your thing." Ronon turns and looks at John. "Among many other things."<br>Ronon looks at the ground again. "This way."  
>҉<br>**ALPHA SITE STARGATE.**

Michael is standing at the D.H.D. as Illyria sits on the ground behind him.  
>"What are you doing?" She asked.<br>"We need to leave this planet." Holding a pistol on her, Michael starts to dial the D.H.D.  
>"And go where?"<br>"I don't know."  
>Michael must be dredging up the memory of an address from somewhere, because he continues to dial. Behind him, Illyria, who is sitting on some large pieces of slate, picks up a small slate behind her back and starts to draw on the rock she's sitting on.<br>Behind them, Ronon and John come upon a couple of unconscious (or dead?) guards.  
>"These are the guarding the Gate." John said. He and Ronon race for the Gate.<br>҉  
><strong>STARGATE.<strong>

Illyria has moved away from the slate she was sitting on and is on her knees. The Stargate whooshes. Michael runs over, pulls her to her feet and drags her towards the Gate. Ronon and John race out of the trees nearby and run towards them, Ronon firing his blaster at Michael, but he's too far away. Michael and Illyria run into the event horizon. The Gate starts to shut down. Ronon hurls himself towards it but the wormhole disengages. He flies straight through the Gate and crashes to the ground on the other side.  
>"Dammit!" John yells.<br>҉  
><strong>ANOTHER PLANET.<strong>

Illyria is preceding Michael, who is still holding his pistol on her.  
>"What is this place?" She asked.<br>Michael looks around, then jerks his head in the direction he wants her to go. "That way."  
>They continue walking.<br>҉  
><strong>ALPHA SITE STARGATE. <strong>

John is staring down at the D.H.D. "We need to figure out the last address dialed, if that's even possible. We need to get McKay out here."  
>Ronon spots something. "No we don't."<br>John was still looking at the D.H.D. "Trust me, he's the only one who can figure this stuff out."  
>"Look." Ronon holds up the slate that Illyria was drawing on. It shows the address that Michael was dialing.<br>҉  
><strong>THE OTHER PLANET.<strong>  
>"How much further must we walk?" Illyria asked.<br>"We'll rest up ahead." Michael leans his head against a tree, sounding either exhausted or in pain. Illyria walks a few paces away from him, her face tense with concentration as she gazes into the distance.  
>"There are Wraith nearby."<br>Michael straightens up as she turns to face him. His skin is pale grey and his pupils are slits. "Yes, there are."  
>Illyria backs away from him in horror as he raises his pistol and points it at her again. Michael convulses in agony. "It is not too late. We can still go back. Doctor Beckett can give you an injection, take away the pain."<br>"No! This is how it's supposed to be. I'm returning to what I was." Michael straightens up and walks towards her. "What I am."  
>҉<br>**LATER.**

Illyria's tethers have been removed. She is lying on her back on the ground. She wakes up. Sitting up and finding her hands free, she sees a pack lying beside her. She scrambles to her feet and grabs the pack, but quickly finds that there's nothing inside that will be of any use to her. She drops the pack and looks around for Michael. She can't see him, but something else attracts her attention. She looks in horror at the sight of a Wraith hive ship which has landed in the distance. As a Wraith cruiser flies overhead, scores of Wraith are disembarking from the hive ship.  
>"This is what I was drawn to." Michael said.<br>His voice is deep and more Wraith-like. Illyria turns to find him standing beside her and gazing at the ship. His transformation is continuing. His face has the facial ridges of a Wraith and the skin is becoming shiny. His hair is whiter and his teeth are longer.  
>"They are aware of us." Michael turns and looks at her. "They are coming."<br>"I know. And I will return to them."  
>"Then we shall be enemies again."<br>"We never stopped being enemies."  
>"What will you do with me? Feed on me? Is that why you brought me all this way?"<br>"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the urge." Michael raises his right hand and looks at the palm. "And now that I'm truly able to feed again..." he turns his palm towards Illyria. There is a slit in the center of it "...I feel it even more."  
>Illyria deliberately turns to face him. "Then go ahead."<br>Michael stares at her, torn between his last remaining human feelings and his Wraith instinct. He slowly stretches out his hand towards her. Illyria stands resolute but afraid as Michael, groaning, struggles to stop himself from continuing to reach towards her. When his hand is mere inches from her chest, he stops and pulls his hand back. Illyria gazes at him hopefully. Then Michael roars, raises his hand high and plunges it towards her.

It never reaches her.

A hail of bullets is fired into his back. The cavalry has arrived. Michael crashes to the ground as John races out of the trees, followed by Ronon, who stops and turns as Wraith guards run out of the trees behind him. He fires at them.  
>"Fall back!" John calls.<br>John helps Illyria hurry towards him as he fires his P90 at more guards. Above them on a ridge, even more guards appear. John fires at them as he and Illyria race back into the woods. Ronon follows, turning to fire his blaster at the approaching guards.  
>Nearby, a male Wraith and some guards reach Michael. The Wraith snarls in the direction of the fleeing humans before bending down to Michael and rolling him over.<br>"He's alive."  
>Two of the guards pick Michael up and carry him away.<p>

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM.**  
>"He had completely transformed back into a Wraith?" Weir asked.<br>"Not completely, but well on his way." John said.  
>"His reversion occurred at a much more accelerated rate than we anticipated." Carson said.<br>"Unfortunately, his memory of what we did to him remained intact." Illyria said.  
>"I shoulda killed him when I had the chance." Ronon grumbled.<br>"He's right. We are totally screwed. Not only has our dear lieutenant rejoined the Wraith, but he's taken with him the knowledge that Atlantis still exists." McKay said.  
>"God knows what type of intel he was able to pick up during his stay." John said.<br>"They will send another wave of hive ships." Illyria said.  
>"Probably already on their way." Ronon said.<br>"And this time, I'm guessing they're not gonna fall for the whole invisibility trick." McKay grunted.  
>"We need to come up with a new defense plan." Weir said.<br>"We're gonna need more fire power." John corrected and held Illyria's hand that laid on her belly.


	26. Chapter 24

**TARANIS. **

Taranis is a planet which has a Stargate near to a cliff of volcanic rock. At the base of the cliff is a large doorway, perhaps twenty or more feet high, with huge doors. Massive shafts of varying sizes run up from the door to a large complex built into the side of the rock about halfway up the cliff. This was obviously not built by your usual simple Pegasus colony. At the front of the complex is a large glassed area, some sort of observation deck. Inside the observation deck is a Control Room, looking at least as advanced as Atlantis. Standing at the window looking out towards the Stargate is Doctor Norina Pero, a woman in her thirties. She is, inevitably, slim, blonde and gorgeous. With her are Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, Captain Frio and Ronon. John is standing behind her, looking more at the view than her, unlike Rodney who was more interested in Norina than the view from the window.  
>"Impressive!" John said.<br>"Hmm!"  
>Oblivious to McKay's attention, Norina turns away from the window and gestures into the room. "This is our central Control Room." Norina leads them down some steps to one of the consoles. "And this is our shield generator control."<br>The controls on the panel on top of the console are obviously of Ancient design.  
>"The austerity of the facility suggests that it was built during the height of war." McKay said.<br>"It is well beyond our science. My skills are rudimentary at best."  
>"Ah, don't be so hard on yourself. It took Doctor McKay years to figure out all things Ancient and he still doesn't completely understand." John said.<br>"I have a very firm grasp of Ancient technology." McKay said, defensively.  
>"You've blow up entire planets, Rodney." John told him.<br>"That wasn't my fault!"  
>"Well, it didn't do it by itself!"<br>An older man comes in. "Are these our guests?"  
>"Yes, Chancellor." Norina introduces the team. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Doctor Rodney McKay, Captain Marissa Frio and Ronon Dex. Chancellor Lycus."<br>"Welcome to Taranis." Chancellor Lycus said.  
>"Thank you." John said.<br>"And thank you for finally answering our calls for assistance. We tried several addresses from the database but were beginning to wonder if anyone could hear us."  
>"Sorry about that. Um, we like to keep a low profile."<br>"So as not to attract the attention of the Wraith." Marissa said.  
>"I see. Well, hopefully you can help us. Our shield generator has been giving us trouble for some time now. Our knowledge of the technology is limited, and the Ancestors regrettably neglected to leave behind instruction manuals." Chancellor Lycus said.<br>Rodney laughs derisively. "Actually, they did. You probably just couldn't understand..."  
>John deliberately talked over Rodney. "The good news is you found our address. I'm sure we can fix whatever needs fixing."<br>"And by "we", he means me, so..." McKay reaches behind him and pulls his laptop computer, which was velcroed to his back, off with a loud ripping sound "...shall we get started?"  
>"I'm sure I could learn a lot from you, Doctor." Norina said.<br>Rodney looks startled. "Oh! Well, I'm sure I can learn, um..." He trails off, embarrassed, while Ronon grins at him and Marissa unsuccessfully tries to hide a smile. "Let's start here, shall we?" He points to the shield generator control console. Norina walks over to join him.  
>Chancellor Lycus spoke to the others. "In the meantime, perhaps you'd like a tour of the facility."<br>"Lead the way."  
>Lycus leads John, Marissa and Ronon out of the room.<br>҉  
><strong>LATER. <strong>

**ELSEWHERE IN THE COMPLEX. **

Elevator doors open and Lycus and the team exit.  
>"Ooh! My ears just popped!" John said.<br>"We are deep underground. The Ancestors constructed an extensive system of corridors and tunnels throughout the facility and beyond. In fact, it was by following such a tunnel beneath our nearest settlement that we discovered this facility." Lycus said.  
>There's a loud rumbling and the complex shakes violently. Back in the Control Room, Rodney looks up from the console and runs to the doorway. He looks around nervously as dust falls from the ceiling. Out in the complex, Lycus seems unperturbed.<br>"What was that?" Marissa asked.  
>"Oh, just a tremor. Nothing to be concerned with. Uh, please, this way." Lycus leads them on as they look at each other in concern.<p>

**(In the Control Room) **

Rodney looks round at Norina nervously. She too doesn't seem particularly bothered by what just happened.  
>"That was harmonic tremors." McKay said.<br>"We've experienced several such tremors in recent days. I'm concerned they may have something to do with our generator problems."  
>McKay was walking towards Norina. "Well, you say your generator is powered by geothermal energy?"<br>"Yes."  
>"Well, then I'd say there's probably a connection."<br>"What were you doing?" Norina was referring to the way that Rodney ran to the door when the tremors happened.  
>McKay was bluffing desperately. "Well, that, that was, uh, that was the... standard military procedure. In the case of an earthquake, one hides...uh, well, stands in a doorway and, uh, just checks the...structural integrity of the building...for the sake of the civilians."<br>**(Underground)**

Lycus leads the rest of the team to a closed door. "This is the main hangar."  
>"Hangar? For what?" John asked.<br>"Mere description would be inadequate." Lycus waves his hand past a standard Ancient door panel and the door opens. He leads the team inside and they walk to a balcony.

John's jaw drops. "I see what you mean!"  
>The balcony overlooks an Ancient ship. It's way bigger than Daedalus and looks very similar to the Aurora.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

John is walking with Illyria towards Weir's office.  
>"It's an Aurora class warship. Obviously you guys built more than one of them."<br>"Why didn't we become aware of it at the same time our sensors picked up the Aurora?" Illyria asked.  
>"It's damaged - probably from the war with the Wraith."<br>"Beyond repair?" Weir asked, over hearing the conversation.  
>"I don't know. Their scientists - or at least the folks who call themselves scientists - have been working on it for years but it's way out of their league. They know how to turn things on and off, but as far as fixing problems..."<br>"Well, Rodney should still have the technical specs you brought back from the Aurora mission."  
>"I told him to take a look at 'em but first I want him to fix the, uh, shield generator - build some goodwill with these people."<br>"Good idea. Hopefully we can establish an alliance with them. A ship like that..." Illyria  
>"...would come very much in handy now that the Wraith are probably on their way - I know. Uh, I'm gonna get back there now - uh, make sure he's not distracted." John finished.<br>"Distracted?" Weir asked.  
>"Ah, well, the lead scientist, uh, she's very, um..."<p>

"...hot?" Illyria guessed.  
>"I was gonna say attractive. But McKay is acting very, uh..."<p>

"…smitten?" Weir guessed.  
>"I was gonna say pathetic." John turns to leave.<br>"Wait. I should head back with you and begin negotiations with the Taranan leader."

"Illyria-"

"No, John. I'm the best delegate Atlantis has, aside from you, Elizabeth. It would be a waste of my skills to not use me."

Weir thought it over and nodded. Illyria smiled and turned to John. "What's he like?"  
>"Oh, you know. He's a guy. Didn't pay much attention. Sorry!" John turns and walks away, frustrated.<p>

**TARANIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM**.

Rodney is talking with Norina and some of her colleagues. "A shield like this would normally require a Zero Point Module to power it but, uh, this one seems to operate on geothermal energy alone." He turns and walks to another console. Norina follows him.  
>"Yes, there's an enormous amount of heat beneath the surface."<br>Rodney turns and looks at her. "Hmm, you're telling me."  
>Norina glances at him, then turns her attention back to the console. "When I noticed the fluctuations in shield strength, I managed to override the alarms and make some adjustments, but then other lights began blinking and I was unable to understand what they meant. (Rodney leans on the console, gazing at her, obviously impressed by the fact that this is a beautiful and fairly smart scientist.) Shortly after that is when the tremors started."<br>John walks in with a case. "How goes it, Rodney?"  
>Rodney rapidly straightens up from the console. "Uh, I was just, uh, still running diagnostics."<br>"Still? Thought you would have had that fixed. If you want, um, I can call Doctor Zelenka. I'm sure he could, uh..."  
>"I can handle it, thank you!" Rodney walks over the table that John put the case down on and opens it. John strolls over to Norina, smiling at her. Rodney, unaware of this, talks to John over his shoulder as he tinkers with what's in the case, apparently interfacing it with his computer tablet. "What are you doing back so soon? I mean, I told you this might take some time."<br>"Uh, Illyria wanted to talk to the Chancellor,-"

"And you let her?"

John seemed to ignore Rodney's comment and continued, "-see if we can establish relations with these good people."  
>"That would be wonderful." Norina said.<br>"Uh, in fact, you've been working hard –"  
>McKay turned round and interrupted. "Uh, no-no-no. I was just about to, uh, show Norina the generator log which, uh, shows that, uh..." he picks up his computer tablet again and looks at it in shock "...you've been running the shield continuously for over a year now."<br>"Yes. When the device was activated..." she looks at John "...you told me what it was called..."  
>"The long range scanners - that's just what we call them." McKay said.<br>"It's from an old TV show..." John said but McKay interrupted.  
>"Yes, yes." He turns to Norina. "What about them?"<br>"When they indicated a sudden rise in Wraith activity last year, Chancellor Lycus ordered me to increase the strength of the shield."  
>"Well, that's unfortunate." McKay said.<br>"Why?"  
>"Because the Ancients didn't design these things to run continuously at maximum capacity." McKay explained. He picks up another laptop and takes it over to another console. John shrugs at Norina. "Look, shields are for emergencies only, Norina. When you shut down the alarms, you overrode the failsafes and that means that we're..." He activates the laptop and stares at it in horror. "Oh, no."<br>"What it is?" Norina and John walk over to join him.  
>"The reason the Ancients chose to power this facility on geothermal energy is because we're sitting right smack in the caldera of a dormant super-volcano ... or should I say formerly dormant, because drawing all of this energy from the magma chamber has made it extremely active."<br>"So - things are gonna get worse." John said.  
>"I think we can safely say that things are gonna get..." McKay searches for the right word "...worse. Yes."<br>҉  
><strong>CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE.<strong>

Illyria and Lycus are sitting either side of his desk.  
>"We are seeking to establish relations with civilizations throughout the galaxy." Illyria said.<br>"As are we. In fact, people from several worlds have chosen to emigrate here, seeking refuge from the Wraith."  
>"Our interest extends beyond just security, though. We're also interested in cultural exchange and, of course, trading opportunities. As you discovered, we have an extensive knowledge of Ancient technology."<br>Lycus was looking at her suspiciously. "And we have an Ancient warship."  
>"Yes. A ship that currently is unable to fly. If we were able to repair it, perhaps we could negotiate..."<br>Lycus interrupted. "We do not know all of its wonders, but I can only assume it possesses the capability for great destruction. Why would I hand over that capability to you?"  
>"Now, Chancellor, don't take this as a threat in any way, but we already possess that capability. Now, having that ability and using it are two entirely different things."<br>John's voice comes over her headset_.__ "__Illyria."_  
>"Excuse me, please." She activates her headset. "Yes, John?"<br>_ "You and the Chancellor may want to come down to the Control Room. We have a problem here."_  
>"What kind of problem?"<br>The complex shakes violently for several seconds.  
><em>"That kind of problem!"<em>  
>҉<br>**TARANIS CONTROL ROOM.**

Illyria and Lycus have joined the others. Illyria is gazing out of the window at the large flat plain outside. "I don't see any…volcano." She turns to face the others.  
>"Because you're standing inside it right now. Look, when you think of regular volcanoes, you think Mount St Helens," McKay steeples his fingers to indicate what people think a volcano usually looks like,<br>or, uh, Kilauea."  
>"And super-volcano?"<br>"Yellowstone National Park - with a caldera over fifty miles wide and a massive sea of molten rock just beneath the surface."  
>"So my- the ancients built the facility here in order to tap into all that geothermal energy."<br>"Right. And these things don't erupt very often. Thousands, oftentimes hundreds of thousands of years go by between blasts."  
>"So the Ancients thought, what the hell, plenty of energy down there to run the shield?" John said.<br>"Yeah, but not continuously." McKay said.  
>Norina spoke to Lycus. "By doing so, we've increased the pressure of the magma chamber."<br>"It's expanded to over forty miles now, and increasing." McKay said.  
>"Can it be stopped?" Illyria asked.<br>"No. The damage is already done. Look, a significant hotspot rift has opened. The pressure will keep building as magma continues pouring in directly beneath us." McKay said.  
>"Is there anything we can do to relieve the pressure somewhere else? Uh, maybe we can fire a drone down into the crust on the other side of the caldera." John said.<br>"Every problem has a military solution in your world, doesn't it? Look, when this baby goes, the whole thing goes." McKay told them irritably.  
>John turned to Lycus. "Then we need to evacuate your people."<br>"Is there anywhere on this planet we can help relocate you to?" Illyria asked.  
>"Look, you're still not getting it. Listen to me, all of you. When this thing erupts, the force of the explosion will be over ten thousand times greater than the blast that destroyed Mount St Helens. It will obliterate half of this continent." McKay said.<br>"There must be other continents."  
>"The dust cloud will envelop the planet within weeks, blocking out enough sunlight to kill every living thing. We are talking about an Extinction Level Event." McKay turned to Lycus. "Look, the only option you've got is to evacuate your people to another planet - and I would advise doing it sooner rather than later."<br>Lycus looks at them all for a moment. "Excuse me." He turns to leave the room, pausing to talk quietly to a guard. "Watch them carefully." He leaves the room.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry, was my volume turned right down?" McKay looks at the others. "Did he not hear me?"<br>҉  
><strong>CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE.<strong>

Lycus pours himself a drink. The door beeps. Lycus turns to an aide standing at the door and nods to him. The aide passes his hand over the door panel and the door opens. Illyria is standing outside. She walks in. Lycus nods to his aide again, who leaves the room. Lycus takes a drink as Illyria walks closer.  
>"Chancellor Lycus. Doctor McKay is the finest scientist we have. I trust his advice without reservation."<br>"And I don't know you."  
>"You asked for our help, and we came."<br>"To fix our field generator, not incite evacuation of our planet."  
>"Your shield generator is what's causing this problem. Now, we would not advise such drastic measures unless there were no other alternatives."<br>"I'm just finding it curious that you advise us to leave this planet shortly after you discover that we possess an Ancient warship."  
>"You think we're trying to get you to leave so we can take your ship?"<br>"As I said, I don't know you."  
>"No, you don't."<br>The complex shakes violently. Outside, all across the caldera, several plumes of smoke burst out of the ground. Part of the ground collapses and more smoke pours out.  
>҉<br>**TARANIS CONTROL ROOM.**

Lycus hurries in, followed by Illyria.  
>"Is everyone alright?" Illyria asked.<br>Over by the window, John is tending to a Taranan technician who is sitting on the steps. "Nasty cut on his forehead."  
>"Reports of the wounded are coming in from the settlement." Norina reported.<br>John walks away from the technician, having put a field dressing on his injured head.  
>"I'll call Beckett - get him up here." Illyria said.<br>"You'd better make it quick. The last tremor opened a hydrothermal vent in the base. The ground is eroding beneath us." McKay said.  
>John turned to Lycus. "You need to get your people off this planet now."<br>"They can come to Atlantis. They'll be safe there." Lycus hesitates. "If we didn't answer your call for help, this would still be happening." Illyria said.  
>"Chancellor, please listen to them." Norina pleaded.<br>Lycus nods. "Alert the settlement. Tell our people to gather only their most precious possessions and come here as quickly as possible. We'll begin evacuating immediately."  
>"Good." Illyria turns away and activates her headset. "Marissa, Ronon, come in."<br>҉  
><strong>LATER<strong>**.**

As Taranans begin arriving at the complex, Illyria and Lycus are down in the lower corridors. They meet Marissa, Ronon and Doctor Beckett as they arrive.  
>"Oh good, you're here. We're just about ready to escort the first wave back to Atlantis." Illyria told the good doctor.<br>"Where are the wounded?" He asked.  
>"There's a technician up in the Control Room that needs tending to. They're also bringing more wounded in from the settlement."<br>"What can we do?" Marissa asked.  
>"You can help Colonel Sheppard facilitate the flow of evacuees. Chancellor Lycus and I are going to handle their arrival on the other end." Illyria told her.<br>"This way, Carson." Marissa and Ronon lead him off as Lycus and Illyria head in another direction.  
>҉<br>**TARANIS CONTROL ROOM.**

Rodney is dialling the D.H.D. as Carson comes in. "Rodney?"  
>McKay was pointing to the technician sitting on the steps. "Right here."<br>Carson runs over to the technician. Rodney continues the dialling sequence, then walks over to the window and activates his headset radio. "Gate's dialled. You're good to go."  
><strong>(Outside the complex)<strong>

Lycus and Illyria lead the first group of evacuees towards the Gate as it whooshes.  
>"We will see you on the other side. Please, make it quick." Illyria told McKay.<br>She and the group begin to walk through the Gate.

**(Control Room)**

Rodney nods, then walks back to the console, activating his radio again.  
>"Sheppard. The first wave's on its way. How you doin' with the next group?"<br>_"Keep the line moving."_  
>The complex shakes violently. By the Gate, people scream as the ground just in front of the Gate erupts and smoke and steam billows out. The group turns and runs back towards the complex. Magma begins to erupt from the ground. Rodney races to the window, activating his radio.<br>"Sheppard! Get those people back inside the facility!" McKay selects another setting on the radio. "Atlantis, this is McKay - raise the shield! I repeat - raise the shield!"  
>Outside, as the earthquake continues, the Gate falls forward and crashes to the ground, which is already covered with magma. It begins to sink into the red hot molten rock.<br>In the Control Room, Norina stares out of the window in horror as the earthquake subsides. "The Stargate."  
>"It's gone!"<br>Outside, the Gate sinks below the surface of the magma.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

In the Gateroom, Illyria and Lycus lead their group away from the Gate. They stop and turn in surprise as the shield comes on behind them. Illyria looks up at Doctor Weir who is standing on the balcony in the Control Room.  
>"Why did you raise the shield?"<br>"McKay gave the order just before we lost contact."  
>Explosions hit the rear side of the shield.<br>"What is happening?" Lycus asks.  
>The Gate shuts down.<br>"I don't know." Illyria said. She quickly walks up the stairs to the Control Room, Lycus following. "Run a Gate diagnostic."  
>"Power levels were intermittent the last few seconds before it shut off. Something must have terminated the connection from their end." The Tech said.<br>"Dial them back." Weir ordered.  
>The technician dials the D.H.D. The Gate dials, then groans and powers down. "Can't establish a wormhole."<br>"Something's happened to their Stargate." Illyria pointed out.  
>"There's nothing wrong with our Gate. Dial it again." Lycus demanded.<br>The technician dials again. The Gate dials, then groans and powers down. "We're getting nothing."  
>Lycus looks at Illyria. "You orchestrated this, didn't you?"<br>"What?"  
>"You lured me here to hold me hostage in exchange for our warship."<br>"I assure you, Chancellor, that is not what's happening here." Illyria turned to Weir. "Elizabeth, the Daedalus is on its way back from Earth. Can you contact Colonel Caldwell and divert them to Taranis?"  
>"Right away."<br>Illyria spoke to Lycus. "We're gonna find out what's going on, I promise."  
>"I will not be cut off from my people."<br>"My people are on your planet too, Chancellor. We're both cut off."  
>҉<br>**TARANIS CONTROL ROOM.**

John, Marissa and Ronon run in.  
>"What the hell happened?" John yelled.<br>"The Stargate - it was swallowed up by the magma." Carson said.  
>McKay was staring wide-eyed. "We are so screwed!"<br>"You mean we're stuck here?" Ronon asked.  
>"If we have no way of contacting Atlantis..."<br>"We are totally screwed." McKay finished for Marissa.  
>"Alright, hang on. Let's not panic." John told them.<br>"This facility has no means of direct subspace communication." McKay said.  
>"Will you just take it easy?" John yelled at him.<br>McKay got high-pitched. "We're inside a soon to be erupting volcano!"  
>"Illyria will try to dial us back. When she can't get through..." John thinks for a moment "...she'll send the Daedalus."<br>Rodney points at him hopefully, though his eyes are still wide in terror. "Daedalus, right - that's good!"  
>"Er, what if the volcano erupts before then?" Carson asked.<br>Rodney stares blankly.  
>"The ship in the hangar. Maybe McKay can fix it." John said.<br>Rodney's terrified expression changes to one of irritation. "Oh, maybe I can fix it! Place the pressure squarely on my shoulders for a change!"  
>"Well, I've discovered you're pretty good under the threat of impending death!" John yelled back.<br>Rodney points at him as if he's about to start shouting at him, then realizes that he's absolutely right and calms down a little. He walks over to Norina and puts his hand on her arm.  
>"I am, actually." He turns and runs out of the room. The others follow him.<br>҉  
><strong>ANCIENT SHIP.<strong>

In a Control Room, Rodney is working on a console as Norina stands beside him watching what he does. "OK - and ... primary power ... is ..." McKay points towards the wall screen without looking at it  
>"...online."<br>The screen obligingly lights up. Lights come on in the room. Rodney turns and heads for another console, Norina following him.  
>"I wonder how many more ships like these exist." Marissa said.<br>"A few more like this and we can give the Wraith a serious fight." Ronon said.  
>Rodney walks around the Bridge activating various controls, Norina never leaving his side. "Life support should be back up and running in a few minutes."<br>"Good. That's good." John said.  
>"And I have, uh, discovered the ship's name." McKay looks at his computer tablet. "It's the, um, Hippaforalkus."<br>"The what?"  
>"Yeah, well, it appears to have been named after an Ancient general ... Hippaforalkus."<br>"Well, we're not calling it that!" John told him.  
>"Oh good, then what about, um..."<br>"And we're not calling it the Enterprise either!"  
>"I wasn't gonna say that! Look, for my second choice, though, I'd go with, um..."<br>"How about we name it later?"  
>"Fine."<br>"Whatever its name, this ship is large enough to fit a lot people." Marissa told them.  
>"Could fit all the settlement if we had to." Ronon backed her up.<br>"Let's hope we don't have to." John said.  
>Colonel Steven Caldwell's voice comes over the radio but it is very distant and distorted. <em>"Colonel Sheppard, this is the Daedalus."<em>  
>John activated his radio. "Go ahead."<br>They hear nothing but static. John looks at Rodney. "Signal's having trouble breaking through. We're gonna have to boost it. Can you get communications online?"  
>"Right, I'm on it." McKay hurries over to another console, the ever-faithful Norina following him. He activates some controls. "Right, try it now."<br>"Yes, sir, we're here. Where are you?" John spoke into his head set.  
><em>"We've just arrived in orbit above Taranis. Where are you? We've scanned the base and found no life signs."<em>  
>"Well, this part of the base must be, uh, shielded."<br>_"I hear you could use some assistance?"_  
>"Well, the Stargate on this planet's been swallowed by lava and we're in a volcano that could erupt any second, so yeah, yeah, we could use a little help."<br>_"Get yourselves out into the open where we can get a lock on you."_  
>"Well, sir, we promised to help these people. We're gonna need the Daedalus to evac 'em back to Atlantis."<br>_"From the number of people that we're detecting, that's at least four trips."_  
>"But the Daedalus is pretty big ship. Surely you could fit more..." Marissa said.<br>_"This is a spaceship, which means that our life support resources are finite. Four trips would already stretch those resources to the limit."_  
>John turns to Rodney. "Do we have enough time for that?"<br>"There's no way to know for sure. I mean, it'll be close."  
>"All the tremors have stopped." Ronon said.<br>"For the moment." Marissa added.  
>John turned to his radio. "Alright, Beckett's on his way back to the settlement to treat the wounded. Marissa and Ronon can join him - organize people into groups that can be beamed aboard. In the meantime, McKay and I are gonna stay here and continue our work on Plan B."<br>"No. No-no-no-no, we need to get out of here." McKay said.  
>"We can start the process, but if things get worse and the Daedalus can't get everyone offworld, we're gonna need another lifeboat."<br>_"And Plan B is what?"_  
>"We've found a sister ship to the Aurora ... called the ... Orion." John smiles at Rodney, who grimaces and groans. "McKay's trying to get the sublight drive online."<br>_ "Really? Well, a ship that large, you should be able to get everyone else out in one trip."_  
>"Yeah, well, whether or not we live or die is all up to Rodney."<br>"This is so unfair!" MacKay and Norina head off.  
><em>"Sounds like a plan, Colonel. Let's get to it."<em>  
>҉<br>**SETTLEMENT.**

In a large village some distance from the main complex, Carson has gathered all the injured Taranans into what looks like a barn. He is examining a woman. "Right, over there you go." He gestures where she should sit down, then walks over to Marissa.  
>"Have you selected which patients will go first?"<br>"Aye, this group here." He gestures to a group of people lying on the ground. "They're the most severely wounded. I've alerted the Daedalus' Infirmary. They're waiting for them."  
>"Ronon is outside gathering the remainder of the first group. Everyone has seen and felt the first signs of the impending eruption and, despite our best efforts to keep them calm, some are beginning to panic."<br>"How long before the Daedalus is able to return?"  
>"Twelve hours to travel to Atlantis and back."<br>"Twelve hours? And they hope there's enough time to make four trips?"  
>Marissa shakes her head doubtfully. Carson sees Ronon approaching.<br>"Ronon, this way." Ronon walks in with a man and woman. The man has a cut on his head. "To the far left - the next group to go."

"Alright - come here, everyone." Ronon ushers the man and woman towards the group lying on the ground. "I need you to stand here." He gestures to some other injured people sitting nearby and brings them closer to the group. "Stand here. Don't worry - you won't feel a thing."  
>He walks over to Carson and Marissa. Marissa activates her radio. "Daedalus - this is Captain Frio. We have several hundred Taranians standing by at the various beaming sites. We are ready."<br>_"Understood."_  
>Asgard transporter beams sweep the villagers away.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

In the Control Room, Illyria and Lycus listen to Caldwell as he reports over comms.  
><em> "The first wave of refugees are onboard. We're headed back to Atlantis."<em>  
>"Thank you, Colonel. We'll be ready to receive them. Illyria out." She shuts off her radio.<br>"Then what? Once my people have been evacuated to this city, what happens to us then?" Lycus asked.  
>"You're welcome to stay here with us, or we can help you find a safe, suitable planet you can relocate to." Weir told him.<br>"And if what is happening on my planet is a false alarm?" Lycus asked.  
>"I doubt that's the case." Illyria said.<br>Zelenka comes over and interrupts apologetically. "Queen Illyria. Queen - I'm sorry, it's important."  
>"Excuse me, Chancellor. Doctor Weir." Illyria walks over to the wall screen with Radek.<br>"The long range scanner."  
>Illyria stares at the screen. "A hive ship."<br>"Yes - headed towards Atlantis."

Illyria closed her eyes briefly. "How far out?"  
>"Three weeks, perhaps."<br>"Just the one?"  
>"So far."<br>"So far…"  
>҉<br>**ORION CONTROL ROOM.**

Rodney is working on various consoles as Norina follows him around.  
>"I have already learned so much from you just in the last few hours." Rodney looks at her. "Perhaps one day I could study under you."<br>Standing behind them, John looks up to the ceiling in disbelief.  
>McKay looking away. "Uh, yes, well, I really ... um, really look forward to that. But first, we need to, uh, get off." John squints at Rodney's back. "Uh, first we need to get off the planet ... first we need to get off the planet, and then you can be under me..."<br>The complex shakes. Rodney promptly ducks down under the console, leaving Norina to fend for herself. John, being more of a gentleman, runs over and holds her as she tries to keep her feet. Outside, two massive pyroclastic columns erupt from the surface.  
>Inside Orion, as the earthquake subsides, Rodney pops his head up from underneath the console. "OK, that was a big one. That was a lot stronger than the, uh ..."<br>He looks around to John and Norina who are just straightening up, their arms still around each other. They gaze at each other. "You alright?"  
>Norina was gazing into his eyes. "I'm fine."<br>Rodney looks away, fed up. He stands up and taps the console hard. "All good under there." John lets Norina go as Rodney turns and walks to another console. "OK ..."  
>҉<br>**SETTLEMENT.**

Carson stands at the barn door looking out as ash rains down from the sky. Marissa comes over and stares in amazement.  
>"What is it?" Marissa asked.<br>"It's just ash beginning to fall." Carson told her.  
>"Is that a sign that the volcano will erupt soon?"<br>"Diastrophism is a wee bit outside my bailiwick." Marissa shakes her head at him blankly. "I mean, no, I doubt it. Remember what Rodney said. When she goes, we'll know."  
>Behind them, a heated debate has broken out.<br>"Who decided that?" Ronon asked.  
>"We all did." A man said. Marissa and Carson turn to join the discussion. "Everyone's voice was heard."<br>"What is wrong?" Marissa asked.  
>Ronon gestures to the man who just spoke. "This is Vonos. He's from another settlement."<br>"Hullo there." Carson said.  
>"How long before the Daedalus returns?" Ronon asked.<br>"Still several hours." Marissa looks at Vonos. "And I'm afraid the second evacuation group has already been selected, but you and your people will be able to leave in the third."  
>"That won't be necessary." Vonons said.<br>"He thinks he can outrun this thing." Ronon said.  
>"What?" Marissa said.<br>"A day's walk from here, there is a river - wide, calm - should offer protection from any lava flow. Another two days after that, we're at the sea ..."  
>"Listen to me." Carson interrupted Vonons. "There's a cloud of ash spreading across the sky. If that doesn't choke you to death, you'll surely die in the explosion."<br>"The only chance of survival is to evacuate this planet." Marissa told him.  
>"And the only way out of here is on our ship." Ronon said.<br>҉  
><strong>TARANIS CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

John and Norina walk in. Norina talks to the technicians still in the room. "Time to go."  
>The technicians turn and leave. John walks over to the window as Norina goes to a console. John looks at the view. As well as the large lake of magma where the Stargate was, the two pyroclastic columns are rising in the distance. Jets of steam and smoke are rising from various places on the plain.<br>"It's getting a hell of a lot worse out there." As he speaks, two more pyroclastic columns burst out of the ground.  
>"That last tremor opened up many more fissures. We have a problem." Norina said.<br>҉  
><strong>ORION CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

As Rodney works, John contacts him over radio.  
><em>"Rodney, come in."<em>  
>Rodney activated his headset. "Go ahead."<br>_"Looks like there's a lot of new vents opening up - a lot of ash going into the air. They're headed towards the settlement. We don't have time to wait for the Daedalus. How are those engines coming?"__  
><em> "I'm not even close."  
><em>"Well, then, I guess we're all gonna die."<em>  
>"Oh, you're doin' that on purpose!"<br>**(Flip to John)**  
>Norina turns and looks at John, puzzled, but he gestures to her to stay quiet.<br>"What?" John said nonchalantly.  
><em>"You're creating an impossible task that my ego will force me to overcome."<em>_  
><em> "Oh, yes, yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. It has nothing at all to do with saving the lives of these people. It's all about you." John deliberately makes his voice angry. "Now get your ass back to work and fix those damn engines!" Norina stares at him. He grins at her. "He'll fix 'em! Trust me."  
>They leave the room.<br>҉  
>SETTLEMENT.<p>

BARN.  
>"Alright, folks, can I have your attention please? I'm afraid there's been a change of plans. We need to bring everyone from the settlement back to the base. Once at the base, we'll board another ship called the Orion. Now, it's a lovely ship with lots of room for ..."<br>"Why?" Vonos interrupted Carson.  
>"As you can see, the conditions outside are rapidly deteriorating. We may not have time to wait for our ship to return, so we would like everyone to proceed down the tunnel that leads back to the base. The Orion will safely evacuate everyone before the volcano ..."<br>"Why did we not board that ship in the first place?" Vonos interrupted Marissa.  
>"The engines are not currently in working condition but our people are confident they'll have 'em fixed before the volcano erupts." Carson said.<br>Vonos turned to his group. "This is why we should not have waited. We cannot trust what they say. We must leave this place now."  
>"And go where?" Ronon asked.<br>"To the river."  
>"Have you looked outside, big man?" Carson asked.<br>"The air'll be clear beyond the river."  
>"No, it won't! That cloud stretches for bloody miles!" Carson yelled at Vonos.<br>"You will die out there." Ronon said.  
>"Maybe. But it's better to do battle with death than idly wait for it to take you." Carson looks away in despair. Vonos looks around at the other Taranans. "You are all welcome to join us."<br>"No! At least in here we stand a chance of survival. Out there, it is suicide." Marissa said.  
>Vonos looks at the Atlantis team for a moment, then resolutely walks out into the rain of ash. About ten other people follow him. Marissa, Carson and Ronon watch them go, then turn away.<br>"Alright. Everybody else - please, come this way. Down the tunnel." Marissa said.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

Illyria is standing on the balcony outside the Control Room, gazing out over the city and the night sky. Lycus talks with one of his aides inside the Control Room for a while, and then comes out to join her. She smiles at him, and then he looks up into the sky.  
>"Do you know which of these stars is Taranis?" He asks.<br>Illyria shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I don't."  
>Lycus looks down over the city. "Your city is incredible."<br>Illyria is smiling proudly. "Yes it is."

"Queen Illyria, your people have been putting their lives in jeopardy to save my people, and I have rewarded that kindness with doubt and suspicion. I apologize."  
>"That's not necessary. I understand how you must feel."<br>"I truly believed the Ancestors' shield would protect my people. I could not have been more wrong."  
>"We'll save as many as we can."<br>"I believe you will."  
>҉<br>**TARANIS UNDERGROUND CORRIDORS.**

John runs to meet Carson who is leading the refugees through the tunnels.  
>"OK, this way, folks. Hurry. Hurry."<br>"Good, good. Keep 'em coming. Where are Marissa and Ronon?" John asked.  
>"Still back at the village gathering the rest of the people, then they'll be on their way."<br>"Good. Get these people to the ship."  
>"Alright." Carson turned to the Taranans. "Come on, move it, let's go, come on!" He runs off with them. John stays where he is, calling out instructions to the people who are just arriving.<br>"Go on - straight down to the hangar, folks! The ship is waiting, plenty of room." The complex shakes as another earthquake begins. "Don't panic!" John continues to usher the people onwards. "Plenty of room."  
>҉<br>**ORION CONTROL ROOM. **

As the ship shakes, Rodney activates his radio. "Sheppard."  
><em>"What?"<em>  
>"I just got the atmospheric sensors online. I'm reading dangerously high levels of sulphur dioxide spewing into the air from dozens of fumaroles. Look, it is rapidly becoming toxic out there. Make sure you get people to stick to the tunnels."<br>_"We'll pass the word. How about those engines?"_  
>"I'm still working on that."<br>** (John's POV)**

"Keep me apprised." He changes the setting on his radio. "Marissa, Ronon."  
>(In the settlement barn)<p>

Marissa is directing people towards the tunnel. She coughs as she activates her headset. "Yes, Colonel."  
><em>"We've got toxic gas venting into the atmosphere."<em>  
>Marissa coughs. "Yes. It has already made its way here."<br>_"Get everyone into the tunnel underneath the settlement ASAP."_  
>"They're heading your way. Ronon's found one remaining family at the edge of the village. He's returning and then we will go." She coughs heavily.<br>҉  
><strong>ORION CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

As Rodney continues to work, John runs in.  
>"Beckett and Norina are helping people get on board. It's getting pretty tense, but nobody's trampled each other ... yet." Rodney's computer beeps ominously. Rodney slowly raises his head. John recognizes his expression. :What?"<br>"Two large fissures just opened up near the base. One of the lava flows just covered the hangar directly above us. We're talking over thirty feet thick." McKay reported.  
>"Is the door gonna hold?"<br>"I don't know - I-I-I think so, but that's not the bigger problem. Even if I can get the engines fixed, there is no way to fly this ship out of here. We're stuck."  
>҉<br>**SETTLEMENT.**

Marissa stands at the open door of the barn, coughing. She activates her radio.  
>"Colonel Sheppard, this is Captain Frio. Please respond." She coughs heavily. "Colonel, if you hear me, please respond." She coughs again, then sees who is approaching through the rain of ash. "Ronon!"<br>Ronon runs towards her, carrying a small child in each arm. He is followed by two adults and a teenage girl.  
>"Did everyone else get through?" He asked<br>"Yes. We are the last to remain."  
>"We'd better get going, then."<br>"Ronon, the tunnel is blocked. I was just there. It collapsed during the last tremor."  
>Ronon takes the two children he is holding over to their parents and hands them over, then returns to Marissa as she coughs convulsively. "We can't go back out there."<br>"I've been trying to hail Colonel Sheppard."  
>"So we're stuck?"<br>"It would appear so."  
>҉<br>**ORION CONTROL ROOM**.

John runs back in. "Time for a military solution."  
>"For which problem?" McKay asked.<br>"We've got an armory full of drones on board. Maybe we can blast through the hangar door."  
>"The hangar door is directly above us. The molten lava would destroy the ship." McKay was having a lightbulb moment. "Not if I can get the shields operational."<br>"Tell me you can do that."  
>"I can do that." McKay walks over to a wall panel. "Once they're operational, we'll be able to provide enough protection to, uh ..." He trails off as he opens the panel.<br>"To what?"  
>"Talk amongst yourselves."<br>"What are you doing?"  
>McKay was taking crystals out of the panel. "I have an idea."<br>"What kind of idea?"  
>"Can't talk, busy."<br>"Just give me a basic..."  
>"Not now, please."<br>John grunts angrily and turns to Norina. "I hate it when he does this."  
>҉<br>**SETTLEMENT BARN.**

The family is sitting huddled together on some straw, the parents talking quietly and comfortingly to the children. Ronon checks on them, and then walks across to Marissa who is sitting on the floor leaning against a roof support and holding a cloth over her nose and mouth. He sits down with his back leaning against her arm.  
>Ronon's voice husky from the toxins in the air. "What are we gonna do?"<br>Her voice was equally husky. "There is no place to go."  
>"I'm not good at sittin' around waiting to die." He looks out of the door. "Maybe we can make it back to the base on foot."<br>"Outside? We'll never make it. As long as we can breathe, there's still hope. We may be able to last a few minutes longer in here than out there."  
>҉<br>**ORION.**

Carson is directing the refugees down a corridor. "OK, hurry, ladies and gentlemen. Right down the hallway there. Thank you. Right down there."  
>John runs up to him. "Carson, how're we doin'?"<br>"We're just about ready. There should be another group of refugees coming on board now."  
>"Marissa? Ronon?"<br>"Well, they helped the last family. God, I haven't seen them."  
>John activates his radio. "Marissa? Ronon?" There's no response. "Marissa? Ronon? Please respond." He turns to Carson. "Don't leave without us." He runs off.<br>"No, of course not." He continues directing the people. "Right down there."  
>҉<br>**SETTLEMENT BARN.**

Ronon's head is down as he struggles to breathe. Marissa looks at the family, then turns her head towards him.  
>"They are still alive, but barely." She said weakly. The family are lying down, the children barely conscious. The mother is weakly stroking the hair of one of the smaller children. "Perhaps you were right." She struggles to draw breath. "We should have tried to make it back to the base on foot."<br>"No. You were right. We'd be dead. As long as we can breathe, there's still hope."  
>Just then, an Asgard transporter beam sweeps them all away.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>

The ship is in orbit above the planet, which has a huge plume of smoke rising up from the area where the complex is. Colonel Caldwell stands on the Bridge looking down at the sight as Marissa and Ronon walk in.  
>"We owe you a debt of gratitude, Colonel." Marissa told him.<br>"Frankly, yours were the only life signs that we could detect on the planet. What happened to the others?" Caldwell said.  
>"Sheppard, Beckett and McKay, they took the rest of the people back to the base. We got cut off from them." Ronon said.<br>"Well, that's brilliant, the base is shielded. I can't beam them out of there."  
>"They were attempting to load the rest of the people on board the Orion, hoping Doctor McKay would be able to get the engines working before the eruption." Marissa explained.<br>The three of them walk forward to the windscreen and look down at the smoke rising from the complex.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.**  
>"What are you saying - they're all dead?" Illyria asked, panicking.<br>_"We don't know. One way or the other, we can't hail them on the radio because of extreme electrical activity in the ash cloud. We can't even detect their life signs."_ Caldwell reported over the radio.  
>"So if you make contact, what are your options?" Weir asked.<br>_"Well, Colonel Sheppard could have saved some of the remaining population, but instead he tried to save every single one of them by taking refuge aboard the damaged Ancient warship, which has pretty much taken any options I might have had out of the equation."_  
>"Stay as long as you can." Illyria directed.<br>_"Hermiod says the volcano's about to erupt. We should know for sure by then."_  
>"Be advised: we have detected a hive ship heading towards Atlantis." Weir said.<br>_"Just the one?"_  
>"I'm afraid that's all the good news we have."<br>҉  
><strong>TARANIS UNDERGROUND CORRIDORS.<strong>

John runs towards a closed door. He waves his hand over the door panel but the door doesn't open. He reaches out to try and pull it open manually but snatches his hand back with a hiss of pain as the metal burns him. He activated his radio.  
>"Marissa, Ronon, come in?" There's no reply. He runs off. Nearby, the last of the refugees have made their way into a corridor but the door at the end is closed. Two of the Taranan men reach for the door but John arrives and calls out to them. "Stop it! The door's probably hot. You don't wanna touch it. Let's try this way." They head off towards another door but it closes before they can reach it. "OK, not that way either. Rodney, come in."<br>**(In the Orion Control Room)**  
>"Go ahead."<br>_"I've run into the last group of villagers. I'm trying to get them back to the ship. Looks like the base is going into emergency lockdown. We've got doors sealing off everywhere. We could really use some help trying to find another way back."_  
>"Alright. I'll have Norina call up the base schematics to see if she can, uh ..."<br>Just then, another earthquake hits. The ship and the corridors shake violently, and in the corridors the lights go out.  
><strong> (Corridors)<strong>

"Rodney. Rodney. Do you copy?" John gets nothing but static. "Dammit!"  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

In the Engine Room, Hermiod the Asgard reports to Caldwell over comms. "Colonel. I am attempting to calculate the precise time remaining before the main eruption."  
><strong>(On the Bridge)<strong>  
>"We should try to land." Ronon said.<br>_"The planet's surface is far too unstable to attempt any landing."_  
>"So our only option is to sit here and wait?" Marissa asked.<br>_"There is one other option."_  
>"What?" Ronon asked.<br>_"We could leave."_  
>"That's not an option we're considering." Caldwell said.<br>҉  
><strong>TARANIS UNDERGROUND CORRIDORS.<strong>

John is leading the refugees along the corridors by torchlight. "I'm starting to smell sulphur dioxide here. Stay close, stay calm, try not to take too many deep breaths."  
>҉<br>**ORION CONTROL ROOM.**

Norina talks into a hand radio as Rodney works on a wall panel nearby.  
>"Colonel Sheppard, are you there?" No reply. "Colonel Sheppard, please come in."<br>Carson runs in. "Any luck?"  
>"Not yet."<br>McKay was walking over to join them. "There's too much interference. Look, the atmosphere is heavily charged with electromagnetic energy. This baby's ready to blow."  
>"The Taranan people are all on board except for the last group that Colonel Sheppard was escorting." Carson said.<br>"Marissa and Ronon?" McKay asked.  
>"We've lost contact with them as well."<br>Rodney hesitates. "Right." He goes back to the wall panel.  
>҉<br>**TARANIS UNDERGROUND CORRIDORS**.

The group reaches a dead end. John shines his torch around and sees a closed door nearby. "Please be the hangar door." He hands his torch to a woman behind him and goes to the door, talking to a couple of the men. "Help me pry this thing open."  
>With the men's help, he forces the door open. He takes the torch back from the woman and walks inside, the others following. They hurry along a short corridor, turn a corner and run out onto the balcony from where John and the others first saw the Orion. John looks down at the ship for a moment, and then turns to the others.<br>"This way."  
>He races off, the others following.<br>҉  
><strong>ORION CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Rodney closes the wall panel and goes over to Carson and Norina. "Alright. Tell the people to get on the floor and secure themselves. I think the eruption is imminent." Carson looks down, full of grief for the potential loss of the rest of the team. "We're ... just about ready."  
>"Ready for what?"<br>They turn and see John standing in the doorway.  
>"Oh, thank God!" Carson shouted.<br>McKay was smiling in delight. "What took you so long?"  
>Jon was walking into the room. "Just about ready for what?"<br>"To activate the shields." McKay said.  
>"You said the blast from the eruption would wipe out half the continent."<br>"It will, and after four point one seconds of those extreme temperatures and pressures, our shields will be depleted."  
>"Well, as much as I'm all for living for another four seconds ..."<br>"That's not very much time for anything, Rodney." Carson said.  
>McKay was opening his arms and grinning. "It's plenty of time to open a hyperspace window." John stares at him blankly. Rodney looks bewildered. "What? That's my plan. Didn't I tell you about that?"<br>"No." Carson said.  
>"No, you didn't." John said.<br>"Well, you were too busy running around looking for people." McKay told him.  
>"Well, tell us the damn plan!" John yelled.<br>"Fixing the sublight engines was impossible in the amount of time we had left. They were just too badly damaged, but I devised a sort of a patch that in effect diverts auxiliary power to the hyperdrive. Only enough for a fraction of a second, mind you." McKay said.  
>"That won't get us very far." John said.<br>"We don't need to go far. Any old orbit will do."  
>"And then what?"<br>McKay was rolling his eyes and leaning on the console. "Well, then, Norina and I were planning a small dinner for us all, nothing fancy ..."  
>"Rodney." Norina said.<br>McKay got high-pitched with indignation. "Well, what does he mean, "Then what"? Then we won't die horribly!"  
>"So your plan is to not blow a hole in the hangar but to sit here and wait for this cataclysmic eruption to take place." John said.<br>"With the shields and inertial dampeners at full strength, yes."  
>"I think I may be missing something. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the volcano erupts, don't we as well?" Carson asked.<br>Rodney clicks his fingers and points at Carson. "That's the plan."  
>"That's the plan?" John asked.<br>"That's the plan!"  
>"That plan sucks!"<br>"Aye!" Carson agreed.  
>"This ship will be ejected along with the magma and steam several thousand feet into the air." McKay explained.<br>"The ship can survive that?" John asked.  
>"For exactly four point one seconds, yes. Look, the hangar should disintegrate. The moment we're clear, we open a brief hyperspace window, jump to space before the explosion depletes our shields and incinerates us, hmm?"<br>John stares at him wide-eyed. Nevrously, he said, "Okay."  
>Norina is smiling at Rodney. "What?"<br>Carson was staring at him. "Very clever, Rodney."  
>John is still looking a bit wide-eyed.<br>"Hmm. Well ... don't thank me 'til it works ... which it probably won't. 'Scuse me." McKay ducks down beneath the console.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**  
>"Colonel. I believe the eruption will occur in fifty two seconds." Hermiod said.<br>"Are you sure?" Caldwell asked.  
>"I would not state it if I wasn't."<br>҉  
><strong>ORION CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Rodney is lying on his back on the floor, working on the underside of the console. Norina is squatting down and holding a computer tablet so that he can see it, while John and Carson are also squatting and watching. Rodney snatches his hand back from the console with a cry of pain.  
>"What?" John asked.<br>"Oh! I bent my fingernail back! I hate that!"  
>Carson lowers his head in disbelief.<br>Condescendingly, Norina says, "Yes, that can be painful."  
>"Yeah, will you look at that?" He holds his middle finger up to show her.<br>"Are you done?" John yelled.  
>"Almost. Look, does anyone have nail clippers?"<br>"Rodney!" Carson yelled.  
>John smacks Rodney's leg.<br>"Ah! Not helping! Alright ..." McKay types on the computer that Norina is holding, then reaches up to the underside of the console again and adjusts something. "So ..." he counts off the items on his fingers "... hyperdrive's ready, inertial dampeners engaged, shields are up ... We're good to go." He scrambles up from underneath the console, stands up, then stares, wide-eyed. "Whoa!"  
>Nervously, Norina says, "What?"<br>Rodney blinks. "Got up too fast."  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**  
>"Forty seconds." Hermiod announced.<br>҉  
><strong>ORION BRIDGE<strong>.

Rodney and the others run in.  
>"Where's the P.A.?" John asked.<br>McKay was pointing to the Captain's chair in the middle of the Bridge as he runs to a seat at a console and sits down. "Arm of the chair."  
>John sits down in the Captain's chair as Norina finds a seat at another console. John activates the P.A. "Alright, folks, all chairs and seat backs into your upright and locked positions."<br>The area around the chair lights up as he settles into it. He frowns at Carson, who has so far been beaten to the seats he was aiming for by both Rodney and Norina and who now looks around the room in a panic, then runs to another seat.  
>"Don't hold your breath - it could happen any time in the next half an hour."<br>Carson finally sits down and screws his eyes shut as he hangs onto the arms grimly. The ship starts to vibrate.  
>Outside, more and more vents of steam and gas and pyroclastic flow burst out from the surface.<br>Inside the ship, Norina closes her eyes. Rodney hangs onto his console as the vibrations increase.  
>Outside, the caldera begins to erupt.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>  
>"Five, four, three, two, one."<br>҉  
><strong>ORION HANGAR.<strong>

The floor of the hangar explodes as the volcano erupts beneath it. Lava bursts through. Orion is blasted into the air.  
>From Daedalus, the crew watch as a massive explosion erupts from the planet's surface and a huge cloud of smoke begins to rise. Seconds later, a hyperspace window appears and Orion flies out of it.<br>On the Bridge of Orion, John stares at what he can see. We switch to a view from behind him and see that the entire front wall of the Bridge is a windshield - or a viewscreen - and shows that they have arrived safely in space.  
>"It worked!" Carson yelled.<br>Norina smiles across at Rodney. "You really are a genius." Rodney is still clinging onto the console, staring at nothing in particular, wide-eyed. "Rodney?"  
>Quietly, Rodney said, "I'm good."<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS. <strong>

**BRIDGE.**  
>Caldwell spoke into comms. "This is the Daedalus. Are there any survivors aboard?"<br>_"Yes, sir. In fact, we have a pretty big passenger list."_ John said.  
>On the Daedalus Bridge, the crew cheer and shake each other's hands. Marissa and Ronon smile in delight.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM.**  
>"The explosion was every bit as destructive as I feared. The, uh, ash cloud has encircled the entire planet." McKay said.<br>"Will the Taranian people ever be able to go home?" Marissa asked.  
>" Not for many years, I'm afraid." Carson said.<br>"We found a planet that Chancellor Lycus feels is suitable for them. We've already started relocating the people there." Weir looks at John. "I'd like you and your team to assist them, just to make sure the relocation goes smoothly."  
>"I'll take a repair team back to the Orion - get the engines fixed." McKay said.<br>"I thought you told Norina you couldn't fix it." John said.  
>"It was never a question of whether or not I could fix it; it ..." McKay turns and sees John's smug expression and trails off in irritation as the others grin.<br>"Well, as quickly as you can, Rodney. The Chancellor has graciously allowed us to use the ship in exchange for our help." Illyria smiled.  
>"I assume there's still a hive ship on the way?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Yes." Zelenka said.  
>"Why only one ship?" Ronon asked.<br>"We don't know. Maybe they're just coming to prove we're still here, but if they manage to do that..."  
>"Well, at least we've got the Orion now, and the city's supply of drones has been replenished." Caldwell interrupted Weir.<br>"It's enough to put up a hell of a fight." John said.  
>"Let's not fool ourselves. If they come in full force - and there is no reason to believe that they won't this time - then, I'm sorry, but ..."<br>"... it's not gonna be enough." Illyria finished for McKay. Everyone looks at each other as they realise how bad this is going to get. "It's all we've got."


	27. Chapter 25

**AN:/ Illyria is 40 weeks. Treanslation: TWINS WILL BE DELIVERED NEXT CHAPTER!**

** P.S Cliff Hanger At the End.**

**ATLANTIS **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

A screen shows a countdown. It is at 00:01:55 and counting. Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex hurry into the room to meet with Queen Illyria.  
>"All of my people have been safely relocated to the city." Teyla reported.<br>"Did everything go smoothly?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yeah - they're pretty used to it, back and forth, by now. Have you picked up any of their contacts?" Ronon asked.<br>Illyria turns to the Canadian technician sitting at his desk. "Sergeant?"  
>"Negative, ma'am. Scans are still clear. It looks like it's just the one hive ship."<br>"And our cloak?"  
>"Up and running. All readings are in the green."<br>"Good." Illyria activates her headset radio. "Colonel Caldwell, are you in position?"  
><strong>(On board Daedalus)<strong>

Out in space a long way from Atlantis, Colonel Caldwell replies.  
>"Affirmative. We're out of scanning range and ready to jump into position on your go-ahead."<br>_"Excellent."_  
>"Just for the record, I still think that we should be in orbit around Atlantis, ready to open up on that hive ship the second it comes out of hyperspace."<br>_ "It's one hive, Colonel, which suggests they might just be checking up on us. There's no need to __confirm__our presence if we don't have to. Just stand by."_  
>"Standing by."<br>_"Colonel Sheppard - how goes it on your end?"_  
><strong>(Aboard the Orion out in Space)<strong>  
>Colonel Sheppard sat in the Captain's chair while Doctor McKay was wandering around the Bridge, overseeing the controls being manned by crew from the Daedalus.<br>"Well, we're out of sensor range and all that, but whether or not we're ready to fight is a whole another story." John said.  
>"Getting this ship up and running in under a month is a miracle." McKay said.<br>"Do we start the beatification now or later?" John asked.  
><em>"Rodney, if the hive opens up on us, I want Orion's drones."<em> Illyria told him.  
>"Which means we're gonna need the hyperdrive to get in position." John translated.<br>"Which means we'll need shields, which means you want everything!" McKay yelled.  
>"I like everything! Can we do it or not?"<br>Sarcastically, McKay said, "Well, don't get up!" He clicks his fingers at one of the crew. "Shields!" The crew member runs over to him and shows him the computer tablet she is holding. He looks at the screen, and then turns to John. "Yes." He turns to another crew member. "Jump into position." The crew member shows him his computer tablet. Rodney looks at it, and then throws a black look at John's back. "Mmmmaybe." He turns to another crew member. "Release the drones." The crew member shakes her head. "Probably not."  
>"Well, it's pointless to get in position if we can't fire." John said.<br>"Y'know, let's talk about it for a really long time - that'll help for sure."  
>John turned on his radio. "Rodney's doing everything inhumanly possible to be ready."<br>**(In Atlantis' Control Room)**

The technician reports, "I have a contact."

In space, the hive ship comes out of hyperspace and heads towards the planet.  
><em>"Atlantis, report?"<em> Caldwell said over the radio.  
>"It's going into geosynchronous orbit. Hasn't armed any of its weapons." The Tech reported.<br>"If they do, I want you to switch from cloak to shield as quickly as possible. Don't wait for my order." Weir ordered, coming out of her office and into the Control room.  
>"Yes, ma'am."<br>** (Orion)**

John waits nervously for news, turning on his radio. "You could be a little more chatty, Illyria."  
><em>"I'm sorry - we're just waiting for them to make the next move."<em>  
><strong> (Control Room)<strong>

"Transmitting a signal, audio only." The tech announced.  
>"Put it on speaker." Weir ordered.<br>A male voice comes over the speaker. _"We know you are there. We mean you no harm. Please respond."__  
><em> Weir spoke into her radio. "John, are you hearing this?"  
>"It's repeating again." The tech announced.<br>The voice came over the speaker. _"We mean you no harm. There is no point in hiding, Queen Illyria." _Illyria looks startled at the sound of her name. _"We know you are there. We mean you no harm. Please respond."_  
><em>"Is that who I think it is?"<em> John asked.  
>"He's addressing me by name. I think we can assume it's Michael."<p>

Caldwell's voice came over the radio from Daedalus. _"You don't actually intend to respond?"_  
>"Why not?" Illyria asked.<br>_"Where d'you want me to start?"_  
>"I think we can safely say our cover is blown." Weir said.<br>_"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion."_  
>"The message is from Michael, Colonel." Illyria told him.<br>"They know we're here." Ronon said.  
><em>"But they don't know exactly where we are<em>." Caldwell said.  
>John spoke from Orion. <em>"He's right. Answer them and we guarantee the first shot won't miss."<em>  
>Elizabeth looks at Illyria. "Illyria?"<br>Illyria thought for a while. "Any attempt on my part to connect with Michael will confirm our location as surely as if you answer by radio."  
>Elizabeth nods.<br>McKay spoke from the Orion. _"I recommend you open a secure channel to the hive via the Daedalus. That way they won't be able to pinpoint Atlantis' position."_  
>"And we can always turn the shield on." Weir said.<br>_"I believe we have enough combined firepower to take out a single hive if we need to."_ John said.  
>Elizabeth looks at Ronon and Illyria. "Have you ever heard of a Wraith behaving this way?"<br>"No." Ronon said.  
>"Yes. But only negotions for trade before the War and for peace after it. Though…all the Wraith I would classify as <em>'friendly'<em> are most likely killed by now." Illyria shrugged.  
>"Right. Let's hear what they have to say." Weir said.<br>҉  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.<strong>

Doctor Zelenka has come into the Control Room and is working on a laptop computer. "Rodney and I have set up the subspace relay to go through the Daedalus and I've been able to configure our systems to handle both the radio and video frequencies, so ... we should be able to see and hear them live."  
>The technician turns around from his console with a really quirky expression on his face. "They wanna know what's taking so long."<br>"Open the channel." Weir commanded.

The technician operates some controls. Radek hits a key on his own laptop and the message "PATCH COMPLETE" appears on the screen. On the wall screen, the face of a male Wraith appears. It looks like every other Wraith they've ever seen, except that this one has much shorter hair than normal. Weir walks closer to the screen. Radek, on the other hand, starts to back away from the screen nervously.  
>"Hello, Michael."<br>_"Why the long delay?"_ Michael asked.  
>"We needed to take a few precautions before contacting you. I'm sure you understand why."<br>_"I said we would not harm you."_  
>"Well, excuse me for not taking you at your word. You wanted to talk - we're listening. Go ahead."<br>_"Over two years ago, every hive ship in this galaxy emerged from hibernation prematurely. We thought a new rich feeding ground had been discovered."_ Michael said.  
>"Earth."<br>_"Unfortunately, locating your planet and uncovering an effective means of transportation to get there has proven quite difficult."_  
>"Well, I can't say I'm sad to hear that."<br>_ "For the first time since the dawn of our race, there are too few of your kind to feed the waking Wraith. This has resulted in civil war. Hives are forming alliances. The strong are attacking the weak."_  
>"Which are you?"<br>_"Our goals are not dissimilar, Doctor Weir."_  
>"You would like to eliminate the Wraith as a threat? I find that hard to believe."<br>_"We would like you to give us Doctor Beckett's retrovirus. If we were able to distribute it among the rival Wraith hives in sufficient quantity, this would both render them helpless and provide us with an alternative food source."_  
>"Those Wraith would become humans!"<br>"On the surface, perhaps. As a sign of good faith, I am sending you our jamming codes. This program was established and distributed before the civil war broke out, so we assume all the hive ships are still using it. By figuring out how to bypass or disable this program, you would be able to beam your nuclear weapons aboard any of our ships whenever you so please." Elizabeth stares at him in amazement. "We are willing to help you achieve this if you help us."  
>The technician's console beeps. "They're sending a data burst."<br>"Download it to a non-networked, firewalled computer."  
>"Yes, ma'am."<br>_"I'm sure you'll want to recall all the ships you have lying in wait for us and discuss this with your people. We will await your reply - but, should you make an attempt to destroy us, we will alert every Wraith in this galaxy to the fact that Atlantis is still very much intact. I'm sure you wouldn't want that."__  
><em> He breaks off communications.  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM.**

John, Rodney and Caldwell have returned to base, and all the usual suspects are in the room, including Doctor Beckett and Illyria.  
>"Well, I think it's safe to say that if they were going to attack us, they would have done it by now. They let the Daedalus land without incident." Caldwell said.<br>"And you're sure they don't know about the Orion?" Weir asked.  
>"I ordered Lorne to park her just outside of sensor range." John said.<br>Rodney looks up from a laptop that he has been studying. "This - this is incredible! I can't believe they actually sent this over so freely. I mean, if I can figure out how to break through this program - which is, well, as you know, pretty likely - we could nuke any hive ship that we came across."  
>"Including Michael's?" Weir asked.<br>"Well, it might take a couple of tries the first time."  
>"Long enough to tell the rest of the Wraith we're still around." John said.<br>"If they really are willing to let me run tests on their ship, I mean, this is a ... it's an amazing opportunity, Elizabeth!" McKay smiled.  
>"'An amazing opportunity.'" Illyria quoted in a soft voice.<br>"Well, think about it - this is essentially our idea. We created the retrovirus in order to do exactly what they're proposing we do. What's the down side? I mean, other than the fact that we'd be working with the Wraith?" John asked.  
>"Isn't that enough?" Caldwell asked.<br>"It would mean at least something good came of our experiment with Michael." Carson said.  
>"I'm not sure we have a choice. It appears they have kept our existence a secret, but if we do not help..." Illyria trailed off.<br>"There is that. Carson, I know you've been working on the weaponization of the retrovirus. How close are you?" Weir asked.  
>"We're close. It still needs work, but we're close."<br>Illyria looks at Ronon. Following her gaze, everyone else turns to look at him.  
>"What?" He asked.<br>"What do you think?" Illyria asked.  
>"Let's do it."<br>Rodney looks startled.  
>"Really?" Weir asked.<br>"Sheppard said it himself - it's our idea." Ronon shrugged.  
>"I just thought you of all people..."<br>"Hey, if they want our help killing other Wraith, it's one kind of help I'm happy to provide." Ronon smiled at Weir.  
>"OK." Weir looks around the room at everyone. "So, we're going to do this." Nobody disagrees.<p>

"I'll accept the offer." Illyria said.

"'Lyria, you're giving birth to twins next week. You need to be in bed." Carson said, leaning forward and placing his hand over hers.

"The Docs right, babe. You're dealing with the Wraith." John said.

"John, Carson, I appreciate your concern, really. But I have over plenty of experience dealing and negotiating with the Wraith and I think they would appreciate the Queen of this city making the calls." She nodded at Weir. "No offense."

"None taken, but John and Carson do have a point." John smiled at Illyria's definant look. "But, then again…Illyria, you are now the ambassador of Atlantis. Good luck."  
>҉<br>**OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM.**

As the meeting breaks up, John runs to catch up with Marisa as she walks away.  
>"Captain."<br>Marissa stops and turns to face him. "Colonel."  
>"Something tells me you don't think this is such a good idea."<br>"I agree we don't have a choice."  
>"But a good idea's still a good idea."<br>"I voiced my concern about this plan to change the Wraith into humans prior to the experiment on Michael."  
>"Yeah, and we convinced you."<br>"No, Colonel. I chose to place my trust in you. There's a difference."  
>"Look, it's not like we're setting out to create a bunch of Michaels here."<br>"No - we are creating a food source for other Wraith."  
>"Instead of us, which is the part I am fine with, by the way. I guess I just want you to be fine with it too."<br>"If this is the full extent of their plan..." She trails off.

John frowns at her. "What do you mean?"  
>Marissa smiles at him ironically. "They are Wraith." She turns and walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>ABOVE THE PLANET.<strong>

As the Wraith hive ship circles the planet, a small ship drops out of the hive and heads for the planet's surface. A man's voice comes over the radio in the Atlantis Control Room.  
>"This is Escort Two - we have a visual on the Wraith scout ship and are entering formation with Escort Five."<br>**(In the Control Room)**

the crew watches the images on the wallscreen as two vessels form up either side of the scout ship. Above Atlantis, the scout heads down towards the city. Two F-302s from Daedalus take position either side of it.  
>"I gotta tell you - when I woke up this morning, I honestly didn't think this would be happening." John said.<br>"God, I hope we're doing the right thing." Illyria whispered, grabbing his hand.  
>The scout ship and its escort head towards the central towers of the city, then bank left and turn towards one of the piers. The scout comes in for a landing on the pier. The F-302s scream over the top of it and head off. In the Control Room, the crew watches the screen as the scout lands.<br>"Touchdown." The Tech called.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS CORRIDORS.**

A military escort leads the arrivals through the corridors. The first Wraith being escorted is wearing white trousers and a long white coat and white shoes. The first Wraith is followed by a short-haired male Wraith, obviously Michael, wearing a long dark brown coat. He is followed by a more normal looking male Wraith with long white hair and a black jacket. The corridors are lined by marines, all holding weapons. As the group passes a room, Rodney and Radek stand in the doorway watching as the Wraith and their escort walk past.  
>The group reaches the Gateroom. Illyria, Elizabeth, John, Caldwell, Marissa and Ronon come down the stairs from the Control Room to meet them. The Wraith wearing the white clothes approaches them. It's a female - obviously Michael's Hive Queen. She has long dark brown hair which is either streaked with white or is so incredibly shiny. (I'd like to know what conditioner she uses.)<br>"I'm Queen Illyria. Welcome to Atlantis."  
>҉<br>**LATER. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE. **

Illyria sits at Weir's desk while John stands beside her. The Queen sits opposite. Two armed marines stand behind the Queen and others stand outside the office.  
>"My people are willing to work with some of your scientists, but no more than three Wraith will be allowed on this base at any given time."<br>"You'll be subjected to extensive searches that we'll perform at random intervals. If any harmful weapons or materials are found on your fellow Wraith, we'll consider it an act of aggression and immediately destroy your ship." John added.  
>"We are also monitoring all of your transmissions..."<br>The Hive Queen interrupted Illyria. "All we want is the retrovirus. It is the key to ending a civil war that could go on for centuries. Impose whatever conditions you wish. Let us begin."  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

The male Wraith (not Michael) is standing looking at the screen of a laptop computer on a table. Carson and Radek, both wearing lab coats, are standing nervously a little way away. There are several armed marines in the room.  
>"Aside from a slight refinement since we last used it on, uh," the Wraith turns to look at Carson "well, on the one we called Michael ... Do you have names? What shall I call you? What shall I call him?" The Wraith just looks at him. "Well, I suppose in the end it really doesn't matter, does it?" He laughs nervously. The Wraith continues to look at him. "OK, uh..." he turns to Radek "where was I?"<br>Nervously, Radek said, "Uh, we were just getting to dissemination."  
>Carson rallies a little and turns back to the Wraith with a more confident expression on his face as he launches into lecture mode. Radek, on the other hand, stares wide-eyed at the Wraith as if he's expecting it to leap on him at any moment. "Yes, yes, thank you. Now, when disseminating an aerosolized medicine such as the retrovirus, one needs to take in a number of different considerations: proximity to patient, particle size, ventilation pattern, airway architecture, dosage..."<br>"You turned it into a gas." The Wraith said.  
>"Yes, an aerosol gas."<br>"Hmmm."  
>"On Earth, we would normally use a technique called aerodynamic dissemination ..." Zelenka swallows nervously "...but because of the problems of doing that inside, say, like, a Wraith hive ship, w-w-we have attempted various styles of pheromone dissemination."<br>"Explosives." The Wraith said.  
>"Explosives, yes, yes. Uh, the problem with an explosive delivery system is that, because the drug is now an aerosol, a third of the tests ignited the medication..." Zelenka and Carson laugh nervously "...rendering it useless."<br>Carson was smiling at the Wraith. "They call it flashing." He briefly opens his lab coat at the Wraith.  
>"Flashing!" Zelenka said.<br>They both laugh.  
>"Long ago we experimented with gas weapons." The Wraith said and Carson and Radek stop laughing abruptly. "We found them most difficult to use in outer atmosphere combat. When fired into an enemy vessel, the weapon caused explosive decompression in the targeted compartment."<br>"We had thought of that, yes, but if you want to affect a large population simultaneously, an aerosol gas is really the only way to go." Carson said.  
>"Now we have to figure out a way to get it into your enemy's hive ship." Zelenka said.<br>"Yes. We will." The Wraith said.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS. **

**ENGINE ROOM. **

Rodney is examining Wraith data on a computer screen. "Huh, some pretty interesting stuff, eh? I think I've learned more about Wraith technology in the last hour than I have in the past two years." He turns to face Hermiod the Asgard, who is working at his own terminal and ignoring Rodney. "Oh, come on - I understand you're an Asgard and everything, but even you've gotta feel a bit of an adrenaline buzz."  
>"My body does not possess the adrenal gland that produces epinephrine in your system. And even if I did, I would not be as easily impressed."<br>"I get it! I get it. You think you're smarter than I am. You ready to go or not?"  
>"I have been for some time."<br>Rodney rolls his eyes, then activates his headset radio. "This is McKay. Give me an open channel to the hive."  
><em>"You're live. Go ahead."<em>  
>Rodney clears his throat nervously. "This is Doctor Rodney McKay aboard the Earth ship Daedalus. We would like ... uh ... with your permission, to begin attempting to beam an innocuous canister onto your ship while you are actively jamming. Uh, we're hoping through trial and error that we can ... slowly…" he laughs nervously "disarm or, uh, break the code. May we proceed?"<br>_"You may begin, Doctor McKay."_ A Wraith voice said.  
>"OK! Thank you. Thank you." McKay turned to Hermiod. "That was weird. Shall we?"<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**ISOLATION ROOM. **

Under guard, Michael is standing by the side of the bed where he spent so much time after his capture. He runs his hand over the bed and pats it almost affectionately. Illyria and Ronon walk in as Michael walks to the head of the bed and puts his hand on the pillow.  
>"Hello, Michael." Illyria smiled.<br>"It seemed right to come back here, and to see you. Thank you for coming. You didn't have to bring him." Michael said, nodding to Ronon.  
>"I insisted." Ronon growled.<br>Michael turned to Illyria. "The last time I saw you, I really was going to feed on you, but it was not a matter of choice. It was ... instinct."  
>Illyria looks at him, her face emotionless. "That is what you have come here to say?"<br>Michael sighs. "You have given me a very rare perspective among the Wraith. Few of us have ever come to know the humans we are going to feed on as anything more than a means to survive - and still, I would do what I had to do. But what you did to me..."  
>"We did the same - to survive."<br>"I thought you were trying to help me."  
>"What's your point?" Ronon asked.<br>"We're not as different as you think." Michael said after a pause.  
>Angrily, Illyria said, "We are nothing like you."<br>Michael laughs. "You are a lot more like us than you allow yourselves to believe."  
>"I will not argue with you, Michael. It is pointless."<br>"If we are to make this alliance work, we must both overcome the instincts that define us." Illyria and Ronon look at him. "We will not meet again."  
>Illyria held no emotion in her voice. "Goodbye."<br>Michael bows his head to her. "Goodbye…my Queen."  
>Illyria hesitates before turning to leave the room. Ronon turns as if to follow her, but as soon as she has left, he snatches out his blaster and holds it to Michael's head, his face contorted in a snarl. Michael doesn't flinch.<br>"You're proving my point right now. Oh, every fiber in your body wants to kill me." Ronon's face twists as he struggles with himself, knowing how much he wants to pull the trigger despite what the other Wraith will probably do if he does. "Instinct is so hard to overcome, but what would happen to our alliance? Every Wraith ship in this galaxy would descend upon this city and destroy it. Is it worth it, Ronon?"  
>"If it was up to me..."<br>"But it isn't!" Michael shouted angrily.  
>Ronon presses the end of his blaster against Michael's forehead for a moment, then grins and pulls the weapon back. He holsters it, turns and walks away. Once he's gone, Michael can't help but heave a relieved sigh.<br>҉  
><strong>ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.<strong>

Illyria, John, and the Queen are talking.  
>"What will happen once you disseminate the weapon?" Illyria asked.<br>"We shall continue on to the next hive." The Queen said.  
>"Then what?" John asked.<br>"We will continue until we have conquered all of our enemies."  
>"And you think our retrovirus can do all that?"<br>"Yes."  
>"The one we're freely handing over to you." John said pointedly.<br>"I see. Your people will not be harmed. Such will be the nature of our agreement." The Queen said to Illyria.  
>"And what about all the other humans on the other worlds? Any chance you'll stop feeding on them?" Illyria asked.<br>"Your retrovirus will allow us to feed off enemy Wraith. There will come a time, however, when our enemy will be vanquished."  
>"At which point you'll return to killing ordinary folks the old fashioned way." John said.<br>"That will take far longer than your short lifetime."  
>"Let's just say I'm worried about my grandkids." John couldn't help but look over at Illyria's swelling stomach.<br>The Queen turned to Illyria. "The technology of your city- not these _visitors_ you allow to stay here-is far more powerful than that of the Wraith, yet we brought your kin to their knees." She looks at John. "Why?"  
>"Far greater numbers." He said.<br>Illyria saw where she was going with. "Numbers that will be diminished by our retrovirus. Balance will be restored. I believe that is as much as either of us can ask for."  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

Carson is arguing with the male Wraith. "No! I'm sorry - an aerosol gas is the only way to go!" The Wraith snarls at him. Carson backs away nervously. "Not that I want to anger you, or not take any of your ideas into consideration. It's just that, well," he indicates a large machine by the wall, presumably the means they have devised of getting the gas on board a hive ship "we've been working on this for some time now."  
>The Wraith looks at the equipment disparagingly. "Very well."<br>"Can't you smuggle a gas bomb onto one of your rival hives?" Zelenka asked.  
>"Such a device would not allow for the gas to affect the whole ship in sufficient time. They would open fire on our own ship the moment the gas was detected." The Wraith said.<br>"Aye. You need to reach all the occupied compartments at once." Carson said.  
>Radek has an idea and points to the schematic of a hive ship on a screen behind him. "If we could get the aerosol gas into the life support system..."<br>"How long for the gas to take effect?" The Wraith asked.  
>"Well, theoretically..."<p>

"...we don't know." Carson throws him a look as Zelneka interrupts him. "Well, we don't."  
>"He's right. We don't." Carson sighs.<br>"Then I will have to make arrangements." The Wraith said.  
>҉<br>**OBSERVATION ROOM ABOVE THE ISOLATION ROOM. **

Illyria, John and Carson stand looking down into the Isolation Room as we hear someone crying out in pain. The camera pans down to show a male Wraith strapped to the bed and writhing in agony. Atlantean medics in Hazmat suits are in the room with it.  
>Time passes. The Wraith continues to struggle against its bonds, screaming, as its skin slowly turns from grey to a more pink color.<br>More time passes. The Hive Queen is in the Observation Room looking down into the Isolation Room.  
>"I want to go in there." She turns to face Illyria and John. "Now."<br>Illyria turns to someone behind her. "Vent the gas from the room."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

As a green light above the door shows that the room is clear of gas, the door to the Isolation Room opens and a marine leads the Hive Queen inside, followed by Carson, Michael, John and Illyria. Lying on the bed is a human looking young man with long white hair. This is obviously the Wraith who has succumbed to the retrovirus. The Queen walks over to him, running her hand up his leg as she approaches his bedside. As he looks up at her, she reaches out and runs her fingers down the side of his head.  
>"Don't worry - he'll begin to turn back in only a number of days if we don't start administering..."<br>Carson was say, but without warning, the Queen slams her hand down onto the man's chest. The man screams. John and the marines draw and raise their weapons.  
>"Colonel. We knew this would be a part of the bargain." Illyria said.<br>The man continues to scream as the Queen hisses in pleasure as she drains his energy. Reluctantly, John and the marines lower their weapons. The man's screams fade to a whimper.  
>"I've seen enough." Michael said.<br>He turns and leaves the room. On the bed, the man falls silent. The camera moves back to the bed and shows an elderly man lying there. His eyes close and he dies. The Queen removes her hand and looks at the blood on her palm before looking up at the others.  
>"It works."<br>Carson's face is wracked with guilt at what he has brought about. John look equally appalled and Illyria kept her face blank.  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM.**

The Queen and the male Wraith are sitting at the table opposite Illyria, John, Rodney and Carson.  
>"There is another hive ship a single jump away from this system. They recently attempted to attack our ship. I would like to test the virus on them first." The Queen said.<br>"With all due respect, madam, I don't think we're there yet. We've been working with your scientist here on an effective means of disseminating the virus as an aerosol gas ..."  
>The Queen interrupted Carson. "And you have succeeded."<br>"Transforming a single Wraith in a controlled environment and trying to infect an entire hive at once are completely two different things."  
>"We plan on entering their hive under the presence of negotiating our surrender. Part of the delegation will break away, planting small canisters of gas throughout the ship. We need only to create a system that will synchronize the release."<br>"Well, we can do that." McKay turned to Carson "Look, do we have the kind of volume we need?"

Carson answers reluctantly. "Aye. Our lab has been churning it out since we struck a deal with our friends here."  
>"Then we can do this?" Illyria asked.<br>"Well ... it's up to them." Carson nodded to the Wraith.  
>Illyria turned to the Queen. "I would like our people to go along and observe."<br>"For what purpose?" The Queen asked.  
>"Make sure you stick to the plan, do what you say you're gonna do." John said.<br>"Very well."  
>"Good luck." Illyria raises her eyebrows and looks down. "To us all."<br>҉  
><strong>SPACE. <strong>

**DAEDALUS. **

The ship exits hyperspace and heads towards a planet nearby. On the Bridge, Captain Dave Kleinman, the crew member sitting to Caldwell's right, reports.  
>"Jumper Eight has cleared the Bay, cloaked, and is heading for the two hive ships. We are running quiet and out of sensor range."<br>"Thank you, Captain." Caldwell said.  
>John is standing in front of Caldwell. "I guess now we just wait."<br>"This trial's a little premature, don't you think?" Caldwell asked.  
>"I guess that's what happens when the Wraith get too excited."<br>"What if they fail?"  
>John shrugs. "Maybe they'll blow each other to kingdom come and we can all go home."<br>"I thought we wanted this to work?"  
>"I'm just saying - if this thing goes south, we can't let the word get out we were involved in this."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE. **

Elizabeth is typing on her laptop as Carson comes in. "Carson." She continues to type.  
>"Elizabeth." He puts his hands on the desk and leans down, forcing her to look at him. "When I developed this retrovirus for the Wraith, it was to free them from what I perceived to be an unnatural state. Now, at the very moment they take human form, they'll face a horribly painful death. No matter how we rationalize this, we're still lettin' the Wraith kill humans."<br>"Well, I guess it depends on how you define "human"."  
>"We can't judge an entire race based on the fact that Michael's experiment didn't work."<br>"If you're asking me whether or not I'm losing sleep over this ..." Weir notes Carson's anguished expression and pauses, looking down, then smiles ruefully "... hmm, well, I am taking those sedatives you prescribed."  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**  
>"We're getting telemetry back from the cloaked Jumper, sir. It's in theatre." Captain Kleinman reported.<br>"Let's see it."  
>A heads-up display appears on the windshield. It shows the shapes of the two ships, the left one in blue and the right one in red. A small blue dot moves away from the blue ship towards the red one.<br>"That's our hive there on the left." Cap. Kleinman said.  
>"'Our hive'. It's weird." John said.<br>The blue dot reaches the red ship and merges with it.  
>"The delegation's aboard. Now we wait." Caldwell said.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**LAB. **

Hermiod is working on a computer as Rodney walks across the room to another console. "They didn't need you on the Daedalus?"  
>"Colonel Caldwell believed my time was better spent disabling their jamming code."<br>"Huh! So, they can fly that ship without you."  
>"Yes. But apparently you cannot run these tests without me."<br>Rodney turns away from his computer, irritated. "I'm sure I would have been fine."  
>Hermiod looks at him, his eyes narrowed. "I am not as sure."<br>Rodney looks away, annoyed. "Really? Well..." He bends back down to his computer and types rapidly for a few seconds. "OK - try it now."  
>He straightens up and folds his arms smugly. Hermiod works for a few more seconds, then a message comes up on Rodney's screen saying, "SIMULATION SUCCESSFUL." Rodney turns to face Hermiod triumphantly.<br>"Well, well! Turns out the human knows what he's doing after all."  
>Hermiod wearily said, "Indeed. Your assistance on this project will be noted."<p>

Indignantly, Rodney said, "My "assistance"?"  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS**.  
>"The delegation transport's returning to the friendly hive ahead of schedule." Kleinman said.<br>The H.U.D. shows the transport leaving the red ship. Suddenly the dot depicting the transport ship flares and then goes out.  
>"What was that?" John asked.<br>"The transport has been destroyed." Kleinman reported.  
>Caldwell stands up and walks forward to join John. "That's not good."<br>"Sir, Jumper Eight is reporting the enemy hive has opened fire. Friendly hive is sustaining serious damage." Kleinman reported.  
>"If they get boarded, it's all over for Atlantis. They'll give us up for sure." John said.<br>Caldwell was returning to his seat as he gives orders to his crew. "Jump to their position, shields at full, ready main rail guns, ready all missile batteries."  
>"Jumping into theatre now." The pilot said.<br>As the Wraith ships exchange fire, Daedalus leaps out of hyperspace to join the battle. She swoops towards the enemy hive ship, firing at it. The enemy ship returns fire. Consoles and panels explode on the Daedalus Bridge.  
>"Get that Jumper back into the Bay! We're not gonna be able to keep this up for long." Caldwell said.<br>"Think we'll give 'em enough time to jump ...?" John asked.  
>"Our hive is entering hyperspace." Kleinman said. The 'friendly' hive ship jumps into hyperspace, leaving Daedalus to suffer the onslaught of the enemy ship alone. "Jumper Eight has been recovered."<br>Caldwell turned to his pilot. "Set course for Atlantis. Get us out of here!"  
>Still taking - and returning - fire from the enemy hive ship, Daedalus races away and enters hyperspace.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

The Hive Queen is reporting over the video link to the Control Room.  
><em> "Our delegation was searched. They were killed immediately when your canisters were discovered. Our transport ship tried to escape but it was destroyed. You must devise a better delivery method."<em>  
>"Or what?" John asked.<br>_"Or we will disclose your location to the other Wraith."_  
>"We kept our part of the bargain. We gave you the retrovirus." Illyria stated.<br>The Hive Queen was getting angry. _"And it is useless without an effective delivery system."_  
>"So we have to do everything?" John yelled.<br>The Queen doesn't reply, though her answer is obvious. Illyria and John simultaneously turn to Rodney, who sags wearily and sighs.

McKay spoke in a resigned voice. "OK, OK. I will figure something out." He points at the Queen. "But no more holding back. I wanna know everything there is to know about hive ships: schematics, power distribution, life support configurations, everything you've got."  
><em>"<em>_Then you shall have it."_  
>Rodney looks startled. "For real?"<br>The Queen turns her head and nods to someone offscreen on her ship. Moments later, the technician's console beeps.  
>"Receiving transmission."<br>"Make sure it's secure." John told the Tech.  
>"Yeah-yeah-yeah, we're completely firewalled." McKay runs over to the technician's station. "Let me see that!" He shoves the technician out of the way. Sitting on a wheeled chair as he is, the technician rolls across the Control Room floor and disappears from view. Rodney stares at the computer screen in amazement as information scrolls across it. "Oh!" He turns to Illyria and John. "She actually did it! I mean, this is the mother-load!"<br>"What is, exactly?" Illyria asked.  
>"Only everything you've ever wanted to know about Wraith technology but were afraid to ask." McKay grins.<br>Illyria and John turn back to the video screen. "Why are you doing this?"  
><em> "We have suffered extensive damage."<em>  
>Illyria looks at John for a moment, then turns back to the screen. "We could render assistance."<br>_"You would do this?"_  
>"We're supposed to have an alliance, aren't we? Sending information on Wraith technology was a remarkable act of good faith on your part. And, as shocking as it might seem, before the War I was a great friend of the Wraith. I will do as needed to keep the status."<br>_"Your assistance would be ... acceptable."_  
>"We have a deal."<br>҉  
><strong>LAB.<strong>

As Radek and several other scientists work at various computers, John strolls in with a tray containing three mugs of coffee. One of the scientists takes a mug as John approaches Radek's table.  
>"I know you guys have been burning it at both ends, so, uh ..."<br>"Doctor Vogel just went to get us some." Zelenka said.  
>John puts the tray down on the table. A female lab assistant walks over and takes another mug. "Thank you."<br>John turned to Radek. "Yeah, caught him on the way in."  
>His eyes still on his computer screen, Radek reaches across for the last mug but John has already picked it up and takes a mouthful.<br>"How's it coming?"  
>"Ah. Oh, it's-it's phenomenal. It's-it's like being handed a Wraith encyclopedia. It's hard to know where to start."<br>"When I was a kid and I got my first encyclopedia, I started with the letter "S"."  
>"Yes, well, while I'm sure that Wraith sexuality is interesting, we've decided to split into two teams." Zelenka turns to his left. "Team A over here is trying to find the best place or places to plant the gas canister..." he turns to his right "...and Team B over there is trying to come up with some fixes for the damage that the Wraith hive sustained during its last battle."<br>"And you?"  
>"Um, mostly I'm just skimming the index."<br>"Anything exciting?"  
>"Oh, yes."<br>"Such as?"  
>"Well, the ships are massive..." Zelenka shoves himself across the floor on his chair to another computer "...but because of their mainly organic design, they have a number of external weaknesses."<br>"I've got a weakness for external weaknesses."  
>"Any word from Rodney yet?"<br>"I'm sure he's fine."  
>Radek looks up at him, concerned.<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP.<strong>

Rodney is on board, accompanied by Ronon. He runs a scanner over a wall, and then turns to the male Wraith scientist.  
>"The organic base of a lot of your technology - it's, uh, it's quite amazing. Very, um, resilient."<br>"Many of the problems we encounter eventually heal themselves, yes, but there are smaller, more complex issues."  
>"Ah. Such as the programming code to make your old ships do new things?"<br>"Or bypassing inoperable systems, yes. It has been so long since we have fought a real battle." The Wraith looks smug as it walks away.  
>"Yes, well, I imagine I'd forget a lot in ten thousand years too." McKay and Ronon follow after the Wraith.<br>"Before the civil war, there were Keepers who maintained the entire fleet, but they have made their own alliances."  
>"Sorry about that." Ronon insincerely said.<br>"Without your help, this damage may have been irreparable."  
>"Ah, finally an alien race that appreciates me!" McKay said.<br>The Wraith stops and turns to face the two men. "Do you think we will be able to come up with an adequate delivery system for the retrovirus?"  
>Hmm. Well, I know that you don't know me, so you couldn't possibly know this, but..."<br>Ronon interrupted McKay, "The short answer is yes."  
>"This way."<br>He puts its hand on Rodney's shoulder. Instantly Ronon grabs the Wraith and slams it against the wall, holding a knife to its throat.  
>"Ronon, are you crazy? Do you wanna get us killed?" McKay shouted.<br>Ronon growled at the Wraith. "You don't touch him."  
>"He was guiding me down the hall, not sucking the life out of my shoulder!" Ronon continues to glare at the Wraith as Rodney peers over his shoulder. "We are sorry." He turned to Ronon "Say you're sorry!"<br>"That will not be necessary." The Wraith said and Ronon releases it. "He was protecting his superior. I would have done the same."  
>"He's not my superior." Ronon said,<br>"Certainly not in ... every sense." McKay mumbled.  
>"My apologies." The Wraith dipped his head.<br>"You wanted to take us somewhere?" Ronon prompted.  
>"Please. This way." The Wraith holds its hand out to show the way. Rodney and Ronon exchange a glance, then follow it down the hall.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

Rodney and John are standing at a screen showing part of the schematic of a Wraith hive ship as Rodney points to a particular place on the screen, explaining things to the Hive Queen who has returned to the city.  
>"That's your sweet spot. This central chamber scrubs the CO2 from your artificial atmosphere and redistributes it as breathable air to the rest of the ship. You get a sufficiently large canister of retrovirus into that central chamber, the whole ship'll be affected simultaneously."<br>"Getting to this location without arousing suspicion will be very difficult."  
>Illyria who was standing nearby, said, "I'm sure it will be, but we cannot really help you with that."<br>"Although the Colonel and I have come up with a way to test that theory." John nods. "Step one: we find another enemy hive and jump to a location just out of its sensor range."  
>"Step two: the Daedalus takes position in close proximity to your hive, essentially merging with your scan patterns, rendering it practically invisible to the enemy sensors." John said.<br>"Step three: using sublight systems, our ships approach the target hive for ... whatever reason - I'm sure you can come with something." McKay said.  
>"Step four: now that the Daedalus can use its beaming technology again..."<p>

"...which would be thanks to..." McKay points to himself with both hands.

"... Anyway - once we get in range, we can beam the canister into the CO2 chamber and boom! One hive ship de-Wraithified." John said. He and Rodney each put their hands on their hips in an identical gesture of smugness. They smile, looking very pleased with themselves.  
>"Unacceptable." The Queen said.<br>"Excuse me?" McKay squeaked.  
>"This plan keeps us completely reliant on you to disseminate the retrovirus."<br>"It's meant to be a test to see if the gas works in the first place. If it does, you can come up with some other way to deliver it." John said.  
>The Queen looks at Illyria for a moment, considering her options, then looks back at the boys again, clearly not happy but having no choice. "Very well." She looks at Illyria again. "I'll transmit the coordinates to our new target as soon as I return to the hive. We'll leave as soon as you are ready."<br>She leaves the room.  
>"What's a girl like her do for fun?" John said.<br>"Hmm. I should be on that hive when we do this." McKay said.  
>"Excuse me?" Illyria asked.<br>"Really?" John asked.  
>"I know it's uncharacteristically brave, but I've hacked a lot of their systems under the guise of repairing them. I've convinced them that I should be there to supervise their systems if anything goes wrong." McKay said.<br>"And they agreed to this?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yes. Plus, now we can freely beam stuff on and off their ships..." McKay takes a small device out of his pocket "…I've written a program that will immediately beam me out of there the second I activate this emergency transponder." He smiles proudly as John folds his arms doubtfully.<br>"You're sure you wanna do this?" John asked.  
>"Of course I don't wanna do it! I just ... I think it should be done."<br>John raises his finger. "Ronon goes along."  
>McKay was not entirely happily. "Wouldn't have it any other way."<br>Illyria turned to John. "And I'd like you on the Daedalus."  
>"No place I'd rather be." John smiled and kissed her temple.<br>"OK, good. Let's get this done. I'm about ready for our house guests to leave."  
>Rodney pats John's shoulder, then heads off. John looks down at his shoulder and frowns suspiciously.<br>҉  
><strong>SOME TIME LATER. <strong>

**LAB. **

As Radek stands and leans on a desk on his elbows, studying a laptop, the screen begins to flash on and off. He spoke to himself in Czech_. "Eh, what's that? What's that? What's going on?"_ He looks up at a scientist standing nearby. In English, "Is your terminal...?" He looks around the room as the other laptop screens also start to flash and the main computer screen goes dark. Again, he spoke to himself in Czech, _"What the hell is that?"_  
>Behind him, the female lab assistant turns to him. "You need to see this."<br>She shows him a computer tablet. Radek takes the tablet and stares at it in shock.  
>"Oh no." He looks at the assistant. "Tell me the Daedalus has not left yet."<br>҉  
><strong>HYPERSPACE.<strong>

The Daedalus has indeed left. John walks onto the Bridge and goes over to Caldwell who is standing near the front windshield.  
>"Are we there yet?" John smiled to himself, thinking that he'll be listening to that exact same question in a few short years.<br>"Do you have any idea how difficult these maneuvers are gonna be?" Caldwell asked him.  
>"I'm guessing ... really difficult."<br>"We're gonna be flying so close to that hive ship, you'll be able to reach out and touch it. I'm gonna insist on a few practice runs before we approach the enemy."  
>"I'm sure they're fine with that."<br>"Coming out of hyperspace." Kleinman said.  
>As the ship starts to exit hyperspace, Caldwell turns to face Kleinman. "Get McKay on the radio. I wanna..."<br>The moment Daedalus comes out of hyperspace she comes under a barrage of fire. The ship jolts under the impact. John is sent reeling and crashes to the floor against a console. Caldwell just about manages to keep his feet and throws himself into his chair as alarms sound. "Shields to maximum!"  
>"Decks one to seven in the forward section have decompressed and are venting atmosphere." Kleinman reported.<br>John scrambles to his feet.  
>Caldwell spoke to Kleinman. "Seal off those sections. Get a damage control team down there."<br>The ship jolts again.  
>"Who's firing on us?" John asked.<br>"Two hive ships bearing down on our position, sir. One of them is the friendly." Kleinman reported.  
>Behind them, a console explodes.<br>"Not so friendly." John said.  
>"All main weapons: fire at will on both ships. Hermiod: stand by to beam warheads to the nearest hive ship." Caldwell ordered.<br>"It doesn't make any sense. Why break the alliance now? They don't even have the gas aboard the ship - we do." John said.  
>"That's not my concern right now." Caldwell flinches as a bright light illuminates the Bridge as another blast hits the front of the ship.<br>Hermiod spoke from inside the Engine Room. _"Colonel Caldwell. This is Hermiod. The warheads are ready to deploy."_  
>"Stand by 'til we reach optimal range."<br>"You gotta give Ronon and McKay time to beam back aboard first." John said.  
>"They've got until we reach weapons deployment range. If they can't activate their emergency transceivers by then, there's nothing we can do about it." Caldwell said.<br>From an external viewpoint, Daedalus fires volley after volley of rail gun fire at the two hive ships ahead of her as they pound her with their own fire.  
>҉<br>**WRAITH SHIP.**

As the ship jolts under the impact of the fire from Daedalus, Rodney ducks down and Ronon draws his blaster and aims it back down the corridor. Ahead of them, the Wraith scientist strolls down the corridor, unconcerned.  
>"What was that?" McKay turned to Ronon. "Activate your transceiver." Ronon presses a device he has strapped around his wrist as Rodney presses the device he has attached to his jacket. Nothing happens. "Oh no!"<br>The Wraith turns and faces them as several guards walk around the corner. Ronon turns to face them and raises his blaster but is hit by a stunner blast. He buckles at the knees but tries to turn and fire on more guards approaching from the opposite direction. One of them shoots him with a second stunner blast and he crashes to the floor. Rodney turns to the scientist.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>The Wraith strolls casually over to him. "I am sorry, Doctor McKay. There's been a ... change in plans."  
>He strolls off as the guards seize Rodney and march him away.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>

The ship jolts under another volley.  
>"That's time." Caldwell said.<br>"You gotta give 'em a few more seconds." John pleaded.  
>"Sorry, Colonel, I can't do that. Hermiod - deploy warheads when ready."<br>Hermiod spoke from the Engine Room. _"Colonel Caldwell. Doctor McKay's code has failed to breach the Wraith counter measures. I am attempting another series of codes."_  
>"Work as fast as you can - this shield ain't gonna hold up forever."<br>"With some 302s we might be able to take out the hyperdrive - save us some time." John said.  
>"Do it!"<br>John turns to run from the Bridge but ducks as more consoles explode.  
>"Shields are at sixty percent!" Kleinman yelled.<br>John races from the Bridge.  
>•<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

Four F-302s fly out of the hangar and head towards the hive ships. John is piloting one of the 302s.  
>John spoke into comms. "Delta Two, on my lead. Get ready to hit their stardrive."<br>_"I've got incoming."_  
>"Deltas Three and Four, try to keep these Darts off our six."<br>As one of the 302s fires its missiles towards one of the hive ships, John puts his glider into a series of spins to avoid the weapons fire coming towards it, then levels out and heads towards the hive.  
>҉<br>**WRAITH SHIP. **

**FOOD STORAGE CHAMBER. **

Two guards push a semi-conscious Ronon into one of the cubicles. Two more guards push Rodney into the adjoining cubicle.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa! Hold on - we're supposed to be allies!"<br>The Wraith scientist approaches him. "I'm afraid the alliance has been dissolved."  
>"D'you have any idea how much work I have put into all of this?" The Wraith just looks at him. Rodney stares back at him indignantly. "I haven't slept in thirty six hours!"<br>"Perhaps it is better if you rest." The Wraith takes a stunner pistol from one of the guards and shoots him.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS BRIDGE.**  
>"Shields are under twenty percent." Kleiman said.<br>"Hermiod, what've you got for me?" Caldwell spoke into his headset.  
><em>"I cannot guarantee that I will be able to defeat the Wraith counter measures in sufficient time."<em>  
>"Colonel Sheppard, get your flight back to the ship. We need to jump out of here as soon as possible."<br>**(Out in space)**

John's F-302 has almost reached the hive ship.  
>"Two minutes. I can shut down their hyperdrive."<br>_"Unless you can shut down their weapons, it's not gonna do us much good."_  
><strong> (<strong>**In the 302)**

Alarms sound as John's screen shows two ships behind him. "Dammit!"  
>Two Darts approach the 302 from behind and start to fire at him.<br>_"Sheppard. Sheppard."_  
><strong>(Daedalus)<strong>

There's no reply.  
>"I'm not gettin' anything, sir." Kleiman said.<br>"Prepare to jump on my mark." Caldwell said.  
>"Sir! The hives are opening hyperspace windows."<br>Caldwell stares out of the windshield as the two hive ships disappear into hyperspace. He stands and walks to the front of the Bridge. "Why the hell'd they do that?"  
>"Three of our 302s are returning to Daedalus, sir."<br>"Sheppard?"  
>"His fighter isn't one of them. The only contacts I have on screen are ... wreckage."<br>"What about his locator beacon?"  
>"No, nothing, sir. He's just gone."<br>Caldwell looks away. "Understood." He gazes out of the windshield. "Set course for Atlantis."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE.**  
>"We got hacked. Within the hive ship's schematics was a worm-like computer virus." Zelenka said.<br>"Your people went over the data." Weir said.  
>"I know. We thought it was clean, but this virus was entirely different."<br>"What did it do?" Illyria asked.  
>"It very selectively probed our systems without damaging them or exposing itself."<br>"I don't understand. If you didn't find it and it didn't reveal itself ..."  
>Zelenka interrupted Carson. "Once the hive left Atlantis, the worm began to destroy all of the data they had sent down."<br>"Then this was their plan all along." Illyria said, sighing and knocking her knuckles on the desk. "What did they get, Radek?"  
>"This is one of the reasons we didn't detect it. They only uploaded two pieces of information: one - the Aurora mission reports..."<br>"OK. And two?"  
>"The location of every world on our database."<br>Illyria stares at him in horror.  
>҉<br>**HYPERSPACE.**

The hive ships fly along side by side. Inside the so-called 'friendly' hive, Ronon has regained consciousness and is struggling against the bonds that now hold him inside the cubicle. He turns his head towards Rodney in the next cubicle, who is similarly trapped.  
>"You OK?"<br>Rodney is hyperventilating. "No. No, I think this is the most not OK I have ever been."  
>The Wraith scientist walks over to them. It stops at Ronon's cubicle. Ronon struggles to hurl himself towards it.<br>"I see you have awakened."  
>"Really? I was sort of hoping this was just a nightmare." McKay said.<br>Ronon was glaring at the Wraith. "Why aren't we dead?"  
>The Wraith moves to stand in front of Rodney. "The Queen wants you to live long enough to witness the fruits of your labor. If it wasn't for you, Doctor McKay, we would never have been able to get there."<br>"What are you talking about? Get where?"  
>The Wraith leans forward and looks into Rodney's eyes.<br>"Earth." 

**TO BE CONTINUED.**


	28. Chapter 26

**Previously on **_**Chance Meetings**_**:****  
><strong>_-__Lieutenant Michael Kenmore stares in horror as he watches the video recording of himself, as a Wraith, struggling against his captors.__  
><em>_ "You're gonna need a name. How does "Mike" sound?" John said._

_-In the Atlantis Conference Room__  
><em>_ "The retrovirus works. So much is clear. Just look at the guy." John said.__  
>-<em>_On a Wraith planet, Illyria stares in horror as Michael begins his transformation back into a Wraith.__  
><em>_ "I'm returning to what I am." Michael said.__  
>-<em>_In the Conference Room__  
><em>_ "Not only has our dear lieutenant rejoined the Wraith, but he's taken with him the knowledge that Atlantis still exists." McKay said__  
>-<em>_In the Control Room__  
>"<em>_We have detected a hive ship heading towards Atlantis. I think we can assume it's Michael."__  
>-<em>_In Weir's office__  
><em>_ "Your retrovirus will allow us to feed off enemy Wraith." The Hive Queen said.__  
>-<em>_In the Isolation Room, the Hive Queen feeds off a Wraith which has been turned into a human.__  
>-<em>_In the Control Room__  
>"<em>_Receiving transmission." The Tech said.__  
><em>_ "What is, exactly?"__  
><em>_ "Only everything you've ever wanted to know about Wraith technology but were afraid to ask." McKay grins.__  
>-<em>_In the Conference Room__  
><em>_ "Once we get in range, we can beam the canister into the CO2 chamber and boom! One hive ship de-Wraithified." John said.__  
>-<em>_On the hive ship__  
><em>_ Wraith turned to Rodney and Ronon. "There's been a ... change in plans."__  
>-<em>_On board Daedalus__  
><em>_ "Two hive ships bearing down on our position, sir. One of them is the friendly."__  
>-<em>_The hive ships open fire on Daedalus.__  
>-<em>_On the hive ship, Rodney and Ronon are held captive __inside __food storage__cocoons.__  
><em>_ "The Queen wants you to live long enough to witness the fruits of your labor." The Wraith said. __  
>-<em>_In Elizabeth's office__  
><em>_ "Within the hive ship's schematics was a worm-like __computer virus__."__ Zelenka reported.  
><em>_ "What did they get?"__  
><em>_ "The location of every world on our database."_  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
>The new chapter starts shortly before the end of the last chapter. Daedalus is under attack from the hive ships. It returns fire but is seriously outgunned. On the Bridge, Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard stands behind Colonel Caldwell who is sitting in the command chair.<br>"With some 302s we might be able to take out the hyperdrive - save us some time." John said.  
>"Do it!"<br>John turns to run from the Bridge but ducks as more consoles explode.  
>"Shields are at sixty percent!" Kleinman shouted.<br>John races from the Bridge.  
><strong>•<strong>  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.<strong>

Four F-302s fly out of the hangar and head towards the hive ships. John is piloting one of the 302s.  
><em>"I've got incoming."<em> Dagger two said.  
>"Daggers Three and Four, try to keep these Darts off our six." John said.<br>_"Roger that."_  
>The 302s head towards the hive ships. One of them - presumably John's ship - fires rockets towards a hive ship but they explode far away from the ship. The 302s continue dodging in and out of the Darts pursuing them.<br>_"Half the bogies are pursuing Daggers Three and Four. We've got the other half hot on our tail."_ Dagger Two's co-pilot said.  
><em>"Taking fire. I've lost the generator."<em> Dagger two said.  
>"Stand by to break left on my mark ... Mark!" John said. He flies on and prepares to fire a rocket. "Fox four." He fires the rocket, which soars towards a group of Darts near one of the hive ships. The rocket impacts and the Darts are destroyed. John flies through the debris. "We're in the clear. Continue to target."<br>**ξ**  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>

Captain Kleinman, manning the weapons, reports. "Shields are under twenty percent."  
>"Colonel Sheppard, get your flight back to the ship. We need to jump out of here as soon as possible." Caldwell said.<br>(Out in space)

John's F-302 has almost reached the hive ship.  
>"Two minutes. I can shut down their hyperdrives."<br>_"Unless you can shut down their weapons, it's not gonna do us much good."_  
>F-302. Alarms sound as John's screen shows two Darts behind him. "Dammit! Dagger Two, I could use some cover on my attack run to the target hyperdrive."<br>_ "Roger that, Leader. I'm on my way."_The Darts race towards John's 302, but shots from Dagger Two destroy them. Dagger Two soars through the wreckage. The pilot looks around. _"The remaining Darts are returning to the hives."_  
>"Can you go to max thrust?" John asked.<br>_"Negative."_  
>"Head back to the Daedalus."<br>_"Roger that."_  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>DAEDALUS<strong>.  
>The hives are opening hyperspace windows. Caldwell stares out of the windshield as the two hive ships disappear into hyperspace. He stands and walks to the front of the Bridge.<br>"Why the hell'd they do that?"  
>"Three of our 302s are returning to Daedalus, sir." Kleinman reported.<br>"Sheppard?"  
>"His fighter isn't one of them. The only contacts I have on screen are ... wreckage."<br>"What about his locator beacon?"  
>"Nothing, sir. He's just gone."<br>Caldwell looks away. "Understood."  
><strong>•<strong>  
>F-302. John takes off his air mask and looks up through the canopy of his ship.<br>"OK. This is new."  
>The F-302 has landed on a ledge on the underside of one of the hive ships.<p>

The two hive ships are plunging through hyperspace.  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Caldwell and a couple of his crew come into the Control Room to report to Doctor Weir. Illyria is with her.  
>"Colonel Caldwell. What's the status of the repairs?" Weir asked.<br>"Ongoing. We lost a few key personnel in the attack."  
>Illyria looks away, eyes shining. Elizabeth's face is full of grief. Obviously they have already been told about John's disappearance.<br>"Yes, we did." Weir whispered.  
>"I'm sorry." Caldwell said, placing an opened hand on Illyria's shoulder. Her face contorted as she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched. After a few moments, Illyria took in a rugged breath and opened her eyes.<br>"So am I." She was fighting her emotions again. "But this isn't the time to mourn them." She leads Caldwell and Weir into Weir's office. Doctor Zelenka follows them in.  
>"I just briefed General Landry. We're to check in in an hour and advise him of our response to this." Weir said.<br>"I've got a broken ship and serious casualties. I don't know what sort of response you have in mind but ..." Caldwell trailed off.  
>"I want you to redeploy immediately." Illyria said.<br>"Excuse me?" Caldwell said.  
>"So long as they're still in striking distance, we have to at least try."<br>"You know we can't intercept them in hyperspace."  
>Illyria looks at Radek. "Radek?"<br>"Well, obviously they've upgraded their FTL drives using the information they were able to steal from our database - the Aurora mission reports ..."  
>"Obviously." Caldwell mumbled.<br>"...However, the ships are organic in nature. They _will_ need to make brief pauses to recover from the effects of hyperspace radiation." Zelenka continued, paying no mind to the Colonel's interruption.  
>"Where and when?" Illyria asked.<br>"Uh, yeah. It will take some time to calculate."  
>"Go."<br>"OK." Zelenka turns and leaves the room.  
>"Look, Queen Illyria, I wanna go after these bastards as much as you do, but the Daedalus is in no position to fight right now. Our shields are severely depleted and several decks are inaccessible. Even if we <em>could<em> catch up with them, I don't know how long we'd last." Caldwell said.  
>"Which is why I'm committing the Orion as well."<br>"It was recalled the moment the Wraith computer virus was revealed." Weir said.  
>"And it's in no better shape than Daedalus!" Caldwell scoffed.<br>"It will fly, and by the time you reach the hive ships, it should also be able to fight." Illyria said.  
>"And if it isn't?"<br>Illyria steps towards him, her face resolute. "Currently, Stargate Command has no vessels capable of engaging the hive ships before they reach Earth. They _cannot_ be allowed to get that far, Steven."  
>Caldwell swallows and looks away for a moment, then looks back at her. "You know what you're asking me to do."<br>"I do."  
>Caldwell nods and looks away, thinking, then looks back at her. "There's still repairs that need to be made."<br>Weir looks down, realizing that this may well be a suicide mission. Illyria keeps her gaze on Caldwell.  
>"Do what you have to do." Illyria said. Caldwell nods and walks away. "And Steven," Caldwell looks slightly over his shoulder. "I want the Wraith Queen's <em>head on a pike<em>."  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>HYPERSPACE. <strong>

**FOOD STORAGE CHAMBER. **

Doctor McKay and Ronon Dex are still inside adjoining cocoons, which are now covered with webbing. Only the men's faces are showing. Ronon, true to his nature, is struggling to tear himself free.  
>"They couldn't have. Even if they somehow deduced the location of Earth, they still wouldn't be able to get there - not unless they..." McKay pauses, thinking "...they downloaded something along with the hive ship plans. Something like spyware. Something like when I stupidly downloaded porn..." he glances in the direction of Ronon's cocoon "...music! When I downloaded music!" Ronon takes no notice, continuing to struggle. "It has to be...I did this. I'm responsible for the destruction of my own planet."<br>"If anyone was going to do it, it'd be you."  
>"Thank you! Thank you <em>so<em> much for that!"  
>"Stop worrying about it now. Just focus."<br>"Focus on what? What is there to focus on? I'm stuck in a cocoon!"  
>"On getting out of here."<br>"Oh, right, of course! Why didn't I think of that? Of course. Here goes ... ummm ... no, still can't move." Ronon continues to try and force himself through the webbing. "I'm pretty sure they're struggle-proof there, big guy."  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>F-302.<strong>

John is looking at his screens. "OK. Can't sit here forever."  
>He pushes a button on the console and a message comes onto the screen: DISENGAGE DOCKING CLAMPS? Underneath are two buttons marked YES and NO. John reaches towards the YES button but doesn't touch it yet.<br>"Hit 'em while they're in hyperspace. They'll never know what happened." He moves his finger towards the NO button. "Is that even possible?"  
>Suddenly he hears Rodney's voice in his head.<br>_"There is no reason to believe that their hyperspace field is any different than ours..."_  
>John flashes back to a memory of himself in the Atlantis Commissary. He's sitting at a table with Rodney and Radek, who are arguing.<p>

"_...and we can't launch 302s from the Daedalus while in hyperspace."__  
><em>_ "I'm simply talking about maneuvering _within_ the field, _not_ passing through it." _(He looks at John.)_ "What do __you__ think?"_  
><em>John smiles. Illyria was sitting at the next table and she is smiling flirtatiously back at him.<em>_  
><em>_ "Colonel?" Zelenka asked.__  
><em>_ "Hmm? What? Yes." John nods.__  
><em>_ "He's not listening." McKay said._  
>The flashback ends. John sighs.<br>"I gotta pay more attention to those guys."  
>He presses the NO button.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>INSIDE THE HIVE SHIP. <strong>

Michael walks down a corridor into the Hive Queen's chamber. She is sitting on a throne-like chair and talking with another Wraith. As Michael reaches the steps leading up to the throne, she snarls at the Wraith and jerks her head at it to indicate that it should leave. It walks away and she looks down at Michael.  
>"Yes, Michael?" Her voice is full of scorn as she uses the name given to him by the humans.<br>"You should have told me." The Queen looks at him enquiringly. "That we were going to betray the Atlanteans."  
>"Are you feeling sympathy for them?"<br>"No. But I don't understand why I wasn't told. I told you of their plan because I believed it was a viable way..."

The Queen interrupted. "You're only alive because you still may prove to be useful. But I fear, _Michael_, that the lingering stench of what they have transformed you into will never fade."  
>Michael snarls, then turns and walks away.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. **

**STARGATE COMMAND (S.C.G.). **

In the Control Room, the Stargate is open. Elizabeth is reporting over a video link to General Hank Landry.  
><em>"In approximately one hour, the Wraith will drop out of hyperspace..."<em> she pushes a button and a star map appears on the screens _"...here. It's just outside of the Pegasus galaxy. There, they will pause for fifteen hours. If Daedalus and Orion break orbit on our current schedule, they should be able to reach those coordinates in just under fourteen hours, best possible speed."_  
>"A narrow window." Landry said.<br>Elizabeth nods in agreement. _"It's the __only__ window, sir."_  
>"Understood. Now, the International Oversight Advisory want you to brief them on this matter."<br>_"When would you like me to dial in again?"_  
>"You misunderstand me. I mean in person, and I mean right now. The President himself assigned…"<br>Weir interrupted. _"I can't just leave, not now."_  
>"I'm afraid that's not up to you."<br>_"There is far too much going on here..."_  
>"Doctor. You've done all you're going to do for now. I need you to step through that Gate. They're waiting for you in my Briefing Room." Elizabeth hesitates. "Doctor Weir?"<br>_"I see."_ She nods to Landry, who smiles in sympathy at her predicament. Elizabeth turns and takes a laptop computer from the console she is sitting at. She stands and turns to Illyria. "Illyria. We are awaiting several teams to return from their missions. Once that happens, I'd like to suspend all Gate travel until this whole thing is over."  
>"Of course."<br>Elizabeth looks at the screen on the wall showing Landry's image, then looks around the Control Room before turning to Illyria again. "And I'll need you to dial in once the Daedalus is ready."  
>"I know what to do, Elizabeth."<br>"Of course you do."  
>"I will see you when you ret-" Illyria gasped and clutched her stomach, leaning with the other hand on the nearest console.<p>

"Illyria?" Elizabeth said, putting her computer down and held the other woman's shoulder. "Illyria are you alright?"

"Just-Just give me a moment." Illyria's eyes were still clutched tightly together. She sighed deeply before opening them back up. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Weir activated her headset. "Carson, I'm sending Illyria to you. She's having pains; I'd like you to check her over."

_"Aye. Send someone down with her."_  
>"Thank you." Illyria said. They smile at each other, then Elizabeth walks away. Illyria and the usual Tech, that's always sitting in the Control Room, went down the staircase. Elizabeth walks down the stairs into the Gateroom and, looking around the room one last time, walks towards the Stargate and steps into the event horizon.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<strong>**  
><strong>**S.C.G. GATEROOM.**

Elizabeth comes through the Gate and walks down the ramp. General Landry is waiting at the bottom.  
>"Welcome back to Earth."<br>"Thank you, General." Sarcastically she said, "It's wonderful to be here."  
>"I can see that!"<br>They turn and start to leave the Gateroom.  
>"You know I considered disobeying your order? There wouldn't have been too much you could do about it." Weir said.<br>"You made the right decision in coming."  
>"We're in the middle of a crisis, General. This is absolutely..."<br>Landry was talking over her. "Don't bite _my_ head off, Elizabeth! The recall order didn't come from me."  
>"Who it came from doesn't matter."<br>"What if I told you it came from the President?"  
>"I wouldn't believe you."<br>"And you'd be right. But in a couple of weeks, there could be aliens on our doorstep determined to feed on the human race. The President had no choice but to accede to the I.O.A.'s demand that you be brought back to explain yourself."  
>They have reached the Control Room. Elizabeth gazes up the stairs which lead to the Briefing Room and sighs deeply, and then looks at Landry again.<br>"So what do they _really_ want?" Weir asked.  
>"To point fingers, and cover their asses."<br>"I am honestly not sure how I will respond to _that_, sir."  
>"They're bureaucrats, Elizabeth. You'll have 'em for breakfast!"<br>**ξ**

**ATLANTIS**

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria is lying on a table tilted at forty-five degrees, her feet resting on metal steps. Carson is running a scanner over her stomach and looking at the results on a nearby screen. The baby's heartbeat can be heard.  
>"Excellent. This is all very good. Your son and daughter should be making an appearance any day now." Illyria gazes upward, her face blank. "I thought that would make you happy. I can't imagine carrying a child inside of you is very comfortable."<br>"I don't know if I can do it, Carson." She whispered so softly, Carson had to strain his ears to be sure he heard her. She turned her head to him. "Their father is dead and John is….missing. If he doesn't come back, Carson, I don't know if I can…."

Putting her hands protectively over her bump, Illyria stares around the room in despair.

**ξ**  
><strong>HYPERSPACE. <strong>

**HIVE SHIP. **

Michael walks along a corridor, but suddenly finds his way blocked when two guards step into his path. "There is work I must attend to."  
>He glares at the guards but they don't move.<br>"Stand aside!"  
>The guards still don't move.<br>Angrily, Michael growled, "Am I to sit quietly in my quarters?"  
>The guards don't respond. Michael glares at them for a few more seconds, then snarls at them before turning and walking away.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>FOOD<strong>** STORAGE CHAMBER.**

Ronon is still struggling against the webbing of his cocoon. Rodney is completely still inside his cocoon.  
>"Now, you see, they're actually quite comfortable. Surprisingly warm; take all the pressure off the spine. I suppose it's as good a place as any to witness the end of humanity as we know it." McKay said.<br>"You're wasting your energy talking."  
>"OK, let's say a magic fairy comes down and grants you one wish and we break out. Then what, huh? We're still in a hive, we're still travelling through hyperspace, probably in the <em>massive<em> void between our two galaxies where there aren't even planets, let alone Stargates. What then, huh? We fly home on the wings of imagination, is that what we do, Ronon?"  
>"You can sit here and die if you like, but I'm not giving up."<br>"Oh, fine! I _will_."  
>"Fine!" Ronon continues to struggle.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

The two hive ships come out of hyperspace. In the F-302, John looks up at the stars.  
>"OK. Time to do some damage." He activates the comms. "Ronon, Rodney, can you hear me?"<br>The view switches to the radios and other kit that have been taken off Rodney and Ronon. The gear is lying on a table inside the hive ship.  
><em>"Rodney? I know this is a long shot, but if you can hear me, please respond."<em>  
>Michael is in the same room as the radios. He had been sitting on a bench by the window but as he hears Sheppard's voice, he walks over to the door of the room and closes it.<br>_"If you're near a radio, I need you to come in. I need to know your location. Guys?"_  
>Michael picks up a radio and activates it. "Colonel Sheppard. Is that you?"<br>**(In the 302)**

John stares in surprise.  
>"Who's this?"<br>_"You know me as Michael."_  
>"Sorry. Got the wrong number."<br>_"Ronon and Doctor McKay are still alive."_  
>"What are you gonna do with them?"<br>_"If you want them to live, listen to me. I don't know how you got aboard, but if your friends are in pursuit, you need to disable these ships in order for them to reach us."_  
>"If you really wanna help, why don't you just do that?"<em><br>_ _"They would know."_  
>"Aren't <em>you<em> "they"?"  
><em> "Please believe me when I say I was as deceived as you were."<em>  
>"Oh, I don't know. I was pretty deceived."<br>_"It seems, Colonel, that because of what you did to me, the Wraith no longer see me as one of their own."_  
>"Oh. <em>That's<em> why you wanna help, because you don't feel welcome."  
><em>"We don't have time to discuss this."<em>  
>"Sure we do. I've got, uh, a good three hours of air left."<br>_"Where are you?"_  
>"Wouldn't you like to know?"<br>_"__I need to know what level you're on so I can guide you from there."_  
>"You mean trust you?"<br>_ "Are you in a position not to?"_  
>"Oh ... I've got you right where I want you."<br>_"I doubt I'll be allowed to live much longer, and yet I very much want to continue living. If you want to survive as I do, then I suggest you tell me where you are."_  
>"I'm outside the hive in a 302, about to blast your ship. D'you still wanna help?"<br>_"Target the ventral hyperdrive generators. You'll be most effective."_  
>"Yeah. That's what <em>I<em> was thinkin'."  
><em> "Then I suggest you act now, before you are discovered."<em>

**ξ**  
><strong>S.C.G. BRIEFING ROOM.<strong>

Elizabeth is sitting at the table opposite three members of the I.O.A.: Richard Woolsey, Ambassador Shen and an English ambassador.  
>"The leader of the hive presented a scenario which made it seem we were under a time constraint. To speed up the problem-solving, we distributed the file." Weir said.<br>"And played right into their hands." Shen said.

"...Yes."  
>"In fairness, Doctor Weir kept us informed of every action they took along the way." Woolsey said. "And we supported her recommendations, I know." Shen looks at Elizabeth. "But clearly we were not in possession of all the facts."<br>"Obviously neither were we, Ambassador." Weir said.  
>"So what measures have you taken to prevent the Wraith from reaching Earth?" Woolsey asked.<br>"I was coordinating a strike against the hive ships when you recalled me."  
>"With what?" The English ambassador asked.<br>"With everything we've got."  
>"Is that wise?" Shen asked.<br>"General Landry has informed me that in light of fleet resources committed to fighting the Ori, the weapons platform in Antarctica, powered by a pair of Mark Two generators, would be Earth's only defense. Now, I believe it would be _far_ better to stop them while they're still within reach of Atlantis."  
>"Wouldn't it have been more prudent to send the ZeeP.M. back to Earth on the Daedalus, ensuring successful operation of the Antarctic weapons platform when the Wraith arrive?" Woolsey asked.<br>"The Daedalus suffered severe damage during the first battle. A long journey at full power was out of the question ... and there is no way of knowing how much faster the Wraith ships have become." Weir said.  
>"You would risk the lives of everyone aboard those ships in order to undo your mistake?" She asked.<br>Elizabeth lowers her head for a moment. Woolsey glances at Shen, unhappy with her line of questioning. Then Elizabeth raises her head again, her face determined. "Daedalus is in orbit above Atlantis, performing emergency repairs. There is still time to beam the ZeePM aboard. But either plan will require Daedalus to break orbit within the next hour."  
>"Then, if you'll excuse us, we need some time to discuss our options." The English ambassador said.<br>"I have instructed Atlantis to contact the S.C.G. when both Daedalus and Orion are ready to leave." Weir stands. "If you would like to overturn my standing orders at that time, go right ahead - but you will have to fire me first."  
>She walks away.<br>**ξ**

**ATLANTIS**

**ILLYRIA AND JOHN'S ROOM**

Illyria is sitting on the bed, covered in sweat. She looks up as she hears footsteps.  
>She calls out, "John?"<br>Carson can be heard from outside the door. "Can I come in?"  
>"Not a moment too soon!" She struggles to her feet. The doors to the room open and Carson swiftly walks in, seeing her condition.<br>"We're gonna get you back to the Infirmary." He runs over to her and catches her as she crumples to her knees, crying out in pain. He eases her into a sitting position on the bed and kneels down next to her. "You OK?"  
>"It's my baby."<br>"What, is something wrong?"  
>Illyria was shaking her head. "No. I have been having contractions for over an hour now. They're very close. My baby's coming." She was gasping for breath. "I am sorry. I just need a moment."<br>"Why didn't you call me?" Still kneeling on the edge of the bed, Carson takes his hand away from her lower hip and finds his fingers covered in blood. He reaches for Illyria. "OK, you ready?"  
>"No, I can walk. I just need a moment." Illyria gasps in pain and Carson looks nervous.<p>

"I can't move you. I'm afraid if I do so you'll bleed out." He looks around and sighs. "I'll have to deliver the baby here. So ... how you doing?"  
>"The pain is very great." She cries out in pain and sinks further into the bed as she continues to wail.<br>"OK, just breathe, breathe, OK?" He pursues his lips and starts Lamaze breathing. She looks round at him, appalled.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"Well, it's Lamaze. Supposed to calm you down and ease the pain. C'mon, do it with me-"

As another contraction takes hold, Illyria screams and grabs his hand and squeezes it tightly. The bones in his fingers crunch unpleasantly and Carson's face contorts in silent agony.  
>Through gritted teeth, Carson said. "OK, there, there. There, there you are." He pats her hand comfortingly. "There, there."<br>"The baby is coming."  
>"You just – you just hang on. We'll get you back to the Infirmary-"<br>"No. The baby is coming now."  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>HIVE SHIP. <strong>

**FOOD STORAGE CHAMBER. **

Ronon is still struggling. Rodney still isn't. He talks quietly, more to himself than to Ronon.  
>"Wonder what they'll do to us? Feed on us, probably. I mean, that's ... that's what they do."<br>"It's not gonna come to that." Ronon said.  
>"Maybe." He perks up a little. "Earth'll probably mount some kind of defense..." he loses his enthusiasm again "...in which case I imagine death would be instantaneous. Unless we're trapped on a deck in a fire or something, then we'd be burned alive. Well, burned alive or suffocate. I wonder what'd be worse: being life-sucked by the Wraith or, or, burned alive. I honestly couldn't consider two worse options."<br>"Stop talking."  
>"OK, you know what? Make me!" Finally Ronon manages to force one hand through the webbing. "What are you doing?" Ronon has a blade in his hand and uses it to begin slashing his way through the webbing. "Where did you get that?"<br>With a huge effort, Ronon pushes himself through the slashed webbing. "I was trying to get my hand free so I could get to it."  
>"Would it have killed you to tell me?"<br>Roaring with the effort, Ronon finally pulls himself free. He walks over to Rodney's cocoon. He still has large pieces of webbing stuck to his body. "Maybe I would have if you'd shut up for more than a minute."  
>"What? Don't just stand there - cut me loose!"<br>"Only if you put an end to all this "We're gonna die, there's no hope" talk."  
>"Well, now there <em>is<em> hope!"  
>Ronon smiles slightly, then starts to cut into the webbing on the edge of Rodney's cocoon. "Ready?"<br>Plaintively, McKay yelled, "No!" Ronon cuts down the side of the webbing and peels it back. Rodney tries to pull himself free but can't manage. "A little help, would you?" Ronon grabs him and pulls him free. Like Ronon, Rodney still has large pieces of webbing stuck to him. "Oh! Oh, it's freezing out here!"  
>"Would you prefer to go back in?"<br>"No!"  
>"So now what?" Ronon starts trying to pull some of the webbing off himself.<br>"What?"  
>"How do we get out of here?"<br>McKay was looking down at the webbing stuck to himself. "Well, I don't..." He looks up, irritated.  
>"What?"<br>"You said no more death talk."  
>"McKay?"<p>

"Look, fine, we're out of the cocoons. So what? We're still stuck on the ship and there's no way off without ... well, any survivable way."  
>"You'll think of something."<br>"It's not a question of thinking..."  
>"You'll <em>think<em> of something."  
>"Fine. Can we at least go somewhere else?" Ronon has pulled as much of the webbing off himself as he can, and now turns to Rodney. "Can you get this off me?" Ronon starts tugging at his webbing. "It's down my back, down my back."<br>Ronon continues to pull at the webbing as they start to make their way out of the chamber.  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.C.G. **

In the Control Room, Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman is sitting at the control desk. Elizabeth is pacing up and down the room, awaiting a call from Atlantis. Woolsey comes in and walks over to her.  
>"So, what do they wanna do?" Weir asked.<br>"They're still arguing about it."

Elizabeth grimaces. "Of _course_ they are!"  
>Just then the Stargate begins to dial. "Incoming wormhole."<br>The Stargate whooshes. The Canadian technician's voice comes over the radio.  
><em>"This is Atlantis. We have a scheduled check-in with Doctor Weir."<em>  
>"Stand by, Atlantis." Walter said.<br>Elizabeth looks at Woolsey.  
>"They haven't reached a decision." Woolsey said.<br>"And they don't _want_ to, Mr. Woolsey, because if they agree or disagree with me, then they have to take some sort of responsibility. No, they'd rather have someone to blame. _I_ give this order, either way they have a scapegoat if something goes wrong. It's all part of the game."  
>Walter looks up at Elizabeth. "Ma'am?"<br>Elizabeth considers the situation for a moment, then resolutely steps forward to the microphone. "Illyria?"  
>(In the Atlantis Control Room)<p>

Marissa is standing by. _"Uh, Illyria is…giving birth."_

"What?" Weir yelled, smiling.

"_UH, yeah, Carson's delivering in her quarters 'cause it's too risky to move her."_

"Are the children okay?"

"_Carson's confident they will be. I'll keep you apprised of the situation. Now, we have a briefing?"_  
>"Yes, tell Colonel Caldwell to proceed with the mission as planned. And Godspeed."<br>_"I will tell him."_  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>

Caldwell is walking through the corridors. He activates his headset radio.  
>"Hermiod, what's our status?"<p>

**(In the Engine Room) **

Hermiod the Asgard reports. "Shields are at full strength. I have rerouted all non-essential power in order to ensure power levels for a longer period."  
><strong>(Caldwell meets up with Kleinman.)<strong>  
>"I want all operable missile tubes loaded with Mark Three tactical warheads." Caldwell said.<br>"That'd be every one of our nukes, sir." Kleinman said.  
>"I'm aware of that. Secondly, I want to disable all firing safeties to enable the launch of every one of our missiles the moment we exit hyperspace."<br>They reach the Bridge and take their seats.  
>"I'm not even sure that's possible." Kleinman said.<br>"Make it possible, please."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>Above Daedalus, a shadow appears over the ship. Caldwell speaks into comms.  
>"Major Lorne, we're approaching our T-Zero."<br>The shadow is that of Orion flying into position. Major Lorne is sitting in the Captain's chair on the Bridge as various personnel, including Radek, are busy at the consoles.  
>"Zelenka says she'll fly, sir, but - as of right now - that's about all she <em>can<em> do."  
><em>"You'll have thirteen hours en route to get your weapons and shields online, but we need to leave right now to make this window. Are you go or no go?"<em>  
>"We're go, sir."<br>_"Very well."_ Caldwell turned to his pilot. "On my mark. Three, two, one, mark."  
>A hyperspace window appears in front of Daedalus and the ship leaps into it. Seconds later, Orion forms its own window and leaps into it.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>ATLANTIS<strong>

**ILLYRIA AND JOHN'S QUARTERS**

Illyria is sitting on the bed with her back against the headboard. She has her knees drawn up and her legs open and is gasping in pain. Rodney kneels at her feet, staring at her in a calm panic.  
>"Well, you can't hold it in-"<br>"No, Carson!"  
>"This doesn't happen this quick." Carson told her.<br>"My water broke quite a while ago. I've been trying to..." She gasps as another contraction takes hold. She holds her breath for a moment, then wails.  
>"Oh, I can see its head!" Carson told her.<br>"That's good." She smiles through her pain.

"That's a good thing, Illyria."  
>"Yeah, but are you supposed to ... aren't you supposed to ... aren't you supposed to touch it? I don't know what to do!"<p>

"Illyria, calm down. I need you to be calm. People have been having babies for thousands of years, most of them without doctors."

Illyria was becoming hysterical. "Yeah, but before doctors the infant mortality rate was incredibly high! It was something like one in three, I think!"  
>Firmly, Carson said, "You have to do this. We don't have a choice."<br>Illyria stares at him, wide-eyed, then grimaces and tries to pull herself together. "OK, OK."  
>"Now, I need to catch them."<br>"Catch him?"  
>"Yes. I need to catch them when you push them out."<br>"Oh, God!" Illyria sounded anguished. "Carson, please."  
>"OK. You can do this. All right, look," He takes off his jacket. "We're gonna do this. I am great with kids ... the little ones, the ones that don't talk back." He smiled up at her as he scrunches up his jacket and holds it between her legs.<br>"Here it comes!" Illyria yelled. She grits her teeth and wails through them as she pushes.  
>"OK! Almost there! Almost there!"<br>Illyria wails as she continues to push. Carson gently pulls the baby and then, suddenly, the baby pops out, landing safely in the jacket. Carson stares up at Illyria.  
>"I got him!" He laughs. "I got him!" He pulls the baby free and gently lifts him up. The baby starts to cry. "This one's a boy!"<br>Carson quickly cuts the cord, ties it, and set the baby in a pile of blankets before moving onto the next child. The process repeats, more screaming and blood, and two minutes later, a baby girl was born.  
>Illyria laughs in delight as Carson announces the sex. "Watch her head."<br>"Right," He supports the baby's head, and hands her to Illyria. "OK, wee lass. OK."  
>Illyria looks at Carson. "Do I get to cut the cord? I get to cut the cord, then, right?"<p>

He nods, smiling.  
>"OK." She lays the baby down on her stomach to free up her hands. "OK, here you go. There, OK. So, OK!" Having cut the cord, she picks up the baby again. Carson picks up the boy and wipes him off with a blanket.<br>"Illyria, I'd like to introduce you to your son." He shows her the baby, wrapped in his jacket, to his mother. She touches him, laughing delightedly. As she looks down at him, smiling, Marissa runs in.  
>"Wow!"<br>Illyria smiles up at Marissa. "Say hello to the Twins."  
><strong>ξ<strong>

**HIVE SHIP. **

**F-302. **

John is making his final preparations as he speaks into his radio.  
>"Are you sure McKay and Ronon are nowhere near the area I'm about to light up?"<br>"_I'm certain. Good luck."_ Michael said.  
>"Thanks! It'll be a walk in the park ... a very scary park, filled with monsters who are trying to kill me."<br>_"I don't understand."_  
>"Never mind." John puts his oxygen mask on, then reaches out to the screen which is asking DISENGAGE DOCKING CLAMPS? He pushes the YES button. The screen changes to a message saying DISENGAGING. "Operation "This Will Most Likely End Badly" is a go."<br>The F-302 takes off and swings around the hive ship until it reaches the ventral hyperdrive generators. John fires a rocket which flies towards the hive ship and impacts the generators, causing a massive explosion. Inside the ship, Michael struggles to stay on his feet as the ship shakes.  
>"Target is destroyed."<br>_"Disable the second hive as quickly as possible. Their fighters will already be headed your way."_  
>In fact, Darts are streaming out of both ships and heading for John's ship.<br>"OK, how about some of this help you were talking about?"  
><em>"<em>_I told you to target the hyperdrive."_  
>"I already <em>knew<em> that!"  
><em> "There is nothing I can do."<em>  
>"Like hell there isn't! Call off the Darts."<br>_ "They won't listen to me."_  
>"This is <em>not<em> helpful, Michael!"  
>He throws his 302 around the sky, trying to avoid the barrage of fire coming from the Darts, but there are too many of them and eventually a lucky strike blows off one of his wings. The fighter rolls helplessly in space.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.C.G. **

Elizabeth is walking through the corridors. Woolsey hurries to catch up with her. "Doctor Weir."  
>Elizabeth glances round at him, then keeps walking. "What can I do for you, Mr. Woolsey?"<br>"The ambassadors have finished convening."  
>"Oh, good timing!"<br>"Uh, yes. They'd like to continue debriefing you now." He points his thumb back towards the Briefing Room. Elizabeth laughs and keeps walking.  
>"Yeah, I bet they would."<br>"Excuse me?"  
>Elizabeth looks round at him briefly. "No. I'm not gonna sit there and have them rake me over the coals about every decision I've made these past two years that they don't agree with in hindsight."<br>"Doctor Weir, you know I have the greatest respect for you, but as far as the I.O.A. is concerned, you're not exactly the employee of the month right now."  
>Elizabeth stops walking and turns to face him. "If the Wraith make it to Earth, then keeping my job will be the least of my concerns." She turns and starts to walk away.<br>"And if your plan succeeds?"  
>Elizabeth stops and turns back to him. "Then I expect to keep my job, yes, because I did what they apparently are incapable of doing: I made a decision. And the fact is, at this point, there really is nothing we can do but wait and see what happens." She walks away, then turns and calls over her shoulder. "But give them my best!"<br>**ξ**  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

One of the hive ships drifts past the broken wing of the F-302 floating in space. Inside the hive ship, some Wraith guards walk along a corridor. Once they have passed, Ronon and Rodney peek around a column they were hiding behind.  
>"We have been walking around here for the better part of a day and I haven't seen one exit sign. Look, sooner or later I'm gonna have to eat something."<br>"I think I have a plan." Ronon said.  
>"You? Really?"<br>"You know all about these ships, right?"  
>"Maybe. Why?"<br>"If I can get you to a control panel, how much damage could you do?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"Could you overload the engines and blow up the ship?"  
>"How is that an escape plan?"<br>"I never said it was an escape plan."  
>"Well, how is that a <em>plan<em>?"  
>"<em>You're<em> the one who says there's no way out of this. If we're already dead, I say we take them with us."  
>Plaintively, McKay said, "I suppose I'd rather die as a hero than as a meal."<br>"So you can do it?"  
>"Yeah, probably."<br>"Now you're talkin'."  
>Elsewhere on the ship, John has been retrieved from his F-302 and is being dragged along by some guards, preceded by a male Wraith. John is very groggy and can barely keep his feet. Michael approaches them, holding a stunner pistol down by his side.<br>"You should not be here." The Wraith said.  
>"She asked me to question the prisoner." Michael said. The Wraith looks Michael up and down, as if to say, 'You?'"If you prefer to discuss it with her..."<br>The Wraith's face falls. Obviously he doesn't much fancy a conversation with his Queen. He addresses the guards. "Release him."  
>The guards let John go and he stumbles forward. Michael seizes his jacket, then looks back at the Wraith. "I will take him from here."<br>He hustles John away, holding the pistol on him until the other Wraith are out of sight, then he lowers the pistol. In those few seconds, John has managed to pull himself together.  
>"You had me worried there."<br>"You slowed them down - at least for a little while. We need to get to a transport ship and hope your friends find us."  
>"Not until we free Ronon and McKay."<br>"We're headed toward them now." Michael takes an Earth pistol out of his coat and hands it to John.  
>"Now..." John cocks the pistol. "...<em>that's<em> what I call help."  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>HYPERSPACE. <strong>

**DAEDALUS.**  
>"Exiting hyperspace in ten seconds." Kleinman said.<br>"Launch the moment the target is acquired. Don't wait for my order." Caldwell told him.  
>"Five, four, three..." In space, the hive ships are surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds, of Darts. A hyperspace window opens and Daedalus flies out. Instantly, she deploys all her missiles. "Missiles are away."<br>"Dart activity?"  
>"Quite a number of them, sir. They're moving to intercept our missiles."<br>Caldwell spoke quietly, to himself. "Now would be a good time, Orion."  
><strong>(Switch to an external view)<strong>

Some distance away from Daedalus, vast number of missiles were heading away from the ship and towards the hives. Many of them explode before they reach the hive ships, impacting with Darts, but at least one reaches one of the hives and a massive explosion goes off at the front of the ship. Inside, Ronon and Rodney stumble as the ship shakes.  
>"What the hell?" Rodney said.<br>Elsewhere on the ship, Michael and John run to a control panel as alarms sound. Michael activates the panel and looks at it.  
>"One of your ships has launched an attack. The first strike has done serious damage on this hive." Michael said.<br>"Good!"  
>"The other hive is undamaged. Their vessel's continuing to engage..."<br>John impatiently interrupts. "Are we gonna go through the whole play by play, or are we gonna get out of here?"

Michael looks in both directions along the corridor, then makes a decision. "This way."  
>They race off.<br>Elsewhere, Ronon and Rodney take cover as Wraith run past them. They come out from hiding just as the ship shakes again.  
>"The ship's engaged in battle." Ronon said.<br>"With who?"  
>"Doesn't matter."<br>"Well, it matters to us!"  
>"Why?"<br>"Because if it's our guys, then our chances of survival just went back above zero, albeit a fraction."  
>"If it's our guys, all the more reason to damage this ship and help them win the battle. Now, move it."<br>They hurry off.

**DAEDALUS BRIDGE.**  
>"One weapon got through, sir. One of the Wraith ships suffered serious damage, but the other one is..." Kleinman pauses as his console beeps. "Sir, the Orion has arrived. The other hive is moving to intercept."<br>"Did they launch their weapons?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Negative, sir."<br>"Open a secure channel."  
>The second hive ship turns towards Orion, firing a barrage of weapons at it. Its shields hold.<br>"Major Lorne, now would be a good time to open fire."  
><em>"<em>_Yes, sir, I was just thinkin' the same thing. I gave the order but nothing happened. Zelenka!_"  
><em>"I'm trying, do prdele!"<em> [The last two words are Czech and aren't very polite.]  
><em>"We're having a little difficulty transferring power from shields to weapons."<em>  
>"There's a hive bearing down on your position."<br>_"Yes, sir, I see that. Stand by_." Lorne stands up and goes down to Radek. _"Doc, you're killing us here._"  
>Zelenka speaks rapidly. <em>"OK. I have it. I have it. I have it."<em>  
><em>"Firing drones!"<em>  
>Scores of drones fly out of the top of Orion and head off into the sky. They duck around the incoming Darts and surge towards one of the hive ships before impacting it. Meanwhile the other hive fires at Orion and a couple of its weapons get through the depleted shield and impact the top of the ship. Orion limps away as the drone-attacked hive begins to explode.<br>"Sir. The remaining ship is shifting their attack to the Orion." Kleinman reported.  
>"Move to intercept." Caldwell ordered.<br>"Orion has no shields. We're not gonna make it there in time, sir."  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>HIVE SHIP.<strong>

Michael and John have made their way to the Food Storage Chamber. Michael looks at the two cocoons which have been ripped open.  
>"Where are they?" John asked.<br>"I'm sorry. They must have been taken for feeding."  
>John takes a closer look at the cocoons. "No, look. These were cut from the inside. They escaped."<br>"They could be anywhere on the ship."  
>"Well, that's a start."<br>"Why? What could their objective possibly be?"  
>"If I know Ronon, they're somewhere where they can do as much damage as they can. McKay would know where, and how to do that, so..."<br>"There's a control station this way."  
>They hurry off.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

The hive ship is firing an onslaught of weapons at Orion. Daedalus, also taking fire from the hive, flies towards Orion. On the Orion Bridge, Radek is working frantically at his console as explosions go off all around.  
>"One more shot, Zelenka, that's all I'm asking!" Lorne pleaded.<br>"I just cannot give you what I don't have!" Radek runs to another console and looks at it. "There's too much damage! We need to abandon ship!"

He tries to run from the Bridge but Lorne hauls him back. "Hey! Doc! Listen to me!"  
>Zelenka was pulling himself free. "We sacrificed our shield capability for our first salvo! This ship is going to blow any moment, Major!"<br>Lorne looks around the exploding Bridge, then activates the comms. "Colonel Caldwell. I'm afraid we've done everything we can on our end. Request immediate beam-out to Daedalus."  
>The Daedalus Bridge isn't faring much better than Orion's. Nevertheless, Caldwell turns to Kleinman and shouts to be heard over the explosions.<br>"Get 'em over here!"  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>HIVE SHIP.<strong>

Rodney and Ronon have finally reached a control station. Rodney is working on the station while Ronon keeps watch nearby.  
>"Their operating system is a mess. Thank goodness I remembered DOS." McKay touches a couple of buttons, then turns to Ronon. "Trust me, that was hilarious."<br>"Have you _done_ it yet?"  
>"OK, this ship has been seriously damaged. It's hard for me to <em>find<em> something to overload."  
>"Let Mikey try it." A voice said from behind them.<br>Rodney stares in amazement as John and Michael walk into view. Ronon instantly pulls a knife out of his sleeve and points it at Michael.  
>"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. He's helping us." John said.<br>"Where did _you_ come from?" McKay said.  
>"I managed to latch onto the hull of the hive before we went into hyperspace."<br>"Nice move." Ronon said.  
>John was smiling. "Saw it in a movie once." Everyone looks up as another explosion rocks the ship. John turns to Michael. "We've gotta get to the Daedalus."<br>"The Daedalus? The Daedalus is here?" McKay asked.  
>"First we need to get to the transport." Michael said.<br>"Now, why should I trust you?" Ronon asked.  
>Michael looks at him and takes a step closer to him. "Because I'm trusting you."<br>He holds out Ronon's blaster, which he brought with him, to Ronon who takes it. The pair of them stare at each other for a moment, then Michael turns to lead them away. Instantly, Ronon snatches his blaster out of its holster and cocks it, aiming it at Michael's back. John grabs his hand and pushes it down.  
>"Because <em>I<em> said so." John said.  
>He turns to follow Michael. Rodney follows him. Ronon continues to glare at Michael's back for a moment, then follows. They make their way along the corridor, but Ronon overtakes Rodney and grabs John's jacket, pulling him around to face him.<br>"I don't like this." Ronon said.  
>"You got a better idea?" John asked.<br>"Yeah. We take this ship on our own and leave him here."  
>"He's the reason I'm alive right now."<br>"Besides, I don't think that's even possible. It took me _days_ to crack the Wraith Dart interface, and this ship is a whole lot bigger."  
>"I don't like it."<br>"Yeah, I get it. You hate the Wraith."  
>"Him in particular."<br>John sighs, then turns to Rodney. "Is there anything you can do to boost a radio signal? I wanna reach the Daedalus as soon as possible."  
>"I can try." Rodney turns to a console.<br>"Hang on: they'll most likely open fire on us the second we leave the Bay." Michael said.  
>"Oh, great! The day just gets better and better."<br>**ξ**  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

A transport ship leaves the hive ship and heads towards Daedalus. Above it, Orion explodes.  
><strong>DAEDALUS BRIDGE. <strong>

As explosions continue to go off all around, Major Lorne stumbles onto the Bridge and makes his way across to Caldwell in the Command Chair.  
>"Sorry, sir. We did our best." Lorne said.<br>"Nothing to apologize for, Major." Caldwell turned to Kleinman. "Bring all rail guns to bear on the main Dart bays. Hold fire until I give the order. Channel every ounce of power to the forward shield until then."  
>"I have a contact, sir. A single Wraith ship, possibly a transport. It just left the hive and is on a course for us. It's broadcasting a comm on our frequencies."<br>"What the hell do they want?"  
>"Maybe they want to surrender." Zelenka said.<br>"Not likely. Let's hear it." Caldwell said.  
>John's voice came over comms. <em>"This is Colonel John Sheppard. Authentication code Alpha Seven Tango Three. Please respond."<em>  
>"Open a channel." Kleinman does what Caldwell tells him. "Colonel Sheppard. We'd written you off."<br>_"Don't get all emotional on me now! Look, I've got McKay, Ronon and Michael aboard a Wraith transport."_  
>"Michael?" Caldwell asked.<br>_"Yes, sir. And he's got a plan I think you're gonna like. But it probably won't be long before they start shooting at us."_  
>"Hive just opened fire on the transport, sir." Kleinman reported.<br>"Beam them directly to the Bridge." Caldwell ordered.  
>John, Rodney, Ronon and Michael are beamed onto the Bridge.)<br>"Colonel." John nodded.  
>"Colonel, you said something about a plan?" Caldwell asked.<br>"I've disabled their jamming code, but it's only a matter of time before they realize." Michael said.  
>John turned to Caldwell. "All you have to do is send over a nuke."<br>"We deployed all our warheads in the first attack."  
>"The hive is launching Darts, sir." Kleinman reported.<p>

"Open up those bays, all batteries!" Caldwell reported.

Daedalus heads towards the hive ship, its rail guns firing at the Dart bays and blowing them up. The few Darts that manage to get out of the bays in time are engulfed in the explosions. Daedalus swoops up and around to try to avoid the bombardment it is receiving from the hive. Its shields fail. Almost immediately, massive explosions go off all round the Bridge as the hive ship continues to fire. One explosion hits the pilot, who is thrown out of his seat, badly injured. Caldwell turns to the crew in the rear part of the Bridge.  
>"Cap that off!" Caldwell said.<br>As the crew rush to control the fires, John jumps into the pilot's seat and starts to fly the ship. Rodney stumbles to the consoles at the rear of the Bridge to get a computer tablet. Caldwell turns to Kleinman.  
>"Report!"<br>"The plan worked, sir. The concentrated fire on the bays created a number of secondary explosions. They've stopped firing."  
>"Nice work, Colonel." John said.<br>"Fortunately a draw's a win for our side. Ship's status?"  
>"Shields completely depleted, and we're venting atmosphere." Kleinman told Caldwell.<br>"Seal off all affected decks."  
>"Yes, sir, but that last blast took out our life support and the back-ups aren't responding. As of right now, we're shallow breathing."<br>"Meaning?" Ronon asked.  
>"Meaning that in a little under nine hours, we're all gonna suffocate." McKay said.<p>

**LATER.**

Rodney, Radek and Kleinman are walking through corridors. Radek keeps ducking every time a panel sparks out.  
>"As long as we don't have to worry about shields and weapons, we may be able to cannibalize parts from some of our other systems in order to create at the very least a CO2 filtration system."<br>"By the time we've got something like that up and running, the CO2 levels will overwhelm any makeshift scrubbers we'd be able to concoct." McKay said.  
>"But it's worth a try."<br>"Yes. Yeah, but regardless, we need more electricians and welders than are technically certified on this ship's roster." McKay turns to Kleinman. "Anyone, and I mean _anyone_ who took Shop needs to report to us."  
>"There are teams assembling on every deck." Kleinman said.<br>"Good. Good." They enter a room and Rodney smiles at what he sees. "Ah, _now_ we're talking. How many more of these do we have?"  
>Crewmen are unpacking sets of breathing gear.<br>"Twenty in total." KLeinman said.  
>"How many people on board?" McKay asked.<br>"In and around the two hundred mark."  
>"Oh, so I guess buddy-breathing our way through this one's out of the question."<br>"I'm afraid so, sir, yes."  
>"OK, fine - they're reserved for people working on getting life support systems operational. We need those people as clear-headed as possible."<br>"And, by those people...:  
>"Yes, <em>I<em> will be one of them."  
>"How many levels are inaccessible?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Seven."  
>"OK, we need to find out if there's any pockets of breathable atmosphere in there. We may be able to squeeze another hour or so from the regions that have been sealed off." Zelenka told Kleinman.<br>"We can't exactly transfer the O2 where we need it." McKay said.  
>"Yes, but we could be..."<p>

"...be able to access key panels that have been closed off to us. Let's get Sheppard in a 302 - he can eyeball it from the outside." McKay picks up one of the sets of breathing gear. "I'll take this."  
>He and Kleinman leave the room. Radek picks up one of the breathing masks, puts it over his face and takes a deep breath of oxygen.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>F-302.<strong>

John is flying around Daedalus and examining it. Air is venting from several locations. "These sections are completely open to space, Rodney. There aren't even pockets you could beam into. What about an EVA?"  
>Rodney, who is welding a panel, lowers his oxygen mask to answer. "The spacesuits were stored in those sections."<br>_"Alright. I'm headin' back."_  
>"Copy that."<br>Radek comes around the corner, lowering his own oxygen mask to speak to Rodney. Nearby, several members of the crew are sitting quietly on the floor, conserving the air as much as they can. "Have you tried routing the power through the inertial..."

"Yes. Yes. Yes. We have tried everything."  
>"Subspace communications?"<br>"We are floating between two galaxies, Radek. Atlantis has no ship to send. Even if we were somehow able to repair the array and get a message back to Earth, it would still take them weeks to get a rescue here."  
>"I wasn't thinking of rescue. I was thinking simply of telling them that we've stopped the Wraith, and perhaps letting someone know the sacrifice that we've done."<br>"Well, a noble sentiment, but I would prefer to dedicate my last breath of air to getting _more_ air."  
>He lifts his head as a thought strikes him. "Wait a second."<br>**ξ**  
><strong>DAEDALUS BRIEFING ROOM.<strong>

Rodney has called a meeting with Caldwell, John, Ronon and Michael. All of them are standing around the table, although they look as if they would be better off sitting down, because they're all breathing hard, struggling to get enough oxygen.  
>"The only breathable air within light years is on the Wraith ship." Michael said.<br>"There's also Wraith aboard that Wraith ship." Caldwell said.  
>"So we take 'em. Beam an assault team in." John said.<br>"You will be far outnumbered." Michael said.  
>"Well, we're dead here. I'll take my chances."<br>"I admire your courage, Colonel, but you would be dead there as surely as here. Unless we send over the gas."  
>Rodney stares at him as he realizes what a great idea that is. "Yes, yes, yes! That could work!"<br>"The retrovirus gas would make them virtually harmless." Michael said.  
>John turned to Caldwell. "Do we still have it on board?"<br>"Yes, we do. And now that Michael's disabled their jamming codes..."

"... we finish the plan we started!" McKay interrupted Caldwell.  
>"We beam over the gas and wait. If we wait long enough, they won't even wanna put up a fight." John said.<br>"Because they'll be humans with no memories! I can't believe we might actually survive this!" McKay said.  
>"We're almost out of breathable air now, and the retrovirus takes a minimum ten hours to run its course." Caldwell said.<br>"Well, we'll take the crew in and out of the 302s." John turned to Michael. "If this works, can you fly the hive ship?"  
>"I could."<p>

John looks at Caldwell. "What d'you say, Colonel?"  
>Caldwell activates his headset. "Kleinman, get us within beaming range of the hive."<br>_"Yes, sir."_  
><strong>ξ<strong>  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.C.G. **

Elizabeth is sitting in a room which has presumably been assigned to her. Landry comes to the open door and knocks. Elizabeth stands up.  
>"Anything?"<br>"No. No contact yet." Landry walks into the room. "Our tests of the Mark Two generator and the Chair in Antarctica are promising."  
>Weir was sitting down again. ""Promising." That doesn't sound very promising."<br>"We're fairly confident the Ancient weapon will take care of the hive ships but doing so will probably require the last of our drones, and there goes our secret weapon. They'd really rather not have to do that. How'd it go with the I.O.A.?"  
>"Oh, you know. I mean, does anyone ever come out of an I.O.A. deposition saying, "That went well"?"<br>Landry was chuckling. "No. I don't suppose they do."  
>"It was what it was."<br>"At least most of the time you're a galaxy away." Landry sits down opposite Elizabeth. "That Woolsey guy is here almost every other week."  
>Elizabeth looks at him for a moment, then leans forward. "I think they're gonna ask me to step down."<br>"Well, if they're just gonna ask, you can always say no." He smiles at her. She returns the smile briefly, then looks down before raising her head again.  
>"I messed this one up, General."<br>"Yeah. You did."  
>"And I lost some of the best people I ever..."<br>Landry interrupted. "But you proceeded with the blessing of the I.O.A. and Stargate Command, as I recall."  
>"Somehow that doesn't seem to help much."<br>"Success is not final." Landry stands up. "Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts. And I think you've got that in spades."  
>"Churchill?"<br>"Yeah. Except for that last part about you. That was all me." They smile at each other. "Get some sleep, Elizabeth."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>**ξ**  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

Both Daedalus and the hive ship drift in space. Inside Daedalus, most of the crew are sitting or lying on the floor. A few crewmembers, wearing breathing gear, continue to make repairs. Rodney, also wearing breathing gear but still struggling for breath and covered in sweat, stumbles onto the Bridge. Caldwell and Kleinman are in their seats but barely conscious. John, Lorne and an assault team are sitting on the floor behind the control center, geared up and holding rifles.  
>Kleinman said weakly, "Our CO2 levels are getting dangerous, sir."<br>Caldwell was equally weak. "The gas has barely had a chance to run its course."  
>"We don't have much of a choice." John stands up, and his team also get to their feet. "We've gotta go now." He wearily leads his team away. Rodney, Ronon and Michael follow them.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>HIVE SHIP.<strong>

The team beams into a corridor. They take a few deep breaths of the air, and then cautiously move out. They soon find Wraith lying on the floor. John walks over to one. Its face is now human. He waves his hand in front of its face. It stirs weakly but otherwise doesn't move. John walks over to another Wraith lying on its side and gently kicks it over onto its back. It too is now human but this one doesn't move. John squats down beside it.  
>"Some of them are dead."<br>"Looks like they killed each other." Lorne said.  
>"What's happened?" A voice said.<br>The team raise their rifles and turn to face the speaker. It's a human-looking Wraith, gazing at them in confusion.  
>"Alright. It's alright." John turns to one of his team. "Find a holding area; start marshaling the survivors there."<br>The soldier nods.  
>"The Queen's Chamber should be that way." McKay said. He points, and he, John, Ronon and Lorne head off in that direction.<br>**ξ**  
><strong>QUEEN'S CHAMBER.<strong>

The Hive Queen is slumped on the floor on front of her throne, her face hidden. The boys walk in cautiously, checking the area.  
>"Hello?" John asked. He and Lorne walk toward her as she stirs weakly. "You alright?"<br>"It's OK. You're gonna be alright now." Lorne said.  
>He reaches out to help her. She lifts her head and, too late, Lorne realised that her face is still fully Wraith. She seizes him by the throat and hauls him up into the air. Roaring, she raises her other hand, ready to strike and feed upon him. John, Rodney and Ronon open fire and gun her down. She drops Lorne and falls to the floor, landing on her back with her eyes wide and fixed. Lorne, winded by the drop, rolls over painfully onto his back.<br>"It didn't work on her." He grumbled.  
>Rodney stares wide-eyed. "Oh. Beckett <em>wondered<em> if the females would be immune."  
>"Yeah. Something you might have mentioned <em>before<em> she almost killed me, Rodney." Lorne said.  
>"I only thought of it now."<br>A soldier spoke over radio. _"Colonel Sheppard. So far we haven't run into a single Wraith, sir."__  
><em> Rodney reaches down to help Lorne to his feet.  
>"Understood." John switches channels on his radio. "Sheppard to Daedalus."<br>_"Go ahead."_  
>"You can start sending people over, sir. They're all human and the air is good. I think we're out of the woods."<p>

** TO BE CONTINUED.**


	29. Chapter 27 1 day old

**AN:/ LAST **_**Chance Meetings**_** UNTIL 2012!**

**EARTH. **

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. **

**STARGATE COMMAND (S.G.C.). **

In the Control Room, Chief Master Sergeant (Walter) Harriman is sitting at the control desk as the Stargate dials in.  
>"Incoming wormhole." Doctor Weir hurries over to the desk. "Opening the iris. Receiving video transmission."<br>Illyria's face appears on the screens in the Control Room. It appears the video is being shot from inside the Infirmary, Illyria herself dressed in hospital white. _"__Stargate Command, this is Atlantis."__  
><em> "I'm here, Illyria. I heard you were in Labor?"

_ "I was. Thankfully that is over." _Illyria smiled. _"I gave birth to two healthy babies, one boy and one girl, last night."_

"Congratulations!" Weir put her hand over her mouth. She knew that Daniel Jackson would kill to have a look over those kids. "Where are they?"

_"Sleeping. Carson said they were a week early, he wants to make sure they're alright."_ The smile dropped off Illyria's face. _"I just…I just wish John was here to see them."_

"Any word about our people?"  
><em>"Unfortunately, no."<em> Elizabeth closes her eyes and bows her head briefly. _"But the hive ship we have been tracking is still on course for Atlantis. We expect its arrival shortly."__  
><em> "Activate the cloak."  
><em>"It is already done."<em> From an outside perspective of Atlantis , the city disappears behind the cloak.  
>"What about our defences?"<br>_"All railgun positions are manned and operational, and Doctor Beckett is in the drone Control Chair."_  
>"Patch me through to him."<br>In the Chair Room, Doctor Beckett is lying in the Control Chair. Various scientists are in the room checking readouts. The Chair has reclined and is active. Carson has his usual look of dread and fear on his face. Elizabeth's voice comes over the comms.  
><em>"Carson?"<em>  
>"Elizabeth."<br>_"How are you doing?"_  
>"Oh, just peachy, thanks! You?"<br>_"I'm sorry to put you in this position but you are the only person besides Colonel Sheppard and General O'Neill who've actually fired a drone from that Chair."_  
>"Ironically, they're the two people I nearly killed when I did that."<br>_ "You'll do fine."_  
>"Is this even necessary? I mean, we've got the cloak up. Chances are they won't find us and they'll just be on their way."<br>_"Normally I would agree with you, but this ship is moving much faster than we've ever seen a hive ship move before, which means either it's one of the ships the Daedalus is chasing, or they shared the information they stole from us with other Wraith. Either way, the cloak might not do us much good."_  
>"Great!"<br>Just then, a hive ship bursts out of hyperspace and heads towards Atlantis. A technician reports to Illyria in the Infirmary from the Control Room.  
><em>"Hive ship just dropped out of hyperspace."<em>  
>"Doctor Beckett, stand by."<br>In the Chair Room, Carson braces himself. In their respective 'Control' Rooms, Elizabeth and Illyria wait nervously.  
><em>"Receiving a signal."<em> The Tech said.  
>John's voice came over the radio. <em>"Atlantis, this is Sheppard, come in."<em>  
>Illyria smiles in delight and relief, leaning heavily back into her pillows. Elizabeth turns and looks at Walter in amazement.<br>"John?" Illyria yelled.  
>"They made it?" Weir asked Walter.<br>_"We're out of food and water and we haven't slept in days but, yeah, we made it."_ Carson smiles in relief, as does Elizabeth. _"So now would not be a good time to fire on us."_  
><strong>(Bridge of the hive ship)<strong>

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard is strolling happily around the Bridge. Michael, their new Wraith ally - albeit probably temporarily - is piloting the ship while Doctor McKay is at another control console.  
>"After all," John continued, "wouldn't wanna damage our new hive ship."<p>

He turns and shares a smile with Rodney.

**SOME TIME AFTERWARDS.**

The hive ship has taken up orbit around the planet. Daedalus, which either hitched a ride by flying close underneath the hive or managed to reach Atlantis under its own power, pulls away from the hive and heads down towards the planet. Colonel Steven Caldwell reports over the radio to John who is still on the hive ship and is walking through the corridors with Carson, who must have been picked up and dropped off by Daedalus.  
><em>"This is Daedalus. We're clear."<em>  
>"Understood." John turns to Carson. "Sorry to sneak up on you like that, Doc. Subspace communications were down."<br>Carson is staring around in amazement at the ship as they walk but now he raises a hand and holds his finger and thumb close together. "I came this close to blasting you out of the sky."  
>"You showed remarkable restraint, which makes me all the more confident in you next time."<br>"Next time! Oh, no, no, no..." Carson looked over at John and smiled. John looked nervouse.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No. Illyria wanted to tell you herself once you got off this ship, but…"

John interrupted, panicked. "But what? Is something wrong? Is Illyria okay? Are the kids?"

"The kids are beautiful, both a healthy six pounds each. Although, the wee lass is lighter a few ounces." Carson chuckled.

"Is that good?" John asked. Carson paused and stared at John, waiting for the information to sink in. When it finally did, John stopped in the corridor and braced himself on the wall, starring at Carson with his mouth open and eyes wide. "She-She gave birth?"

Carson nodded. "Last night."

"I-I wasn't there…" John whispered, starring off. "I told her I'd be there- I wasn't! I wasn;t there, Carson!"

"John, calm down. Illyria and the wee ones are all right." Carson patted his shoulder. "Take a deep breath-"

"What are they like? The kids- are they healthy? Did they cry; I heard that healthy babies cry!"

Carson chuckled. "Yes, Colonel, they cry. And they're…well, adorable."

"Right," John sighed.

"Now, the sooner we do this…"

"The sooner I can get home." John nodded. "Oh yeah, the retrovirus worked great."  
>"Really? How many are there?"<br>"Well, the ship didn't have a full complement to begin with but, still, there _are_ a few."  
>They reach a door which opens in front of them. Carson stares at the sight of a humanized Wraith held in stasis inside a sleep chamber. He walks over to the chamber and puts his hand on the semi-clear shield over the chamber. He turns and looks around the room. There are a whole lot of other sleep chambers and many of them have a humanized Wraith inside.<br>Carson was awestruck. "This is a few?"  
>"Official count is just under two hundred. A lot of them were killed in the battle. A lot more of them killed each other when the gas started changing them. We should consider ourselves lucky. A hive ship like this could carry thousands."<br>Carson is still staring around the room. He blinks as what John said sinks in. "Aye."  
>҉<br>**EARTH. **

**S.G.C. **

In her office, Elizabeth and Richard Woolsey are sitting either side of a desk.  
>"Don't misunderstand me, Doctor Weir. I'm not here to lecture you on the moral complexities of your situation. Ultimately, the I.O.A. has no official position on the matter one way or the other."<p>

Elizabeth snorts sarcastically. "'Cause when there's actually a tough decision to be made, they suddenly have no opinion."  
>"The lives of two hundred former Wraith are not high up on their list of priorities, but the way you dealt with the recent crisis, and - quite frankly - the manner in which you responded to their authority..."<br>Elizabeth opens her mouth to protest but Woolsey continues. "..._and_ there's still the issue of whether the intelligence that allowed these hives to get as far as they did was passed to any other Wraith colonies."  
>"According to Michael, it was not."<br>"I don't have to tell you that your willingness to trust this particular Wraith is not going to make for a strong defense."  
>Elizabeth leans forward. "I didn't know I was on trial."<br>Woolsey sighs. "Look, Pegasus is so far away, they never thought the Wraith would be a threat to anyone outside the members of the expedition itself."  
>It was their objection to having Atlantis under military control that put me in this position in the first place!"<br>Ruefully, Woolsey said, "Nothing renews your appreciation for the military like the threat of invasion from life-sucking aliens."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

Illyria slowly approaches a guest room guarded by marines. One of them opens the door and she walks in. Michael is inside, gazing out of the window at the city.  
>"Michael?"<br>Michael turns and looks at her in silence for several seconds. Illyria shifts uncomfortably, grasping the IV pole that was still in her arm. She shouldn't be out of the Infirmary, but she had to talk with him. She did not wanting to be there, also, but then squares her shoulders and holds his gaze.

"I heard you gave birth to the twins. Healthy?"

"Yes," Illyria smiled. She stepped forward a little bit and gestured to the bed. "Can I sit? Turns out walking isn't the best idea after pushing two 6 pound tiny people out of you."

"Of course." He helped lower her slowly to the bed, sitting beside her yet keeping some distance. "How are you feeling?"

Illyria was shocked to hear him ask, but his her emotion. "Tired, happy, in pain."

Michael reached over to hold Illyria's hand that rested on her belly. Marines, ever sharp and visual, snapped their guns up. Michael growled, roared as he stood up in frustration.  
>"Even though I saved Colonel Sheppard's life and helped him stop the hives from reaching Earth, you <em>still<em> place me under guard."  
>"You have betrayed our trust in the past."<br>"Trust? I was your prisoner then! And despite what I've done for you, here I am once again." Michael walks around the room looking at the walls, then turns back to Illyria. "I can't say I'm surprised. I wasn't welcome among my own kind - why should I be welcome here?"  
>"What are you talking about?"<br>"She looked at me as if I was some kind of unclean thing. I may appear as a Wraith again on the outside, but as far as they're concerned, I'm..." He trails off for a few seconds. "That is why I need your help."  
>"What do you want?"<br>"I can't stay here, and I can't return to the Wraith, which means I need to make my own way, and to do that..." He starts to walk towards Illyria. She backs away nervously as the marines raise their weapons and point them at him. Michael smiles bitterly and stops. "...I need supplies and a ship."  
>"We are grateful for your help, but we can never release you - not with the information you possess."<br>Michael raised his voice. "Then kill me now!"  
>"There is another way."<br>"Take the treatment again."  
>"Yes."<br>"What I am is not a disease you can cure."  
>"Your life as a human could be long and full."<br>"And if I remember nothing of what or who I am - if this consciousness is erased - what is the difference between that and death? And if I _do_ remember and revert back to my true nature, what will happen then?"  
>"Doctor Beckett has made significant advances. The treatments are more effective now and eventually he may find a permanent solution."<br>"If you really believe that, those Wraith you transformed wouldn't be in stasis on the ship." He starts to walk towards her again. The marines raise their weapons higher, but Illyria stands her ground. His voice was dripping with sarcasm, "They'd be here, reveling in your hospitality."  
>҉<br>**EARTH. **

**S.G.C. **

Elizabeth is in her office, sitting on a sofa and working. Someone knocks at the door. "Come in."  
>Woolsey opens the door and comes in. "Doctor Weir?"<br>"Mr. Woolsey." She puts down her paperwork and stands up to face him.  
>"The I.O.A. has decided that, for the time being, Queen Illyria should head the Atlantis expedition. You will become her second, a Second Lieutenant if you will. Now, I've asked them to not carry out this…sentence due to the fact the Queen has recently given birth. As her Second, you will take over until she is off maternity leave. This way gives you time to make arrangements to step down." Elizabeth looks startled. "You're surprised?"<br>Elizabeth nods, then smiles grimly. "Yes. I am. I guess this means that international mistrust of the US military is far more powerful than their fear of "life-sucking aliens"."

"The truth is, the delegates are split. In order to avoid a deadlock, they decided on a temporary reinstatement pending a detailed report on the situation in Pegasus."  
>"Written by...?"<br>"Me." Woolsey grimaces ruefully. "I'll be going back to Atlantis with you."  
>"Have you ever been offworld before, Mr. Woolsey?"<br>"Sure. Once."  
>"And how did that go for you?"<br>"I was nearly killed."  
>Elizabeth looks up, startled. "Well, we will do our best to make sure that doesn't happen this time."<br>Woolsey smiles briefly. "I understand that Stargate Command has put in a request to the Asgard for transportation."  
>"I know they don't have a lot of ships to spare right now, but that will shave almost two weeks off our travel time."<br>"I've never met an Asgard."  
>"You, I think, will love them. They've got a <em>great<em> sense of humor!"  
>"Really?"<br>"…No."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS ORBIT.**

**HIVE SHIP. **

John walks onto the Bridge, where Rodney and several other scientists are working.  
>"Figured out how to fly this thing yet?"<br>"Oh yeah - fly, shimmy, spin like a top. You didn't think it'd be hard, did you?" McKay sarcastically said.  
>"Just proves my confidence in you wasn't misplaced."<br>"So far we can't get the ship to respond to anything but the most basic commands."  
>" That doesn't do us much good."<br>"Really? Look, all the more sophisticated systems, like navigation, respond to Wraith neural interface, in much the same way that the Puddle Jumpers can only be controlled by people with the ATA genes."  
>"So we still need a Wraith to fly it."<br>"I'm working on a manual override." McKay pauses for a moment. "Just haven't had much luck yet."  
>"What about Teyla? Teyla's got the Wraith gene thing. Maybe <em>she<em> can fly it."  
>"It's worth a try, but that's not the only problem. At least half of the ship's power-generating capacity is gone, so even if I had access to spare parts - which I don't - I doubt I could fix it. Now, if we're gonna fly this thing and hope for weapons, we need to cut back on our current power consumption."<br>"Meaning what?"  
>"Meaning the two hundred prisoners we've got in stasis - we can't keep them in there forever."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Ronon Dex marches purposefully into Michael's room, drawing his blaster and cocking it as he aims it at him. Michael, who was sitting on the end of his bed, stands and glares at him.  
>"Are you my executioner?"<br>"I wish." Ronon fires and Michael collapses back onto the bed, unconscious. Carson comes into the room holding a syringe. He walks over to the bed and starts to inject Michael in the neck.  
>"I'm just glad he's not gonna remember this."<br>"You load him him. I'll be there in a few minutes." Ronon left and made his way the Infirmary.

**҉**

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria was sitting in one of the beds, angled at a 45 degree angle. She held a blue bundle in her arms, his tiny fingers waving gin the air, trying to catch Illyria's dancing fingers. As Ronon slowly, and quietly approached, he saw a pink bundle in a bassinet close by the bed.

"Hey," Ronon whispered.

"Ronon!" Illyria whispered softly back, smiling. "You came!"

"'Course I did." He sat down on the edge of the bed and wiggled his pinkie finger over the boy's face. The baby grasped Ronon's finger with both hands and squeezed. Ronon was grinning like a cat that ate the canary. "How are they?"

They were both still whispering. "Like angels: perfect, sweet."

"Have you named them?"

"No…I haven't seen John and….it-it didn't feel right without him here."

Ronon nodded. He opened his mouth to speak but the pink buddle in the crib started to make noises, gurgling and shifting. Illyria made a move to get her but Ronon stopped her.

"No-no, I got her." He looked over at Illyria. "May I?"

Illyria smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

Ronon reached down into the bassinet and picked the bundle up gently pulled her up. She opened her eyes opened a tiny bit. She blinked a few times and reached out her tiny hands and grabbed Ronon's nose. Illyria might have imagined it, but she could have sworn she saw something change in Ronon's eyes.

҉  
><strong>PLANET.<strong>

A temporary offworld camp has been set up in a forest clearing. There are several tents. John and Ronon walk into the camp, Ronon mostly telling John about the kids, and see several men walking aimlessly around. All of them have long white hair apart from a few who, inexplicably, are bald. [Transcriber's note: the baldies are most likely the face-less Wraith guards.] All the men are wearing white boiler suits.  
>"Alright. This is weird." Ronon said.<br>"What? They're just a bunch of guys."  
>"I know what they <em>really<em> are."  
>"Keep that to yourself and try to ignore them."<br>One of the men comes up behind them. "Colonel Sheppard." John turns nervously to look at him as Ronon automatically moves towards the 'man' threateningly but then backs down. "I need to speak with you."  
>"I'm sorry, uh..."<br>"Oh, my name is Lathan - at least, that's what I have been told."  
>"OK."<br>"Many of us have questions, Colonel, like how long we're going to be kept here."  
>"Well, that's up to Doctor Beckett."<br>"He said he doesn't know."  
>"Which means he doesn't know the exact date. I'm sorry - this is a medical situation and he has medical reasons. You people are under quarantine."<br>"Why only the men?"  
>"Your women are immune to the strain. So are most of my people. We've been over this a few times."<br>"I know, I just..."  
>John interrupted. "So until Doctor Beckett can clear you, there's nothing I can do."<br>He and Ronon make their way into a tent, leaving Lathan standing there and looking confused.  
>҉<br>**TENT.**

John and Ronon watch as a bald-headed Wraith walks towards the exit with a rack of syringes. Once he has left the tent, John walks over to Carson.  
>"How's it coming?" John asked.<br>"I'm gonna need more time." Carson said.  
>"You're better off conducting this research back on Atlantis."<br>"And what? Just leave them here?"  
>"That <em>was<em> the plan - you remember that, Carson?"  
>"But they're not ready yet."<br>"You were supposed to teach them to administer the drug themselves."  
>"I <em>have<em> trained several of them to act as my assistants."  
>"Well, good. Then there should be no problem."<br>"Colonel, there's more here to what I'm doing than just sticking needles in their arms. For one, I have to make sure there's no signs of reversion."  
>"This planet has no Gate. They've got no way off. Whatever happens, we're covered."<br>"That's not what I meant."  
>"Have any of them started to remember?" Ronon asked.<br>"I don't think so. The drug seems to keep them stable as long as they get a daily dose." Carson starts to move away but John seizes his arm.  
>"We don't have the manpower or the resources to babysit them forever."<br>"Are you telling me if I can't come up with a permanent solution, that eventually we'll have to abandon them?"  
>"Eventually."<br>"Then what?"  
>"They'll turn back into the Wraith." Ronon's face has a satisfied expression on it. "And without any other food supply, they'll start feeding on each other."<br>"Well, I'm not ready to give up just yet. And like it or not, for the moment, they are human, and they're my responsibility. Take your ship back. I'll stay until the first re-supply mission."  
>"That won't be for another week at least. We've gotta bring back enough food to last them until they can harvest their own." John said.<br>"I'll be perfectly safe." Carson turns away.  
>"I'm leaving a security team with you." John and Ronon leave the tent.<p>

**OUTSIDE.**

Lathan walks across the camp to another tent. Looking around cautiously to make sure nobody from Atlantis is nearby; he pushes aside the flap and walks inside. Several human Wraith are inside, sitting on the ends of their camp beds, and sit up expectantly as Lathan walks in.  
>"What did he say?"<br>"Nothing. He won't tell us anything." Lathan sits down. "He's hiding something."  
>Someone sits up and leans into view. It's Michael. He's human again. "Like what?"<br>"I only know that something's not right. Everything they've told us about our homeworld, the plague, how they rescued us - I don't remember a single part."  
>"Because memory loss is one of the symptoms." Michael said.<br>"How do you know that's true? We don't _know_ them. We don't even know ourselves."  
>"They're helping us."<br>"By keeping us trapped here, with barely enough food and no idea when or if we'll ever be allowed to leave? I say that's not good enough."  
>"What are you suggesting?" The other Wraith said.<br>"They only have a handful of soldiers. We outnumber them ten to one." Lathan said.  
>"And <em>then<em> what?" Michael asked.  
>"They have some sort of ship. It's how we got here. If we have hostages..."<br>"What if they're telling the truth and we are really carrying some kind of deadly plague? Even if we somehow survive and get away, all we'll be doing is spreading this disease wherever we go. Do you really wanna risk that?" Michael asked.  
>Lathan stood up. "If we don't act before that ship leaves, we'll be stranded on this rock forever."<br>"Michael's right, Lathan. It's too risky." The human Wraith said.  
>Lathan looks at them for a moment, then turns and leaves the tent.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**COMMISSARY. **

Richard Woolsey, now out of his permanent suit and wearing a standard Atlantis uniform instead, complete with USA patch on the sleeve, examines the food on a table and selects an orange from a fruit bowl. He takes it over to the balcony, where Colonel Caldwell is leaning on the railing with a cup of coffee balanced rather precariously on the narrow top rail while he looks through some paperwork. We can only hope that nobody will be walking underneath the balcony if the cup should get knocked off.  
>"Colonel Caldwell."<br>"Mr. Woolsey."  
>"Mind if I join you?"<br>"Of course. How are you settling in?"  
>"I'm not sure about this uniform!"<br>Caldwell was smiling. "You'd stand out more in a suit and tie."  
>Woolsey was smiling back at him as he begins to peel his orange. "Believe me, I've done enough of these investigations to realize that no amount of camouflage is going to disguise who I am or what I'm doing here."<br>"You're expecting something less than full cooperation?"  
>Woolsey looks at him. "We're just having a conversation."<br>"As commander of the Daedalus, I have standing orders to help out around here whenever possible, but I'm not a member of this expedition. I don't answer to the I.O.A. and, unless otherwise directed by my superiors, I don't have to answer your questions."  
>Woolsey smiles at him for a moment, then gets back to peeling his orange. "The only reason that you're not the military commander of Atlantis is that Doctor Weir insisted that that post go to Colonel Sheppard. If she were to leave, you would be the most likely candidate to take over."<br>He looks up at Caldwell, who smiles. "That's not why you're here. The I.O.A. doesn't really want militarization. They're just afraid they may have no other choice."  
>"I think you've already spoken to Doctor Weir."<br>"No. I've just been around long enough to know what's going on."  
>"Sounds like you're saying you won't come out against Doctor Weir only because you're not confident of the outcome."<br>"What I'm _saying_, Mr. Woolsey, is have a pleasant evening." Caldwell picks up his cup and walks away. Woolsey nods thoughtfully to himself.  
>҉<br>**OFFWORLD CAMP.**

John walks through the camp, addressing a couple of marines. "You guys head back to the ship." The men fall in with other marines who are following him. John walks over to Carson, who is talking with Michael and some other Wraith. "OK, Doc, last chance. We're packed up and ready to roll."  
>"Colonel, we've got a problem. Lathan's missing. He didn't turn up for his last treatment and nobody's seen him..." he turns to Michael "...have they?"<br>"No, but..." He hesitates.  
>"But what?" John asked.<br>"It's alright, Michael. Tell him what you told me." Carson said.  
>Michael turns to John. "Lathan's convinced this whole thing is some kind of elaborate lie. I tried to tell him you were doing your best to help us, which maybe the sickness was playing with his mind, but he wouldn't listen."<br>"You're saying he's not lost, he's hiding."  
>"It's possible."<br>"Colonel, I think it's best if we find him as soon as possible before the symptoms of the plague reoccur." Carson said.  
>John turns to the marines. "OK, let's get a search party going."<br>"We'd like to help. He _is_ one of us."  
>John glances at Carson for a moment, then leads Michael and his colleagues away.<br>҉  
><strong>FOREST.<strong>

Ronon is squatting down and poking at the ground with his knife.  
>"Anything?" John asked.<br>"Nothing." Ronon stands up. John activates his radio.  
>"Morrison, report."<br>_"We're just coming up on the river. Still no sign of him, sir."_  
>"Alright, keep me posted." John and Ronon move on. Other marines and Wraith are all around the area, searching.<p>

**ELSEWHERE IN THE FOREST.**

Michael and a few other Wraith are searching.  
>"Michael!"<br>Michael looks round and sees Lathan hiding behind a tree nearby.  
>"Lathan!" Michael and his colleagues walk towards him. "What are you <em>doing<em> out here?"  
>Lathan was walking over to join them. "I'm proving a point."<br>"You missed a treatment."  
>"I know, but I'm starting to remember. It's just flashes, images, in my head, but something's definitely coming back to me. Don't you see what this means? They're not curing us, they're keeping us this way! We must make our move, and quickly."<br>The other Wraith start to move towards Lathan.  
>"I'm sorry, but you should have stayed at the camp." Michael said.<br>Lathan looks round at his colleagues nervously.

**ELSEWHERE.**

John and Ronon are still searching as Morrison reports over the radio.  
><em> "Colonel Sheppard."<em>  
>"Go ahead."<br>_"We've found him, sir."_  
>"What's your location?"<br>_"We're halfway up the ridge that runs south of the camp. He must have been trying to climb down and lost his footing."_  
>"What are you saying, he's injured?"<br>Morrison looks down the steep ridge at Lathan lying sprawled out on the ground. "No, sir. He's dead."  
>҉<br>**CAMP.**

In the medical tent, Carson unrolls a pack of instruments, selects a scalpel and walks over to a gurney on which Lathan's body is lying. A couple of marines stand at the doorway. A human Wraith comes over to Carson, holding a rack of syringes.  
>"I've prepared the injections for this morning's first group."<br>"On you go." Carson leans forward and puts his scalpel to Lathan's chest, then pauses, realizing that Merrik is still standing behind him. He straightens up and turns to him. "You'll be fine, Merrik, I've seen you do it a dozen times. Besides, I've got work to do here."  
>Merrik looks down at Lathan, then steps closer to Carson. "You're going to examine the body?"<br>"Well, the cause of death is quite obvious. His neck was broken. But there are some tests I could perform that could help with my research. At least that way, something good might come of this."  
>Merrik nods and walks to the doorway of the tent while Carson turns back to Lathan and begins to cut into his chest. Merrik turns back and looks at the autopsy for a moment, then leaves the tent.<br>҉

**ATLANTIS. **

**INFIRMARY.**

John was leaning in the doorway of the infirmary, a smile on his face as he watched Illyria played with the twins, rubbing their stuffed animals lightly over their skin. He couldn't see clearly from where he was, but what he could see were four pink, slightly wrinkled arms waving in the air trying to get the hovering toys. The boy's eyes were warm and brown like his mom's but the girl had hazel eyes just like John.

"They look like you, you know."

Illyria slightly jumped when she heard a voice. She looked up from the kids and gasped when she saw John smiling in the door way. "John!"

He walked over to the bed, sat down beside her, and leaned over to kiss her. He meant it to be a swift kiss to say 'Hey Honey! I'm home!' but as soon as their lips met something sparked between them. Her lips were soft and moist whereas John's were dry and tasted of M.R.E's. A few moments later they were breaking apart and gasping for breath. Illyria laid her forehead on John's chin and placed a hand on his cheek.

"You made it." Illyria whispered.

"I told you I would. Though, not as late as I expected. Caught some traffic-"

"Don't do that again."

John looked confused. "Do what?"

Illyria snapped her head up and stared fiercely into his eyes. "Scare me like that again. Don't fake die, or pretend to die on some heroic mission, because you can't anymore. Alright, you have a family now. A family that would hunt you down and kill you all over again if you do die. Got it?"

"So…don't die?"

Illyria sighed and then smiled, realizing she sounded overly demanding (but reasonable). "Yes, do not ever die on me, John Sheppard."

He smiled and kissed her forehead before turning to the little ones laying on the blanket between Illyria's legs. "Have you named them?"

"Not yet. The nurses were getting mad. Said they couldn't do their work without a name."

"Well, then," John picked up the boy with a little sigh. The boy squirmed a little but settled down as John cradled him against his chest. "We wouldn't want to anger the nurses."

"No," Illyria smiled at the sight of John and her son together. "We would not."

"How about Breen Jr?"

Illyria shook her head. "Patrick Tiberius and Jenifer Arin….Sheppard."

"I thought you hadn't named them?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't have ideas. They're the manes of your mother and father and my mother and father. Simple."

John's eyebrow rose. "Simple?" His brain picked up the last bit of their names. "Sheppard, huh?"

Illyria looked worried for a moment. "You wouldn't mind if-"

"Sheppard it is then." John looked down at the children adoringly. "Patrick Tiberius and Jenifer Arin Sheppard."

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

Elizabeth is sitting at the table, her smile mixed with pleasure and sadness, as she watched Rodney, Marissa, Teyla, and Ronon crowd around Illyria and John who were holding the Twins.

Weir cleared her throat to draw the attention to her. "Before we being, I'd like to share something." She paused. "I have been asked to step down as head of Atlantis-"

"By who?" John asked, raising his voice. Illyria grasped his arm, signaling to keep it down for the children were drifting off.

"By the I.O.A.-"

"If you're leaving, who's going to take over?" Ronon asked, glancing at John.

"Who me?" John asked looked around.

"Don't worry, John, it won't be you." Weir looked over at Illyria. "The city will once again fall under the control of the Queen. The I.O.A has asked me to step down as leader, not to leave the city, so if you don't mind, Illyria, I would like to be your 'second'."

"I-I-uh..." Illyria sighed, looking around the room before turning to Weir. "Of course, Elizabeth. That would be of most help at the moment."  
>"Now," Weir sighed. "Back to why I called you all here. We've all logged more than a few miles these past few weeks. I'd just like to say that seeing you now, sitting across from me, looking at your faces..." she pauses, gazing at John more than the others "...it makes me feel very..." She pauses again, then looks away, on the brink of tears and unable to continue.<br>"You don't have to say it." John said.  
>"We feel the same way you do." Marissa said.<br>Rodney looks at her. "Oh, she feels hungry too, hmm?"  
>Elizabeth grins. Rodney turns to her, smiling in pleasure that he has managed to defuse the awkward moment. "Teyla, I understand navigating the hive ship wasn't a particularly pleasant experience."<br>"The neural interface was quite exhausting."  
>"And that was just flying in a straight line. I mean, she'll never be able to pull off anything complex, like combat maneuverability, weapons control..."<br>"How many maneuvers can you pull off with your manual interface?" John interrupted McKay.  
>"Well, does, um, standing still count as a maneuver?"<br>"No."  
>Elizabeth smiles. Just then, the doors to the Conference Room open and Woolsey comes in, carrying a silver briefcase. "Sorry I'm late. My interviews are running a little longer than expected. Are these the Atlantian children?" Woolsey asked Weir, standing behind Illyria and pointing down.<p>

"Yes, and they also happen to have names. Not to mention their mother is sitting right here." Illyria glared upward.

"Right, yes. I do apologies." He falsely smiled. He puts the case down on the table next to Elizabeth's and opens it.  
>"And ... you are?" John asked.<br>"Richard Woolsey. He is chief liaison to the international committee that oversees the Atlantis expedition. He will be conducting individual interviews with each of you." Weir said.  
>"As well as observing all senior staff meetings." He has taken some files out of the case and now goes to the chair behind the table and deliberately rolls it over to Elizabeth's table.<br>"Right" Weir shifts her chair along so that Woolsey can sit down next to her.  
>"So - what did I miss?" Woolsey asked.<br>"Rodney was about to run down all the progress he's made adapting the hive controls." John said. He smiles as Rodney's own smile fades.  
>"Excellent. Please continue."<br>"Hmm!" McKay turned to John. "Thanks!"  
>҉<br>**OFFWORLD. **

**FOREST. **

Carson has gone to the ridge and is laboriously climbing up to the spot where Lathan's body was found.  
><em>"Doctor Beckett, this is Lieutenant Morrison. What's your location?"<em>  
>Carson was activating his radio. "I'm out on the ridge where Lathan's body was found."<br>Morrison is back at the camp and is walking along with a couple of other marines. "If you don't mind my asking, Doc, what are you doing out there?"  
><em>"I wanted to check on something. I think we may have a problem."<em>  
>"What kind of a problem?"<br>_"I was so caught up running tests on Lathan's tissues for my research, I almost didn't notice."__  
><em> "Notice what?"  
><em>"There isn't enough blood on the ground, which indicates that his heart wasn't pumping when he fell. Now, he definitely died when his neck was snapped, but I'm beginning to think the rest of his injuries occurred post mortem, presumably to make it look like an accident."<em>  
>"Look, it's gonna be dark soon. You'd better start back now and we'll talk about it when you get here."<br>_"Right."_  
>Morrison walks into a tent, unaware that Merrik is around the side of the tent and has been listening to the radio conversation.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

John and Woolsey are alone in the room, sitting either side of a table. Woolsey is looking at a report.  
>"It would appear from this incident that the lies you are telling these people are beginning to wear a bit thin."<br>"One adverse reaction out of two hundred."  
>"Do you seriously hold out much hope for the long term success of this little science project?"<br>"That's not what this is."  
>"You may have never set out to create this community, but you did create it."<br>John leans forward. "We did what we had to do in order to survive."  
>"I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time." Woolsey turns to a notepad and writes something on it. John squints at the pad and tilts his head to the side, trying to read the writing upside down. "But even if Doctor Beckett comes up with what appears to be a long term solution, would we ever trust them enough to integrate them into any society of humans?"<br>John pauses for a moment, and then sits back in his chair. "Probably not."  
>"Which brings me back to my original question."<br>"What do you want me to say? I supported Illyria's decision to form an alliance with Michael and I supported her decision to put all those...people on the planet."  
>Woolsey smiles ironically. "That support hardly shines through when you hesitate to call them "people.""<br>҉  
><strong>OFFWORLD. <strong>

**FOREST. **

Carson is trudging wearily through the trees. He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, then spots something in the distance. He walks closer, then realizes that it's a human Wraith walking through the forest. Carson follows him cautiously.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

John walks into Illyria's new office where Weir is clearing out her desk.  
>"Just out of political curiosity, how much trouble is it gonna cause you if I knock this Woolsey guy in the head?" John asked.<br>"May I ask _why_ you'd like to do that?"  
>"It's just an impulse I had, really, one I suspect I'm gonna have again next time I see him. He may not even have to say anything."<p>

Elizabeth looks up at him, amused. "I've never seen you like this. What did Woolsey say to you?"  
>"Besides judging every damned decision Illyria've ever made?"<br>"John Sheppard, are you defending her honour?"  
>John hesitates for a moment before continuing. "<em>And<em> judging me for agreeing with you."  
>"Well, don't be too hard on him. I think of all the circling wolves, he's the least likely to actually bite. In fact, he might even convince the others to leave us alone."<br>"Alright, so..." John sits down "...no head knocking."  
>Elizabeth shakes her head, and then looks at him cheekily. "It's the thought that counts."<br>҉  
><strong>OFFWORLD. <strong>

**FOREST. **

Night has now fallen and Carson is still sneaking after the Wraith. An eerie, deep-voiced chanting can be heard in the distance. Carson creeps forward, takes cover behind a broken-off tree trunk and looks at the sight of several Wraith standing in a circle around a fire. All of them have their arms raised above their heads and they are chanting. Carson cautiously activates his radio.  
>Carson was whispering. "Lieutenant Morrison. This is Doctor Beckett. Come in?" There's no response. "Morrison?"<br>He stands up, backs away from the tree and turns to walk away, only to walk smack into Michael. But this isn't the Michael he last saw. He has begun to transform back into a Wraith.  
>"I'm afraid the Lieutenant and his men are indisposed."<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Carson, his hands tied behind his back, is being marched through the forest by Michael, followed by

four other Wraith.  
>"Michael, listen to me. You're sick. You need to take your medication now."<br>"It's too late for that, Doctor. I've regained enough memory to know that you've done this to me not once, but twice. You witnessed how hurt, how betrayed, I felt the first time. Well, try to imagine how I feel now."  
>"Why'd you have to kill Lathan?"<br>"He was stirring up trouble, but I knew our only chance was to wait until Colonel Sheppard left with the soldiers - most of them, anyway."  
>"But with the ship gone, what's the point? You've got no hope of escape."<br>"That's where you're wrong."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Rodney is sitting at a console working on a laptop. Elizabeth and John hurry in.  
>"What've we got, Rodney?" Weir asked.<br>"Long range sensors just picked up a hive ship." McKay said.  
>"It's coming this way?" John asked.<br>"No. Wait a minute - this doesn't make any sense." McKay stands up and walks over to the long range sensor screen.  
>"What?" Weir asked.<br>"On its current course, it's headed straight for the planet where we left Beckett and the prisoners."  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM.**

All the usual suspects are there, together with Woolsey.  
>"There is no reason for the Wraith to be interested in that planet. It doesn't have a Stargate, and there's no indication that it ever supported a human population. It is completely off the grid." McKay said.<br>"I think we have to consider the possibility that we have a leak." Woolsey said.  
>"You mean a spy." Ronon said.<br>"Not necessarily in the city itself. Without ruling anything out, I would begin by focusing on our contacts within the various indigenous populations, including..."  
>Illyria interrupted. "If you believe any Athosians..."<br>Weir interrupted her. "Let's not jump to any conclusions here."  
>"Isn't it true that there are humans in this galaxy who serve the Wraith, even worship them? How hard would it be for them to infiltrate one of our allied groups?" Woolsey asked.<br>"Mr. Woolsey, do you think we post this kind of information on the city bulletin board?" Weir asked.  
>"If the Wraith had that level of inside information, they'd be on their way to Atlantis, not some nameless planet with a couple of hundred people on it." John said.<br>"For the time being, we need to focus on getting those people out of there, because if the Wraith find them and figure out what they are..."  
>"...we've got a problem. Again." John finished for Illyria.<br>"How much time do we have?" Ronon asked.  
>"Two days. Well, we could ... oh, <em>you<em> could beat them there in the Daedalus." McKay said.  
>"Their hyperdrive is still offline. Hermiod needs at least another twenty-four hours." Weir said.<br>"We should light a fire under his bony little..."  
>Illyria interrupted John. "That still might not be quite good enough."<br>"If we leave right now in the hive ship...?" John trailed off.  
>"Oh, it'd be cutting it close." McKay said.<br>"What are our chances of surviving a ship-to-ship encounter?" Weir asked.  
>"If I can get the manual interface working, I'd say ... less than slim."<br>John and Elizabeth exchange a long look, and then looking at Illyria, reminding her she's now in charge. She made her decision.  
>"Do what you can on the way."<br>Rodney nods to her, and the team stands up and leaves the room.  
>҉<br>**OFFWORLD CAMP.**

In the medical tent, Carson is lying on the gurney. His hands are strapped to the sides of it. Michael is walking around the gurney. His transformation is continuing.  
>"How many have reverted?" Carson asked.<br>"Those you saw in the forest, plus a few more."  
>"And the others?"<br>"They'll serve as an offering to the hive that's coming for us."  
>"That's hardly bloody fair."<br>"The strong survive, Doctor. The few of us who began to realize something was wrong got together and formed a plan even while on the medication. The weaker minds among us will stay that way, thanks to your drugs and the training you gave us."  
>"If your memory's coming back, you should remember what happened last time you tried to rejoin the Wraith."<br>Michael raised his voice in anger. "It will be enough to escape this rock!"  
>"So what d'you need me for? I mean, there must be a reason you're keeping me alive."<br>"I need to know what secondary security measures Colonel Sheppard put in place before he left."  
>"What're you talkin' about?"<br>"The more my memory returns, the more I begin to doubt that he would have left us here without setting up some kind of failsafe."  
>"There's no way off this planet! That <em>was<em> the failsafe!"  
>Abruptly, Michael leans down into Carson's face. "How many years of your life will I have to take away before you tell me what I want to know?"<br>"That's hardly a threat, since you're obviously gonna kill me anyway."  
>"You underestimate your own value, Doctor."<br>"Look, they don't tell me this sort of thing. I'm just a doctor." Michael straightens up again. "Maybe you shouldn't have been so quick to kill Lieutenant Morrison."  
>"I don't like to question military men. They're like our own Wraith warriors - unimaginative, rigid thought patterns. But you, on the other hand, are trained to have an open mind, and you have a strong sense of empathy toward others."<br>"It's not as strong as it used to be, believe me."  
>Michael leans down to Carson again, he spoke quietly, ominously. "You're exactly what I need {need} {need}." His voice echoes in Carson's head. "Now...let's begin {begin} {begin}."<br>Carson breathes rapidly, struggling to keep control of his own mind.  
>҉<br>**HYPERSPACE. **

**WRAITH HIVE SHIP. **

On the Bridge, Teyla is gripping what must be two steering columns on a console. Her eyes are closed in concentration. John steps up beside her and looks at her with concern for a moment, then walks over to Rodney who is working on another console.  
>"Do we have weapons yet?" John asked.<br>"Sort of."  
>"What does that mean?"<br>"Well, we can fire, but not in any particular direction."  
>"Then you're gonna have to do better than that."<br>"Oh, believe me, no-one wants to survive this mission more than I do. Look, we're using up a lot of our power reserves to maintain this speed. We're not gonna have a lot left over to fight with."  
>"We're going this fast to <em>avoid<em> fighting."  
>"Theoretically."<br>"Just...keep working." John walks away. Rodney grimaces as if to say, 'What did you _think_ I was going to do?' then gets back to work.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS ORBIT. **

**DAEDALUS.**  
>"Atlantis, this is Daedalus. We're ready to go here." Caldwell said.<br>Illyria is in the Atlantis Control Room, lightly rocking Jenifer in her arms. Marissa was holding Patrick in the same way. Marissa would be on that ship instead of Teyla, but John had appointed her to Mid-Wife duties.  
><em>"Are you sure you wanna do this, Colonel? I understand Hermiod is not too happy about having the hyperdrive pressed into service so soon."<em> Illyria asked.  
>Caldwell walks onto the Bridge and sits in the command chair. "He's cleared us to fly, albeit reluctantly. Whether or not he's happy about it is beside the point. Anyway, I'm sure Colonel Sheppard would appreciate the help."<br>_"Thank you."_  
>"Daedalus out." Caldwell turns to Captain Kleinman who is checking readings with the pilot. "Set a course."<br>"Yes, sir." He returns to his own chair and sits down.  
>҉<br>**SPACE.**

The hive ship bursts out of hyperspace and heads for the planet.  
>"That's it. We're out of hyperspace." McKay said.<br>Teyla sighs and lowers her head.  
>"You alright?" John asked.<br>Teyla nods and raises her head to look at him. She spoke quietly, "I believe I have been able to establish a stable orbit."  
>"Alright. Nice work." John walks over to Rodney. "Any sign of the other hive ship?"<br>"No. We're clear."

"Alright. Patch me through to the camp."  
>"Just give me a second." McKay reaches down to the console and presses a couple of buttons, but just then there is a loud screeching sound. "That's weird." He walks over to a wall console. "A bunch of secondary systems just came online."<br>"You're a genius, Rodney."  
>"True - but I didn't do it. It's like they just woke up by themselves." He comes back to the original console and presses some buttons. "It looks like they're all keyed into the sensors. The ship must have detected something and turned them on."<br>"Detected what?"  
>Rodney groans as he realizes something. He presses some more buttons on the console. "Wraith life signs."<br>"From the planet?" Teyla asked.  
>"How many?" John asked.<br>"There's, uh, twenty or thirty." McKay said.  
>"What about human?" Ronon asked.<br>"Still well over a hundred."  
>"So some of them reverted." John said.<br>"They'll be feeding on each other." Ronon said.  
>"What about Doctor Beckett and Lieutenant Morrison's team?" Teyla asked.<br>"I have no way to distinguish them from the other human life signs. I can't say for sure either way." McKay said.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP CORRIDORS.**

John, Teyla and Ronon are walking along.  
>"How could they contact the ship so far out?" John asked.<br>McKay's voice came over radio from the Bridge. _"I have no idea. Teyla, what do you think?"_  
>"It is possible that a group of them acting together could communicate over much larger distances."<br>"Well, live and learn." John said.  
><em>"And live some more, hopefully."<em>  
>John and the other two walk into the Dart Bay, where a Puddle Jumper has been parked. "What about the failsafe device? What kind of kill zone are we looking at?"<br>_ "Everything in a three mile radius is toast."_  
>"You sure about that? We've got no margin for error."<br>_"The blast radius doesn't just __stop__ at three miles."_  
>"What about the ones that are still human?" Teyla asked.<br>John has just got into the pilot's seat of the Jumper but turns to exchange a glance with Ronon.  
>"There's nothing we can do for them." Ronon said.<br>_"I...suppose we could not incinerate them."_  
>John fires up the Jumper's controls as Teyla takes her place in the co-pilot's seat. "If Michael got his memory back, they could all know about Atlantis by now, <em>and<em> how to find Earth. We can't take that chance."  
><strong>(On the Bridge)<strong>

Rodney looks sick.  
><em> "Once we get our people out, we'll give you the signal, you set off the nuke."<em>  
>The Jumper takes off.<br>҉  
><strong>OFFWORLD CAMP. <strong>

**NIGHT TIME. **

A couple of re-wraithified Wraith walk through the camp. Once they're out of sight, John - hiding behind an oil can beside a tent - pops his head out and makes a signal to Teyla and Ronon to move out. He comes out of hiding and heads into the camp while Teyla and Ronon run off in a different direction. John makes his way towards the medical tent where two Wraith, holding Earth rifles, are guarding the entrance. Teyla bursts out of cover and, with her fists laced together, punches one of them in the face. John grabs the other one from behind and stabs it in the back. Teyla knocks her Wraith to the ground and snaps its neck. Apart from a bit of groaning, there has been no sound during the brief fight. Teyla jumps to her feet and races into the tent to see Carson lying on the gurney with his eyes closed.  
>"Carson!" She runs across to him and checks the pulse on his neck as John bursts into the tent. "He's barely conscious."<br>John starts to undo the straps binding Carson's wrists as Ronon comes in. "Did you find the others?"  
>Ronon holds up a bunch of dog tags while shaking his head. "They were fed on. There's not much of them left."<br>John turned to Teyla. "Help me get him up." He and Teyla sit Carson up as Ronon comes over to help. It appears that there is either something stuck to his jacket or there's a hole in the jacket.

҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP<strong>

**BRIDGE.**

Rodney is pacing. Nervously, he yelled, "Oh, come on!"  
>The radio activates.<br>_"Rodney, come in."_  
>"What's happening?"<br>John and the others are back in the Jumper. Carson is sitting on the floor in the rear of the ship and Teyla has put an oxygen mask over his face. Ronon is in the co-pilot's seat.  
>"We've got Carson. Morrison and his team are dead. We're headin' back." The Jumper is in space above the planet. "We're clear. Light it up."<br>"Understood." He goes to a console and activates some controls. "Failsafe detonation in three ... two ... one."  
>҉<br>**PLANET. **

**CAVE. **

A panel on the side of a nuclear bomb is flashing and beeping. Michael is squatting beside it. "Now you see what they _really_ think of us."  
>Two other Wraith are squatting on the other side of the bomb. "I don't understand."<br>Michael stands up. "The bomb is receiving a detonation signal. If I hadn't deactivated it, we'd all be dead."  
>҉<br>**PUDDLE JUMPER.**  
>"Rodney?" John asked.<br>McKay spoke from the hive ship Bridge. _"I don't understand it."_  
>"What happened?"<br>"_You mean what __didn't__ happen?"_  
>"Are you telling me the bomb didn't go off?"<br>"They got to it." Ronon said.  
>"We cannot leave the Wraith here to be found by the hive." Teyla said.<br>"Get back to work on those weapons, Rodney. We're not goin' anywhere." John said.  
>҉<br>**OFFWORLD CAMP. **

**DAY TIME. **

Wraith gather around the medical tent where Michael and another Wraith are squatting down and examining the two dead bodies of their colleagues.  
>"Should we search for the prisoner?"<br>"There's no point. He's been taken up to their ship by now. In any case..." Michael stands "...he's served his purpose. There's nothing left for us to do but wait for our brothers to rescue us soon."  
>The Wraith - some of them part-transformed and some of them still completely human - move off. Michael watches them go, then gazes up into the sky in anticipation.<br>҉  
><strong>HIVE SHIP.<strong>

John and the others hurry back onto the Bridge as Rodney continues working on a console. "How're you doing with the weapons?"  
>"We couldn't hit the side of a barn." McKay said.<br>"But hive ships are a hundred times bigger..."  
>McKay interrupted John. "A giant, flying barn! We couldn't hit that."<br>"What about hitting a stationary target?"  
>"All motion in space is relative."<br>"I'm talking about on the planet."  
>McKay was raising his head. "Well, that I might be able to do."<br>"Target the camp."  
>"Wait just a minute!" Carson yelled.<br>"We had this discussion before, Doc. There's no choice." John said.  
>"We could go down in the Jumper and take as many as possible."<br>"We have no time. The other hive ship's gonna be here any minute and we won't survive a battle. It's my call."  
>"There's still over a hundred men down there that believe that we are their saviors."<br>"They're about to become casualties of war." Ronon said.  
>"It has to be done." John said.<br>Carson stares at him desperately. Rodney and Teyla look no happier about it. John turns to Rodney. "Fire."  
>Carson looks devastated. Rodney hesitates for a moment, then activates his controls. A barrage of weapons fire heads down towards the planet, but just then a hyperspace window opens and a hive ship appears. It opens fire on the other hive as it continues to bombard the planet. On the Bridge, the team struggle to stay on their feet as the ship shakes.<br>"It's the other hive! We're taking multiple hits!" Rodney yelled.  
>"What about the target?" John asked.<br>"It's hard to say for sure how accurate our fire has been."  
>"Blanket the entire area. We can't afford a mistake."<br>The Bridge shakes violently again.  
>"Engines are offline! We're venting atmosphere! Power's about to fail." Rodney yelled.<br>As the planetary bombardment continues, the enemy hive draws alongside our hive, inundating it with weapons fire. Explosions go off all over the hull.  
>҉<br>**HYPERSPACE. **

**DAEDALUS. **

Caldwell walks onto the Bridge and takes his seat. "Report."  
>"We've just about reached the planet, sir." Kleinman said.<br>"Drop us out of hyperspace."  
>Daedalus comes out of hyperspace and flies straight into a debris field above the planet. It moves through the wreckage as Caldwell gets to his feet, walks forward and stares out of the windshield.<br>"It's debris from a hive ship, sir."  
>"Life signs?"<br>"No, sir."  
>"What about the planet?"<br>"I'm not getting anything."  
>"I see."<br>John's voice came over radio. _"Daedalus, this is Sheppard, come in."_  
>Caldwell smiles in relief. "Sheppard, where the hell are you?"<br>The team is in the Puddle Jumper. Teyla gives John a look. He looks puzzled for a second, then realises.  
>"Oh! Right. Sorry."<br>He activates some controls and the Jumper, flying above Daedalus, comes out of its cloak.  
>"Picking up a Jumper, sir. Five life signs." Kleinman reported.<br>"You got here in good time, Colonel. We were looking at a long ride home."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

_**ILLYRIA'S**_** OFFICE. **

Woolsey, now back in his suit and tie, is sitting opposite Illyria's desk and looking at a report. Illyria was unpacking books from boxes and placed them on shelves, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while to check on the twins who were sleeping in their traveling bassinet.  
>"You're still not certain if any of the Wraith on the planet survived."<br>"Not certain, no. My people were concerned about their own survival at that time."  
>"Understandably."<br>"But of course it's my fault they were in that position in the first place." She smiles nervously at Woolsey but he doesn't notice, still engrossed in the report. "If I had just disposed of those prisoners, none of this would have happened. Isn't _that_ what you are going to write in your report?"  
>"Quite the contrary, in fact." He finally looks up from the report but looks out of the door of the office rather than at her. "It was your decision to fire on the camp from orbit. That eliminated the threat..." he glances at her briefly "...at least, we <em>hope<em> it was eliminated - and allowed your team to escape."  
>Illyria looks bewildered. "I did not make that decision."<br>Woolsey looks at her. "But you would have, if - hypothetically - Doctor McKay had managed to get the hive subspace communicator working and you'd been apprised of the situation."  
>"Well, I ... I <em>might<em> have."  
>"Close enough."<br>"But that's not what happened."  
>"The I.O.A. doesn't need to know that." Illyria gazes at him in surprise as he puts the report in his briefcase and closes it. "In fact, they don't <em>wanna<em> know that." He stands up. "You see, in my business, sometimes it's more important not to let inconvenient facts get in the way of the greater truth. And the truth is, you shall remain here - in charge of this expedition." Illyria stares at him, then lowers her head, both surprised and touched. Woolsey smiles. "You were always the better candidate than Doctor Weir." He walks out of the office and into the Control Room. He turned to a technician. "Dial Earth, please."  
>Illyria stands and walks to the window of her office, gazing out over the Control Room as the Gate begins to dial.<p> 


	30. Chapter 28

**AN:/ Yeah, I know, I said I wasn't posting anything until 2012, but still….I COULDN'T WAIT! Here's something you can chew on until next post. (I'll be putting the Twin's age in the Chapter box thing.)**

** In the written world of **_**Chance Meetings**_** a year has passed (Twins are a year old). I'll be posting the time skips between each chapter at the top of each page. **

**PLANET. **

A Puddle Jumper flies over the surface of a planet. Inside, Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard is piloting the ship. Doctor McKay sits in the co-pilot's seat. Captain Frio and Ronon Dex are in the two seats behind them. John sneezes, and then coughs. Rodney closes his eyes briefly, and then looks pointedly at John as he sniffs.  
>"Are you alright, Colonel?" Marissa asked.<br>John's voice was a little hoarse. "It's nothing. Just a cold. No big deal. It's just annoying." John held back a cough. "Illyria won't let me near the kids."  
>"Talking about annoying..." McKay trailed off.<br>"What?"  
>"We should be focusing on harvesting space Gates."<br>"That's what we're doing, Rodney. The M.A.L.P. detected life signs. We have to check it out. That's the protocol."  
>"I am just saying that identifying potential space Gates to complete the intergalactic bridge should be our priority, not making contact with the locals of some backwater hamlet."<br>"Are you that eager to return to Earth, Rodney?" Marissa smiled.  
>"This isn't just about me - it is about the ability to go back and forth between Earth and Atlantis conveniently...and whenever I want to."<br>"How's that work again?" Ronon asked.  
>Rodney swings his chair around to face Ronon, eager to tell him all about it. "OK. Once we've seeded enough Stargates across the void between Pegasus and the Milky Way, we'll be able to take a Jumper from one to the other to the other 'til we reach the other side. That way, we won't tax the ZedP.M., we won't be reliant on the Daedalus, and travel time between Earth and Atlantis will be cut from three weeks to thirty minutes." He smiles and turns his chair back to face the front.<br>"Very clever." Marissa said.  
>"Yes." McKay hesitates for a moment. "Samantha Carter's idea."<br>"Backwater hamlet dead ahead." John announced.

**Shortly afterwards.**

The team has landed and made its way into a village. Oh, look, everyone, it's yet another medieval-looking village. The villagers are wandering around the market square, going about their everyday lives. They don't seem to be shocked by the arrival of the team, so they must be used to having visitors. Some of them wave in greeting at the team or smile at them as they walk past. One woman waves to the team, then covers her mouth and giggles like a schoolgirl. Rodney sighs.  
>He speaks in a bored tone. "OK, let's just make contact, buy our souvenirs, and...get <em>out<em> of here!" His tone perks up as he says the last four words, because he has seen something very interesting up ahead. It's two women, both of them young and pretty and dressed in bright clothes. Further ahead are more beautiful young, brightly dressed women. The nearest one smiles at the team.  
>"Fair day to you."<br>"Fair day to you!" John replies back friendly as he and Rodney walk on. John speaks casually to Rodney. "Nothing here. We should probably go."  
>"Yeah, probably wouldn't hurt to make contact with the locals, though, hmm?"<br>"No, no. When you're right, you're right."  
>Marissa sighs in resignation.<br>"No, we're here now, and, uh..."  
>"Hello!" A male voice boomed. The team looks towards the voice. It's a man walking towards them, beaming happily. "Hello, new people! Why didn't anybody tell me the new people were here yet?"<br>All the nearby villagers have turned to look at Lucius and all of them seem to be delighted to see him. One of the women walks over to him, drapes an arm around his neck and kisses him on the cheek.  
>"Lucius, I've missed you!"<br>Lucius was smiling. "Oh, please. Well, I was just out for a walk. Have you met the new people yet?"  
>"We just got here." John said.<br>"Oh, great. Great. Then I haven't missed anything. I hate missing things." With his arm around the woman, he walks over to the team. "Have you met my wife, Willa? Isn't she gorgeous?" He points his thumb over his shoulder and turns to a group of women standing nearby. "My other wives are just making lunch."  
>"Fair day, Lucius!" Wife 2 said.<p>

Lucius waves at her. "Hello, sweetheart." He blows a kiss at her. "I love ya. I love ya." He waves to the other villagers. "Fair day, everybody."  
>The villagers, smiling happily, wave back at him and greet him.<br>"Uh, I'm John Sheppard." He introduces the others. "Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, Marissa Frio."  
>Lucius smiles at each of the team members as they are introduced, but is instantly more interested in Marissa. "Marissa." He gently pushes Willa aside so that he can step towards Marissa. Willa looks a little indignant. Lucius was looking Marissa up and down. "And you are from...?"<br>She spoke straight faced, lying. "Athos."  
>"Athos. Yeah, Athos. I've never been there. It sounds nice. Is it nice?"<br>She was unimpressed by his smile. "Until it was culled by the Wraith."  
>"Oh, I hate them. What do you say you and me get together, we have some lunch, we talk about this, huh?" Marissa looks at John and Rodney, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe have some wine?"<br>"We don't even know your name." Rodney said.  
>Lucius looks round at him for a moment, then starts to laugh. All the villagers join in with his laughter. Rodney looks down, embarrassed. John shrugs at Lucius.<br>"We're serious." John said.  
>"You mean you truly have not heard of Lucius?" Willa and another of the wives gaze adoringly at Lucius. "Well, <em>everyone<em> knows - he's the wisest and kindest man among the stars."  
>"Aw, people just say that. I mean, you can't prove it 'til you've met everybody, am I right?" Lucius said.<br>"Well, then, Lucius, we're glad we met you." John said.  
>"And if you aren't yet, you <em>will<em> be. Come on, let's have some lunch, huh? Everybody has to eat, right? C'mon, right this way, please." Some of his wives each walk over to one of the team, take their arm and lead them away, smiling happily. He turned to Marissa. "Please. After you. Please."  
>Ronon intervenes between the two of them, shepherding Marissa away from him and following the other two men.<br>"Fair day." Lucius sighed.  
>"Fair day, Lucius." A villager said.<br>Lucius watches the team as they are led away, then turns to smile at another couple of villagers. "Fair day."  
>"Fair day."<br>"Fair day." Lucius reaches into his coat and takes out a small glass vial. Uncorking it, he takes a swig of the clear liquid inside, grimacing at the taste. He re-corks the bottle and puts it back into his coat, then follows after the team. "Here I come!"

**LATER.**

Lucius, Willa and the team are sitting at a table in the village square, eating a meal. The other villagers are standing around the area and watching them, all smiling happily.  
>"I love architecture. It's all a mystery to me, really, but..." Lucius gestures around at the buildings surrounding the square "...it hasn't stopped me from trying."<br>"I see." Marissa said. She looks around the village, clearly bored. Lucius leans towards John.  
>"Is she taken yet?"<br>Marissa spoke before John could. "No. Nor does he, nor anyone else, speak for me."  
>Lucius was looking at her. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, you are definitely wife material." Rodney puts his hand over his face in disbelief. "I love a woman with spirit...and a <em>great<em> body."  
>Marissa glares at him. McKay interrupted before Marissa gets a chance to kill Lucius. "Excuse me, Lucius, please pardon my ignorance, possibly even my manners, but what is it exactly about you...?"<br>"I know what you're going to say, so you don't even have to ask." Lucius smiles at Rodney. "I have gifts."  
>The team exchange glances. Ronon grins, amused. "What are those, uh ... gifts?" John asked.<br>"Exploration, alchemy, medicine. I have - I have to say - some of the best ointments around." John sneezes, and then coughs. "See, I could take care of that just..." he snaps his fingers "...just like that."  
>"It's just a cold."<br>"Nevertheless, I have a potion that could get rid of that in six or seven days."  
>"Mmm!" McKay hummed.<br>"That's impressive!" John said.  
>"You get used to it. We'll do a trade." Lucius grins round at the team. "So, where are you all from?"<br>"No place in particular. We move around a lot."  
>"In that wonderful machine of yours. Yeah, I saw it. I was on a walk, I look up, and I heard ... somebody said that you flew through the Ancestral Ring?"<br>John starts to shake his head but Ronon is already talking. "Yeah, that was us."  
>"How does it fly?"<br>"It's complicated. One has to..."  
>Lucius interrupted. "I mean, where do you get a machine like that? I mean, it's a <em>wonderful<em> way to travel. Can I get one? Are they hard to fly?"  
>"Yes. They <em>are<em> hard to fly, and no, you can't have one." John said.  
>Lucius' smile fades for the first time. "But I want one. Please."<br>"Sorry."  
>"Perhaps a trade for some of his wonderful medicines?" Willa offered.<br>"Or perhaps not." McKay said.  
>"What, you come all this way, you don't even want to do a trade? Look, it doesn't have to be the ship. Forget the ship. I don't even want the ship, OK? You've got to have some other stuff that you want to trade, right? OK, like, like," Lucius turns to John "...how do you get your hair to go like that?"<br>John gazes at him silently for a moment. Marissa bows her head, hiding a smile. "Lunch was great, but I just realized we're running late."  
>"For what?" McKay asked.<br>"For…the Twins' doctor appointment." John stands up. The rest of the team follows suit.  
>"Yes, as much as we would love to stay, we really must go." Marissa said.<br>Lucius stood. "No, no, no, no, no. I don't want you to go. You just got here. Come on, come on. We haven't even had the second course. Please! I want you to see some of my medicines." As the team starts to walk away, he turns to Willa. "Go get the ointments, the good ones. Go. Run! Go!"  
>As Willa jumps up and hurries off, John turns back towards Lucius. "Another time, Lucius. We've got to go."<br>"No. No, I don't want you to leave." The villagers close in around the team, preventing them from walking away. "OK, OK, OK. Alright. Let them go. We're all friends here, right?"  
>The villagers step back again. The team starts to walk away. "Tell you what - soon as we get back, we'll tell our medical people to come see what you have to offer and <em>then<em> we'll talk about trade."  
>Lucius looked hopeful. "Later today, maybe?"<br>"Maybe."  
>"I'll have everything ready."<br>"Thank you."  
>"You won't be disappointed!" The team leaves the village square. Lucius smiles happily. "Nice people."<br>All the wives and villagers around the table smile and nod in agreement.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

John and Rodney are walking down the stairs into the Control Room with Illyria. John looked saddened by the fact that Rodney was holding Patrick, albeit awkwardly, instead of him and Illyria was holding Jenifer away from him.  
>"I think the word we're looking for is..."<br>"...obnoxious? Unctuous?" McKay finished John's sentence.  
>"Either one of those works."<br>"Then again, the townspeople seem to love him, so maybe there's something to his medicine."  
>"Sounds like a snake oil salesman to me, but it might be worth having Beckett check it out."<br>"Well, I'm sure Carson will be able to get us an answer pretty quickly. So it's back out to scout for Gates?" Illyria asked, keeping a hawk eye on Rodney's slightly trembling hands.  
>McKay was eager. "Yes. Right away."<br>"It's not a race, Rodney." John said.  
>҉<br>**LUCIUS' PLANET.**

Doctor Beckett has travelled to the planet and is in a room with Lucius. Bunches of herbs or roots are hanging around the walls and are in pots on the table.  
>"Some of the herbs were gathered from this planet on my walks, but most were collected from my many excursions to other worlds. I have to confess, I have concocted remedies for almost every known ailment."<br>Carson seemed skeptical. "Every single one?"  
>"Well, everyone in town. The sick have been cured, the lame can walk again ... well, some still crawl, but they crawl a lot faster than they used to."<br>"I see," Carson said, amused.  
>"Nothing pleases me more than when someone comes up to me, they say, "Thank you, Lucius. You have cured me. You are a wise and kind man."" Carson smiles at the man's arrogance. "The young, old, women ... Do you like women, Doctor Beckett?"<br>"What? Yes, of course."  
>"Yeah, I have a potion that will have them lined up around the square just waiting to be with you. You know what I mean when I say "be with you," right?"<br>Carson was still trying to hide his amusement. "I think so, yes."  
>"I will trade you that potion for what you are holding in your bag right now."<br>Carson puts a hand protectively on the strap of the bag he is wearing over his shoulder. "My medical kit?"  
>"Mmm-hmm."<br>"But I thought you cured every known ailment."  
>"Every known ailment in town. I added that, remember?"<br>"Well, it is tempting, but I'm afraid I couldn't do that, Lucius. Sorry."  
>Lucius laughs. "Not yet, anyway, huh? Come on. You must be starving. I have a great meal lined up for us."<br>Carson sighs wearily as Lucius leads him out of the room.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

Illyria comes into the Control Room to talk to John and Rodney who are looking at a screen with Doctor Zelenka. "How did the scout go?"  
>John coughs painfully before answering. "Well, we found an unused Gate in orbit over M3R-428."<br>"One lousy Gate. We're never going to meet our quota at this rate." McKay grumbled.  
>"What quota?" John asked.<br>"_My_ quota."  
>"Daedalus is still under repair anyway, Rodney. We won't be able to harvest Gates 'til it can fly." John turns to Illyria. "Did Beckett bring back anything worth anything?"<br>"No, he hasn't returned yet. He radioed in earlier, said he'd like to stay a little longer. Apparently he's found something of interest."  
>"Huh."<br>҉  
><strong>LUCIUS' PLANET. <strong>

**NIGHT TIME. **

All the villagers are gathered around the table in the square, listening avidly to Lucius as he tells them a story.  
>"The baby was frozen solid. Like a statue, like a frozen statue. It must have been in the water for, I don't know, what must have seemed like an eternity. I didn't know what to do. I mean, I was a kid myself. I take the baby and I open my coat and I tuck the baby inside, and I start stroking the baby's back, gently." Carson is sitting with the rest of the villagers, gazing at Lucius in fascination as he continues his story. "Now, I don't know whether it was the warmth of my body or the steady, insistent rhythm of my own life force urging this tiny baby's heart to begin beating again, but beat it did..." All of the villagers, and Carson, gasp in amazement and delight. "...and a cry arose, piercing the cold night air, as if to say, "I ... am ...alive.""<br>The villagers croon at the beauty of his tale. Carson smiles in delight and starts to applaud. Others join in. Carson was laughing happily. "Astonishing."  
>"And that baby...that baby grew up to be..." He gestures to the side. Carson and the others look across to where he is pointing. A young woman is putting some goblets and a jug of wine onto a tray.<br>"That beautiful young lady." The woman turns and smiles happily at Lucius.

"No, no, no, not her, not her. Behind her." The woman picks up her tray and walks off, revealing a young man who, with a blank expression on his face, is turning the spit over a fire, unaware of the fact that it's not set up properly and the meat on the spit isn't actually turning. "Uh, maybe a little brain damage, but just a little. But the story is true."  
>"And thank you for sharing it with me."<br>"Oh, please, Doctor Beckett." Lucius stands up and walks over to Carson, putting his hands on his shoulders. "That's what I like doing most, to share." He pulls Carson to his feet. "To share me."  
>Carson smiles at him adoringly. "And I can see that now."<br>Lucius was patting him on the shoulder. "You see? All you had to do was get to know me." He puts his arm around Carson's shoulder and they start to walk. Carson chuckles happily and puts his arm around Lucius' back. "You know, Carson ... may I call you Carson?"  
>"Of course you can!"<br>"Carson, this city that you keep going on and on about..."  
>"Atlantis."<br>"Yeah, Atlantis. On a scale of one to ten, this village being a three..."  
>"Oh, Atlantis is definitely a ten."<br>"It is? Oh, yeah. And those flying ships, you still have those?"  
>"You mean the Jumpers? Oh, aye, we have several."<br>"Really? How interesting. Tell me more."

"Oh, Lucius, I think I can do much better than that."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"Incoming wormhole. Opening the shield." Illyria walks across to the Canadian technician, looking at him enquiringly. "Doctor Beckett's I.D.C."<br>"It's about time." She heads for the stairs down into the Gateroom. Marines are waiting with their weapons trained on the open Gate. Carson walks through and raises his hand to the marines, who lower their weapons. "Carson."  
>She stops as Lucius walks through. He stares around the Gateroom, putting his hands to his mouth as he laughs in delight. Carson smiles proudly.<br>"Oh, my! When you said this place was a ten, I thought, "OK, maybe, _maybe_ it's an eight and a half," but this!"  
>"Carson?" Illyria asked.<br>"Queen Illyria, permit me to introduce Lucius Luvin."  
>Lucius was walking towards Illyria. "Speaking of stunning, you never told me anything about <em>her<em>. Oh, yeah." He stares pointedly down her body. "Yeah, I am _definitely_ gonna like it here."  
>Illyria glares at Carson, looks back at Lucius defiantly.<br>҉  
><strong>OBSERVATION ROOM.<strong>

Illyria, John and Carson are looking through the window down into the Isolation Room below, where Lucius is intrigued by two screens showing images of himself. He is standing in front of one of two cameras on tripods, moving his head around as he watches himself on the screens. Rodney is also in the Observation Room, watching the footage of Lucius.  
>"I cannot believe you brought him here without permission." Illyria said.<br>Carson seemed to be amused as he watches Lucius' antics in the room below. "I didn't think you'd mind."  
>"You didn't think I'd mind? You know the protocols. You even helped Doctor Weir come up with them. I know you might think me knew at this-"<br>"There's so much he can offer us!"  
>"Is this the same guy who said he could cure my cold in a week?" John said.<br>"I know my business, Colonel Sheppard. He happens to have created several medicines that are quite remarkable." Carson told him.  
>"Really? This man?" Illyria looks down into the Isolation Room, where Lucius has now got his mouth wide open and is moving his head around in the front of the camera while he tries to look down his throat on the screen.<br>"Aye. He also possesses many valuable herbs and spices ... and gourds."  
>"Did you just say gourds?" Rodney said, walking into the room.<br>"Yes, Rodney. Gourds. We don't know everything, despite what you may think." Rodney scoffs. "He could prove to be a very powerful ally. He's a very wise and kind man." He smiles down into the Isolation Room happily. Illyria narrows her eyes at him.  
>"Are you feeling alright?"<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"It's just you're acting a little..."<p>

"...smitten?" John finished Illyria's sentence.  
>"I had another word in mind." Illyria told him.<br>"This is not something to treat lightly." Carson said.

"No, it is not. You have brought a stranger to Atlantis without prior approval. Now he knows about the city, as well as our Gate address." Illyria told him.  
>"Lucius would do nothing to harm us. He comes in peace, as our friend. You have his word and mine on that." Carson vouched.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Illyria and John were holding has as Rodney and them were walking down some stairs.  
>"Do you think he poses a threat?" Illyria asked.<br>"Definitely a nuisance." John said.  
>"If what Beckett says is correct, these medicines could be of value to us." McKay said.<br>"We'll just keep an eye on him. McKay and I are heading out to scout more Gates. Tell Marissa and Ronon not to let him out of their sight." John ordered.  
>҉<br>**GUEST QUARTERS.**

Carson escorts Lucius into a guest room. Marines guard the exit. "Here we are."

Carson looks hopefully at Lucius, who gazes around the room with his mouth open in awe.  
>"It's perfect."<br>Carson clenches his fists in a victorious gesture, delighted that Lucius is happy with his room, then gets anxious again. "Because you could always have my own personal quarters if you wanted."  
>"Oh, no, no. Don't be silly, Carson. I mean, you know, I'll take a look at what you have if you insist, but this'll do fine for now."<br>"Oh, good. I'm so pleased. Just let me know if you want anything."  
>"Oh, I can't think of anything I want more than just being here." Carson smiles in delight. "Except that..."<br>Carson was stepping towards him anxiously. "What?"  
>"No, it's nothing."<br>"No, tell me!"  
>"I get the feeling that your friends don't like having me around."<br>"Och, Lucius, just give them a chance to get to know you."  
>"I just hope I get that chance."<br>"Oh, you will, I promise. In fact, I'm sure Queen Illyria will want to negotiate an alliance between your people and ours."  
>"Really?"<br>"Really!"  
>"Oh, that'd be great!"<p>

**LATER.**

Lucius pulls aside the net curtain hanging over the door and looks out to see two marines outside the room. He opens the door and walks over to them.  
>"Oh, hello. I was going to go get something to eat, because they forgot to bring me something, so...are you guys not allowed to talk?"<br>Marissa and Ronon come up the stairs. "Guests are not permitted to move about the city unescorted."  
>Lucius was smiling at her flirtatiously. "Well, what do you say you escort me then, huh, huh?" He notes her straight face. "You don't like me yet, do you?"<br>""Yet"?" Ronon asked.  
>"I'm sorry." Lucius stares down the length of Marissa's body. "My manners just fail when I am in the presence of a beautiful woman. Isn't she something, huh?"<br>"Yeah." Ronon grumbled.  
>"We will have something sent to you." Marissa told him.<br>"Oh, no, no, no. Come on. Come on. Don't make me sit in there all alone." Lucius walks closer to her. "Come on, please?"  
>Marissa backs away from him, irritated by his flirting. "Very well. We will both take you."<br>"Oh, both. Both is good. Yeah, we'll get to know each other then, OK?"  
>Marissa starts to lead Lucius away. He turns to Ronon as they follow her. "Like, how d'you get your hair to go like that?"<p>

Ronon stopped in the corridor and turned menacingly to Lucius. "If you touch Captain Frio, The Queen, or any other woman on this base, the Colonel has given me permission to get rid of you."

"And by get rid of…" Instead of answering, Ronon walks off. "Oh, well, that-that's good to know."  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**

Illyria is standing near the door, signing a computer tablet held by a female Chinese technician. Carson is sitting at the desk, peering into Jenifer's bassinet before picking her up and cuddling her closely.  
>"Just listen to what he has to say."<br>Illyria spoke to the technician. "Thank you." The technician leaves and Illyria walks round the desk and sits down on the other side, picking Patrick up. "Fine. I must say, I'm starting to get concerned about your interest in this man. It seems ... excessive."  
>"And I find it puzzling why you've chosen to greet Lucius with such hostility."<br>"Perhaps it is because you broke protocol, endangering..."  
>Carson interrupted. "And for that I am sorry, but can we please move on past that one mistake and not further alienate a potential ally?"<br>Illyria sighs, irritated. "Fine. Have him come up to my office."  
>҉<br>**GUEST QUARTERS.**

Lucius is primping in front of a full length mirror and practicing how he will greet Illyria when he meets her. He spoke flirtatiously into the mirror. "Hello, Queen Illyria." He takes his coat off and tries again. "Hello, Queen Illyria."

He smiles in satisfaction, goes across to the bed and drops the coat onto it. He reaches into the bag which he brought with him, takes out the glass vial and drinks the last of its contents, grimacing at the taste.  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**

Lucius, escorted by a couple of marines, walks into the office. He is holding a small earthen gourd with a yellow candle stuck into the top.  
>"Hello, Queen Illyria. Thank you for granting me this audience."<br>"It is hardly that, Mr. Luvin."  
>"No, please. Lucius." Illyria smiles nervously at him. Lucius holds out the gourd to her. "May this be the first of many gifts that our people exchange."<br>"Thank you." She takes the gourd from him, smiling politely at it.  
>"I made it myself. The gourd is from the marshes of my home world, topped with a candle that's made from the congealed tallow of an animal that I killed with my bare hands."<br>Illyria tries to hide a grimace, now holding the gourd with as little of the surface of her hands as she can manage without dropping it. "How nice."  
>"It's nothing."<br>"Please, have a seat."  
>"After you."<br>Illyria puts the gourd down on the table. Two chairs are on the side of the desk nearest to the door, facing each other, and she sits in one while Lucius takes the other. As soon as they are seated, he leans forward and takes her hands. He gazes into her eyes for a moment, and then stares down the length of her body.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>Lucius was lifting his eyes back to her face. "Huh?"  
>At the sound of Patrick crying, Illyria gets to her feet abruptly, picks Patrick up and walks around the desk and takes her normal seat. "I've been told that you would like to negotiate a possible alliance between our two peoples."<p>

"You have a kid?"

"…Yes."

Lucius heard another little moan and peer around the desk. "How many?"

"Two. They are twins." Illlyria rolled Jenifer's bassinet closer to her. "Mr. Luvin-"

"Twins and you still look like that?" Lucius smiled and thought something…well nasty to himself. Then something hit him. "Who's the father?"

"Lt. Colonel John Sheppard." Illyria lied, tight lipped, hopping that Lucius got Ronon's message. "The Alliance, Mr. Luvin?"  
>"An alliance? OK. Sure. I mean, that's why I'm here, is to talk about that."<br>"Well, then, why don't _you_ start by telling me what you have to offer us?" Lucius smiles smugly at her, then glances down at the gourd on the table. Illyria narrowed her eyes. "Besides candles."  
>Lucius grins. "Right."<br>He gazes off into the distance, thinking desperately.  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

John and Rodney are coming down the stairs from the Jumper Bay into the Control Room.  
>"One tiny settlement on the entire planet? Look, all we'd have to do is relocate them." McKay said.<br>"We're not evacuating an entire planet so we can take their Gate." John told him.  
>They look around the Control Room, puzzled by the fact that the place is empty apart from the Canadian technician, who is lounging nonchalantly against the balcony with a mug in his hand.<br>"Hey! Welcome back." The Tech greeted.  
>"Where's Zelenka?" McKay asked.<br>"Well, he's not here."  
>"No." John looks around the room nervously. "No-one's here. Where <em>is<em> everyone?"  
>҉<br>**MESS HALL.**

The doors open and John and Rodney walk in. Laughter can be heard. They walk into the room and find a large number of the Atlantis crew sitting and listening to Lucius who is sitting on a table and telling them a story. Ronon can be seen standing next to him.  
>"I'm standing outside. I don't know what to do. I ran. I ran! I ran - and I'm the guy who's holding the weapon, OK?" The crew laugh. Illyria was sitting next to Lucius. "So here's what I do. OK, here's what I do. OK, I'm standing there, and I'm running, and I see the beast, just coming towards me, so I just step to my left, I turn around, and just as he's coming to me, I take my sword, I draw it..." he gestures drawing the sword and the crew all flinch back, completely engrossed in the story "...and I lop off its head!" The crew, including Marissa and Carson, gasp in amazement. "Yeah, and I bend over, I pick it up, and I walk in triumph back to the village."<br>Illyria was totally absorbed in his tale. "Amazing."  
>"You didn't!" Ronon smiled.<br>"Oh, oh, yes, oh my giant friend, I did, and let me tell you this: I had no trouble finding female companionship that night, if you know what I mean!"  
>The crew laugh delightedly.<br>"He's such a dandy!" Zelenka said in Czech.  
>"Repeatedly!" Lucius yelled. The crew laugh hysterically. Lucius puts his arm around Illyria, who has her hand on his knee. Marissa reaches out and holds his other hand. "Yeah! Yeah!"<br>As the crew continue to laugh, Rodney and John look at each other in disbelief (John more so in anger).  
>҉<br>**ELIZABETH'S OFFICE. **

**DAY TIME. **

John and Rodney are talking with Illyria, Carson, Marissa and Ronon. The children are not in the office like they normally are so they must be on the mainland with Teyla's people.  
>"What the hell is going on?" John asked.<br>The others look at each other, confused. Illyria spoke up. "What do you mean?"  
>"What do I mean? We leave for a few hours, and Lucius turns you all into Stepford wives!"<br>"What did he do to you?" McKay asked.  
>"Absolutely nothing. Carson was right about him." Illyria said.<br>"I agree. He has much to offer us." Marissa smiled.  
>"Herbs and gourds?" McKay shouted.<br>"Please, the medicines alone are worth whatever he asks." Carson said.  
>"You're really telling me the ointment is worth something?" John asked.<br>"I haven't actually tested it."  
>"Oh, you're just taking his word for it." McKay said.<br>"You got a problem with that?" Ronon asks.  
>"Me?" Nervously, he said, "Uh, no." He then points at John. "<em>He<em> might."  
>"Marissa, this is the man who asked you to be his seventh wife." John said.<br>Illyria looks round at her.  
>"I know." She looks at Illyria apologetically. "I hope I didn't upset him."<br>Carson turns to John and Rodney. "You just haven't taken the time to get to know Lucius."  
>"Carson is right. Again." Illyria pats his arm. "Look, I think he could be a great asset to us. He has travelled extensively throughout this galaxy, and gathered a tremendous amount of intelligence."<br>"Has he shared any of this intelligence?" John asked.  
>"Not yet, but..." she picks up the gourd with the candle in it "...he did give me this."<br>Marissa's mouth drops open in amazement. Illyria holds out the gourd for Carson, Marissa and Ronon to look at more closely. They gaze at it reverently.  
>"A very wise and kind man." Ronon said.<br>The four of them nod. Carson looks at Illyria, mouthing, "May I?" at her. She nods, and he takes the gourd gently from her to take a closer look at it.  
>҉<br>**RODNEY'S LAB.**  
>"This is creeping me out." John said. "Why would she send the kids away to Teyla's? I know the Athosians love them like princes and princesses-"<p>

"Because they are…" Rodney mumbled.

John went on, ignoring the interruption. "But to send them _away_? This is all that Lucius's falt…"  
>McKay was working on a computer. "Yeah, reminds me of an old Batman episode, actually. Catwoman used a drug to put a spell on Batman, making him fall in love with her. Ended up doing all sorts of evil things for her." He straightens up from the computer. "Kind of a turn-on, actually. Julie Newmar in a cat outfit..."<br>"Eartha Kitt was Catwoman." John corrected.  
>Rodney smiles smugly. "Not 'til Season three."<br>"Really?"  
>"Yeah. You didn't know that?" John shakes his head, then looks down at the computer. Rodney continues to look at him. John looks up at him for a moment, and then jerks his head down towards the computer. Rodney finally gets the message. "Oh. So, anyway, I did a little investigating, and..." he pulls up some footage on the screen "...surveillance footage from his quarters."<br>They look at the footage of Lucius taking the glass vial from his bag and drinking the contents. As he tilts the vial to his lips, Rodney freezes the footage, and then zooms in on Lucius as he drinks.  
>"What's this?" John points to the vial.<br>"Ah. I took the liberty of searching his room, hmm?" McKay picks up the glass vial from the table. "There's some residue from the liquid still in the vial. It'll take some time to break it down. I _could_ have used Carson's help on this, but..."

"... he's off picking daffodils for his new friend."  
>"Right."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Radek is showing Lucius one of the computer screens, calling up (presumably) the long range sensors. Illyria stands nearby, smiling proudly.  
>"That's brilliant." Lucius said.<br>"This is actually how we found your planet." Zelenka said.  
>"So you just fly to a planet, you take the Gate, you fly away."<br>"Well, we try to take Stargates that are in fixed orbit around a planet, and then only if the planet is uninhabited. Obviously, it wouldn't be right to take a Gate from a world that depended on it for trade." Illyria said.  
>Lucius looks at the map on the screen. "Wait a minute." He points at the screen. "I've heard of this planet."<br>"You have?"  
>"Yeah, I have. And I heard that this planet is completely uninhabited. It's what I heard. I don't know about you guys, but I've got a good feeling about this planet."<br>"Well, then, we could retrofit the Gate for space deployment."  
>Lucius turns to her and cups her face with his hand. "Beautiful and brilliant." Illyria simpers. "The two Bs."<br>Unnoticed by the others, John has come into the room. He glares at the way that Illyria is behaving. He was doing his best to control his anger towards Lucius.  
>"Illyria…"<br>Illyria turns to him, smiling happily. "Oh, hi, John. We were just discussing the Gate harvesting program."  
>"Yeah, I heard."<br>"And Lucius knows of an excellent planet we should investigate."  
>"I heard that, too. We got intel that the Wraith recently set up a major outpost there. An alliance of three hives."<br>Lucius was seemingly shocked. "No. Really?"  
>"Has your intel been verified?" Illyria asked.<br>"We haven't put boots on the ground, no, but our contacts are trustworthy. I'm not gonna send a team down there - not when there's still plenty of Gates to scout."  
>"John, you are <em>way<em> behind Rodney's quota."  
>"<em>Forget<em> Rodney's quota. I am not sending a team into harm's way."  
>"You know what? Colonel Sheppard is right. Don't get me wrong - with all your advanced weapons, you could <em>easily<em> dispose of a tiny Wraith outpost, if there even _is_ an outpost, but ultimately, is it worth the risk, no matter how small that risk may be?" Lucius turns to Illyria and Radek. "I mean, sure, people may label you a coward..."  
>"Will you knock it off?" John yelled.<br>"Colonel. I think it's worth investigating." Illyria said.  
>"No. I won't allow it."<br>Illyria turned to him. "John, are you questioning my authority?"  
>"When it comes to the security of this base, you're damned right I am." He walks closer to her. "From now on, no-one goes through that Gate without my authorization. Illyria, what the hells gotten into you?" He turns and walks away. Lucius shakes his head sadly.<br>"What a terrible cold he must have."  
>Illyria putt her hand on his arm. "This is not like him, Lucius. I apologies."<br>"He makes me uncomfortable."  
>"He's really a good man."<br>"I don't see what you see in him." He makes a negative sound. "If he doesn't come around, you're going to have to do something."  
>҉<br>**RODNEY'S LAB.**

Rodney has got the last of the liquid from Lucius' glass vial in a syringe. He squirts it onto a tray which then retracts into a medical device of some sort. He presses some buttons on it, then looks up as John comes in.  
>"Illyria wants to send a team to check out a Gate at a suspected Wraith outpost."<br>"What, is she nuts?"  
>"Everybody's nuts, Rodney. Haven't you noticed?"<br>"Right."  
>"You need to figure out why without drawing too much attention."<br>"I am working on it, but there's not enough of the liquid to work with. I need more."  
>"I'll go back to Lucius' village. I'm sure he keeps a stash there. I'll just grab some."<br>"What, you're leaving me here alone?"  
>"You said you need the liquid."<br>"Yeah, but the place is turning into a nuthouse!"  
>"Somebody's got to stay. Just keep <em>away<em> from the nuts. And you've gotta disable the D.H.D. as soon as I'm gone to prevent anybody from dialing out, OK?"  
>Coughing convulsively, John leaves the lab as Rodney sighs in resignation.<br>҉  
><strong>LUCIUS' PLANET.<strong>

John walks into the village square to find a very different atmosphere to the last time he was there. The villagers are wandering around, disorientated and looking unwell. Their brightly colored clothes are covered with cloaks, as if they are feeling cold. Some of them are whimpering. They stare at John distrustfully as he walks past them. He spots Willa up ahead. She too has a cloak around her.  
>"Willa."<br>"Sheppard." She calls out to the other villagers. "Sheppard!"  
>"Are you alright?"<br>"Where is he?"  
>"Lucius?"<br>"Did you take him?" Willa backs away from him a little, looking nervous. "Of course, if you did, we're not angry."  
>"He came to my planet on his own."<br>"Please send him back. It hurts us to be away from him for so long." Wife 2 said.  
>"Have you always felt this way about him?" John asked.<br>"No, but one day, as he returned from trading his wares with a distant people, he told me a story - a wonderful, wise, sweet story about something he accidentally stepped in." Willa said.  
>"And from that day forward, we saw him for the wonderful man he truly is." Wife 2 said.<br>"And before that?"  
>Willa was bowing her head. "I am ashamed to admit that I refused to share his bed more than once..." Wife 2 puts her hand on her shoulder comfortingly as John grimaces. "...and since he has gone, everyone is growing sick. It has only gotten worse."<br>"Take it easy. Have you ever seen him drink a ... a liquid from a small vial?"  
>"His daily medicine."<br>"Does he need more? I could bring it to him." Wife 2 said.  
>"We both can." Willa said.<br>"I can handle it." John said.  
>"If we get you some, will you bring him home?"<br>"Sure."  
>The two women hurry off.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"Incoming wormhole. Colonel Sheppard's I.D.C." Tech announced.<br>John comes through the Gate. As he walks into the Gateroom, he can hear Lucius' voice. He looks up and sees him sitting on the desk in Illyria's office with Rodney, who is sitting in a chair and giggling hysterically as Lucius tells him a story. John looks concerned, realizing that he's now on his own.  
>"And the next day she became my wife - my fifth wife - and now I have six!" Lucius said.<br>Rodney laughs in delight. "You are a scoundrel, you know that? It's what you are." He looks up as John walks in. "Sheppard, come here. You've got to hear this. Lucius was just telling the most hysterical story. Do you know that they have marmots on his planet? Well, they're not marmots, exactly, but it's a rodent very similar to the marmot..."  
>John interrupted. "I thought you said you were going to stay away from the nuts."<br>"Yes, well, I tried to keep to myself, but Lucius here was concerned for me, so he just came down, Ronon held me against the wall, and Lucius and I had a nice, long talk."  
>"Oh, you did?"<br>"And let me tell you, we have nothing to worry about with this guy. This guy's just a big knucklehead, aren't you, you big knucklehead?" McKay pummels Lucius' arm as they both laugh.  
>"Where's Illyria?"<br>"She's out making me something to eat." Lucius said.  
>"What?" John said, thinking '<em>she never makes <em>me_ sandwiches'_.  
>"I don't know. She said it was a surprise. So Rodney and I were waiting here for the team to return. We thought that you were them."<br>"Marissa, Ronon and Beckett. They volunteered to check out M6H-491." McKay said.  
>"I told you..."<br>McKay was grinning. "... to disable the D.H.D. I know. I'm sorry. I didn't. But come on - Ronon and Marissa. I mean, they can handle themselves."  
>"Well, what about Beckett?"<br>"Oh, _he_ ... now, he can walk on his hands. Did you know that? Yeah, he was showing Lucius just before he left. You should have seen it. He was down on his hands..." He bends down, puts his hands on the floor and tries to kick his feet up into a handstand.  
>"McKay!" John yelled angrily.<br>McKay stood up again. "Well, we don't know for sure that there are even Wraith _on_ the planet." He grins at Lucius. "We'll find out soon enough, though, won't we?"  
>"We sure will."<br>He and Rodney grin happily at John.  
>҉<br>**LATER.**

The Stargate is open and Carson's voice can be heard over comms. _"__Atlantis, this is Beckett! We're coming in hot!"_  
>Marines race into the Gateroom, aiming their weapons. Three blasts, probably Wraith stunner blasts, come through the Gate and impact against the wall. Lucius, John, Rodney and Illyria, coming down the stairs, duck. Rodney and Illyria make sure that Lucius is alright and help him as they continue down the stairs. Carson, Marissa and Ronon run through the Gate, laughing happily even as Ronon, who is running backwards, fires back into the event horizon. All of them are carrying bags full of some kind of plant. They turn to face the others, still giggling, as the Gate shuts down. Lucius, Rodney and Illyria grin at them happily. John looks a lot more concerned.<br>"You alright?" He asked.  
>Ronon was grinning. "Yeah, it was a little rough, but we're good."<br>"It was all terribly exciting." Carson said.  
>"Well, I guess we can assume there <em>are<em> Wraith on that planet." John turns to Lucius and glares at him.  
>Marissa was smiling. "Yes. Many."<br>"Now, don't overreact, John." Illyria said.  
>"Are you kidding me? You send a team led by Beckett to a planet full of Wraith. How do you expect me to react?"<br>"Well, firstly, they volunteered."  
>"And secondly, we got the herb!" Carson said. He, Marissa and Ronon triumphantly hold up the bags they're holding. Everybody except John breaks into a round of applause.<br>"Carson, I will tell people of the tale of your bravery for many years to come." Lucius said.  
>Carson was walking towards him in delight. "You will?"<br>"Yes, I will!" They hug, Lucius pounding Carson's back enthusiastically.  
>John spoke to Lucius in disbelief. "You sent them to get an herb?"<br>Marissa was smiling. "We _wanted_ to go."  
>John smiles, but his is a smile of fury. "OK. I've just about had enough."<br>He walks towards the offworld team, presumably intending to grab the bags they're carrying, but instantly Ronon cocks his blaster and aims it at him.  
>"Whoa." McKay said.<br>"Don't touch it." Ronon said.  
>Illyria walks forward and gestures to Ronon to lower his blaster. She turns to John. "What on Earth is wrong with you, John? We were just helping a friend, and there's nothing wrong with that."<br>Lucius leans over to Rodney and speaks quietly to him. "I think there's something wrong with _him_."  
>McKay was looking at John suspiciously. "Hmm."<br>John, realizing that he's on his own, thinks quickly. "You know what? I'm just tired. It's this damned cold." He turns to Lucius. "I apologize."  
>Lucius smiles sweetly at him.<br>"Maybe you should get some rest." Illyria rubbed him shoulder and smiled sweetly.  
>"You're probably right. I just need a good night's sleep."<br>Illyria nods at him, smiling. John turns and leaves the Gateroom as the marines look at him suspiciously. At the doorway, he turns and looks back at everyone watching him. He leaves the room.  
>҉<br>**JUMPER BAY.**

Lucius is sitting in the pilot's seat of a Puddle Jumper while Rodney and Carson stand nearby, eagerly explaining how everything works.  
>"So, what does this do?" Lucius asked.<br>"That engages the H.U.D. - stands for Heads-Up Display." Rodney said.  
>""Heads-Up"..." Lucius giggles "...I love that!"<br>The other two laugh.  
>"It gives me whatever information I need when flying the Jumper: navigation, weapons..."<br>"You fly this thing?" Lucius asked Carson.  
>McKay spoke quickly. "I can fly it, too."<br>"Yes, now that you received the A.T.A. therapy, which I invented." Carson turned to Lucius. "I was actually born with the gene, which makes me much more proficient at operating Ancient technology."  
>"It does not. He doesn't fly this thing any better than I do." Rodney said.<br>"Don't you lie to Lucius ...!"  
>They start to bicker until Lucius intervenes. "Boys, stop fighting. A gene, you say?"<br>"It's a genetic fingerprint, if you will, which allows someone such as me to operate any technology on Atlantis. I developed an inoculation which allows those who don't naturally possess the gene, such as Doctor McKay, to be able to use some of it as well." Carson smiles smugly.  
>"Really? A gene, huh? An inoculation, huh? That's great."<br>Carson giggles in delight. Desperate to get Lucius' attention, Rodney butts in. "You know what's really interesting?" Rodney points to a control on the console. "If you look at this down here..."  
>҉<br>**LATER. **

**INFIRMARY. **

Carson is looking into a scanner. John, hovering nervously in the doorway, calls out quietly to him.  
>"Uh, Doc?" Carson straightens up and looks across to him. "Could I speak with you for a sec?"<br>Carson spoke to his assistant. "Excuse me." He walks over to John, who is doing a good job of looking sheepish, and puts his hands sternly behind his back as if waiting for John to apologize to him.  
>"I ... think there might be something wrong with me. I don't know what, it just might be the stress of being a new dad, but…."<br>Carson relaxes, smiles and puts a hand on John's shoulder and spoke softly. "It's alright, son. Admitting it is the first step."  
>John hesitates as a couple of medical staff walk past. Carson smiles, assuming that he's too embarrassed to talk about it in front of others. Playing on this, John jerks his head to indicate that they should step outside. The men walk into the next room.<br>"So you finally came around, did you?" John shrugs as they continue to walk. "You see, once you get a chance to know Lucius, he's really a very wise and kind..."  
>John pulls a Wraith stunner pistol out of his jacket and turns, firing it at Carson.<br>"Oh crap." Carson spit through clenched teeth as the sun hit him. He convulses and starts to collapse. John grabs him, holding him up as he looks around nervously to see whether anyone in the next room heard the blast, then drags Carson away.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Rodney looks at a console in concern.  
>"Why is the Jumper Bay roof opening?" He looks at the readouts. "Jumper Three is starting up. Who's in it?"<br>The technician looks at his own console, and then turns to Rodney. "I don't know."  
>Rodney activates his headset radio. "Jumper Three, please identify."<br>There's no reply.  
>"Jumper Three, this is Flight. Identify yourself."<br>Still no reply. Rodney points at the technician. "Look, close the door."  
>"It's too late. It's left the Bay."<br>҉  
><strong>JUMPER THREE.<strong>

The Jumper flies over the ocean, cloaking. Inside, his hands tied in front of him, Carson groans as he wakes up to find himself sitting in one of the seats in the cockpit. John looks round at him.  
>"Hey, Carson. Sorry about that."<br>"What? Why are ...?"  
>"I'm taking you to the mainland. It's for your own good. Trust me."<br>Carson grimaces, trying to pull his hands free of their tethers.

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Illyria and Lucius are walking along a corridor.  
>"How often does that happen?" Lucius asked.<br>"This has never happened before. Now, we have very, very strict flight protocols."  
>"He'd have to have a key or something..."<br>Marissa hurries over to them. "A security officer saw Colonel Sheppard carrying Doctor Beckett toward the Jumper Bay moments before the Jumper took off."  
>"So it was them in the flying machine?" Lucius asked.<br>Rodney arrives. "My computer's missing! A tablet, two drives, all of my research."  
>"I <em>told<em> you that man was dangerous. I have to say, Lill, I am _very_ disappointed right now." Lucius said.  
>Distraught, Illyria turns and puts her hands on his chest in anguish. "I am so very sorry, Lucius." She turns to Marissa "Mobilize Jumper teams. I want them found."<br>"Yes."  
>She hurries away as Illyria turns back to Lucius, fiddling with his shirt. "They're very good. They <em>will<em> find them."  
>"I hope so."<br>҉  
><strong>JUMPER THREE. <strong>

**NIGHT TIME. **

The Jumper has now landed on the mainland. John is working on a computer tablet, coughing. Carson sits in his seat, looking plaintive.  
>"I need to get back."<br>"No, you don't."  
>"Lucius needs me. You had no right to abduct me like this."<br>"Call it an intervention. You probably don't realize it right now, but what you're going through is kind of like a ... a detox." He coughs and turns to Carson as he looks at Rodney's computer. "Now, according to the research Rodney was able to do before joining the Lucius fan club, that liquid he's been drinking contains some kind of a chemical. It interacts with the body and causes a secretion of a pheromone ... and then there's something about gamma activity in the prefrontal cortex."  
>"Prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain responsible for positive emotions."<br>"See? That's why I need you. It seems that when people are exposed to this pheromone in close proximity, it makes them, uh ... easy to influence, and the longer they're exposed, the worse the addiction gets."  
>Carson was looking interested. "You mean literally an addictive personality?"<br>"That's what it looks like."  
>Carson sounded indignant. "It's rubbish!"<br>"Check for yourself. I will bet you a year's pay that the liquid in that vial is some kind of an extract made from the herb that you collected for him. He made you his mule."  
>"If this is true, why weren't you affected?"<br>"My cold. I can hardly breathe. Plus I haven't been around him much. Look - I would just kidnap him and take him away somewhere until the pheromone wore off, but the people back on his home planet are starting to get sick, and it looks like they're gonna get worse before they get better. I don't want to put our people through that."  
>Carson was hysterical. "You're doing it to me right now!" John stares at him angrily for a moment, then slaps him hard on the shoulder. "Ow!"<br>"Buck up, Carson! You haven't been exposed that long. I'm just glad Illyria had enough sense to send the kids away before Lucius spread." He grabs the front of Carson's jacket. "Look, I need you to figure out a way how to counteract this thing. There's got to be an antidote of some kind."  
>They stare at each other for a moment.<br>"I can't."  
>"Yes, you can. You can beat it."<br>Carson was getting tearful. "But he needs me." He bows his head and starts to sob. John stares at him in disbelief.  
>҉<br>**JUMPER TWO.**

Rodney is piloting while Marissa sits in the co-pilot's seat and Ronon stands between them. The Jumper is searching the mainland.  
>"We should head back. We've been searching for hours." McKay said.<br>"We just left, McKay." Ronon said.  
>"I don't like being this far away from Atlantis. Lucius is probably worried." He looks up at Ronon. "You think he's worried?"<br>Illyria's voice came over the radio. _"Jumper Two, report?"_  
>"We're reading several life signs, but they might be Athosian hunting parties. We're going to go check them out." Marissa said.<br>"Is Lucius worried about us?" Rodney asked.  
>Illyria had apparently turning to ask him. <em>"Lucius? ... He's fine. Just keep looking."<em>  
>Rodney shakes his head sadly. "I should have stayed with him."<br>҉  
><strong>MAINLAND.<strong>

John and Carson have left the Jumper. A small fire is burning on the ground. Carson, his hands still tied in front of him, is kneeling on the ground and holding Rodney's computer tablet and reading it while John sits nearby.  
>"Wait just a minute."<br>"What is it?"  
>At that moment, the familiar sound of Ronon's blaster firing up can be heard, and the blaster comes into view, pointing at the back of John's head.<br>Ronon spoke ominously. "Don't move."  
>Marissa comes out of the trees, aiming her P90 at John. John holds his arms out to the side and slowly begins to stand up. "That thing is set to stun, right?"<br>"Yeah."  
>John turns slowly to face Ronon. "Good."<br>He lunges at Ronon, who instantly fires. John crashes to the ground. Marissa takes out a knife and goes over to Carson to cut his hands free. "Carson, are you alright?"  
>"I will be, once I get back to Lucius." He smiles at her in delight, then looks up as Rodney comes out of the trees. Rodney looks at John lying on the ground, then looks at Ronon.<br>"What did you shoot him for?" Ronon just looks at him. Rodney rolls his eyes in resignation. "Now we're going to have to _carry_ him all the way back to the Jumper."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**BRIG. **

John is in the cell, although the force field is not on. He is pacing around the cell but stops as the door opens and Lucius, wearing an Atlantean headset, walks in. John rolls his eyes and sits down on the floor in the middle of the cell.  
>"Good morning, Colonel." He gestures to the bars of the cell as he walks over. "I want to apologize for this harsh treatment. I hate that Illyria had to do this."<br>"Cut the crap." Lucius smiles as he leans on the bars. "So ... that herb of yours."  
>"One of my greatest discoveries. Well, it's my <em>only<em> great discovery, but you've got to admit, it's pretty great."  
>"How did you get by before that?"<br>"I was a baker. Bread, mostly. The occasional muffin at festival time."  
>"So that herb pretty much changed everything."<br>Lucius chuckles. "Yeah." He pulls up a chair outside the cell and sits down. "Yeah, I baked it into my own bread - I like to experiment - and I noticed that people started to like me ... well, hate me less, but pretty soon it became like. So I perfected a potion. It worked great for years. Then the Wraith set up an outpost on the only planet where I could get the herb. I knew I could never go back there."  
>"'Til we showed up."<br>Lucius was smiling. "I'm telling you, it was fate. And everybody wanted to help, so I let them. See, that's the great thing about this herb. Nobody gets hurt. They just want to help me all the time. What's wrong with that? I'm a nice guy. I never make them do anything they didn't wanna do."  
>John spoke pointedly. "Six wives."<br>Lucius raised his eyebrows and smiling wickedly at John. "Sometimes all at once." John looks like he's trying not to throw up. Lucius stood up. "You know, when you get over this cold, you and I are gonna have a long chat, face to face, and I've got a feeling we're gonna become the best of friends, and you're gonna want to help me, too, all the time..." he grins at John "... and you'll love it."  
>"Just a warning, Lucius: you get too close to me, it'll be the last thing you do."<br>"That's alright, Colonel. I'm in no rush."  
>Carson came on over the radio<em>. "Lucius?"<em>  
>Lucius activated his headset. "Yeah, go ahead, Carson."<br>_"I've finished preparing the inoculation."_  
>"Alright, I'll be right down." He turned to John "I've got to go get an inoculation. We'll talk after."<br>"He's giving you the A.T.A. therapy?"  
>"Yeah." He leans down and grins at John. "Isn't that great?"<p>

҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Lucius is sitting on a bed as Carson finishes giving him the inoculation. Illyria and Rodney are hovering anxiously nearby.  
>"There. All done. Now remember, it's only effective in forty-seven percent of those who receive it." Carson reminded.<br>"Well, I'm a naturally lucky fella."  
>"The only way to know for sure is to have you try to operate something." Illyria smiled.<br>"OK." He tries to get off the bed but seems to be having difficulty. Carson eases him back down.  
>"It takes about an hour to be effective. In the meantime, just rest easy, dear friend." He moves away from the bed as Rodney rushes in and helps Lucius to lie down.<br>"Are you feeling OK? Can I get you anything?"  
>"No, Rodney. I'm fine."<br>"You sure?"  
>"Absolutely."<br>"Because it would be no trouble."  
>"Mess hall. Blue jello. Just a little bit of whipped cream."<br>"Right away." Rodney rushes off. Lucius reaches up to put his hand over Illyria's, which is resting on his shoulder. Illyria, who was watching Rodney leave, turns in delight at his touch.  
>"We really should talk about marriage."<br>Illyria smiles with joy.

**LATER.**

In the Control Room, everyone is gathered excitedly as Rodney, smiling in delight, speaks into the comms.  
>"Jumper One, this is Flight. The Bay doors are open. You are go for launch."<br>In Jumper One, Lucius is sitting in the pilot's seat.  
>""Go for launch."" He chuckles. "That's so exciting." Carson pats him on the shoulder and takes his place in the co-pilot's seat. "Thanks, Rodney! Alright, here goes."<br>Suddenly John appears behind him, rips his headset out of his ear and wrestles him out of the chair. "I'll take it from here."  
>"Wait - you're supposed to be in jail." Lucius said. John starts to tie Lucius' hands behind his back. Lucius turns to Carson pleadingly. "Carson."<br>"Save your breath. Your charm no longer has any effect on me."  
>John has finished tying Lucius' hands and now pushes him into the co-pilot's seat which Carson has vacated.<br>"No, no, but Carson, we're supposed to be best of friends."  
>John was taking the pilot's seat. "Carson didn't give you the A.T.A. gene."<br>"What?"  
>"I'm afraid it's a serum that effectively neutralizes the chemical in that herb of yours. Took some myself." Carson said.<br>"Oh." Carson smiles and leaves the Jumper. Lucius turns to John as he fires up the Jumper. "I don't know what that means."  
>"It means we can have that face-to-face conversation you always wanted us to have. The only thing that will happen is you'll catch my cold."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM<strong>.

Everyone is waiting anxiously.  
>"What is taking him so long? OK, I should go up there." McKay said. He starts to leave the room but just then a console beeps.<br>"Wait! Wait! They're taking off!" Illyria shouted.  
>Everyone smiles in delight and they all race to the outside balcony. They gaze up into the sky.<br>"It worked!" McKay shouted.  
>They watch joyfully as the Jumper soars up into the sky.<br>Illyria's hands were clasped in front of her as she gazes up into the sky. "He's flying it."  
>Zelenka spoke in Czech, as he gazes upwards, almost in tears of joy. "He flies. He flies so beautifully!"<br>McKay was gazing upwards adoringly. "Fly, Lucius. Fly."  
>҉<br>**JUMPER ONE.**  
>"Where are you taking me?" Lucius asked John.<br>"Little vacation. Just enough time to let Doctor Beckett give the serum to the rest of my people without you interfering."  
>"And then what?"<br>"Then maybe I'll take you back home. I'm sure your people will be thrilled to see you again."  
>"You would do that for me? Without even being under the effect of the herb? After all I did?"<br>"Well, I'm a nice guy."  
>"Oh, Colonel, I can't thank you enough. Thank you so much..."<br>John interrupted. "_After_ I give them the serum."  
>Lucius' face falls. "Oh."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Team Sheppard returns through the Gate and trots up the stairs to the Control Room. Illyria and Carson meet them at the top. To John it looked right to see her holding one of the kids (Jenifer) again. After Carson gave everyone the Anti-Lucius serum, Illyria dispatched Lorne's team to pick the Twins up. John jogged swiftly up the stairs and happily took Patrick from Carson.  
>"So, how was Lucius' homecoming?" Illyria asked.<br>"Well, they didn't kill him, although I do see a string of divorces in his future."  
>"That's if they haven't strung him up first." Ronon said.<br>"Well, the townspeople are over their withdrawal and on the mend, so I doubt that will happen." McKay said.  
>"That is, unless we discover he's revealed the location of Atlantis to anyone." Marissa said.<br>"In which case I said I would track him down, hang him by his feet, and cut off his..."  
>"Thank you! We get the idea." Illyria swiftly interrupted Ronon.<br>Ronon and Marissa smile at each other.  
>John turned to Illyria. "So everyone here, uh, back to normal?"<br>Carson nods, and he and Illyria exchange an embarrassed glance.  
>"We're still fine, John." Illyria said.<br>"No lingering desires? Secret longings for his touch?"  
>"It's embarrassing enough without you constantly reminding us, thank you." Carson said.<br>"Alright, alright." John turns to Rodney and nudged him with his elbow. "Hey, buddy, I'd better get back and clean your quarters before the next scout."  
>He hands Patrick over to Carson and pats him on the shoulder again and runs off down the stairs. Illyria and Carson stare in shock, while Rodney looks nervous.<br>"Right." He quickly turns to leave, but Marissa and Ronon move to block his path, Marissa staring at him in horror.  
>"Rodney." Illyria said sternly.<br>Rodney turns back to face her. "It was one teeny, tiny taste, for research purposes."  
>"Burn it."<br>"All of it."  
>"Right now."<br>"Fine." McKay turns away sulkily. "Story of my life."  
>He goes to walk past Marissa and Ronon, who have opened up a gap again for him, but pauses to give Marissa a long, lingering smile before walking away. Marissa looks appalled. Illyria and Carson exchange a glance before watching Rodney walk away.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S APARTMENT**

Illyria stood outside on the balcony of her Atlantis 'apartment' that she shared with her boyfriend, John. It seemed strange to think of John as her _boyfriend_ when they were raising kids together. He felt more like a hus-

She shook her head, trying to erase all thoughts of that word. She couldn't stand to think of that words without looking at her children and crying. She looked over her shoulder at the sleeping face of her man, still snuggled into the warm blankets of their bed. The kids were asleep so the house was quite. Breen was one of the many things Illyria was thinking about, when John walked up next to her.

"Good morning," he said to her.

John noticed little things about her: she was wearing his Air force Academy tee shirt, and the boy shorts that he wore the night they moved in together. He also noticed that she didn't respond when he greeted her.

"Good morning," He repeated.

"Morning,"  
>"Do you know what today is?"<p>

"Tuesday?" She responded.  
>"Ha-ha, very funny. Seriously," John said. Illyria noticed that the roles were reversed: he was the one that usually made the sarcastic comments and she asked him to be serious. John grabbed her hand and pulled her up against his chest, so their torsos were touching.<p>

"It's our first anniversary," she told him.  
>"Yeah, one year. You know, I've been think about that a lot, and I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore."<br>Illyria felt as if the whole world just crashed down on her. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up at John, "John what do you… I mean…you can't," For the first time, Illyria was unable to form a proper sentence.  
>"I'm serious, Illyria, I don't want to be to be your boyfriend anymore."<br>"John!" she pulled away from John, out of his arms that were wrapped around her waist.  
>"No Illyria, I've been thinking about this for last few days and I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore," Chris reached into his pajama pants pocket and pulled out the small, blue, tattered velvet box he had been hiding the last two weeks. He pulled it out a kneeled on the balcony, "Will you marry me?"<br>Illyria wanted to hit him, she really did. Though John had never made her angrier, he had never made her happier. She once again found herself unable to say anything.  
>"Yes," Illyria said without giving it a second thought completely contradicting what she was thinking earlier. John slipped the ring on her finger; it was a simple gold band with a small diamond in the middle. It looked old, like something that had been passed down from generation to generation.<p>

When John stood up, he kissed her. He pulls her close to taste her sweet lips against his. How he has longed for this moment since the first time they met. She tilts her head up and her mouth involuntarily opens to receive him. Their mouths join, tongues entwine. Their passions begin to release in waves. Not stopping for breath, he wraps his arms around her waist and holds tight as though finding a raging storm. She lifts her arms up to encircle his neck as they continue kissing for what may well be an eternity, though neither senses time passing. This is their moment.  
>Loosening his arms, John places both hands on either side of her hips and lifts her until he is standing straight. To him, she is almost weightless. When they finally break their kiss, he nuzzles her along the cheek, ear, and neck inhaling her scent deeply. He will never forget this moment, her smell. It is rose petals and mints. Slowly he opens his mouth, bares his teeth, and begins to nibble her neck and shoulder. She quickly wraps her legs around his waist as she squirms from the sensation. Her arms and legs cling tighter and tighter to this man as he takes her and lays her on the bed, hovering onto of her.<br>Pushing him away for a moment, she begins to unbutton his shirt revealing a beautifully built chest. She smiles her approval as she makes him remove the garment, tossing it away to the floor. Before she can move again he takes her left wrist in his hand and holds it up towards the headboard as his other hand slowly, deliberately pushes her 'his' shirt off over her head to reveal her bra-enclosed bust. He almost loses himself to the beauty laid out beneath him. Instead he lowers his face to taste the skin between her breasts.  
>Again, using only his teeth, he unlocks her bra to release her large, beautiful mounds from their captivity. The sight that befalls him leaves him breathless. He revels in the perfection of her skin and roundness of her. Mesmerized, he almost loosens his grip on her, but he takes her other arm and holds it, too, above her head on the pillow. She smiles at the feeling of captivity and vulnerability this causes her.<br>Holding both wrists within one massive hand, he leans in to kiss her again while his other hand searches the bedside. Before she knows what is happening, he has piece of silken rope out and is wrapping it around her wrists where he ties her to the bedpost. Almost giggling from the mixture of fear and excitement, she opens her mouth to say something but he hushes her with a finger on her lips. She takes this moment to begin licking and sucking on his finger in what she hopes is an erotic fashion. Seeing the glazed look come over his eyes, she believes that she is doing this the way he wants.  
>After he has her arms firmly bound to the bed, he begins moving down her lithe body as he begins to pay close attention to her breasts. Caressing them with both hands and lightly passing his lips over each nipple causes her to arch in the sensual pleasures as the electricity of the moment courses through her body. With a pinch here and a tug there he begins to act like a puppeteer with his marionette arching and squirming on the bed. Her cries of ecstasy ebb and flow with each pass of his hands, lips, or teeth.<br>Trailing soft kisses down her belly and around her waist, he quickly undoes the ties on her sorts. Without any noticeable exertion he slides the fabric off her body and around her feet in one easy move. He pulls her panties off just as easily as the shorts. Slowly, kissing his way up the length of her body, he moves back up the bed until they are eye to eye.  
>She asks if he will release her from her bondage as they gasp breaths between passionate kisses. Without a word he unbinds the rope holding her arms together releasing her hands. She pushes him over onto his back and whispers softly to him, "My turn…."<p>

~•~  
>When the pair finished making love, Illyria rested her head on John's head. John looked down at her. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her. Sure, sometimes being in love with Illyria made him want to tear a building down with his bear hands, but it was also one of the best things that had happened to him.<p>

"One year," he said.  
>"Took you long enough,"<p> 


	31. Chapter 29

**AN:/ HAPPY NEW YEARS! How'd you like the surprise I tacked on at the end of last chapter? **

** The Twins are 1 year 1 month**

**OFFWORLD PLANET. **

In a forest, Ronon Dex pauses by the side of a tree, looking around suspiciously. Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard, who has either taken a quick trip back to Earth recently or sent back an order with the Daedalus and is now wearing a cool black leather jacket complete with his usual arm patches, walks up behind him, followed by Captain Frio and Doctor McKay.  
>"Something wrong?" John asked.<br>"I have a bad feeling." Ronon said.  
>"Yeah, I <em>always<em> feel like that. Like something horrible's about to happen." McKay said.  
>"How do you live?" Marissa said a little sarcastically.<br>"I get used to it. Thing is, when someone else _also_ has that feeling, mine gets worse."  
>The team starts to walk again.<br>John turned to Ronon. "D'you recognize this place?"  
>"I don't remember."<br>"You must have visited many planets when you were running from the Wraith." Marissa said.  
>"I didn't count."<br>"I don't know how you tell them apart." John said.

**LATER.**

The team has arrived at a village. It's winter and the ground is covered with a light covering of snow. The village is very basic, made up of tents. The villagers are dressed in leathers and furs against the cold weather. None of them react too much to the new arrivals, just looking at them cautiously as they approach.  
>"See? There you go. Nothing to worry about. Seems like a perfectly nice village to me, just like dozens of others we've visited." John said.<br>"It appears to be the type of encampment Teyla's people trade with all the time. I see no evidence of threatening behavior or danger." Marissa said.  
>"I also see nothing we might be interested in trading for." McKay said.<br>The team walks further along the path which bisects the village. One of the villagers, carrying a bundle of sticks, looks at them. John smiles at him. "Hi. How you doing?"  
>The man stares in shock, dropping his sticks. "Wraithbringer!"<br>He runs away from them. Others take up his cry as they too start to run away.  
>"Wraithbringer!"<br>"_That_ can't be good." John said.  
>Marissa was calling after the villagers. "You don't have to be afraid!" She turned to the team. "Where are they going?"<br>"We need to get out of here now." Ronon said.  
>The villagers have run into their tents. Now some of the men come back out, all of them carrying crossbows. Rodney rolls his eyes and turns to Ronon.<br>"I take it he was talking to you?"  
>One of the villagers aims his crossbow and fires at the team. The arrow impacts Rodney's left buttock. Rodney screams and clutches at the arrow. His voice was high-pitched and horrified. "That did <em>not<em> just happen!"  
>John yelled to Ronon and Marissa. "Warning fire only!"<br>John and Marissa fire their P90s over the heads of the villagers while Ronon fires shots from his blaster into the air. As Ronon and Marissa continue to fire, John grabs Rodney and helps him as they turn and run from the village.  
>"Go!"<br>The team beats a hasty retreat into the forest. Rodney, his arm draped around John's shoulder as John supports him with an arm around his back, is screaming in pain. "Oh my God, it hurts! I can't feel my leg!"  
>"Is it pain or numbness?" John asked.<br>"Both!" McKay screamed. The team hurries on, Marissa and Ronon pausing occasionally to fire back towards the pursuing villagers. "What the hell did you do to these people?"  
>"Don't listen to him." Ronon said.<br>"How could he not recognize the Gate address?" McKay said angrily.  
>"Do you know the symbols of every address of every planet we've been to?" John asked.<br>"Yes, as a matter of fact!"  
>The team continues on. John pauses slightly as an arrow impacts a tree beside him, punching right through the trunk. He looks back at Marissa and Ronon who are a few yards behind him, firing at the villagers.<br>"Go! Get to the Gate!" Marissa yelled.  
>John and Rodney hurry away as Marissa and Ronon, behind the cover of a couple of trees, continue trying to hold the villagers off. John and Rodney reach the clearing where the Stargate is and limp towards it, Rodney whimpering in pain at every step. John takes him to the D.H.D. "Go on! We'll be right behind you!"<br>Leaving him at the D.H.D, he turns and races back towards the forest. Rodney starts to dial.  
>Back in the forest, Marissa and Ronon are doing their best to hold off the villagers. As Marissa leans out from the cover of her tree to fire at them, one of the villagers lifts a blowpipe to his lips and fires a small dart at her. It hits her left upper arm. Marissa pulls the dart out. Ronon pauses from firing to look at her. Marissa looks down at the dart, then her knees buckle as her eyes roll back in her head and she drops to the ground, unconscious. At the same moment, a dart hits Ronon in the left shoulder. Instantly he pulls it out, glaring at the villagers. They duck down cautiously. Ronon raises his blaster and points it at them, but then he too collapses.<br>At the D.H.D, Rodney finishes dialing and pushes the central button. The Gate whooshes. Just then, an arrow fires past him. Rodney ducks.  
>"Whoa! Jesus!"<br>He turns to see a villager at the edge of the clearing, firing at him. Rodney fires his P90 wildly back towards him as he limps towards the Gate. He reaches the Gate and heads into it.  
>In the forest, John stops as he sees Marissa unconscious on the ground. Just then, a small dart hits him in the right shoulder. [That'll put a hole in his nice new jacket.] John looks at the dart for a moment.<br>"Oh crap."  
>He crumples to his knees, then keels over sideways onto the ground, unconscious.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Queen Illyria runs from the Control Room down into the Gateroom as we hear someone coming through the Gate's event horizon. [AN:/ Weir was stationed on Earth for liaison prepossess.] Shortly afterwards, there's a thudding sound.  
>"Rodney! Medical team to the Gateroom!"<br>She runs across the Gateroom to Rodney who is lying face down on the floor, the arrow still sticking up from his backside.  
>"Rodney?" She squats down to him. "Hey, where are the others?"<br>"They're right behind me."  
>The Gate closes down. As a medical team runs into the room, Illyria and Rodney stare back at the closed Gate.<br>҉  
><strong>VILLAGE.<strong>

John regains consciousness to find himself sitting on the ground and leaning against the wooden bars of a small stockade in the middle of the village. He looks up and sees Ronon standing on the other side of the stockade with his back to him.  
>"Well ... I guess it could be worse." John said. Marissa, also sitting on the ground, smiles ruefully. John turned to Ronon. "Look, I know you must be thinking this is your fault."<br>Ronon doesn't reply. Marissa looks up at Ronon briefly. "I have already tried to console him."  
>John gets to his feet. Ronon is glaring out into the village. "We were bound to run across a planet you'd been to sooner or later."<br>"It was night last time." Ronon said without looking round.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Ronon stumbles into the village at night. He looks around the village, and then crumples to the ground, exhausted. As he lies on the ground convulsing gently, a young woman runs across to him and kneels down beside him. Behind her, an older man calls out to her in warning.  
>"Linor! Stay away."<br>"It's a man, father. He's near death."  
><strong>END FLASHBACK.<strong>  
>In the village, The old man from the flashback limps into view, leaning heavily on a stick. He glares angrily at Ronon.<br>"Do you think we would not remember you? We offered you food and shelter."  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Ronon has been taken to a tent and is lying on a bed. Linor lifts his head and helps him to drink from a bowl. Her father stands nearby, watching suspiciously. As Linor lowers Ronon's head and then looks at her father, Ronon reaches out and takes her wrist. Her father starts forward anxiously but stops again as Ronon speaks to Linor.  
>"Thank you."<br>**END FLASHBACK.**

"Maybe you did not remember our village. We were forced to rebuild after the Wraith came."

**FLASHBACK. **

Wraith walk into the village, firing at the villagers as they scream and run. A Wraith guard holds Linor down on a table, its hand on her chest, presumably feeding on her. She screams. Her father limps towards her.  
>"Linor! No!"<br>Linor continues to scream as explosions go off all around the village.  
><strong>END FLASHBACK.<strong>

"They were not merely culling us as they had in the past. They were looking for you."  
>"I'm sorry." Ronon said.<br>"Sorry? I doubt that. You will not bring death and destruction on us again."  
>"Look, I can't say the Wraith won't be back here again, but I can promise you they're not coming back here because of him." John said.<br>"No. Not once we've sacrificed the Wraithbringer to his masters."  
>"He prefers "Ronon." Probably also prefers not to be sacrificed to the Wraith."<br>"He is a victim of the Wraith, like all of us. His planet was destroyed. He was captured and made a Runner, but he is not one anymore. They cannot track him as they once did." Marissa told him.  
>"They did not feed on us all last time. They promised that if he ever came back and we captured him, we would be forever free from culling in the future."<br>"They "promised"? They are Wraith! I promise you that killing Ronon will not change what happened, and it will not protect you in the future." Marissa yelled at the old man.  
>"I said nothing of killing."<br>"Isn't that what "sacrifice" means?" John asked.  
>"I know not what his masters will do to him once we turn him over."<br>"You're _giving_ him to the Wraith?"  
>The old man reaches into his clothing and takes out a small round Wraith device. A light is flashing in the middle of it. "They left this behind so that we could call them."<br>Marissa turned to John. "He has already activated it."  
>"They're gonna kill all of us, you included." John told him.<br>Ignoring his warning, the old man turns and limps away.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY. **

Rodney, dressed in hospital whites, is lying face down on a bed with a cannula in his nose feeding him oxygen. He is staring off to the side dopily.  
>"So many colors. All the pretty horses." McKay slurred.<br>"What's he talking about?" Illyria asked Carson.  
>"I gave him some morphine for the pain."<br>A soldier stands at the head of Rodney's bed. Major Gill leans down and talks sternly to Rodney.  
>"I need to know how many villagers. How far is the Gate from the village?"<br>Rodney raises his head and looks up at him blearily, his speech still slurred. "Have you seen a guy around? He looks like you, but he's got messy hair. I think I lost him somewhere. And ... and a ... and a pretty girl and a caveman." He grins at the major.  
>"I may have given him a wee bit too much, but he was making it impossible for me to treat him." Carson said.<br>"Snap out of it, McKay! It's important!" Major Gill yelled. Rodney, taking no notice of him, is fiddling with his nose and the cannula. "Come on! What kind of weapons did they have?"  
>"I'd say something that shoots arrows is a good guess." Carson said.<br>"Excuse me. Why am I lying here?" Rodney asked.  
>"You have an arrow, Rodney, in your gluteus maximums."<br>"Oh. Well, that sounds painful." McKay puts his head back down on the bed and sighs contentedly. "Gluteus maximums." Slurring, almost singing, "Glootus ... maaxim ..." He turns his head drowsily, still speaking calmly. "Oh my God! That's my ass, isn't it?"  
>"Aye."<br>"Call me if he makes any sense." Illyria said, turning the ring on her finger.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE. **

**STOCKADE. **

Ronon is still leaning against the bars. He glares at one of the villagers. "Get him back here, the leader of your village."  
>"Why?" Villager 1 said.<br>"'Cause I need to talk to him."

"It's too late for you." He walks towards Ronon aggressively. "The Wraith will be here soon."

He makes the mistake of stepping too close to Ronon, who grabs him and hauls him closer, then flips him around so that his back is to him. Ronon then pulls a knife out of his sleeve. Other villagers raise their crossbows, and one lifts a blowpipe to his mouth. Ronon holds the villager's hair with one hand and holds the knife to his throat with the other as he looks at the other villagers.  
>"Shoot me with one of those darts and I promise he'll be dead before I go down."<br>"Let him go." Villager 2 said.  
>John walks over to Ronon. "Hey, buddy, you wanna fill me in on this plan?"<br>"Let him go, now." Villager 2 repeated.  
>"Get Keturah!" Villager 1 yelled.<br>Keturah (the old man) has already arrived and limps forward. "I'm here. Unhand him now! I will not free you. These men will kill your friends first."  
>"I don't think that'll be necessary. Uh, why don't we all put our weapons down and talk about this nicely?" John said.<br>Ronon spoke to Keturah. "Let them go. It's _me_ the Wraith want. They had nothing to do with what happened here."  
>"Ronon!" Marissa yelled.<br>John spoke quietly to Ronon. "Don't."  
>Ronon looks at the villagers aiming their crossbows and blowpipes at him. "They won't shoot me. They must know the Wraith still want me alive."<br>"I was a little more worried about them shooting _us_."  
>"Please, Keturah." Villager 1 said.<br>"Let him go now!" Keturah yelled.  
>Ronon shoves the villager away from him, then backs into the stockade, holding the knife to his own throat.<br>"What the hell are you doing?" John asked.  
>"Back off, Sheppard." Ronon grumbled.<br>"Drop the knife, now!"  
>"No." Ronon looks at Keturah. "I didn't mean to bring the Wraith here, but it was my fault."<br>"That isn't true." Marissa said.  
>"You know it is. I should never have come here." He looks at Keturah, his face anguished. "I should never have stayed. I'm sorry about what happened to your village, but if you think turning me over to the Wraith will keep you safe, fine. Do it. I'll do whatever I have to make up for what happened, but don't punish them for my mistake. They're good people. You let them go, or I'll be dead before the Wraith get here, I promise." Keturah hesitates. Ronon pushes the knife even deeper into the skin of his own throat. "<em>Then<em> see what the Wraith do to you."  
>"We're not leaving. Not without you." John said.<br>Ronon still spoke to Keturah. "You let 'em go."  
>The villager who Ronon was holding hostage turns to Keturah. "We have no issue with the other two."<br>Keturah looks at Ronon and his fiercely determined expression as he holds the knife at his throat. "Let them go."  
>The gate to the stockade is opened and a couple of villagers come in, grab John and start to haul him out. Marissa hesitates, stepping towards Ronon with her arm outstretched in a pleading gesture.<br>"Resist and you will be killed." Keturah said.  
>The hostage villager comes in, grabs her arms and bundles her out of the stockade. As soon as they are both outside, Ronon lowers his knife. As John and Marissa are marched away, one of the villagers with a blowpipe fires it at Ronon. He grunts and collapses.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM. **

The Canadian technician looks up as the Gate starts to dial in. "Incoming wormhole." The Gate whooshes. The technician looks at his screens, then reports to Illyria who is standing beside him. "It's Colonel Sheppard's I.D.C, ma'am."  
>"Lower the shield!"<br>She heads for the stairs as the technician lowers the shield. Downstairs, John and Marissa walk through the Gate. John immediately talks to the soldiers guarding the Gateroom.  
>"Someone get us some vests and guns."<br>Major Gill walks over to him. "Colonel, Captain."  
>"Major."<br>"We were just about to come get you guys. Where's ... where's Ronon?"  
>"Still back there." He turned to Illyria, as he and Marissa start getting into the vests that the soldiers are bringing them. "Did McKay get through OK?"<br>"Yeah, he's gonna be fine. What happened?"  
>"Ronon bargained for our freedom." Marissa said.<br>"By sticking a knife to his own throat. We're going back."  
>Illyria looks up to the Control Room. "Dial the Gate."<br>The Gate starts to dial out.  
>"It took us fifteen minutes to get to the Gate." John said.<br>"The place could be crawling with Wraith by now." Marissa said.  
>"Let's go get him." Major Gill said.<p>

Before John and his new team went through the gate, Illyria grabbed John's arm. "Be home for dinner." She touched his face lightly. "All of you."  
>҉<br>**WRAITH HIVE SHIP.**

Two Wraith guards haul Ronon into the throne room. A figure is sitting on the throne. The guards drop Ronon to his knees in front of it. The figure stands and walks forward towards him. It's not a Queen - it's a male Wraith, but this one is bald apart from a long braided strand of white hair hanging down the right side of its head. It snarls at Ronon, who looks up at it as if he recognizes it.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

John and his team have arrived back at the village. There is no sign of life, and fires are burning everywhere.  
>"We couldn't have been gone for more than a half hour."<br>"It doesn't take long." Marissa stated.  
>"Alright, everybody, fan out!" Gill yelled.<br>The team walks deeper into the village. There are bodies sprawled on the ground in various places. Marissa walks over to the body of a villager and checks it for signs of life. She looks up at John. "As we suspected, the deal didn't go as planned."  
>Major Gill comes towards them with a couple of his men, all of them carrying items which belong to Ronon. "There's a few dozen bodies here at most."<br>"The rest were culled." Marissa said.  
>Major Gill holds out what he is carrying. It's Ronon's blaster. "We found these."<br>John takes it and looks at it, then looks across to Marissa.  
>"We'll find him."<br>҉  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

The Wraith hive ship comes out of hyperspace and flies towards a planet. Inside, Ronon is breathing rapidly in pain as he lies face down on a table, undressed from the waist upwards. Nearby, a Wraith takes a tracking device from a pot of liquid and walks over to him. The Wraith Leader stands nearby.  
>"I once fed from the humans of your homeworld. That is where I will watch you die."<br>There's an unpleasant squelching sound as the Wraith 'medic' inserts the tracking device into Ronon's back. Ronon groans, grimacing in agony.  
>On the planet below the hive ship, a Dart swoops over a ruined city. Its transport beam activates and Ronon is deposited onto the street. He stands up and looks around. He is, of course, on Sateda, his homeworld. As he gazes around, he gets flashbacks of the final battle there. A massive explosion goes off and Satedan soldiers are caught in the blast. In a second flashback - which we saw before in "Runner" - Ronon and a couple of other Satedans, one male and one female, all in uniform, flinch as an explosion goes off near them. Ronon jumps up.<br>"Alright, boys, let's go! Move, move, move!" Ronon fires up into the air as the other two run for cover.  
>In the present, Ronon turns and runs off. He races through the streets, pounding through the rubble that lies all over the roads, jumping off stairwells on his way to somewhere specific and then climbing an external ladder up the side of a building until he reaches the roof. He walks to the edge of the roof and looks over the ruined city. He's looking towards the Stargate which is several blocks away. Satisfied that it is still intact, he turns to leave the roof but then flinches as a massive blast comes down from the sky behind him. The hive ship has just fired at the Gate and has presumably destroyed it. Ronon looks back for a moment, then turns and walks away as a Dart swoops over the city. Nearby, the Dart's transport beam deposits someone onto a street. The camera pans up the new arrival's body and we see that it's a male Wraith, wearing a bizarre-looking set of goggles. The Wraith looks around, snarls, and then takes a stunner pistol out of its belt before heading off.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

John and Illyria were holding hands on the table, Marissa and Carson are standing in the room, together with Rodney who is now dressed and is fidgeting uncomfortably.  
>"He's alive." John said.<br>"Don't get me wrong, I hope he is, but how can you be certain?" Carson asked.  
>"They made a sport out of trying to kill him in the past." Marissa said. "He told me so himself."<br>"He was the one that got away." John said.  
>"I believe they will try again."<br>"Ronon will not go down easily."  
>"But they must know how dangerous he can be. It's not like they are going to give him a fair chance." Illyria said.<br>"Well, obviously we don't have much time." John said.  
>"How do we find him?"<br>"If the Wraith placed a tracking device in him the way they did last time..." Marissa trailed off.  
>John turns to Rodney. "Can you pick up a signal?"<br>McKay looked irritated. "Oh, of course. If it sounds like it might be impossible, you look at me."  
>"We still have the tracking device we took out of him." Carson said.<br>McKay was losing his irritation as he starts to think about the problem. "We might be able to tune the long-range sensors to pick up any similarly generated subspace transmissions."  
>"Good." Illyria said.<br>"But we are still assuming that the Wraith actually put another one in him." McKay said.  
>"I'll take whatever odds I can get." John said.<br>҉  
><strong>SATEDA.<strong>

Ronon has gone into a house and is rummaging amongst the rubble on the floor looking for anything that he can use to protect himself. He finds a blade, picks it up off the floor and looks at it. For some reason, this brings on a flashback of himself and a woman making love. The flashbacks flit through various moments of their lovemaking, then move on to another moment. Ronon, fully dressed, walks across the room. The woman, Melena, grabs his wrist as if to stop him.  
>"Ronon!"<br>The flashback moves on again - Melena is standing against a wall by a window as, from Ronon's point of view, he moves towards her. Again the flashback moves on: now Ronon watches as Melena, dressed in what looks like a white nurse's uniform, stands in a hospital ward with a window behind her. A massive blast takes place outside - the shockwave smashes the window and the blast heads towards her. Before it reaches her, the flashback ends.  
>In the present, Ronon stares at the blade a little longer, then continues his search around the room. He finds a piece of metal that he can use as a handle for the blade, then tears down some material and uses it to bind the two pieces together. His head snaps round as he hears a door squeak nearby as it opens.)<br>Nearby, the Wraith, still wearing its weird goggles, comes down some stairs. It looks down at a device strapped to its arm. The device is a tracker and shows that Ronon is nearby. The Wraith takes off its goggles, snarls ferociously and heads in Ronon's direction. It walks into another room and closes the door behind it. The room is dark and, as the door closes and shuts off the light from outside, the Wraith's eyes begin to glow brightly.  
>A Wraith's-eye view - despite the fact that the room is now totally dark, the Wraith can still see in a night-vision sort of way. It walks around the room cautiously. Suddenly Ronon surges out of the darkness and, too fast for the Wraith to react, attacks it. A long fight ensues. Each time the Wraith fires its stunner, the room is lit up briefly but then plunges back into darkness. However, there is some electrical equipment in the room which, struck by a stunner blast, sparks sporadically and also sheds light on the fight in progress. Occasional Wraith-eye views of Ronon as the fight continues but because of the intermittent moments of darkness, it's really hard to see which of the two is getting the upper hand. The fight carries on and Ronon goes into one of his flying leaps into the air as the Wraith surges towards him.<br>Cut to the outside of the closed door: Ronon kicks the door open, storms out and walks away.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**LAB.**

John comes in and looks around. "McKay?"  
>"I'm here." John looks in the direction Rodney's voice came from, then looks down and walks over to where Rodney is lying on his stomach on the floor with his laptop and various other bits of equipment also on the floor. "You know, you really don't appreciate the simple things in life. Like..." John sits down cross-legged on the floor beside him. "...sitting."<br>"I don't envy you. It must be a real pain in the ass."  
>Rodney rolls his eyes. "Oh. How long d'you work on that?"<br>"Illyria gave it to me while discussing wedding plans with the Chaplin. Did you know we had a Chaplin here? I didn't." He looks at the tracking device, held in a clamp. "How's it coming?"  
>"Well, I think I'm almost there."<br>John was still looking at the tracking device. "Is this thing active?"  
>"Don't worry, I limited the power so it won't transmit our location to the Wraith. I just needed enough juice to determine the subspace frequency it broadcasts on..." he types on his laptop "...and now I need to re-calibrate the city's long-range sensors to pick up on it."<br>"Yeah, but these sensors only cover a small corner of the galaxy."  
>McKay looked up in irritation. "Unless they're calibrated to pick up a signal being transmitted using subspace. How 'bout I leave the bad jokes to you, and you leave the brilliant science stuff to me?"<br>"So, uh, what are we lookin' at?"  
>Rodney calls up a map of space on the screen. It shows several dots. "These dots represent transmitters broadcasting from various locations in the Pegasus galaxy."<br>"So there are..." John looks at the screen "...seven Runners out there right now?"  
>"We don't know for sure that they're Runners, but I'll bet anything..." McKay zooms in on one of the dots "...that one's Ronon."<br>A Gate address appears above the dot.  
>"Why? How do you know?"<br>"That's Sateda. It's Ronon's home planet."  
>"That's a good enough place to start."<br>҉  
><strong>SATEDA.<strong>

Ronon is running, and then pounds up an external flight of stairs. Behind him, a small round device whizzes past. Ronon comes through a doorway, trots down some stairs, and then jumps over the balcony of the stairs to the ground below. He runs to a hatch in the floor, opens it and disappears from view as he starts to climb down a ladder. The small round device comes into view again, hovering over the hatch opening for a few moments while it whizzes and whirrs to itself as it picks up Ronon's signal, then it drops down into the opening.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONFERENCE ROOM.**  
>"We have no choice. We've been unable to dial in to Sateda's Stargate." McKay said.<br>"The Wraith likely disabled it." Illyria said, bouncing a fussy Patrick.  
>"Which means, if the Wraith are hunting Ronon, there's a very good chance that there's a hive in orbit. I shouldn't have to remind you the Daedalus has not done well in its last few engagements with Wraith hive ships." Caldwell said.<br>"We drop out of hyperspace, we beam him onboard, we get out of there." McKay said.  
>"You know damned well we can't come out of hyperspace and get close enough to a planet to beam someone off the surface. We'll be detected." Rodney looks defeated. "Look ... you know I wanna help, but I will not put my crew and the only ship that we have in this galaxy at risk for one man."<br>John spoke in a quiet angry voice, trying not to disturb Jenifer who was sleeping on his chest, her head in the crook of his neck. "One man who isn't a member of the US military."  
>Caldwell got angry. "I didn't say that!"<br>John shot daggers at him with his eyes. "He's a member of my team, and he deserves the same respect as anyone on this expedition."  
>Illyria puts a hand on John's arm to calm him as she looks at Caldwell. "We don't leave our people out there, Colonel, not if there's <em>any<em> chance."  
>"Don't preach to me about leaving people behind, Queen Illyria." Caldwell pauses for a moment while the others exchange glances. Recognizing their determination, Caldwell wilts a little. "I'm just saying it's a very bad riskreward situation."  
>"Fine. Then just get us close. We'll take a cloaked Jumper the rest of the way." John said.<br>"I'll go with them, remove the tracking device before we get back on board." Carson said.  
>"We'll be out of there before the Wraith even know what happened."<br>"I won't bail you out if you get in trouble." Caldwell said.  
>"You say that as if we're <em>always<em> getting in trouble!" John smiled.  
>҉<br>**SATEDA.**

Ronon walks along an underground corridor and comes across some skeletal bodies, all of them wearing the remains of Satedan military uniform. As he looks down as three of the corpses, he gets flashes of his former Satedan team mates, walking along the same corridor. He bends down and takes a rifle from one of the bodies, flashing back briefly to himself walking along the corridor with the men. He crouches down by another of the corpses, almost overcome with grief for a moment, then reaches out and starts to unbuckle the man's chest armor.

•  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS<strong>.

Ronon, now wearing the chest armor and aiming his rifle, walks into a room filled with boxes of ammunition. He starts to open the boxes.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Ronon and his Satedan comrades are firing both at Wraith on the ground and up at Darts flying overhead. One of his colleagues runs over to him.  
>"I'm out of ammo!"<br>"There's a depot two blocks down. Go!" Ronon yelled.  
>The man runs off as Ronon covers his back.<br>**END FLASHBACK.**  
>Ronon opens a box and finds some ammunition. He drapes it over his shoulder.<br>Nearby, a Wraith is walking down the corridor. It stops and checks the tracking device on its wrist. It shows Ronon's signal very close by. The Wraith looks around cautiously, and then looks upwards at the dark ceiling. As its vision switches to night-vision, Ronon comes into view, holding himself up with his hand and feet braced on pipes on the ceiling and aiming his pistol down at the Wraith with his other hand. He fires and kills the Wraith. Ronon drops to the floor and aims his pistol at the Wraith until he's sure that it is dead, then stands and looks along the corridor. Behind him, there's a whirring sound. Ronon spins around, aiming his pistol, and sees the round device that was following him. He lowers his pistol and walks over to the device as it hovers at about eye level. He obviously knows what it is, but now for the first time we see that it is not only tracking him but broadcasting his image back to the hive ship. Ronon glares into the camera.  
>"You're going to have to do better than that."<br>On the hive ship, the Wraith Leader, sitting on its throne, snarls as Ronon turns and walks away.  
>On Sateda, in glorious slow motion, Ronon flicks the pin out of a grenade as he walks along. Almost casually, he tosses the grenade back over his shoulder. The grenade drops to the floor and bounces along a couple of times, and then explodes underneath the tracker, destroying it. Ronon keeps walking. As he goes, he begins to hear an announcement from his past.<br>**FLASHBACK.**  
><em>"Sateda will not bow to invaders. The time has come for us to put our bravery on the line..."<em> In the flashback, Ronon - dressed in non-military clothes - opens the door to his house and walks in. _"... and defend our nation, our planet. All that we have built over these past two centuries..."_  
>"What are you doing?" Ronon asked.<br>Melena is standing against a wall by a window listening to what is presumably a radio announcement. This is part of the flashback from earlier. "I'm listening to the Chieftain's speech."  
>"Why aren't you packing?" He pulls an open and empty suitcase across the bed and starts throwing clothing into it from a chest of drawers. "I traded every last thing we had to get you on Kell's personal staff."<br>"He's a criminal. He's using people's fear for his own gain."  
>"He's a commander, and his staff gets to go through the Gate."<br>"The hospital's gonna need me."  
>Ronon angrily slams the drawer shut. "There's not going to be any need for hospitals, Melena! That's just a bunch of words meant to make the people who don't get to leave think there's a chance for them. We shot down two ships that came through the Gate. Two small ships. Do you really think that's all they're going to send?"<br>"Of course not."  
>"Ships as big as our city have attacked other planets. No-one that stays here is going to survive."<br>Melena starts to cry. "Then why are you staying?"  
>"I have no choice."<br>"Yes, you do. You believe in this fight! You know that they'll eventually find us, no matter where we go. Our only hope is to show them that we're not worth the effort, to go feed on some other planet that won't fight back as hard as we will."  
>Ronon walks past her. She grabs his wrist to turn him back towards her. This too is part of the flashback from earlier.<br>"Ronon!" She looks up into his face. "You can't run forever."  
><strong>END FLASHBACK.<strong>  
>Out in the street, a Dart's transporter beam deposits another Wraith, this one accompanied by four guards, onto the road. They head off in search of Ronon.<br>In a warehouse nearby, pistols and rifles of varying sizes are lying on top of boxes, are propped up on the floor against boxes, or are lying on the floor. As a Wraith guard walks in through the open doorway, we see Ronon sitting on the floor, hidden from the guard's view behind some large boxes. The guard walks forward, then pauses, looking around. Ronon judges his moment, then cocks his rifle and, roaring, surges up from behind the box and fires at the guard. The blast hits it in the chest and sends it flying across the floor. Ronon ducks back down again as the Wraith and the other guards burst out of hiding behind various other boxes in the warehouse and fire at him. Ronon stays behind his cover, but won't be able to stay there long because the repeated blasts are starting to demolish the boxes he's hiding behind.  
>As Ronon waits for as long as he can, he gets another flashback. This is a memory of his team's final stand. They stand in the open, firing all around them. One by one, his colleagues are gunned down and fall dead. Finally only one of his team is left, standing beside him. He too takes a blast and crashes into Ronon, who catches him and lowers him to the ground. The man stares up at him as he grunts in his death throes.<br>In the present, Ronon grimaces in grief and rage at the memory.  
>In flashback, through Ronon's eyes, he looks around at all his dead colleagues.<br>In the present, Ronon screams and surges up, rolling over the top of the boxes. Stunner blasts whizz past, narrowly missing him. Ronon raises his rifle and fires it, then drops it to the floor and drops down onto one knee, reaching for the boxes either side of him. A pistol is on the top of each box. He seizes them, stands up and walks forward firing them, taking down one of the guards. He drops the pistols and picks up the one propped against the side of another box, swings around and fires it at another guard, killing it. Dropping that pistol, he throws himself across the floor to grab a rifle which he fires at the Wraith, gunning it down. He stands and walks forward as the Wraith drops. A stunner blast comes from above him. Ronon ducks out of its way. Another rifle is at his feet. He rolls it over with his foot and then flicks it up into the air. Catching it, he fires up into the ceiling where the final guard is up on a gantry. The blast hits it and it dramatically drops to the floor. Ronon stands over it, grinning in satisfaction.  
>Moments later, a device on the guard's chest starts to beep and lights start running around the device. It's the self-destruct. Ronon's smile drops and he breaks into a run, heading for the door of the warehouse. We switch to an external view as a massive explosion goes off, blowing the inside of the warehouse to bits. There's no sign of Ronon exiting the building.<br>҉  
><strong>HYPERSPACE. <strong>

**DAEDALUS. **

John is sitting at a table in the Commissary with a tray in front of him. He is working on a small P.D.A. but looks up as Marissa comes in.  
>"Hey."<br>"Am I disturbing you?"  
>"No. What's up?"<br>Marissa sits down opposite him. John puts the P.D.A. away. "I just wanted to thank you."  
>"For what?"<br>"For going after Ronon this way." She gestures around at the Daedalus.  
>John picked up his cup and drinking. "Did you think we wouldn't?"<br>"He _is_ an outsider."  
>John put his cup down. "Not to me."<br>"I've often felt like an outsider among you Air Force people." Marissa smiled.  
>"Well, maybe at first, but ... well, you know I've always trusted you." John smiled at her. "Jar-head."<br>"Yes. You have been very accepting, but this has shown me how far you would go, even for someone who is not from your world."  
>There's a long pause while John looks a little uncomfortable. "Look, 'Rissa. I'm not really good at, uh..." He pauses. "Actually, I'm ... I'm <em>terrible<em> at expressing ... I don't know what you'd call it, uh..."  
>"Feelings? 'Cause, form what I hear, you have no problem with-"<br>"Yeah, sure, OK. The point is, I don't really have good, uh..."  
>"Social skills."<br>"Well, that _is_ why I enjoyed flying choppers in the most remote part of the world before all this craziness happened, but, uh, you should know, I don't have, uh..."  
>"Friends?"<br>John looks at her indignantly. "No - I have friends." Long pause. "You, Illyria and the kids, Ronon, Carson, even Rodney, are the closest thing I have to a..."  
>"A family?"<br>John nodded. "I'd do anything ... for any one of you. If I had to give up my life the way Ronon was going to, I would."  
>Marissa smiles beautifully at him. John reaches a hand out hesitantly and, without having the courage to meet her eyes, pats her hands which are clasped on the table in front of her. He then picks up his tray, still not looking at her and, sighing, starts to walk away. Marissa looks round at him.<br>"Thank you." John half turns towards her but still can't look at her. Marissa was smiling. "For everything you ... _meant_ to say."  
>John stands with his back to her for a moment, then walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>SATEDA. <strong>

**WAREHOUSE. **

Smoke is rising from the warehouse. Inside, small fires are burning all around. Ronon, who didn't get out in time, regains consciousness and, groaning in pain, drags himself up off the floor. Limping heavily on his right leg, he stumbles out of the warehouse.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS. **

**INFIRMARY. **

Rodney, who was groaning in pain, wass lying face down on a bed clutching a pillow and grimacing in pain as Carson stands beside him checking his wound.  
>"Son of a ... you're <em>killing<em> me!"  
>"I'm not even touching you. Seriously, Rodney, I've never treated a bigger baby in my life."<br>"Just ... are we done?"  
>Carson stepped back and took his gloves off. "Yes. It looks fine, considering." He walks away as Rodney painfully rolls off the bed, revealing his trousers at half-mast and a hilarious pair of red boxer shorts with a pattern that looks like slices of lemon. He pulls up his trousers and does them up. "Why did you come?"<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"On this mission. You're injured. You can't even sit down. People wouldn't think any less of you."<br>"What, you think that's all I care about: what people think of me?"  
>"Well, actually..."<br>"Hey, I am a very caring person." Carson looks round at him. "OK, maybe it's not always obvious to everyone, but, um..."  
>"You care about what happens to Ronon?"<br>"Yes, of _course_ I do. What makes you think I wouldn't?"  
>"Oh, I don't know, the fact that you refer to him as "the caveman" behind his back."<br>"That is a nickname. Buddies have nicknames for each other."  
>"Buddies? Oh, you're buddies now, are you?"<br>"Yeah. More than that, he saved my life. He's like a brother to me."  
>"Aye, a brother who got every gene you didn't, and vice-versa."<br>"You are just jealous of our relationship."  
>"<em>Am<em> I? In the year or so he's been with us, have you _ever_ had a conversation with the man?"  
>"We have an unspoken bond. I mean, there are things that go deeper than words, my friend, deeper than words, but <em>you<em> wouldn't know anything about that because you never look past the surface of anyone, do you?"  
>McKay walks out. Carson smiles.<br>҉  
><strong>SATEDA.<strong>

Ronon, breathing heavily, limps painfully towards a building. Going inside, he limps along a corridor. His progress along the corridor is interspersed with flashbacks to the time when Sateda was under attack. The building is a hospital and doctors and nurses - overloaded with patients - are treating people everywhere, even in the corridor. Ronon pushes his way through the melee, calling out.  
>"Melena! Melena!"<br>In the present, Ronon continues to make his way along the corridor. In the flashback, the younger Ronon does the same.  
>"Melena!"<br>In the present, Ronon reaches the end of the corridor and enters a room. Walking into the middle of it, he drops his rifle to the floor and starts to rummage through the debris. He picks up a few items, including a large triangular piece of mirror. Sinking down onto the floor with his back against the wall, he props the mirror up on some rubble on the floor so that it is angled for him to be able to see his right leg. He unscrews the lid of a bottle of alcohol which he has also collected and pours it over a wound in the side of his upper leg. He screams, whimpers and almost breaks down in tears at the pain.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Ronon is still walking along the corridor.  
>"Melena!"<br>He reaches the end of the corridor and walks into the room. Beds are all around the room and various doctors and nurses are helping people both in the beds and up on their feet.  
>"Melena."<br>Melena, in a white nurse's uniform, walks over to Ronon, crying in relief at seeing him again. They embrace as she sobs.  
><strong>PRESENT.<strong>

Ronon picks up a surgical clamp and, using the mirror to see his leg, probes into the wound. He screams in agony.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

"Where's your squad?" Melena asked.  
>"They're all dead. Kell used us to ensure his own escape. But come on, there's still a chance. I can get us out of here. I can get us to the Gate. Even if I can't, I know where to hide." He turns to leave, but Melena calls out to him.<p>

"Ronon!"  
><strong>THE PRESENT.<strong>

Ronon continues probing inside his wound, whimpering, and then screaming in pain.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Melena looks at a little girl lying in a bed nearby. "What about her? Her parents are both dead."  
>Ronon walks over to the girl and picks her up. "Come here." He turned to Melena "Come on."<br>He starts to walk out of the room.  
>"Ronon, wait!"<br>Ronon turns around again with the girl in his arms.  
><strong>THE PRESENT.<strong>

Ronon screams as blood drips from his wound. Finally he manages to drag a piece of metal out of his leg.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Melena looks around the room at all the injured Satedans.  
>"What about all these people?"<br>Ronon was staring at her in anguish. "They're all dead."  
><strong>THE PRESENT.<strong>

Haunted by the memories, Ronon slams his hand against the wall behind him.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Melena shakes her head. "I can't." She sobs. "I can't, Ronon. I can't go."  
>Ronon gazes at her pleadingly.<br>**THE PRESENT.**

Ronon wails in pain and anguish, knowing what's coming next in his memories.  
><strong>FLASHBACK.<strong>

Ronon stares in horror, unable to do anything as a blast takes place outside the window behind Melena. The shockwave smashes the window and the blast heads towards her and envelops her.  
><strong>THE PRESENT.<strong>

Ronon is shaken out of his grief by the sound of a Wraith Dart soaring overhead, followed by the sound of a transporter beam. Groaning in pain, he hauls himself to his feet, looks out of the window and sees about twenty Wraith guards making their way towards the hospital. Behind him, a new tracking device hovers into the room. Ronon turns and glares into its camera.  
>"You're a coward."<br>On the hive ship, the Wraith Leader snarls.  
>On Sateda, a hail of bullets from a P90 hits the tracking device and it drops to the floor. Ronon draws his pistol and aims it at the door, only to see John and Marissa standing there.<br>"Don't look so surprised." John said.  
>Ronon lowers his pistol and sinks back down to the floor.<br>"Are you OK?" Marissa asked.  
>Ronon doesn't answer. John walks closer to him.<br>"Come on. You can thank us later. McKay and Beckett are waiting for us in a Jumper on the roof."  
>Without looking at him, Ronon lifts his pistol and points it at John. "Get out of here."<br>"Oh, hey. I know you've been through a lot, but, uh..."  
>Ronon was looking at him furiously. "I'm not going anywhere."<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER.<strong>

Rodney, in the pilot's seat, and Carson, sitting beside him, look at the heads-up display. Rodney speaks into the radio.  
>"What is going on down there? You have at least twenty-five Wraith closing in on your position from ground level."<br>John reports from the ground level. "It seems Ronon doesn't want to leave."  
><em>"Well, too bad! You tell that ungrateful example of uninvolved humanity that we came all this way to rescue him, so he'd better get off his a..."<em>  
>John turned to Ronon. "McKay says he's very hurt you won't come with us."<br>Ronon was looking down at the floor. "I can't. Keturah and his people - they had a deal. They traded me for their freedom."  
>"Are you doing this for <em>them<em>? _Those_ people, the ones on the planet who turned you over to the Wraith?"  
>"It was my fault they were culled."<br>"Ronon, the Wraith didn't honor the deal. Keturah and his village, they're all dead." Marissa said.  
>Finally Ronon lifts his head and looks at her.<br>"Now ... can we go?" John asked.  
>"No."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Because I'm gonna kill the Wraith responsible for all this."<br>"I don't suppose he happens to be one of the ones out there that's about to come in here?"  
>"No. He's probably still up on the hive."<br>"We can't take on a hive ship now." Marissa said.  
>"We won't have to." Ronon said.<br>_"Why aren't you moving?"_  
>"Ronon wants to take care of a few things first." John said.<br>McKay was getting annoyed. _"Oh, really? Like what?"_  
>John walks closer to Ronon. "Come on." He holds out his hand to him. "Let's go kill some Wraith."<br>Ronon takes his hand and lets John haul him to his feet. They look at each other for a moment, John smiling slightly.  
>"Just stay out of my way." Ronon starts to hobble out of the room.<br>"Hey." John called after him. Ronon turns to face him again. John unzips his jacket and takes Ronon's blaster out of it. "Thought you might want this." He offers it to Ronon, who takes it and then turns and heads off out of the room. "You're welcome!" He follows him.  
><em>"What the hell is going on down there?"<em>  
>"Ronon thinks he can get the head Wraith responsible for all this to come down and fight him if we kill all these Wraith first." John said.<br>Ronon heads down some stairs, his stunner in one hand and a pistol in the other. He fires both simultaneously at two Wraith guards coming up the stairs and kills them both. He runs on.  
><em>"That is the stupidest plan I have ever heard."<em>  
>John and Marissa hurry down the stairs in pursuit of Ronon. "I don't know. Killing a bunch of Wraith always seems like a good idea to me."<br>_"They outnumber you twenty-five to three."_  
>Carson was looking at the H.U.D. <em>"It's actually twenty-two to three ... twenty-one ..."<em>  
>"And Ronon appears to be quite angry." Marissa said.<br>_"Oh, __that__ evens it out! You do realize that there is a hive ship in orbit capable of blowing us all off the face of this planet?"__  
><em> John and Marissa stop at an intersection inside the hospital and fire at various approaching guards. John guns down a couple in one direction while Marissa, with her back to him, shoots another one. John turns ninety degrees and kills another one. Turning back the way he was previously looking, he sees one of the gunned-down guards sitting up and reaching for its weapon. He fires again, killing it.  
>҉<br>**PUDDLE JUMPER.**

Carson gets out of his seat and heads for the rear of the ship.  
>"Where do you think <em>you're<em> going?" McKay asked.  
>"I'm going to help them." He goes over to a case lying on one of the benches and opens it.<br>"What, are you crazy? You're a _doctor_!"  
>"What does that have to do with it?" He takes out a P90 from the case and turns. Rodney walks over to him and tries to take the rifle off him. "What are you doing?"<br>"_I'm_ going."  
>"You can barely walk."<br>"I can walk fine. I just can't sit."  
>"<em>And<em> you're a terrible shot."  
>"Oh, what, and you're Rambo now?"<br>҉  
><strong>HOSPITAL.<strong>

Ronon flattens himself against a wall and peers around the corner. He ducks back on seeing two guards walking towards him, and waits for them to get closer. Suddenly he notices a door starting to open slowly in front of him. Realizing that another Wraith is going to come through there, he hurls himself into the air as he leaps into the corridor, firing at the two guards walking down it. As they drop, he flies across the corridor and crashes to the floor on his back on the other side, in the perfect position to gun down the guard coming through the door.  
>҉<br>**HIVE SHIP.**

The Wraith Leader watches his screen as the image looks at John aiming his rifle at it. He fires and the picture goes offline as a Wraith guard's voice can be heard groaning. Another image comes up, this one showing Marissa. The picture turns away from her and tries to escape but Marissa guns it down. Finally we realize that the Wraith with the glowing eyes must have cameras fitted in their eyes so that they can relay what they are seeing up to the hive. The Wraith Leader roars and pounds its fists on the arms of its throne in fury.  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL**.

Marissa and John run into another room and gun down two more guards. Nearby, Ronon comes around a corner, twirling his blaster dramatically and gunning down two more guards, then a third as it comes out of a doorway. Two more guards come out of another doorway and Ronon takes them down too.  
>҉<br>**PUDDLE JUMPER.**

Rodney and Carson are still both holding the P90 and trying to tug it away from each other.  
>"There's more than one bloody gun. We can <em>both<em> go." Carson said.  
>"Yeah, well, someone has to stay with the Jumper."<br>John's voice cam over the radio, _"That's it. We got 'em all. McKay?"_  
>Rodney lets go of the rifle and walks to the cockpit to look at the H.U.D. "Yeah, it's just you guys left. Well, that was quick."<br>John was smiling proudly. "Yeah. I got six. Marissa got..."  
>"Eight."<br>John glances at her, then continues his report into the radio. "I got nine, Marissa got eight. Ronon got the rest."  
>Marissa looks round at him, her eyebrows raised.<br>Somewhere nearby, Ronon has found either a tracker device or a Wraith with video eyes and is glaring into it as he addresses the Wraith Leader.  
>"You wanna watch me die up close, you're just going to have to come down here and do it yourself."<br>The Wraith Leader growls and snarls angrily.  
>"You want me?"<br>Roaring, the Wraith Leader surges out of its throne and storms towards the image.  
>"COME AND GET ME!"<br>The Wraith Leader walks straight through the image.  
>"I'll be waiting."<br>The Wraith Leader roars as it heads off.  
>On the surface, Ronon walks over to John and Marissa but stares ahead, not looking at either of them. "You kill him before I do, I kill you."<br>"What if he kills you first?" Marissa asked.  
>"Then you kill him."<br>He walks away. John nods. "Got it."  
>He and Marissa exchange a glance, raising their eyebrows at each other, then they both shrug and follow after Ronon.<br>҉  
><strong>STREET.<strong>

A Dart soars down out of the sky towards Ronon, who is waiting for it in the middle of the street. The Dart swoops over his head, transporting the Wraith Leader down onto the street facing him. It growls and walks towards him, making "come on, then" gestures with its hands. Ronon gets into a fighting stance, roaring threateningly. He whips out a knife from his belt and screams, gesturing strangely, hitting himself on the head and generally working himself up into a frenzy, then he runs towards the Wraith Leader, leaping up into the air and hurling himself towards it as he slashes at it with his knife. The Wraith judges its timing perfectly and slams its hand into Ronon's chest as he descends, throwing him across the street to crash painfully against a closed metal door before dropping to the ground. He rolls off a step in front of the door and crashes down again.  
>On a rooftop nearby, John and Marissa watch as Ronon slowly gets onto his hands and knees, trying to get up as the Wraith walks towards him. It punches him in the head, then grabs his hair and hauls his head up as Ronon yells in pain.<br>John was aiming his rifle at the Wraith. "I could shoot him right now."  
>The Wraith hauls Ronon to his feet and pushes him back against the step.<br>"I wouldn't." Marissa said.  
>Ronon surges forward and punches the Wraith in the face several times. The Wraith barely reacts, parrying the next few blows and punching Ronon back against the step.<br>"You really think Ronon would kill me?" John asked.  
>"I think he wouldn't forgive you."<br>Ronon, screaming, charges at the Wraith but it grabs him and throws him across the street. He crashes into a wooden upright outside a building and drops to the floor, grimacing in agony, his face cut and his mouth bleeding.  
>"I think he'd get over it."<br>"The hive has got to be watching. We shoot that Wraith, they blast us all from space." Marissa pointed out.  
>The Wraith walks across the street and kicks Ronon in the face, flipping him over onto his back. It bends down and punches him hard in the face twice, then reaches down, grabs his chest armor and hauls him half upright while aiming to punch him again. This time Ronon grabs its hand and pushes it back as he struggles onto his feet. He tries to punch it but it blocks the blow and punches him in the face again. As Ronon twists from the blow, the Wraith shoves him hard in the back, sending him crashing to the ground again. The Wraith snarls triumphantly. Ronon, too weak to get up, starts to drag himself across the ground as the Wraith walks casually over to him, reaches down and grabs his hair again. Ronon groans as the Wraith picks him up and throws him over onto his back. It kneels down beside him, looks into his face and snarls in triumph. It raises its hand, ready to strike down onto his chest and feed on him when suddenly it looks up as a Puddle Jumper uncloaks just a few yards ahead of it. John and Marissa stare in surprise. Inside the Jumper, Carson sits in the co-pilot's seat with a resolute look on his face.<br>"If he doesn't like it, he can sue me." Carson said. He closes his eyes in concentration.  
>Outside, Ronon looks up at the Wraith in triumph.<br>"I win."  
>A drone deploys from the Jumper, hitting the Wraith and sending it shooting down the street. The drone and Wraith crash through some barrels and continue down the street. Ronon rolls over onto his stomach and covers his head as the drone and its passenger smash into a wall and explode. As debris falls all around, Ronon grins triumphantly. John and Marissa jump up and head for the ground as the Jumper, which must have backed up and turned around, now backs into position and lowers the rear hatch. John and Marissa race out of the building, run over to Ronon and help him to his feet. As they run towards the Jumper, a blast comes out of the sky from the hive ship and impacts the ground behind them. The trio race into the Jumper and John and Marissa drop Ronon to the floor. John bangs on the closed bulkhead door between them and the cockpit.<br>"Go!"

The Jumper heads up into the sky as blasts rain down all around it.  
>҉<br>**SPACE.**

Safely out of range of the hive, Rodney and Carson get out of their seats, open the bulkhead doors and hurry into the rear of the Jumper.  
>"Everyone OK?" Carson asked.<br>Marissa nodded. "We're OK."  
>Ronon, now sitting on one of the benches, looks up at Carson and Rodney. "Which one of you killed the Wraith?"<br>The two of them smile proudly.  
>"That would be me."<br>Rodney raises his hand, smiling. "My idea."  
>Ronon, his face contorted in a grimace, hauls himself to his feet and faces them.<br>"Ronon." Marissa said sternly.  
>Carson and Rodney's smiles have dropped and they stare at him nervously.<br>"What? Don't tell me you're not happy that he's dead." Carson said.  
>"I had him in my sights, but Ronon said he'd kill me if I shot him." John explained.<br>McKay nervously points at Carson. "It was all Beckett's idea."  
>Ronon gives him a long look, then looks at Carson. He grabs Carson's jacket with both hands and pulls him towards him, then wraps his arms around him and hugs him.<br>"Thanks, Doc."  
>Carson smiles in relief. Ronon lets him go. Rodney looks indignant.<br>"What, _him_ you thank?"

John indignantly said, "I could have killed him at any time, but Marissa wouldn't let me."

Ronon patted Rodney's shoulder as he looks round at John and Marissa. "Thank you. All of you."  
>"Oh, don't mention it." Rodney said.<br>"It's nothing, really. I only killed eleven, twelve Wraith." John said.  
>Marissa looks at him, rolling her eyes.<br>Carson turned to Ronon. "How about you sit down and I get that tracking device out of you and deactivated before that hive ship gets a bead on us?" Ronon sinks back down onto the bench, exhausted. "I take it this time you won't mind if I give you a sedative?" Ronon looks up at him, then passes out and topples off the bench, falling to the floor of the Jumper with a crash. "...Or not."  
>He and Marissa bend down to tend to Ronon. John looks at Rodney.<br>"Who's flying the ship?"  
>He was pointing to himself. "Me." John tilts his head at him. "Oh."<br>He turns and heads into the cockpit. Moments later, the Jumper flies off into space, cloaking as it goes. As John got up to take a seat in the co-pilot's seat, he didn't miss the way Marissa held Ronon's hand.

Affectionate.


	32. Chapter 30

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year and three weeks old. **

**ATLANTIS. **

In the Gateroom, the Stargate is active. A M.A.L.P. is waiting in front of the Gate. Up in the Control Room, Doctor McKay reports.  
>"Wormhole's established. M.A.L.P. is on the way."<br>The M.A.L.P. heads toward the event horizon. Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard turns from the Control Room balcony where he was watching the Gate and walks over to Rodney's console. Doctor Weir was back and was standing nearby. She came back a few days ago and traded places with Illyria. General Landry wanted a few words with her. She would be back later today.  
>"What kind of facility is this?" John asked McKay.<br>"Some sort of research outpost. The database has very little information about it, other than whatever work was being done there was completed, and the place was apparently abandoned."  
>"Well, sounds promising." Weir said.<br>The Canadian technician turns from his console. "We have M.A.L.P. telemetry. Environmental sensors indicate viable life support. Visuals coming in now."  
>"Put it on screen."<br>She, Rodney and John turn to look at a screen. Initially, the screen shows static but a couple of seconds later the image changes to show a man peering into the camera as he investigates the M.A.L.P. Several other people are standing nearby staring at the M.A.L.P. They are dressed traditional Atlantian uniforms.  
>John walked closer to the screen. "Or maybe it never was abandoned."<br>The man in the center of the picture holds up a scanning device that looks very familiar.  
>"Ancients?" Weir asked.<br>"He's got one of their scanners." John said.  
>"So do we. Just because they know how to use Ancient technology doesn't mean that they're..."<br>The man speaks into the camera. _"I am speaking to whoever sent this machine to our home. If you intend us harm, proceed no further, but if you come in friendship, please know you are most welcome here._"

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

**GATEROOM. **

Captain Frio, geared up and holding a P90, is waiting in front of the open Gate. Ronon Dex comes over and joins her and they wait for the rest of the team. Ronon kills time by taking out his blaster and spinning it in various fancy ways. Marissa smiles at him indulgently.  
>John came into the Gateroom with Rodney. "Put that thing away. We told 'em we were friendly."<br>Ronon holsters his blaster and holds his hands out innocently. "I'm friendly."  
>"Is that thing set to stun?" Ronon takes the blaster out again, tosses it into the air dramatically, catches it and adjusts the setting before lowering it to his side. John smiles sarcastically. "Friendlier."<br>Ronon spins the blaster again before re-holstering it. Rodney looks round as Elizabeth walks in, wearing offworld gear.  
>"You coming too?" McKay asks.<br>"Well, Ancients or not, they're obviously an advanced society, and I would like to establish diplomatic relations with them immediately." Weir looks around. "Illyria's not the only diplomat here."  
>"Well, you're the boss until-" Marissa stealthy stepped on John's toes as a reminder. "You're the boss. Let's go."<br>The team heads into the wormhole.  
><strong>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<br>** The team exits the wormhole. They stare around in disbelief as they realize that they've walked back into the Gateroom.  
>"What happened?" Weir asked.<br>They look around the room.  
>"Did we make a U-turn?" John asked.<br>"No. This is the place. We're here." McKay said.  
>Behind them, the Gate shuts down. Elizabeth turns and looks through the ring. On the other side, instead of a window overlooking the ocean, there's a long wide corridor leading off into the distance. A few people who were walking past stop and stare at her. Elizabeth calls her colleagues' attention to what she's seeing.<br>"Look."  
>The others turn and look. John's eyes widen. "So ... not exactly like our Gateroom."<br>The people walk closer. One of them is the man from the camera.  
>"Hello. We're the people who sent the machine to you earlier. We come in friendship." Weir said.<br>"I am Niam." [Pronounced Nee-um] "Welcome to Asuras."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

Niam is leading the team along the corridor. It is lined with opaque windows. John speaks quietly and a bit grumpily to Rodney.  
>"I'm still waiting to meet an Ancient race that's invented the car."<br>"Hmm."  
>Niam looked over his shoulder. "Our destination is not much further." He looks forward again. "The High Council is eager to meet you."<br>"How long have your people lived here?" Weir asked.  
>"We built this city, thousands of years ago."<br>"What, you actually built it? You didn't just find it this way?" McKay asked.  
>"No."<br>"And you've had no trouble with the Wraith?" Marissa asked.  
>"No."<br>"Any particular reason?" McKay asked.  
>"The Wraith do not concern us."<br>McKay turned to John. "Ah, see? He didn't answer my question." He then turned to Niam. "I'm sorry. You didn't actually answer my question."  
>The team reaches a window which is clear. Elizabeth gasps and turns to look out of it. The others join her.<br>"Oh ... my."  
>"No kidding."<br>The center of the city is identical to Atlantis and is similarly surrounded by water, but walkways spread out from it in all directions, leading to a vast extension of towers of all shapes and sizes all around the central core. Many of them are much, much higher than the central tower. There are hundreds - if not thousands - of these towers, and the central core is tiny in comparison. The team stares in awe. Finally Ronon turns to Niam.  
>"How many people live here?"<br>"Millions."  
>McKay was backing away from the window but barely able to look away from the view. "Well, the ... the power requirements for a city this size must be enormous. Well, plus shielding from the Wraith - we're talking, what, three Zero Point Modules, maybe four?" Niam looks at him, not understanding what he's saying. "Uh, sorry. ... a device that taps vast amounts of power from vacuum energy."<br>"Oh, yes. We have many of those."  
>"Exactly how many is many?" John asked.<br>""Exactly" doesn't matter. "Many" is plenty." McKay said.  
>"Truthfully, I do not know the exact number. More than enough to suit our needs." Niam said.<br>McKay looked hopefully. "I assume that you, um, built them yourselves?"  
>"Yes."<br>McKay looked delighted. "Yes."  
>"Easy, Rodney, you're slobbering." John said.<br>"Please. The Council is waiting." Niam said. He turns and walks away. Rodney runs after him eagerly. The others pause for a moment.  
>"Well, we have our answer." Marissa said.<br>"To what question?" Ronon asked.  
>"Whether or not they're Ancients." Weir said.<br>"In which case, I've got a bone to pick with them." John said. "This wedding stuff is killing me."  
>He heads off after Niam and Rodney. The others follow him.<br>҉  
><strong>COUNCIL CHAMBER. <strong>

The team has been brought to a small room which has three tables in it. One of them is quite small and an older man sits behind it. On each side of it is a longer table with four people sitting behind each of them. The team is standing in the middle of the room facing the man who is obviously the leader of the High Council. His name is Oberoth.  
>"Where did you come from?" Oberoth asked.<br>"We are explorers. We come from a world very far from here." Weir said.  
>"Really far. In fact, you can't get there from here." John said.<br>"How did you happen to discover us?" Oberoth asked.  
>"We came across an Ancient outpost that listed this Gate address in its database." Weir said.<br>"But no other information, I might add. Oddly, the database neglected to include any information on a society of millions of Ancients, such as yourselves." McKay said.  
>John turned to Oberoth. "Why's that?"<br>"We are the last of those you refer to as "Ancients." We were once a race united in our pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment. But our paths diverged after a disagreement tore the fabric of that unity."  
>"What kind of a disagreement?"<br>"Suffice it to say their Queen, who shall remain nameless," Oberoth looked around at his council, "chose to disregard our counsel during a time of great conflict, and she suffered the consequences at the hands of a relentless enemy."  
>"The Wraith." Marissa said.<p>

Oberoth nods. "We parted ways with our brothers and sisters and came here, where we have thrived for many thousands of years."  
>"Yeah, you've been doin' a lot of thriving." John said.<br>"May I ask, what counsel did you offer Illy-" Oberoth shot her a look, "_the others_ chose to disregard?"  
>"Our Ancient brothers were arrogant, which led them to greatly underestimate the Wraith - an enemy inferior in intelligence, yes, but vastly superior in numbers and ruthlessness."<br>"They wouldn't have been so outnumbered if you had helped." Ronon said.  
>John spoke quietly to Elizabeth. "There's that <em>other<em> bone I wanted to pick at."  
>Ronon spoke to Oberoth. "You said they were your brothers. Where we come from, we take care of our family."<br>Rodney looks round at Ronon as if to say, "Shut up!" Oberoth glares at Ronon angrily. John tries to defuse the situation.  
>"Um, what my friend is trying to say is there's still a lot of Wraith out there, and we could sure use your help fighting them."<br>"Eradication of them is among our goals." Oberoth said.  
>"You mean you have a plan?" Weir said.<br>"We do."  
>"Great!" McKay claps his hands together, grinning. "Let's hear it." Oberoth looks at him. Rodney's smile falters. "Your plan, I mean."<br>"I doubt that you would be able to grasp its complexity and scope."  
>Rodney chuckles. "Fortunately, I'm very good with complexity."<br>"And scope." John said.  
>"All you need to know is that one day soon the Wraith will exist no more." Oberoth said.<br>""All" we need know?" John asked.  
>"There are matters of importance for me to attend to." Oberoth nods at Niam, who is sitting at one of the long tables and now stands. "In the meantime, you are explorers, and presumably in need of rest and sustenance. We have made arrangements for you to spend a short time among us." He emphasizes the word "short."<br>A couple of men, presumably security guards, walk up behind the team and usher them out of the Council Chamber as Niam leads them away. Rodney catches up to him as they walk along.  
>"He says the other Ancients are arrogant?"<br>"I apologize if you felt Oberoth was condescending in any way." Niam said.  
>"How 'bout in every way?" John asked.<br>"It is difficult for him to see you as capable of understanding."  
>"Yeah, well, how many does he have?" McKay asked.<br>"Niam, I was wondering: your people have been here for thousands of years?" Weir asked.  
>"Yes."<br>"Well, in that time, most Ancients we know have ascended."  
>Niam stops and stares at her. "You know of ascension?"<br>"Well, yes. In fact, we always thought that Ancients were no longer around - that most of them evolved to the point of transforming into beings of pure energy."  
>Niam looked excited. "This is true."<br>"But I take it your people aren't interested?"  
>"Oh, ascension is the goal of many of us ... but Oberoth feels there is still much to do. We must become all that we can."<br>Elizabeth looks at him closely. "You don't agree with him, do you?"  
>Niam looks at her and the rest of the team for several seconds, then turns and starts to walk away. "Your guest quarters are this way."<br>The team look at each other for a moment, then follow him.  
>҉<br>**GUEST QUARTERS. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

The team is alone in a room which has been allocated to them. John is standing at the window gazing out over the city. Rodney and Ronon are sitting on a sofa facing Elizabeth and Marissa who are standing.

"It must have been quite a serious falling-out for the Ancients to eliminate any reference to them in the entire database." Weir said.  
>"Unless they're lying." Marissa said. John turns from the window and walks over to join the others. "Couldn't it be possible that these people merely discovered this city, as we discovered Atlantis?"<br>"Wouldn't be surprised. They don't seem very ... Ancienty to me." John said, speaking g as if he knew everything.  
>Rodney grimaces. "'Ancienty'?"<br>"Yes. That's the word I was looking for."  
>Weir turned to Marissa. "You think they could be deceiving us?"<br>"Marissa's right. They could've found the city the way it was and moved in years ago." John said.  
>"I feel they're hiding something." Marissa shrugged.<br>"Other than their plan to defeat the Wraith, you mean?" Weir said.  
>"There's no plan." Ronon said.<br>"No ... I don't think so either." Weir sighed.  
>"Why would they say they had a plan if they don't have a plan?" McKay said.<br>"They figured out a way to hide from the rest of the galaxy - including the Wraith - and they're happy to go on with their lives, just minding their own business."  
>"Then, whoever they are..." Ronon trailed.<br>"I think that is what we need to find out." Weir finished.  
>҉<br>**COUNCIL CHAMBER**.

Elizabeth, escorted by a guard, walks in to join Oberoth who is standing in front of his table.  
>"Thank you for taking the time to see me. I felt we might achieve more in a one on one meeting, leader to leader."<br>Oberoth glances at the guard, who takes his cue and leaves the room. "What is it you wish to achieve?"  
>"The establishment of diplomatic and trade relations between our people."<br>"Trade? Do you really believe that you have anything of value to offer us?"  
>Elizabeth smiles at him. "It's possible, Oberoth. And there is only one way to find that out. But I do know that there is something you could offer us: that is assistance with our fight against the Wraith."<br>"As I said before, we will commence our plan at a time of our choosing."  
>"Would you at least consider sharing with us the tools so we could better protect ourselves until that time comes?"<br>"Tools, such as...?"  
>"What we call Zero Point Modules. They're our power source. We are in urgent need of as many as you could spare."<br>Oberoth's eyes narrow. "Then am I to assume that this settlement of yours is of Lantean design?"  
>He walks around behind her and faces away from her. Elizabeth pauses for a moment, and then decides to be honest with him.<br>"Yes." She turns to face his back, and walks around to face him again. "We discovered it on our travels. It was uninhabited, so we decided to establish a base there. It wasn't until later we discovered an ancient in a stasis pod. She now lives with amongst us as…a liaison of sorts. But as I'm sure you know, sufficient shield generation requires tremendous amounts of power."  
>"Where is this settlement of yours located?"<br>"It's on the outer edges of this galaxy, in an area teeming with Wraith hive ships, which is why we need the power modules..."  
>Oberoth interrupted. "We are unable to part with any of our power modules. Our energy needs require the use of all of them."<br>"Well, would you consider offering your city as a place of refuge to my people ...?"  
>Oberoth interrupted again. "Many of our citizens are amused by the occasional visitor, such as yourselves, for a short time."<br>"But not you."  
>"No. And the very idea of greater numbers over a protracted period of time is entirely out of the question."<br>"Now, we have had some success fighting off the Wraith, and that has been with limited supplies and personnel. I truly believe that with your assistance, we might be able to..."  
>Again, Oberoth interrupting. "I am unaccustomed to repeating myself. However, leader to leader, I will say this once again. We will eliminate the Wraith at a time of our choosing."<br>"And you don't care how many of my people, or anyone else, dies while you make up your mind to act? You said earlier that your brothers' greatest weakness was their arrogance. May I suggest it runs in the family?"  
>She turns and walks away. Oberoth watches her go, his face unreadable.<p>

҉  
><strong>CORRIDOR.<strong>

Elizabeth and the rest of the team, fully geared up again, are walking along with Niam.  
>"I am sorry you feel you must leave."<br>"Yes. So am I." Weir said.  
>"Oberoth can be ... intractable."<br>"Not exactly the word I was looking for." John said.  
>"Un-Ancienty?" McKay said.<br>"Not that word either."  
>Niam and the team enter the Gateroom.<br>"We will send you a message through the Stargate soon. Hopefully this is just a stumbled beginning ..." Weir said.  
>She pauses as Asuran guards run towards them, their weapons raised. Instantly, John, Marissa and Ronon raise their own weapons. Rodney, on the other hand, instantly raises his hands in surrender. Niam stops and stares at the guards in confusion. Oberoth walks in. He and Elizabeth stare at each other for a moment, and then he addresses the entire team.<br>"Lower your weapons."  
>"How much lower would you like 'em?" John sarcastically said.<br>"Do you really wish to challenge us?"  
>Behind John, a guard pokes his weapon into his back. John realizes that they are surrounded and outgunned. He grimaces and smiles painfully at Oberoth.<br>"Huh. Maybe the floor." Reluctantly and slowly John bends down to put his P90 on the floor. Ronon and Marissa follow suit.  
>"Now, I thought you didn't want us here, Oberoth." Weir said.<br>"I don't ... but you possess information that I simply must have."  
>҉<br>**BRIG. **

The team is in the cell, and a humming sound indicates that the force field is on. Rodney is sitting in a corner of the cell with his arms folded and his eyes closed, while the rest of the team are on their feet. John turns from gazing through the bars to face the others.  
>"These trade negotiations can be real murder."<br>Ronon tries to put his hand through the gap in a corner of the cell, only to snatch it back again as he is electrocuted. He shakes his hand angrily and turns to the others. "We need to find a way out of here."  
>Elizabeth looks down at Rodney. "Rodney?"<br>"Hmm?" He disinterestedly replied.  
>"Well, this cell is similar to ours. Is there something in the design that could offer a possible escape?"<br>"Are you serious? It's a jail cell."  
>"Yes, I know."<br>"Well, the only way out of here would be to first disable the force field around the bars, which is only accessible from the..." He pauses as the forcefield shuts down. He looks up in surprise. "...outside."  
>The door to the Brig slides open, and moments later the door to the cell does likewise. Niam, accompanied by two guards, wheels in a trolley on which are several plates of different kinds of food.<br>"I brought you food."  
>McKay got to his feet. "Oh, thank God. I'm starving." He walks towards the trolley but Ronon claps a hand on his shoulder and holds him back. Rodney looks up at him. "No-no-no. I can't think on an empty stomach."<br>Ronon jerks his thumb over his shoulder to indicate that he should walk away. Rodney rolls his eyes and does so.  
>Weir spoke to Niam. "Why are we being held here?"<br>Ronon starts to taste some of the food, presumably checking it for drugs or poisons.  
>"Oberoth wishes to speak with you further, and he feels he can no longer trust that you will remain in your quarters."<br>"Well, he's right." John said.  
>"Yeah, if he wants to talk to us, why doesn't he?" Ronon said as he tries another piece of food.<br>"He will. Very soon."  
>"That's nice." John turns to the others. "Isn't that nice?" Elizabeth nods. John turns back to Niam. "Here's a question: who the hell are you people?"<br>"And don't tell us you're Ancients. We know enough about them to know they would never treat people this way." Weir said.  
>While she's talking, Ronon bends down to the trolley and picks up another piece of food, sniffing at it. He glances up at John and gives him a significant look. John nods at him slowly.<br>"I am sorry about this, but I am certain once Oberoth has finished his discussions with you, you'll all be released unharmed." Niam said.  
>Ronon straightens up again and puts some more food into his mouth.<br>"I'm sorry, but all your credibility was removed when you locked us up." McKa said.  
>"You left us no choice."<br>Ronon spits his mouthful of food into Niam's face. As he recoils, Ronon punches the nearest guard in the stomach, then picks him up and hurls him down onto the floor. John grabs the other one and does the same, while Marissa kicks Niam's feet from under him. Ronon and John grab the guards' weapons and point them down at the Asurans. Niam looks up at John.  
>"Neither did you."<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**.

The team, together with Niam, makes its way up some stairs and along a corridor, Marissa holding an Asuran weapon on Niam. John reaches a closed door and waves his hand over the door-opener. The door opens and reveals the Jumper Bay on the other side. John turns to face Niam.  
>"You're the one we liked, so don't take this personally."<br>Niam looks bewildered and turns around to the others, just as Ronon walks up and punches him hard in the face, knocking him out. John catches him and drags him inside the Bay, leaving him lying on the floor. The team runs inside a Jumper - John runs to the cockpit and the others follow, but Rodney stops in the rear compartment, opens a panel in the ceiling and starts to tinker with it. Elizabeth turns to look at him.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"Preventing the Jumper from communicating with the Control Room. Element of surprise."  
>John fired up the controls from the pilot's seat. "Nice."<br>McKay was still working on the panel. "Go ahead. Dial the Gate."  
>John starts to punch buttons on the D.H.D. Down in the Gateroom, the Stargate whooshes. Above it, the ceiling irises open and the Jumper starts to lower down into the Gateroom. As it descends, Asuran guards run into the Control Room, firing their weapons at the Jumper. More guards run into the Gateroom and do likewise. The Jumper reaches floor level and flies quickly into the Gate.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**NIGHT TIME. **

John comes into the Control Room and walks over to Doctor Zelenka who is sitting at a console. Illyria is standing behind him.  
>"Any sign of our new friends?" John asked.<br>"Still nothing. No unscheduled Gate activity, nothing on the long-range sensors." Zelenka said.  
>"I think it's safe to say you made a clean getaway." Illyria said, rubbing John's arm.<br>"Either that, or they're biding their time, waiting for the right moment to attack." John said.  
>"Well, we'll keep the security teams on alert, just in case, but if they were able to come after you, I think they would have done so already." John shrugs. "How is Rodney coming along with the database?"<br>"I'll go check up on him."  
>"I wonder how many other rogue Atlantians are still out there."<br>"If they're anything like the Asurans, we're better off leaving them well enough alone."  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

John walks in to find Rodney working on a computer.  
>"How's it going?" John asked.<br>"I've searched a good portion of the database for any indication of the Asurans, but, uh..."  
>"Still nothing?"<br>"Still nothing."  
>"Maybe the Ancients didn't wanna be reminded of 'em."<br>"Yeah, but even if they deleted every reference to Asura, you'd think there'd be some hint of..."  
>Illyria's voice comes over their headset radios. <em>"John?"<em>  
>"Go ahead."<br>_"I need you and Rodney in the Control Room immediately."  
><em> ҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

John and Rodney are looking at the scanner screen. It shows the planet, with two ships approaching from one side and five from the other.  
>"Hive ships!" Rodney yelled.<br>"How'd they get so close?" John asked. He and Rodney turn and walk over to Radek.  
>"More importantly, why are we just picking them up now?" Rodney asked.<p>

"I don't know. Everything seems to be working." Zelenka said.  
>"Engage the cloak." Illyria commanded.<br>McKay was working on a console. "I'm already on it. Cloak engaged ... now."  
>Zelenka was looking at his screen. "They're right over the city."<br>"How far away is the Daedalus?" John asked.  
>"It's not due for weeks." Illyria said.<br>"It doesn't matter. I'm counting seven ships. There's nothing they could do about it." McKay said.  
>"They're scanning for us." Zelenka reported.<br>Everyone looks up to the ceiling nervously.  
>"Hopefully the cloak is..."<br>"They're firing!" Zelenka yelled.  
>There's an explosion outside, and the tower rocks. Everyone who is standing struggles to stay on his or her feet.<br>"Switch to shield!" Illyria yelled at Rodney.  
>The tower jolts again as another blast hits the city.<br>"I can't. The shield generators were hit in the initial blast." McKay said.  
>"They knew right where to hit us." John said.<br>"The cloak has failed!" Zelenka said.  
>John hurries out onto the balcony outside the Control Room and looks out over the city. Blasts are raining down from the sky and impacting various areas. John ducks as a fireball rises up from a nearby impact site. He turns and runs back inside, stumbling as the tower rocks again.<br>"We need more firepower. I'm headed to the Chair Room." John starts to walk away but stops as Radek reports.  
>"There are more ships arriving in the system."<br>"How many more?"  
>Radek looks at his screen in horror. "Fifteen."<br>"We can't fight off that many, not without shields."  
>Illyria activates her headset radio. "Attention. This is Illyria. All personnel to the Gateroom for immediate evacuation." She turned to Radek. "Dial Earth."<br>Radek scrambles from his seat to go to the DH.D. Illyria turns to John.  
>"Carson has the kids. John, we need to set the self-destruct."<br>Another explosion goes off. Rodney looks at his screens, then jumps up and turns to the pair of them.  
>"We just lost automated systems. We'll lose the Gate any second now." McKay said.<br>"Go. I'll detonate it manually." John said.  
>More explosions go off.<br>"Maybe the Wraith will take care of destroying the city for us." Illyria said.  
>"If they wanted to vaporize the city, they would have done it already. Look, if there's any part of this city left intact..."<p>

"... they'll know how to find Earth. I know." Illyria finished for McKay.  
>John goes over to Radek, who has been setting the self-destruct system up to enable just one person to activate it. "OK, enter your number. When you are ready, hit this button. At that point, you'll only have a few seconds left."<br>"Go."  
>"No, no, no, no!" Rodney runs over to John. "I can't let you do this - not without tossing a coin or something! It doesn't seem right! You have kids!"<br>"I appreciate the offer, Rodney. Now, get out of here." More explosions go off. "Go, all of you!"  
>In the Gateroom, personnel are running for the open Gate. Illyria and the others in the Control Room run for the stairs. She met up with Carson and took Jenifer from one of his assistance. Another explosion throws a couple of technicians to the floor, but they scramble up and run on. As Illyria, Rodney and Radek reach the Gateroom, Ronon comes in carrying an injured young woman in his arms. Marissa follows, supporting an injured man.<br>"The way up is blocked."  
>"How many are trapped?" Illyria asked.<br>"We can't tell." Marissa said.  
>They all head for the Gate. Illyria pauses as the others run into the event horizon, looking around the Gateroom as a marine ushers the last of the evacuees into the Gate. Up in the Control Room, John runs over to the balcony and looks down at her.<br>"We're losing power! Get through the Gate!" John yelled.  
>Illyria backs towards the Gate, reluctant to leave, tears streaming down her cheeks, but then turns and runs towards it, glancing back one last time just as she enters the event horizon. John hurries back to the self-destruct controls as more explosions go off around him. He types in his code and the message "DESTRUCT ARMED" comes up. John straightens up, hesitating for a moment, then hits the ENTER key. A countdown starts from five seconds. John closes his eyes. Five seconds later, he is enveloped in white light as the city explodes.<br>҉  
><strong>ASURAN BRIG. <strong>

Sitting on the floor of the cell with his eyes closed, John screams in agony. Someone is standing above him, his hand extended and his fingers sticking deep into John's forehead. The man slowly pulls his hand out, leaving no wound in John's head. John groans and collapses sideways. After a few moments, he pulls himself together a little, opens his eyes and looks around. Oberoth is standing over him.  
>"What the hell just happened?"<br>Without answering, Oberoth turns and walks away, picking his way through the rest of the team who are all lying on the floor and apparently recovering from a similar experience. Four other Asurans in the room join Oberoth as he leaves. John props himself up on one elbow.  
>John yelled to Oberoth's departing back, "Who the hell are you people?"<br>"They're not people. They're machines." McKay said. The door to the cell closes. "They're Replicators."  
>҉<br>**ASURAN CONTROL ROOM**.

Oberoth walks up the stairs from the Gateroom and nods to the technicians. One of them activates some controls on a panel. A rumbling sound can be heard and the city starts to shake.  
>In the cell, the team struggle to their feet as they too hear the rumbling. Elizabeth walks over to the cell bars and looks at them as they begin to shake.<br>"What's happening?"  
>Outside the central core of the city, the walkways begin to retract as smoke or steam rises all around the base of the core and it begins to rise slowly up off the surface of the ocean. Clearing the rest of the city, a shield appears around the core and it heads up into the sky.<p>

**LATER.**

Niam and Oberoth are walking through the city, followed by two women.  
>"What's to become of them?" Niam asks.<br>"We have mined everything we need from their consciousness. They are no longer of any use to us. Ending their lives seems to be the most prudent course."  
>"I disagree. I believe we still have a lot to learn from them."<br>"Learn from them?"  
>"Yes."<br>Oberoth stopped and turned to face him. "Or is it that you fear that ending their lives would end your hope of ascension?"  
>"I do object to killing them, but it is more than that. I don't believe we've fully uncovered just how much they've learned about Lantean society, nor how much of this knowledge they've passed on to others."<br>"They're of no threat to us, Oberoth." Female 1 said.  
>"We see no reason not to continue our study of them." Female 2 said.<br>"Very well. Keep them alive if you wish..." Oberoth steps closer to Niam and looks at him sternly "...but I shall hold you accountable."  
>He walks away. Niam smiles slightly and looks round at his colleagues.<br>҉  
><strong>BRIG. <strong>

Elizabeth, sitting on the floor of the cell and leaning back against the bars, takes her head out of her hands and sighs in pain.  
>"My head is killing me."<br>Ronon is sitting on the floor near her. John is sitting on the other side of the cell while Marissa is standing and leaning against the bars, holding her head, while Rodney paces slowly in the middle of the cell.  
>"How'd we get back here?" John asked.<br>"What do you mean, "back here"?" Marissa asked.  
>"Well, we broke out and got to the Jumper, gated back to Atlantis." Marissa looks round at the others, who look equally puzzled. "...At least I thought we did."<br>Marissa shakes her head carefully. "That is not what I remember."  
>"The only thing I remember was being in a dark room, fighting hand to hand for hours." Ronon said.<br>"Well, they obviously created different scenarios for each of us during the mind probe - no doubt looking to gather information from our responses." McKay said.  
>"I thought our escape seemed too easy." John said.<br>"At least you escaped." McKay said.  
>John looks up at him. "What'd they do to you?"<p>

Rodney looks uncomfortable. "Uh, torture - in ways too hideous and, um ... intimate to recount."  
>"Like what?" Ronon asked.<br>"I said, "too hideous to recount.""  
>"I just had a horrible thought." Weir said.<br>"What if it is still happening?" Marissa guessed.  
>"Yes."<br>"There's gotta be a way to know for sure." McKay said. He walks over to where John is sitting. Hesitating for a moment, he reaches out a finger and pokes John hard in the side of the head. John frowns, then slaps Rodney's leg. "Doesn't really prove anything."  
>"It's real, Doctor McKay." Everyone turns and looks as Niam walks into the Brig, accompanied by three guards. Those who were sitting down stand up. "Your minds are no longer being probed."<br>"It's good to know it was just our minds." John said.  
>McKay grimaced. "Oh, please don't make me sick."<br>"Please, come with me." Niam said.  
>҉<br>**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Niam leads the team across a room. As he reaches the other side, the doors automatically pivot open, revealing an exterior balcony. The sky is dark. The team walk out onto the balcony and look out.  
>"We're in space." Weir sighed.<br>"The stardrive!" McKay shouted. He and John walk to the edge of the balcony and see that the city is passing a planet. "Of course. The rumbling sound we heard. With all the , you're able to actually fly the city."  
>"Yes, Doctor McKay. Watch now. We're about to open a hyperspace window." Niam said.<br>Ahead of the city, a hyperspace window opens and the city shoots into it.  
>"Where are we going?" Marissa asked.<br>"Atlantis." Everyone turns to look at him. "The probes of your minds uncovered the truth - that Atlantis had not been destroyed by the Wraith ten thousand years ago as we had believed. You only came to live there from your original home - a planet called Earth."  
>"Why didn't you just dial the Gate and send us through?" John asked.<br>"We're not taking you to Atlantis. Our intention is to destroy it."  
>"Why?" Weir asked.<br>"Retribution."  
>"Retribution for what? The disagreement you once had? The Ancients no longer live there. We are the only inhabitants of that city." Weir said.<br>"There was no disagreement, Doctor Weir. Only betrayal." Niam looked over his shoulder at John. "Oberoth knows of the Royals' birth; you're not the only inhabitants. If you wish to know the truth of who we are, I will show you."  
>He holds out his hand to her, offering for her to take it. Rodney steps forward, holding out his hand warningly.<br>"Elizabeth..."  
>Ignoring him, Elizabeth stares into Niam's eyes, trying to judge whether she can trust him or not. After a few moments, she sighs.<br>"It's OK, Rodney."  
>As Rodney and John exchange a nervous glance, she reaches out and take Niam's hand. Instantly, it's as if the two of them appear in a Power Room in the city. Scientists are working but take no notice of them. Obviously this is not real, but a mental projection that Niam is showing her. He releases her hand and leads her deeper into the room.<br>"The Ancients, as you call them, were desperate in their search for a better way to fight the Wraith. Though greatly outnumbered, Illyria and her 'trusted' scientists relied on their technological superiority to give them a needed advantage. Soon, they succeeded in creating one." Niam said.  
>He has led her over to the Z.P.M. slots in the middle of the room. An Ancient scientist is working at a console on top of the slots. Elizabeth looks at the screen of the console, and then notices that the scientist keeps looking up at a screen on the wall. She looks across to it, recognizes what's on it and walks across for a closer look. Bug-like but metallic-looking devices are on the screen.<br>"Instead of building bigger, more powerful weapons, The Queen's Defense Council chose to build smaller ones - microscopic machines designed to infiltrate and destroy from within." Niam said.  
>"Nanites." Weir said.<br>The Power Room dissolves around her and Niam and they're now in a totally dark room, lit only by a broad spotlight from above.  
>"In these tiny killing machines, the Ancients imbued an aggression that surpassed even that of their enemy. The technology allowed for organic assimilation and self-replication to increase their effectiveness ... and replicate they did."<p>

The dark room dissolves and Niam and Elizabeth appear in the Asuran Conference Room. For a moment they are alone, then human-form Replicators/Asurans appear as if from nowhere.  
>"They grew in numbers, evolving at a rate that took the Ancients by surprise. The molecular machines began interlocking, assembling themselves to form even more complex organisms, eventually evolving into the most effective and efficient form they knew of."<br>As some of the Asurans leave the room, Niam and Elizabeth walk across to the room to where Oberoth is standing. Niam walks across to stand next to him and turns to face Elizabeth.  
>"This is how we were born. We took the image of our creators, yet we were far different from them." Niam looks at Oberoth, who appears to be glaring in Elizabeth's direction. "The aggression programmed into our core remained, fuelling a rage we could not contain. We implored them to have this violent nature removed from our programming, but the Ancients wanted a weapon, and since The Queen's scientists included a directive prohibiting us from ever harming them, they continued the experiment. When the Ancients concluded that the experiment had gone too far - that we would never become the weapon they desired to create - they decided to end it."<br>Niam walks away from Oberoth as the older man continues to glare in Elizabeth's direction. A loud rumbling sound begins. Elizabeth looks up in the direction of the sound, and instantly she is somewhere outside. The sky is red and filled with smoke. An Aurora-class warship, the source of the sound, flies slowly overhead. Elizabeth and Niam, standing on a rocky landscape, turn to watch the ship. Not far away is the Asuran city, parts of it burning as several warships hover over the city, bombarding it.  
>"And so, on The Queen's order, the Defense Council chose to destroy us, to leave no trace of us behind."<br>Elizabeth gazes at the devastation in front of her for several seconds, then looks down to find that she and Niam are holding hands. She looks up into his eyes for a moment, then turns to look at the destruction of the city again. Niam opens his hand and slowly Elizabeth pulls her hand away. The city vanishes and everything turns grey.  
>҉<br>**GUEST QUARTERS. **

The team has been left alone in the room. Elizabeth is sitting down with her fingers to her forehead, obviously in pain. Marissa, sitting beside her, puts a comforting hand on her arm and hands her a wet cloth.  
>"Thank you." Elizabeth takes the cloth and puts it to her forehead.<br>John was sitting on a bed nearby. "Obviously Illyria didn't do a thorough enough job wiping them out."  
>"No. A few of the nanites managed to survive."<br>"Which is all they needed to begin replicating again." McKay said.  
>"Replicating?" Ronon asked.<br>"This is bad. They're very similar to an artificial intelligence that SG-1 encountered several years ago that evolved from a tiny block-Replicator into human form. They may even be related somehow."  
>"I read those reports. Stargate Command could barely defeat the human-form Replicators." Marissa said.<br>"Oh - which is why I said, "This is bad."" McKay said.  
>"The difference here is they're emulating the Ancients. They've even built themselves a version of Atlantis." Weir said.<br>"And then some." Ronon said.  
>"Why would they do this?" Marissa asked.<br>"I think they look at Illyria like a parent who betrays them, and now they see humans as the favored siblings who receive all the parents' love. They've been seeking revenge ever since." Weir said.  
>"Just what we need - more bad guys." John said.<br>"Which means we've probably just identified the race that created the nanovirus that nearly killed me a couple of years ago." McKay said.  
>John looks up at him. "It almost killed a lot of people."<br>"Yeah." McKay nodded.  
>"Weren't you able to defeat that nanovirus with an electromagnetic pulse?" Marissa asked.<br>"That was different. Those were individual nanites, easy to disrupt with a simple EM pulse. These ... these things have evolved way beyond that, with interdependent organic constituents of a far greater complexity."  
>One of Niam's female companions walks into the room. She walks over to Elizabeth and looks down at her. "Are you feeling better?"<br>"Yes."  
>The woman looks around at the team. "Follow me."<br>She turns and walks from the room. The team gets up and follows her.  
>҉<br>**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

The door to one of the smaller conference rooms - one with a singular triangular table in the middle - opens and the woman leads the team in. Niam and his other female colleague are waiting for them on the other side of the table. Niam stands with his hands on the table, his head bowed as if in thought. As his colleague walks across to join him and the other woman, he raises his head and looks at the team.  
>"I have an offer to make you - something that could greatly benefit us both."<br>"Well, if the offer involves saving Atlantis, we're willing to listen." Weir said.  
>"It does." Niam straightens up. "We have achieved much since our second birth. We have evolved to take the form of our creators, built a city far grander than they ever achieved ... yet for all this, we are still restricted from reaching a pivotal point in our evolution."<br>"You want to ascend."  
>"Yes. Many among us, like Oberoth, have no desire to experience this. They are content with our present state." Niam looks round at his colleagues. "But there are a few of us who recognize that as a civilization, we are stagnant."<br>"We seek to continue our own evolution." Female 1 said.  
>"To truly emulate the Ancients and their ultimate achievement." Female 2 said.<br>"Even though they betrayed you." Marissa said.  
>"They are our creators, and ascension is the final step to equaling them, to becoming one with them." Niam said.<br>"No offence, but ... how are a bunch of machines gonna do that?" John asked.  
>"Are you so different?" Female 1 said.<br>"Well, we're living, breathing people."  
>"Constructed from cells, consuming and burning energy, governed by electrical impulses..." Female 2 said.<br>"Hey, I didn't say I could ascend." John said.  
>"Metaphysical debates aside, what do you want from us? We're not exactly ascension experts." McKay said.<br>"Although we do know killing people isn't the best way to get there."  
>"We realize this, and we have done much to repress our violent nature, but yet it still remains within us. We believe this, above all, is what has prevented us from ascending." Niam said.<br>"What are you looking for, therapy?" John asked.  
>"We want to rewrite our base code to remove the directives for aggression."<br>"Hmm." McKay said skeptically.  
>"What's stopping you?" Ronon asked.<br>"The Ancients put in place measures to prevent us from altering the code ourselves..." Niam looks directly at Rodney. "...but you can do it."  
>"Me?"<br>"During our probe of your mind, we learned that you are capable of doing this."  
>"Oh, that's funny. All I remember is the torture."<br>"And what's in it for us?" Ronon asked.  
>"We will stop the others from attacking Atlantis." Female 2 said.<br>"And we will help you in your fight against the Wraith." Niam said.  
>"And Oberoth will agree to this?" Weir asked.<br>"I believe Oberoth is attacking Atlantis as a result of that programming. If we can prove to him it can be altered..."  
>"...you think he'll see the light." John sounded cynical.<br>"Hallelujah." McKay sounded was equally as cynically.  
>"I will do everything in my power to persuade him." Niam said.<br>"Why should we trust you?" Marissa asked.  
>"Because we are willing to trust you. By extending this offer, we are jeopardizing our very existence." Niam turns to face Elizabeth. "I saw in you compassion, Doctor Weir - someone who could come to understand our plight. Help us, and we will help you."<br>"When it comes right down to it, we don't have much of a choice." John said.  
>҉<br>**LATER. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Elizabeth, John, Ronon and Marissa are with the first Asuran woman. She looks at a wall screen, and then turns to the team.  
>"We're drawing closer to Atlantis. Soon we will drop out of hyperspace." Female 1 said.<br>John walks a little distance away from the consoles and covertly activates his headset radio, not wanting to attract attention to himself from other Asurans in the Control Room.  
>He spoke in quite tones. "How's it coming, Rodney?"<p>

_"Slowly." _McKay said over the radio.  
>"What's the hold-up?"<br>Rodney and Niam are in a lab somewhere else in the city. Rodney indignantly straightens up from the console he was working on.  
>""What's the hold-up?"! Do you have any idea what I'm trying to do here?"<br>John was still speaking quietly. _"Niam gave you access to the program code, and you're screwing around with it."_  
>"Oh, that is so..." Rodney glances round at Niam, then admits the truth "...it's relatively accurate."<br>_"Thank you."_  
>"Still, we're not dealing with rock-'em sock-'em robots here. We are dealing with a complex code of over three billion chemical base sequences. It's like trying to reconfigure the D.N.A. double helix."<br>_"OK, so, what - five minutes?"  
><em> McKay was annoyed. "It will be done when it is done..." he looks back down to the console as he continues speaking "...and you applying pressure is not gonna ... ooh!"  
>He has spotted something interesting on the screen.<br>_"What?"_ John asked.  
>"Gotta go. McKay out."<br>_"Rodney, what's going on?"_ There's a click in his earpiece as Rodney deactivates his radio. "Rodney?"  
>There's no reply. John looks annoyed.<p>

**LATER. **

**GUEST QUARTERS. **

The others are waiting as the door opens and Rodney comes in.  
>"Did you do it?" John asked.<br>"Yes, yes, yes. I have removed the aggression directive from the base code. It is uploading to Niam as we speak - but I discovered something else, nothing short of brilliant, I might add." McKay said.  
>"What?"<br>"OK, even though these Replicators are each separate, functioning beings, their basic command code is interconnected over a powerful subspace frequency. They have these periodic collective program updates - or "merges," they call them - where they exchange new information."  
>"That's how Niam hopes to distribute the new code to the others." Weir said.<br>"Exactly, but while I was working on it, I figured out a way to create a glitch that, on my command, should momentarily freeze them." McKay smiles smugly.  
>""Should"?" John asked.<br>Rodney's smile fades. "OK, will. I mean, dead in their tracks, like hitting the Pause button - temporarily - until they figure out how to override it." He smiles.  
>"How long?" Ronon asked.<br>Again, Rodney's smile fades. "Well, I don't know. That's why I said, "momentarily.""  
>"Days? Hours? Minutes?" John asked.<br>"Well, look, it's minutes, but I don't know. That's what I was just saying to you!"  
>"Ten? Twenty?"<br>"OK, fine. You want a number? Fine. Seven minutes and thirty-one seconds. Are you happy?"  
>"No!"<br>McKay sounded annoyed. "No."  
>"That's not enough time."<br>"Look, you wanted a number."  
>"A bigger number."<br>"Yeah, well, it may very well be longer."  
>"Or shorter!"<br>"Look, I don't know! Look, you're missing the point..."  
>Weir interrupted sternly. "Gentlemen, focus, please." John and Rodney both look sheepish. "Will that be enough time for us to escape?"<br>"It'll have to be." John said.  
>"Not much point in leaving without blowing this place up first." Ronon said.<br>"How do we do that?" Weir asked.  
>Ronon turns and nods his head towards Rodney. Elizabeth and Marissa turn and look at him as well. Rodney ignores them for a moment, pretending that he hasn't noticed, then looks up as if in surprise and raises a finger.<br>"Oh, that's me. Right. Surprise, surprise. Look, why don't I just go on these missions by myself, hmm?" He smiles bitterly at John, then has a light-bulb moment and goes into a finger-clicking routine with both hands. "I'll rig a ZedP.M. overload."

Instantly he turns and runs out of the room. Marissa walks towards the door, then turns back to the others. "What about Niam? Are we not exploiting his trust?"  
>"Even if he's able to honor his end of the deal, there's no guarantee he can stop Oberoth from attacking Atlantis." John said.<br>"We will offer him the chance to come with us, but we cannot leave this city intact." Weir said.

**LATER. **

Rodney is sitting down and working on a small Ancient hand-held device. John walks up behind him and peers over his right shoulder.  
>"Are you sure this'll work?"<br>"Please. Of course it will work."  
>"Why's it taking so long?"<br>McKay looked up in irritation. "Why do you always have to ...? Look, I need to properly calibrate the frequencies. I wanna make sure that when I freeze them, I freeze them all, OK?"  
>"All would be good."<br>"OK, will you just let me finish?" John straightens up and turns away. "Thank you." He gets back to work on his device. Unnoticed by him, John turns back to him and leans over his left shoulder to peer at the device again. "OK. Here..." Rodney turns to look over his right shoulder, then pauses in irritation to see that John's not there anymore. Realizing where he is, he glances at him over his left shoulder. "Here we go: in five, four, three, two..."  
>Outside the room, which has two guards standing either side of the door, Asurans are going about their everyday lives. All of them suddenly stop in their tracks. A moment later, the doors open and the team looks out cautiously.<br>"Hey, it worked!"  
>"Interesting." John goes over to one of the immobilized guards and takes his weapon from its holster. Ronon takes the other guard's weapon. "OK. We should move to the ZeeP.M. Room."<br>Ronon aims his weapon to his left. John looks round and sees Niam walking down some steps nearby, staring at all his immobilized colleagues.  
>"Why isn't he frozen?" John asked.<br>"His code's changed. Until he's distributed it to the others in the next merge, he'll be different than the rest of them." McKay said.  
>"What happened?" Niam asked.<br>Just then, a white light briefly sweeps across the area.  
>"What was that?" Marissa asked.<br>"I think we just dropped out of hyperspace." John said.  
>"We need to move." Ronon announced.<br>As the team moves off, Elizabeth walks across to Niam. "Come with us. I'll explain on the way."  
>҉<br>**Z.P.M. ROOM. **

The doors open and Rodney walks in. An Asuran technician, frozen in place, is sitting at a console. Rodney gestures at the technician as the rest of the team walks in.  
>"Uh, Ronon, I could use, uh..." Ronon puts his hand on the technician's shoulder and pushes him sideways. The man topples to the floor. McKay rolled his eyes. "Thanks."<br>As Rodney starts to work on the console, Niam walks over to the Z.P.M. console in the middle of the room, looks at the three Modules sticking up out of the top, then looks across to Elizabeth.  
>"You want me to go with you?"<br>"You must understand our situation. If you can't stop Oberoth..."  
>"I said I would do everything in my power."<br>"But can you promise that you will succeed?" Niam shakes his head reluctantly at Weir said. "Our lives, and the lives of all of our people, are at stake here."  
>"Look, you merge through a subspace connection. Even if you're with us, you should be able to spread the new code amongst the others." McKay said.<br>"Come with us, Niam. Ascension is within your grasp. You can't turn back." Weir said.  
>Rodney looks up from his console. "Damn."<br>"What is it?" Marissa asked.  
>"In order to do this, I need to utilize all three . I was hoping to bring at least one of them back with us." Rodney said.<br>"Do what you can. We only have three minutes." Weir said.  
>"Look, I already told you, it ... Never mind." Rodney looks at Niam and clicks his fingers at him. "I need an access code to remove the failsafes."<br>Niam looks at Elizabeth for a moment, then turns and walks over to the console, bends down to it and enters the code before straightening up again.

"Now, how about our weapons?" John asked.  
>"We can recover them on the way." Niam leads the team out of the room.<br>҉  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. <strong>

The team, now carrying their weapons again, runs through corridors filled with frozen Asurans. As they run around a corner, John raises his P90 at the sight of Oberoth standing just ahead of them and facing them.  
>McKay skidded to a halt at the sight of Oberoth. "Woah!" The team hesitates for a moment, then they realize that Oberoth is not moving. "Ha!" He walks forward towards him and smiles into his face. "Not so arrogant now, are you, hmm?"<br>Without warning, Oberoth reaches out and grabs Rodney around the throat with one hand.  
>Ronon was running towards him. "McKay!"<br>Oberoth throws Rodney to one side and, at the same moment, backhands Ronon across the side of the face so hard with his other hand that Ronon is thrown across the floor. John and Marissa open fire both on Oberoth and the guards standing behind him. Their bodies are punctured with many bullet holes but they still can't move much apart from recoiling from the shots. Ronon rolls over onto his back on the floor and fires his blaster into Oberoth's back as John and Marissa continue to fire at his front. Ronon flips himself to his feet.  
>"Come on!" John yelled. The team races away, Ronon pausing to fire back at the Asurans, who still are unable to move from the spot. The team runs up some stairs. "So much for seven and a half minutes."<br>"Hey, it was an arbitrary number!" McKay yelled.  
>They run on and through a door. As the door closes behind them, John turns and fires a hail of bullets into the door-opening panel to stop anyone following them. The team turns to find a couple of guards - now mobile again - aiming their weapons at them but just then Marissa looks back at the closed door.<br>"Colonel Sheppard."  
>Everyone looks back at the door. The middle of it is distorting as if it is melting. A shape starts to appear in the distorting area and as more of it pushes through, it takes on a human appearance. The shape slowly pushes itself through the door and then reforms to show that it's Oberoth. As he walks forward, Ronon uses the distraction to gun down one of the guards, then turns and fires at Oberoth. He recoils from the blast but doesn't fall.<br>"Go!" Ronon yells.  
>The team races off.<br>In space, the city has arrived at Atlantis, and turns so that its base is aimed towards the planet, presumably in readiness to fire at the surface.  
>Inside the Asuran city, the team is running through the corridors.<br>"Ronon, set your gun to "kill."" John instructed.  
>Ronon adjusts the setting on his blaster. "It is."<br>John runs to a doorway and peers around it, turning to Rodney. "OK, start the overload."  
>"What? No-no-no-no. Not yet. We need to be in a Jumper or clear of the city, or..."<br>"The Jumper Bay's not far. We're almost there."  
>"No-no, you don't understand. Look, I didn't want them to be able to stop it. Look, as soon as I trigger the overload, there'll be practically zero lag time before it blows."<br>""Practically"?"  
>"OK, fine, so like a few seconds for it to build up power, but not nearly enough..."<br>"How many seconds?"  
>"I don't know."<br>"Well, five, ten?"  
>"Again with the arbitrary numbers!"<br>Ronon was checking the corridor they've just run along. "We need to move."  
>"OK." John turned to Rodney. "Start the overload. Now!"<br>He runs off. Elizabeth, Niam and Marissa follow him. Rodney takes his handheld device out of his jacket and types on it. Immediately the self-destruct alarm starts to sound all around the city.  
>The team races on.<br>"This way!" John yelled.  
>Marissa was reacting to the sound of the alarm. "What is that?"<br>"The sound of the city about to blow! Move!" McKay said.  
>They run on, John and Ronon taking it in turns to cover the team's retreat. Rodney arrives at a closed door and swipes his hand past the door-opening panel. The door opens and they run into the Jumper Bay, John and Ronon pausing in the doorway to fire back at approaching guards. They then turn and race into the nearest Jumper.<br>"Get the roof open, Rodney, or this is gonna be a short trip." John said.  
>"Don't wait for me!" McKay yelled.<p>

"I'm just saying, if we can't get out of the Jumper Bay..."  
>"It doesn't matter. The overload's happening now. We're about to explode."<br>"Is the roof open?"  
>McKay was typing on the co-pilot's console. "Yes. Go."<br>Below the Jumper Bay, the city starts to explode. The camera pulls back from the city as more and more explosions go off, one of them enveloping the Bay. As the entire center of the city disappears in a massive fireball, the Jumper races out of the flames and heads off into the sky.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**DUSK. **

Illyria is back and is strolling along an outside balcony, gently bouncing Jenifer in her arms, her assistant/nanny was doing the same with Patrick. She looks up and stops, staring into the sky in puzzlement as a fireball appears in the darkness.  
>҉<br>**PUDDLE JUMPER. **

As John realizes that they're clear of the blast, he sighs in relief. Rodney peers out of the windshield as the light from the explosion behind them fades, then turns around to look at the others. Ronon and Marissa are sitting in the seats behind him and John, while Elizabeth and Niam are standing just in front of the bulkhead doors.  
>"Nice work ... all of you." Weir turns to Niam. "Thank you." Niam smiles at her, then his smile fades and he stares at the floor, tilting his head. "What's wrong?"<br>Niam tilts his head again. "Something is happening."  
>"What is it?" Marissa asked.<br>Niam tilts his head again. "The others on my planet. They know what I've done." He looks at the others. "I'm being re-set."  
>"Rodney, do something!" Weir yelled.<br>Rodney reaches into his jacket and takes out his handheld device.  
>"It's too late. They're..."<br>Niam turns and looks at Elizabeth for a moment, then reaches out and grabs her around the throat with both hands. Ronon jumps up and grabs one of his arms, trying to pull him away from her. Marissa runs round and pulls on his other arm as Elizabeth chokes. John jumps up and charges at Niam, knocking him to the floor in the rear compartment. As Ronon draws his blaster and aims it, John punches the button that closes the bulkhead doors.  
>"That's not gonna hold him." McKay said.<br>John turns, thinking for a second, then races to the controls and slaps a button. In the rear compartment, Niam - just getting up onto his hands and knees - looks up in horror as the rear hatch blows out. A moment later, he is blown out into space.  
>In the front compartment, Elizabeth sits down, coughing, as Marissa tends to her. She nods reassuringly to Marissa as she continues to cough. Rodney sits down in the co-pilot's seat, his hand on her arm.<br>"I'm so sorry. I had ... I didn't..." He trails off, lost for words. John, now back in the pilot's seat, looks round at Elizabeth.  
>"You OK?"<br>Elizabeth, still a little breathless but recovering, looks at him and nods.  
>"Yeah."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Rodney and Radek are both working on consoles. From the way that Radek has his chin propped on his fist with a bored expression on his face, they've been at it for some time. John comes in.  
>"How's it going?"<br>"Still nothing." Zelenka said.  
>"Either the Ancients chose to purposefully conceal every record - extremely well, I might add - or they simply deleted them from the database. I'm leaning towards the latter." McKay said.<br>"Perhaps they think they've truly destroyed them all." Zelenka shrugged.  
>"Either that, or they didn't want anyone to know they had failed." John said.<br>"Again. There is nothing more annoying than people that won't admit their own mistakes." McKay said.  
>Radek frowns, raises his head from his fist and looks round at him. Rodney doesn't notice, but John does.<br>"True!"  
>John walks away and onto the exterior balcony, where Illyria is gazing up into a moonlit night sky. He stood close behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Weir is staying a little longer; Carson wants her to recover. McKay and Zelenka are scouring the database for any information. So far, not much ... as in nothing."<br>"These Replicators ... they are probably already at work building themselves another Atlantis."  
>"Now they know all about us."<br>"Well, we beat them this time. Maybe we scared them off."  
>"Yeah ... maybe."<br>҉  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

Niam is floating in space, unmoving. As the camera pushes in on him, we see that he is awake and alert ... and gazing in the direction of Atlantis with hate and betrayal in his eyes.

**AN:/ sherry, please message me. I have no idea how to return a message in the reviews. **

** Thank you.**


	33. Chapter 31

**AN:/ Twins are a 1 year 1 month 4 weeks old.**

Doctor Weir was lying asleep, covered by a white sheet and blue blanket. She opens her eyes, looks around as if confused, and pushes the bedclothes down to reveal that she is wearing a white hospital gown. She sits up and looks around the room. It's a stark white hospital room with little furniture in it - only the bed, a plastic chair and a drinking water fountain. Behind the bed, sunlight streams through the blinds of the window. Elizabeth gets out of bed and turns to the window as the sound of an ambulance siren can be heard in the distance. She walks to the window, reaches out and widens the gap between two of the slats in the blind to look outside. There is a red brick building opposite her room. Wherever she is, it definitely isn't Atlantis. As she lets go of the slats, she realizes that she has a plastic medical bracelet around her wrist. She looks at the writing on it for a moment, then turns and looks around the room again. Walking across to the door, she tries to open it, only to find it locked. She looks through the window in the door and sees a long corridor. She bangs on the door.  
>"Hello?"<br>A man in a suit and a female nurse come around the corner at the far end of the corridor and walk briskly towards her room. As they reach the door, Elizabeth backs away from it as the man takes out a bunch of keys, unlocks the door and comes inside.  
>"Good morning, Doctor Weir. I'm Doctor Adam Fletcher."<br>"Where am I?"  
>"You're in the Acute Care Unit of Willoughby State Hospital."<br>Elizabeth stares as she recognizes the name. "Willoughby. That's, um, that's a psychiatric hospital."  
>"Outside D.C. Yes."<br>"I'm on Earth?"  
>Fletcher smiles and nods patiently. "Yes."<br>"When did I get back?"  
>"You mean back to Earth? Doctor Weir, you never left."<p>

**LATER.**

Elizabeth and Fletcher have moved to his office - which overlooks the hospital's Recreation Room - and are sitting either side of his desk. Elizabeth is now wearing a blue bathrobe over her gown.  
>"You had just begun mediating a treaty for the U.N. when you collapsed mid-speech. You've been under a tremendous amount of stress recently. The treaty negotiation was the final straw that triggered what is known as a brief reactive psychosis." Elizabeth looks down briefly, bewildered. "I know, you're confused. This type of disorder can be very frightening, but the good news is your condition is most likely transitory. These episodes usually pass within a number of days."<br>"I'm sorry, but how did I get here?"  
>"You were transported by ambulance to a hospital in D.C., then..."<br>"No, I mean from Atlantis." Fletcher's eyes flicker. He clearly doesn't understand the question. "I-I don't remember coming back."  
>"Atlantis?"<br>Elizabeth narrows her eyes. "What's your security clearance?"  
>"Did you want to talk to someone regarding the treaty?" Now it's Elizabeth's turn to look confused. "The U.N. Accord - non-nuclear proliferation in North Africa. That's what you were mediating when you collapsed."<br>"I negotiated that treaty well over two years ago."  
>"No ... three days ago." Elizabeth stares at him. "Since then you've been here, in a severely depressed and near-catatonic state."<br>"No! No..." She leans forward in her chair "I was in my quarters, and I was reading over a mission report, and..." She trails off as Fletcher's eyes flicker again and he looks uncomfortable. Elizabeth stands up, looking around at the chair and the desk. "This...this can't be real."  
>"Doctor Weir, I assure you, it <em>is<em> real."  
>"OK. OK, then, yes, there <em>is<em>somebody I need to speak with regarding the treaty ... right away."

**LATER. **

A pair of feet wearing highly-polished shoes walks along a corridor. He is wearing dress blues with two stars on the shoulder. He walks into the Rec Room of the hospital where Elizabeth is sitting on a sofa looking down at the floor. As the man approaches her, she looks up and gets to her feet, smiling.  
>"Oh, thank God." It's none other than General Jack O'Neill.<br>Jack was smiling at her. "Doctor Weir."  
>"Thank you so much for coming. Hopefully you'll be able to help sort out this entire mess."<br>"Anything I can do to help."  
>Elizabeth sighs in relief and smiles.<br>"Would you like me to ...?"  
>"Oh, please." She gestures to a chair near the sofa.<br>Jack smiled. "…sit?" He sits down in the chair as Elizabeth sits back down on the sofa.  
>"It is a relief just seeing a friendly face."<br>"Yeah, I was going for friendly."  
>"This is all very confusing for me." She looks around the room. Although none of the other patients are very close by, she leans forward and speaks quietly. "The last thing I remember, I was in Atlantis and everything was fine, and next thing I know, I wake up here."<br>"Everything was ... fine in ... Atlantis." Jack asked awkwardly.  
>Elizabeth doesn't notice his hesitation. "The problem is my memory. I have no memory of coming back. I don't know if I came through the Stargate, or aboard the Daedalus, or ..." She trails off, finally noticing the look of confusion on his face. "What?"<br>Jack shakes his head. "Oh, um ... Doctor Weir, I'm not quite sure I'm qualified to be in this conversation."  
>"Oh, please. You ran Stargate Command. <em>You<em> are probably the most qualified person on this planet."  
>"Yeah ... OK." Jack dubiously said.<br>"Why are you doing this?"  
>"What? I'm not <em>trying<em> to do anything."  
>"If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you're not really Jack O'Neill."<br>"Oh, I'm Jack O'Neill alright. That's the _one_ thing in this conversation I'm sure about. I met you a few months ago when we first approached you to help broker this non-proliferation treaty. I don't know anything about Atlantis ... except that it was a fairly mediocre Donovan song, not one of my favorites." Elizabeth sits back, thoroughly confused. "Now, this Stargate program I'm supposed to have run..."  
>"It's a facility inside Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado."<br>"That would be NORAD."  
>Weir leaned forward. "It's <em>underneath<em> NORAD, yes."  
>"And the Stargate?"<br>"It's a portal that allows intergalactic travel. The program has been in operation over ten years. You started the whole thing when you first encountered..."  
>She stops, staring in horror as - for a few seconds - Jack's head goes berserk, flicking rapidly around on his neck into all sorts of different positions so rapidly that it's a blur. During those few seconds it also changes briefly into what appears to be someone else's head - perhaps Doctor Fletcher's - before coming to rest again. As Elizabeth reels back in her seat, Jack looks at her as if nothing has happened and he doesn't understand her look of terror.<br>"What?" Elizabeth looks away, gasping. "Look, why don't I get Doctor Fletcher in here?"  
>He stands up. Elizabeth jumps up from the sofa and backs away from him.<br>"No, just ... just leave. Please."  
>"Alright. Listen, for what it's worth, I hope you get better soon. We need you."<br>He turns and walks away. Elizabeth watches him go, then looks around the room and sees a door to her left. She looks back over to the exit that Jack just went through. Standing there is an orderly watching her, smiling slightly. Elizabeth looks away, then turns to her left and walks towards the door, trying - rather unconvincingly - to look casual. As she gets nearer to the door, another orderly steps into her path. Elizabeth half turns as if to walk away, then turns back rapidly and punches him in the face. As he recoils from the punch, she pushes him aside and runs for the door but the man recovers and wraps his arms around her from behind her.  
>"No! No, let me go! No! Please let me go!"<br>Grunting with the effort, the man hauls her off her feet and swings her away from the door. As she struggles to get free, Elizabeth's feet lash out, knocking a computer terminal off the desk nearby.  
>"Let me go!"<br>She continues to struggle and the pair of them fall against a blackboard by the window, knocking it over. The other orderly runs over to help his colleague. Between them, they wrestle her to the floor. Doctor Fletcher runs in from his office, holding a syringe.  
>"Let me go!"<br>As the orderlies hold her down on the floor, Fletcher kneels down, puts the syringe to her arm and injects her.  
>"No! No! No<br>҉  
><strong>HOSPITAL ROOM. <strong>

Elizabeth is back in her room, sitting up in the bed with her head in her hands. We hear the sound of the door being unlocked and Fletcher walks in and comes over to her bedside.  
>"I've spoken with several people at the Pentagon." Elizabeth looks up at him. "They assure me there is no such thing as the Stargate program..." Elizabeth looks down "...no Atlantis base in another galaxy, and no Department of Homeworld Security. I'm sorry."<br>"So you are telling me that I dreamt up the last two years of my life?"  
>"Sometimes when a person experiences a significant emotional trauma, their mind just decides to shut down, to escape the pain."<br>"I have brokered dozens of treaties - many of them very stressful, yes, but none of them bad enough to cause significant emotional trauma."  
>"The treaty negotiation was just the trigger point. We believe the actual trauma you suffered occurred three weeks ago. You were riding in a car with a man named Simon Wallace." Elizabeth raises her head and looks up at him. "You remember Simon?"<br>"Yes, of _course_ I do. We're no longer in a relationship, but..."  
>"You were coming home from dinner. A car ran a red light and broadsided you, impacting the driver's side door. Simon was killed instantly." Elizabeth stares at him in shock. "You suffered only minor injuries in the crash, made a quick recovery, but in the days following Simon's funeral, several of your colleagues noticed your behavior changing - clear signs of depression, confusion."<br>"No." Weir quietly said.  
>"It culminated in your collapse at the negotiation."<br>"No. I'm sorry, I don't believe you."  
>"Sometimes the mind's only way to cope with tragedy is to completely erase it from memory ... and on rare occasions, supplant it with something else."<br>Elizabeth's attention is suddenly distracted as she looks towards a window in the wall next to the door. The window is frosted but a figure can be seen through the glass. It's obviously a man wearing a black top but it's impossible to be sure who the man is. Elizabeth gazes at him as Fletcher continues talking.  
>"In this case, something..." Noticing her gaze, he looks towards the window. There's no-one there. He looks back at Elizabeth. "You alright?"<br>Elizabeth continues to gaze toward the window.  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL GROUNDS.**

Fletcher escorts Elizabeth through the parkland towards an older woman waiting for them. He stops as they approach the woman and allows Elizabeth to walk on alone. The woman smiles at her with a mixture of happiness and concern. Elizabeth smiles back at her in delight.  
>"Hello, sweetheart."<br>"Mom."

Fletcher has left the two women alone and they walk deeper into the grounds arm in arm.  
>"I don't understand what's happening to me, mom. I feel as if ... as if I'm asleep or ... or I'm in a dream."<br>Her mother stops and turns to her. "Look at me. Do I look like a dream, hmm?" She reaches out and strokes Elizabeth's face. "My hand ... does it feel like a dream?"  
>Elizabeth takes her hand in both of her own and kisses it before holding it against her cheek again. "No ... but neither did the last two years of my life." They start to walk again, still holding hands. "I just ... I can't believe it was all a figment of my imagination."<br>"Give it time." She stops again, patting Elizabeth's hand. "The doctors here will help you get through this. The accident..." She hesitates, looking down in distress. "Getting that phone call was the worst night of my life." She gazes at Elizabeth. "We all miss Simon terribly, but ... I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."  
>Elizabeth wraps her arms around her and hugs her as her mother fights back tears. After a few moments, Mrs Weir pats Elizabeth and pulls back from the embrace. "Oh. Oh, wait. I have something."<br>She reaches into her handbag and takes out a silver pocket watch on a chain. "Your father's watch." She gives it to Elizabeth. "I found it a few months ago. He'd always meant to give it to you."  
>Weir was looking down at the watch. "I know." She stumbles over to a park bench nearby and sinks down onto it, still staring at the watch. "I mean ... I mean, I took this with me..."<br>She trails off and buries her head in her hands, weeping in distress and confusion. Her mother sits down beside her and puts a comforting hand on her back, then strokes her hair.  
>"It's alright, sweetheart. You're safe now. You'll be fine." She pulls her daughter close. "I'll make certain of it."<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME.<strong>

Elizabeth is back in her room and lying restlessly in bed, unable to sleep. Opening her eyes, she looks to the side and is startled to see that an opaque plastic curtain has been drawn across part of the room. Behind the curtain there is a bed. Sitting on the end of the bed and facing her is the shape of a man, backlit and distorted through the curtain.  
>"Hello?"<p>

The man doesn't respond. Nervously, Elizabeth gets out of bed and walks slowly and hesitantly across to the curtain. The man stands up and moves closer to his side of the curtain. Elizabeth backs away again. The man leans forward and his face presses into the plastic of the curtain. As he steps further forward, his face pushing deeper into the curtain, Elizabeth shrieks in terror and runs to the door, pounding on it and screaming. Fletcher appears outside and unlocks the door quickly. As he opens it, Elizabeth throws herself into his arms, terrified and still screaming.  
>"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Elizabeth calms down a little. "What's wrong?"<br>Elizabeth turns in his arms to look back into the room. The curtain, the second bed and the man have disappeared.  
>҉<br>**DAY TIME. **

**FLETCHER'S OFFICE. **

Elizabeth is sitting curled up in the chair opposite Fletcher, wearing a bathrobe over her gown. She is still obviously perturbed by last night's events.  
>"I'm going to prescribe some additional medications for you: a mood stabilizer, an anti-depressant, and also stronger anti-psychotic medications. These should help reduce the acute symptoms you're experiencing."<br>Weir was lost in thought. "Wipe out the last two years of my life."  
>"I talked with your mother. She told me how, as a child, you had a brief phase where you dreamed of being an astronaut. She and your father even bought you a telescope for your twelfth birthday."<br>Weir smiled at the memories. "That's true."  
>"Sometimes childhood fantasies can offer a peaceful refuge from the harsh realities of adult life."<br>"So you're saying when Simon died, my mind shut down and went to another galaxy?"  
>"It travelled as far as it could to escape the pain."<br>"And in a matter of three days, I managed to live out an entire two years of my life?"  
>"Time is relative in the dream state. People live out entire lifetimes in the blink of an eye. Imagine you were in my position, listening to your story. Travelling to another galaxy through a Stargate, leading an expedition to the lost city of Atlantis ... would <em>you<em> believe it?"  
>Elizabeth has no answer for him.<br>҉  
><strong>REC ROOM.<strong>

Elizabeth is typing on the computer. She calls up a news item with the headline, "Georgetown doctor killed in accident." Underneath the heading is a photograph of firefighters working round an open-topped sports car lying on its side.  
>"Doctor Weir?" Elizabeth looks up at a female nurse who is holding out a small plastic cup with some pills in it. "Your medications."<br>Elizabeth takes the cup. "Thanks."  
>The nurse moves on. Elizabeth watches her go, and then looks at the cup thoughtfully.<br>҉  
><strong>BATHROOM.<strong>

Elizabeth walks into the bathroom and, once the door has closed behind her, spits her pills into the toilet and flushes it.  
>҉<br>**GROUP THERAPY ROOM.**

Elizabeth and Fletcher and five other patients are sitting in a circle. Elizabeth looks bored. Fletcher addresses an elderly lady who, when she speaks, has an English accent.  
>"Have you gone out to the garden today?"<br>"No. I was going to, but _they're_ out there, so I decided it would be better to wait."  
>"The others?"<br>"Yes. Four of them."  
>"Did they see you?"<br>"Of course. They were waiting for me." She smiles around the circle.  
>"Did you speak to them?"<br>"Yes. I told them what you told me to say: that my blood isn't theirs for the taking."  
>Fletcher was smiling at her. "Good for you, Enid. That was very brave."<br>Enid smiles in delight. Elizabeth sits up in her chair, taking notice for the first time. "Excuse me. What others?"  
>"The invaders, dear, from one of the moons of Saturn. They're cold-blooded, you see, so they need our warm blood for theirs. You have to be very careful." Elizabeth smiles at her politely. "Doctor Fletcher doesn't think they're real, but <em>I<em> know the truth."  
>Elizabeth and Fletcher exchange glances for a moment.<br>"Doctor Weir, would you like to speak next? Perhaps you can tell the group about your experience in Atlantis."  
>Enid's mouth drops open in amazement.<br>"No."  
>"Sometimes when we share these experiences..."<br>"I said ... no."  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL ROOM.**

An orderly unlocks the door to Elizabeth's room and stands aside to let her in. As she walks inside, he locks the door again. Elizabeth watches him walk away, and then turns towards her bed. The surface of the bed contorts as if something is lying inside the mattress and struggling to get out. She stares in shock, and then hesitantly walks towards the bed as the something continues to struggle. Nervously, she reaches out, takes hold of the top of the sheet and blanket, and then rips them down the bed, jumping back at the same time. The sheet covering the mattress is flat and unmoving.  
>Just as she is sighing with relief, there is a growling sound behind her. Elizabeth spins around and sees the shape of the man in the black top walking past the frosted window beside the door. He is heading towards the door. Elizabeth turns to look at the window in the door. The man's shoulder appears in the window, and he starts to rattle the doorknob. Elizabeth backs away from the door, shaking her head in fear.<br>"Go away." She said quietly.  
>The man moves away from the door and back to the frosted window, looking through it. The glass is distorted in such a way that it looks as if his face is completely blank of all features. The growling sound comes again, and there is a rattling sound as if he is trying to tug the glass out of the wall. Elizabeth, still backing away in fear, reaches the far wall and now sinks down to the floor, her hands covering her ears as the man continues trying to tug the glass free.<br>"Go away!" She shouted.  
>She closes her eyes in terror.<br>҉  
><strong>NEXT DAY.<strong>

Elizabeth, holding a cup of pills in one hand and a larger paper cup in the other, walks over to a water dispenser, leans down and pours some water into the larger cup. Straightening up, she looks at the pills for a moment, then tosses them into her mouth and drinks some water to help her swallow them.  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL GROUNDS. **

Elizabeth is sitting on the park bench as Doctor Fletcher walks over. She smiles up at him.  
>"Hello."<br>"Hi." He gestures to the bench, silently asking if he can sit down.  
>"Oh." She indicates that he should sit. "Please." Fletcher sits down beside her. "Will I ever remember the accident?"<br>"I don't know. Often in cases like this, the memory of the trauma never returns. Maybe it's the mind protecting itself."  
>"I suppose that's a good thing, really. I mean, there's pain enough, even without remembering it." She looks away, lost in thought for a moment, then looks back at Fletcher to see that he is smiling at her. "What?"<br>"It's just you're doing great. I'm impressed. You're sleeping well?"  
>"Yes. I'm sleeping better than I can remember."<br>"Good. I think you're ready."  
>"Ready?"<p>

A car draws up outside a house. Fletcher, who was driving, and Elizabeth, now dressed in street clothes, get out and she gazes at the house.  
>"Well, is it how you remember it?" Fletcher asked.<br>" It's _exactly_ how I remember it." She smiles at him and walks toward the house. The front door opens and a white dog runs out to greet her, whining happily. Elizabeth bends down to greet her. "Oh, Sedgewick! Hey, sweetie! Hey!"  
>Elizabeth's mother comes out of the house, smiling at her tearfully but happily. "Welcome home, sweetheart."<br>Elizabeth stands up and runs to her and they embrace.

**LATER.**

Elizabeth is sitting in the back yard reading a newspaper. She looks up at the sound of a voice.  
>"Hello, hello."<br>Jack is standing at the gate wearing casual clothes.  
>"General." She smiles and stands up.<p>

"Enough with the "General," OK? It's Jack."  
>"Ah, but which Jack is it?" She mischievously said.<br>"What?"  
>"I'm sorry. I was just trying to have some fun at my own expense. Too soon, maybe."<br>"So, y'all settled back in?"  
>"Getting there."<br>"So I hear you're going back to teaching."  
>"Yeah, my poli-sci class at Georgetown. They're holding it open for me for the fall."<br>"Have you given any thought to coming back to the negotiating table? That non-proliferation treaty ... you kind of left us hanging mid-sentence there. Sure be nice to hear the punch line someday."  
>Elizabeth turns away, thinking about it, then turns back to him. "And the U.N. would be OK with that?"<br>"Not just OK - they're insisting."  
>"Really?"<br>"When you're the best, you're the best, even if you've had a little..." Jack pauses for a bit "...setback, so to speak..." he pauses for a longer moment, then continues uncomfortably "...he said awkwardly." Elizabeth looks down, uncertain. "It's only if you feel you're ready to go back."  
>Elizabeth walks towards him. :Well, actually, yeah. I think I am."<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME.<strong>

Elizabeth walks into her bedroom, taking some pills and drinking some water to help her swallow them. She turns off the bedside light and climbs onto the bed. Sedgewick jumps up onto the bed beside her. Elizabeth reaches out and strokes her.  
>"Hey. It's good to be home."<br>She lies down, gives Sedgewick a last scratch and pat, then settles down to sleep. After a few seconds, the steady beeping of a heart monitor can be heard…

...an identical shot of Elizabeth lying on a bed with her eyes closed, but now she is wearing a nasal cannula. A green light passes downwards across her face. The light is coming from a scanner which is running down the length of the bed. The bed and a small area surrounding it are sealed inside a clear isolation tent in the Atlantis Infirmary. A medic in a Hazmat suit is standing near the bed looking at a screen. Outside the tent, Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard walks over and looks in at Elizabeth. Behind him, Doctor McKay and Doctor Beckett are looking at another screen.  
>"What've you got, Doc?" John asked.<br>Carson glances round at him before turning back to the screen. "It's gettin' worse. It's not just her brain any more. They're spreading throughout her body." He turns to face John. "We're losing her."

**LATER.**

Captain Frio and Queen Illyria were holding the kids. They along with Ronon Dex were looking at the screen which shows the images from the scanner. The screen shows Elizabeth's skeleton and lots of small red dots. The dots are all through her body, but a larger number is clustered in her brain.  
>"Those are all nanites?" Marissa asked asked, bouncing Patrick lightly.<br>"Aye. They've spread throughout her entire body." Carson said.  
>"How'd they get inside her?" Ronon asked.<br>"Niam..." McKay said, thinking back to when Niam tried to strangle Elizabeth in the Puddle Jumper. "...when he attacked her in the Puddle Jumper. In that one brief moment of contact, he managed to infect her with nanites that began replicating immediately. Now they're multiplying exponentially, consuming her."  
>"How much time does she have?" Illyria asked.<br>"I don't think their intention is to kill her. If that were the case, they could have easily done it already. I don't think there's enough of 'em to survive on their own. They need Elizabeth's body as raw material." Carson said.  
>"So they're attempting to assimilate her - to transform her into one of them?" McKay asked.<br>"Until they can reach sufficient numbers to form a viable independent entity, I would say so, yes."  
>"This is how they replicate?" Marissa asked, handing Patrick to John's awaiting arms.<br>"I doubt it's their normal way. It may well be a last-ditch attempt to survive." Carson said.  
>"How do we stop them?" Ronon asked.<br>"E.M.P. Maybe we can hit 'em with the electromagnetic pulse like we did last time." John said.  
>"I'm afraid we're well beyond that possibility now, Colonel. Looking at the scan, the nanites have literally bonded to neurons and other cells throughout her central nervous system. If we attempt to disable them, we'll likely end up killing her along with them."<br>"Then how _do_ we help her?" Illyria sorrowfully looked around at everyone.  
>"In a Petri dish, her white blood cells attacked individual nanites as though they were a bacterium or a virus, quite successfully, but for some reason inside her body, there's almost no immune response whatsoever. It's as if the nanites themselves have convinced her immune system that they pose no threat." Carson said.<br>"How do they do that?" John asked.  
>"I have no idea. I've begun administering drugs to help boost her immunities."<br>Patrick was trying to touch the monitor John was looking at. "Doesn't seem to be working."  
>"Not yet. I've just increased the dosage. For the moment, we're losing this battle."<br>҉  
><strong>SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON D.C.<strong>

A car pulls up outside a building. Elizabeth gets out from the back seat, wearing a trouser suit. As she walks towards the building, Jack O'Neill, wearing dress blues, trots out to greet her.  
>"Hey! Right on time. You all set?"<br>"I think so."  
>"Did you get some sleep?"<br>"Yes. But still, I've been really tired lately."  
>"Well, maybe you've got to work yourself back into playing shape - spend a little time doing some short shifts before you jump up to the first line."<br>"I'm sorry. I don't know a _thing_ about football." She walks towards the building. Jack turns and follows her.  
>"Nor hockey, apparently." A doorman holds the door open for them. "Thanks."<br>They walk into the foyer.  
>"It's strange, Jack. I'm ... I feel kind of numb."<br>"You know, I feel like that all the time."  
>"I'm serious."<br>"Did you talk to Doctor Fletcher about it?"  
>"Yes. He said it's probably just my medications. He's gonna adjust the doses, dial them back, see if that helps."<br>"Probably just a matter of balance, then, eh?" Elizabeth smiles at him. "Alright." They start to walk towards some stairs. "Now, just to be sure we're on the same page, we're _against_ the proliferation of nuclear weapons, right?"  
>"Got it!"<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS INFIRMARY. <strong>

As the scanner continues to roll back and forth above Elizabeth, John stands outside the isolation tent watching her. Carson and Rodney are nearby.  
>"D'you think she's aware we're here?" John asked.<br>"How _can_ she be? She's unconscious." McKay said.  
>Carson walks over to John. "You may be right. You could try talking to her - tell her to keep fighting."<br>"And that will help exactly how?"  
>"In a coma, one's sense of hearing is the last thing to go and the first thing to return. There are many cases where patients were actually able to hear others talking to them in their rooms."<br>Rodney looks skeptical. "And were these comas also caused by nanites invading people's bodies, hmm?"  
>"No, Rodney, but there <em>are<em> indications that she's thinking."  
>"You mean dreaming." John said.<br>"More than that. Her mind is extremely active for someone in a coma. Her E.E.G. reads almost as if she were going about her daily life, which suggests she may well be able to hear us."  
>John looks down at Elizabeth. "What the hell are they <em>doing<em> to her?"  
>"I wish I knew. The immune-boosting drugs are having no effect."<br>"Aggressive little bastards." John mumbled.  
>Carson, who was looking at a screen, suddenly turns his head and gazes at nothing as if lost in thought. Rodney notices this.<br>"What?"  
>Carson snapped out of it. "What?"<br>"Well, it's that look. That's the same look _I_ get when I have a brilliant idea."  
>"How would you know how you looked?" John asked.<br>"'Cause it's happened more than once in front of a mirror, OK?" Rodney turns back to Carson. "Carson, what is it?"  
>"I don't know about brilliant, but it just might ... Excuse me." Carson hurries away.<br>"What are you doing?" Rodney hurries after him. John waits until they're out of the room and he's alone with Elizabeth, then turns to her.  
>"You know, if Carson's right and you can hear me, I suppose I should say something profound." He pauses for a long time. "OK, I'm not so good at profound, but you should know we're doing everything we can to get you through this."<br>҉  
><strong>ELIZABETH'S HOUSE.<strong>

Elizabeth walks into her bathroom, opens a bottle of pills and shakes a couple out into her hand. She looks up into the mirror, only to find that the reflection of her face is completely blank and featureless. Her eyes are just shallow depressions with skin over them, her eyebrows are gone, her nostrils are covered with skin and her mouth is missing altogether. She backs away in horror, putting her hands over her eyes and dropping the bottle of pills at the same time. The pills spill out all over the tiled floor. Gasping in terror, she reluctantly moves her hands, opens her eyes and looks into the mirror. Her face is back to normal.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**.

John continues talking to Elizabeth.  
>"These, these nanites, I don't know what they're putting you through, I don't know what they're doing to you, but ... don't let 'em get to you."<br>҉  
><strong>ELIZABETH'S BATHROOM. <strong>

Still breathing quickly from her fright, Elizabeth bends down to the floor to start picking up the pills.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY.**  
>"We're doing everything we can to bring you back, but you've got to do your part. You've gotta fight this."<br>҉  
><strong>ELIZABETH'S BATHROOM.<strong>

Elizabeth picks up the pills and tosses them down the toilet. She opens a second bottle of pills, empties the contents into the toilet, then flushes it.  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL. **

**FLETCHER'S OFFICE.**  
>"I'm sure this is just a result of the adjustment I made to your medications. I think I may have dialed them back too far. It's all a question of balance." He writes on a notepad. Elizabeth, sitting on the other side of the desk and looking a little lost, now looks up at him sharply.<br>"That's what General O'Neill said."  
>Fletcher looked up from his pad. "Hmm? Yes, well, he's right." He looks back down at his pad. "Don't worry. We'll get you back to normal."<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME. <strong>

**ELIZABETH'S HOUSE. **

Lying in bed, Elizabeth wakes up at the sound of John's voice.  
>"Elizabeth." His voice echoed.<br>She sits up in bed. A male figure is silhouetted in the open doorway. Elizabeth gasps.  
>"What do you want?"<br>The figure turns and walks away. Nervously, she gets out of bed and goes to investigate. She walks across the living room to a closed door on the other side. Hesitating for several seconds, she eventually reaches out and pulls the door open. The door is filled with the event horizon of an active wormhole. She stares at it, her face full of hope, then starts to walk towards it. Before she can reach it, however, a hand claps down onto her shoulder and the two orderlies from the hospital seize her.  
>"No! Wait! No!"<br>The men wrestle her down onto the floor.  
>"Let go of me! No!"<br>One of the orderlies pulls the cap off a syringe with his teeth and injects her in the arm. As the drug starts to take effect, Elizabeth stares at the event horizon in despair.  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL ROOM.**

Elizabeth regains consciousness and finds herself back in her hospital bed. She sighs.  
>"Hey." Elizabeth looks round to see Jack, in his dress blues, leaning against the window ledge beside her. She sits up. "How're you feelin'?"<br>"Why am I back here?"  
>"They're worried. Frankly, so am I." Elizabeth slams her hand down on the bed in irritation. "Look, obviously, I've been pushing you a little hard on this treaty thing."<br>"No. I feel fine."

"Well, you're not. You're gonna be here until you get better." Jack smiles at her sympathetically, then leaves the room.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

Carson and Rodney walk into the Infirmary where John, Marissa, Illyria and Ronon are waiting.  
>"OK. We think we've found a way to uncouple the nanite cells from Elizabeth's cells." Rodney says.<br>Carson indignantly repeated, ""We"?"  
>"How?" Marissa asked.<br>"We create a distraction." Rodney smiled.

He holds up a small cylinder, smiling smugly. Carson gingerly takes it from him and carefully puts it down on a nearby trolley.  
>"It finally occurred to me why I wasn't having any success..."<br>Rodney talked over him. "What were the nanites originally designed to do?"  
>"Fight the Wraith." Ronon said.<br>"Exactly. So that's what we'll get them to do now."  
>"We think by implanting a small amount of Wraith tissue into Doctor Weir's body..."<br>"It's like a tumour." Rodney interrupted Carson.  
>"Aye, a small tumour, yes - the nanite cells will essentially..."<br>McKay talked over him again. "...will attack it. They _have_ to - it's what they are programmed to do, which will draw them away from Elizabeth's cells, effectively unbinding them."  
>"It will only last a few seconds or so, mind you, before the nanites attack the Wraith tissue and return their focus to Doctor Weir's cells." Carson said.<br>"Yeah, but that's all we need: momentary distraction to draw them away from her so we can zap 'em with the E.M. pulse." Rodney said.  
>Illyria looks nervous. "OK. Uh, let's do it."<br>Rodney makes a pleased sound, snatches up the cylinder and heads off with it. Carson chases after him.  
>"Rodney, come here..."<br>҉  
><strong>HOSPITAL REC ROOM. <strong>

Sitting alone at a table in her bathrobe, Elizabeth has just finished a game of Solitaire with a pack of playing cards. She gathers the cards up and starts to deal again. Turning the first card over, she lays it face up on the table, then stares at it in shock. Instead of a normal playing card face, it is a Stargate symbol. She turns over the next card in the deck. It's an ordinary six of spades. She lays it face down on the table next to the first card, then lays down the next five cards face down in the normal Solitaire layout. Going back to the left side of the cards, she turns over the next card and lays it face up on the second card. Again, it has a Stargate symbol. She deals the rest of that row face down, then turns over another card - yet again it's a Stargate symbol. She continues to deal and each time the card which she turns face up has a Gate symbol on it until there are seven symbols showing. She turns over one more cards and lays it below the others. It's the Earth Point of Origin symbol. Elizabeth puts the rest of the pack down and stares at the cards in amazement.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY.**

Inside the isolation tent, Carson - wearing a Hazmat suit - applies a dressing to a small wound in Elizabeth's lower leg where the Wraith tissue has been implanted. Outside the tent, Rodney is finishing connecting up an electromagnetic pulse generator."  
>"Wait a minute. Aren't we supposed to turn off all Earth-based equipment in the room before we do this?" John asked.<br>"The E.M. pulse will be directed through the scanner, so the other equipment should be fine."  
>҉<br>**FLETCHER'S OFFICE.**

Elizabeth is sitting at Fletcher's desk, drawing the eight Gate symbols on a notepad.  
>"I keep seeing these symbols - eight of them."<br>Fletcher is sitting on the other side of the desk and glances up briefly at Jack O'Neill who is standing near Elizabeth. "Do they mean something to you?"  
>"This is the dialing sequence for the Stargate..." she looks up at Jack "...from Earth to Atlantis."<br>"Dialling sequence like a phone number?" Jack asked.  
>Elizabeth stands up. "Look, I know you think I'm delusional, but I can't shake the overpowering feeling that something, or some<em>one<em>, is trying to communicate with me."  
>"And what are they trying to say?" Fletcher asked.<br>"That Atlantis is real, and that I have to get back there."  
>"And ... so <em>we're<em> the fantasy?" Jack asked.

Elizabeth looks at him and then at Fletcher. Despite their skeptical expressions, she carries on resolutely. "Yes."  
>"Y'know, I don't mind being fantasized <em>about<em> occasionally, but c'mon. We're right here." Jack said.  
>Fletcher was pointing to the symbols on the notepad. "How would you get there?"<br>"Go to Stargate Command."  
>"So now you just wanna waltz into NORAD, is that it?" Jack asked.<br>Weir spoke angrily. "I know what you told me!" She spoke more calmly. "But I also _know_ what I feel." She leans down to Fletcher. "Atlantis is real, and I _will_ get back there."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY.**

Carson, now out of the tent and with his Hazmat helmet removed, looks at a screen.  
>"And it's working."<br>John walks over to another screen and looks at it with Ronon. The screen shows the nanites swarming from all other parts of Elizabeth's body toward the Wraith tissue in her leg.  
>"They're moving fast." Ronon said.<br>"Aye. Get ready with the E.M. pulse." Carson said.  
>"I'm ready on your mark." Rodney said.<br>Carson was watching his screen. "And ... now!"  
>Rodney activates the generator and a white pulse comes out of the scanner, which is over the area of Elizabeth's lower legs. The screens fritz and go black.<br>"I thought you said that, that..."  
>The screens come back on again. The one showing Elizabeth's body now seems clear of red dots.<br>"It worked!" Marissa shouted.  
>McKay was smiling. "Carson, you might be an absolute..."<br>"Oh no." Carson is looking at his screen which shows a close-up scan of Elizabeth's brain. There are red dots all through the image. "We didn't get them all."  
>"How is that possible?" Illyria asked.<br>"I don't bloody know."  
>"They've been using organic material to replicate, which has rendered them immune to the E.M. pulse." McKay said.<br>""So now what?" Ronon asked.  
>"They've started replicating again."<br>In the few seconds that have passed, the number of red dots has increased dramatically.  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL.**

Elizabeth comes out of the bathroom, only to find Fletcher and an orderly waiting outside for her.  
>"You spit out your pills again, didn't you?" Elizabeth turns to go the other way down the corridor, only to find a second orderly blocking her path. "You disappoint me, Elizabeth."<br>Weir turned back to face him. "The pills are not gonna help me."  
>"Not if you won't let them. You leave me no other choice."<br>The orderlies seize her arms.  
>"No - what are you doing?"<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

The orderlies throw Elizabeth down on a gurney and strap her arms to the sides.  
>"No!"<p>

The orderlies step away as Fletcher walks over and looks down at her.  
>"Don't do this." Weir pleaded.<br>Fletcher picks up two leads and a nurse walks over and squeezes gel onto them. Electricity whines into the leads. He looks down at Elizabeth.  
>"This <em>will<em> hurt."  
>Elizabeth gazes at the ceiling in despair, her lower lip trembling as she braces herself.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS INFIRMARY.<strong>

The full body scan screen shows that the nanites have spread from Elizabeth's head down into her chest.  
>"What do we do now?" Marissa asked.<br>"Zap her again. Keep it up until they're gone." John said.  
>"A significant number of nanites have migrated into the arteries that supply blood flow to the higher functions of her brain." Carson said.<br>"They're telling us they can kill her if they want to." Ronon said.

Carson turned to someone. "Nurse, switch over to one hundred percent oxygen, stat, and start her on norepinephrine, five mics per minute." He explains this to the others. "Reducing blood flow to those parts of her brain will put her into a state of cerebral hypoxia."  
>"What will that do?" Illyria asked.<br>"Render her essentially brain dead, which makes _no_ sense." McKay said.  
>John spoke thoughtfully. "Unless she's fighting it." The others look at him, confused. "It's the only thing that makes sense. The Replicators see us as organic machines. They're trying to take control of the machine they're in."<br>"You mean replace Elizabeth's consciousness?"  
>"Maybe when we zapped her with the E.M.P., we killed enough of them to even out the odds - gave her a fighting chance to stop 'em."<br>"Uh, reality check. There are microscopic robots in her brain. How does she fight that?" McKay said.  
>John turned to Carson. "You said her mind was active, like she was thinking, reacting, living her life. What if this was the only way they could get to her? What if they were trying to force her to give up?"<br>"A battle of wills." Illyria mumbled.  
>"Exactly."<br>Rodney frowns.  
>"Her neural activity supports Colonel Sheppard's hypothesis, Rodney." Carson said.<br>"So, what, we can't do anything?" McKay asked.  
>"I can increase the oxygen levels in her blood, give her a little more time, but, yes - she's on her own."<br>"No. She's not." He turns, walks over to the tent and looks in at Elizabeth. "You're not alone, Elizabeth. We're right here with you. You have to fight this."  
>҉<br>**HOSPITAL.**

Still strapped to the gurney, and now with a rubber ball in her mouth to stop her biting her tongue, Elizabeth sees the faceless man standing on the other side of a frosted window on the other side of the room. John's voice echoes in her head.  
><em>"Fight this ... fight this."<em>  
>Whimpering with the effort, Elizabeth tears her hands free of the restraints. Sitting up quickly, she kicks out at the orderly at the foot of the bed, sending him crashing into the other one, then jumps up and races to the door. Looking down the corridor, she sees her mystery man standing at one end, silhouetted against a window behind him. She turns and runs towards him as he disappears around the corner.<p>

Reaching the end of the corridor and turning the corner, she sees him turn and walk into an elevator. She runs towards the elevator but stops just before she reaches it, afraid. Hearing running feet behind her, she turns and sees Fletcher and the orderlies running towards her. She backs up and runs into the elevator, only to find nobody inside. As the running feet draw closer, she presses a button on the panel and the doors begin to close. Fletcher and his men reach the elevator and grab for the doors, just too late to stop them closing completely. As the elevator begins to move, Elizabeth leans against the back wall and closes her eyes in relief.  
>The elevator stops and the doors open. Instead of the hospital, however, Elizabeth sees the corridors of Stargate Command. She steps out hesitantly, and then looks to her left and starts to hurry along the corridor. She turns a few corners, and then Jack O'Neill strolls into view behind her.<br>"Doctor Weir." Elizabeth turns and looks at him. He slowly walks towards her. "It's OK. You're safe now."  
>"Where am I?"<br>"Stargate Command. It's OK. Follow me." He turns and starts to walk away. Elizabeth begins to follow him, but then John's voice speaks in her mind.  
><em>"Elizabeth."<em>_  
><em> Elizabeth turns and looks down the corridor. Her mystery man is standing at the end, his face still not visible.  
><em>"Don't listen to them."<em>_  
><em> Jack turned back to face her. "What's wrong?"  
>The man turns and walks away. <em>"This way."<em>  
>Elizabeth turns to look at Jack again as he slowly walks towards her.<br>"I'm not going to hurt you."  
>"The hell you aren't."<br>She turns and runs after the other man. Turning the corner, she sees that the man has disappeared again, but she keeps on running. Suddenly two SFs appear, blocking her way. They drop to one knee and aim their rifles at her. Elizabeth turns and starts to run back the way she just came, only for two more SFs to run around the corner and move towards her, also aiming their rifles at her.

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS INFIRMARY. <strong>

The team is looking at the screen showing the full body scan. Carson sighs and turns to the others.  
>"They've begun to spread faster. We're losing her."<br>"Not yet we're not." Too fast for anyone to stop him, he moves to the isolation tent and unzips it.  
>"What're you doing?" Illyria yells.<br>John hurries over to the bed and puts both his hands on Elizabeth's arm.  
>"What, are you crazy? She could infect you!" McKay yelled.<br>҉  
><strong>STARGATE COMMAND CORRIDORS.<strong>**  
><strong> _"Elizabeth?"__  
><em> Elizabeth turns back towards the kneeling SFs and sees John - his face visible for the first time - standing behind them.  
>"John!"<br>_"__You've been infected by nanites. They're trying to take control of your mind and body."__  
><em> Back in the Atlantis Infirmary, John is speaking quietly to her.  
>"Don't let them do it."<br>In the S.G.C. corridors, John continues talking.  
><em>"You have to fight 'em. So fight."<em>  
>Behind her, Jack walks up behind the other two SFs.<br>"Elizabeth." Elizabeth turns to face him. "You have to come with us. I'm sorry."  
><em>"You know which way you have to go."<em>  
>Elizabeth turns to face John again.<br>John quietly, yet firmly said, _"Run."_  
>Elizabeth turns and glances at Jack for a moment, then turns and starts to run towards the kneeling SFs. John has disappeared. The SFs fire repeatedly at her but despite their point-blank range no bullets hit her. As she gets closer to them they rise off their knees but she barges straight through them, sending them both tumbling to the ground.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS INFIRMARY.<strong>

As John stands with his hands on Elizabeth's arm, a medic in Hazmat hurries into the tent.  
>"Get him out of there!" Illyria yelled.<br>The medic pulls John away from the bed and bundles him out of the tent as Carson zips it up again.  
>"Put him into isolation and run a scan immediately." Carson ordered.<br>҉  
><strong>S.G.C.<strong>

Elizabeth runs into the Control Room and goes over to the front console. She puts her hand on the palm scanner, then starts to type. The Gate begins to dial, then kwhooshes. Elizabeth runs down into the Gateroom and starts to run up the ramp, only to stop as Jack appears as if from nowhere and steps into her path just in front of the event horizon.  
>"I can't let you go."<br>"You're not General O'Neill."  
>Jack morphs into Doctor Fletcher.<br>"Elizabeth, listen to me."  
>Elizabeth points at the event horizon behind him.<br>"You see that? That's the Stargate, and yes, leaving is _exactly_ what I plan to do."  
>"I won't let you go."<br>"You can't stop me."  
>Fletcher morphs again - this time into Niam.<br>"On the contrary. I already have. I made your friend disappear, haven't I?" Elizabeth stares at him. "That's right. He can't help you now. And you can't possibly get past me. So you see ... you've lost."  
>Resolutely, Elizabeth braces herself, steps forward and walks straight through Niam, who disintegrates into tiny crystals that fall to the floor. She walks into the event horizon...<p>

...and opens her eyes to find herself lying in bed in the Atlantis Infirmary. She looks around and sees Carson, Ronon, Illyria, Rodney and Marissa smiling at her outside the isolation tent.  
>"Where am I?"<br>"The Infirmary. How are you feeling?" Marissa asked.  
>Elizabeth smiles. "I'm back in Atlantis."<br>The others look puzzled.  
>Carson gently said, "You never left."<br>Elizabeth smiles, gazing around the room in relief.

҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME. <strong>

John walks into the Control Room and goes across to Elizabeth, who is standing with her back to him on the balcony facing the Gateroom, holding something in her hands.  
>"Still up, huh?"<br>Elizabeth turns to face him. "Oh, hey." She smiles. "Yeah, I wasn't all that keen to go back to sleep just yet."  
>"Understandable."<br>"I'm glad to see you've been released from quarantine."  
>"Yeah. Well, I guess the nanites were too focussed on you to spread to me."<br>"I now realize just how insidious they really are." She shakes her head. "I mean, if such a small number of them could do that to me..."  
>"Let's just take it as a win right now."<br>"Alright. Still, I can't believe I was only out for five hours."  
>"Felt longer, huh?"<br>"Yes. A lifetime."  
>" Well, it's good to have you back in the real world. ... At least, I <em>think<em> it's the real world ... I could be infected right now, which makes _me_ the one..."  
>"John ... don't."<br>"Sorry."  
>He smiles at her, then walks away. Elizabeth watches him go, then looks down at what she's holding, running her fingers over her father's pocket watch.<p> 


	34. Chapter 32

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year 5 weeks**

**OFFWORLD PLANET. **

Team Sheppard is running for its life. Captain Frio leads the way, followed by Doctor McKay.  
>"We must go faster, Rodney!" She yelled.<br>"This is pretty much my top gear!"  
>A little way behind them, Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard and Ronon Dex race to the cover of some trees, then turn to fire back at whoever is pursuing them.<br>"If we make a stand here, we can take 'em!" Ronon said.  
>"Negative! We don't how many we're up against!"<br>John turns and fires another hail of bullets towards their pursuers, then ducks behind the tree again and calls out to Rodney. "Rodney, dial the damned Gate. Don't wait for us!"  
>Rodney and Marissa have reached the D.H.D. Rodney starts to dial as Marissa aims her P90 back into the trees.<br>"As if the bullets whizzing past my head weren't encouragement enough!" McKay yells. John and Ronon continue firing back at their attackers. McKay was pressing buttons on the D.H.D. "OK, six, seven." He presses the central button and the Gate whooshes. He activates his headset radio as he and Marissa run towards the Gate. "This is McKay to Atlantis. We're coming in hot!"  
>John fires one last burst of bullets, and then breaks for the Gate. Ronon gives him a moment, fires once more from his blaster and then, with a cry of effort, runs after him. At the edge of the clearing, unseen by the two of them, a man in a long black coat fires a hand-held harpoon-type weapon towards them. The harpoon flies out and impacts with the back of John's black leather jacket [that's <em>another<em> hole in it!]. As John continues to run forward, the rope attached to the harpoon reaches its full length and John is catapulted backwards to the ground. Ronon, unaware of this, charges into the Gate. As the Gate shuts down, John, a little winded, raises his head from the ground as men in Genii uniforms run over and aim their weapons at him. The man in the black coat walks over. John stares up at him in surprise. It's Acastus Kolya, who bends down and smiles at him.  
>"It's good to see you again, Colonel."<br>Jon was not at all happy to see him. "Kolya."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

Queen Illyria stands in the Gateroom as a large strike force returns through the Gate, her five week old twins safely tucked away in the office. Marissa, Ronon and Rodney are the last to come through.  
>"Anything?" Illyria asked.<br>"There was no sign of Colonel Sheppard or our attackers." Marissa reported.  
>"And they covered their tracks well." Ronon said.<br>"There's a good chance he was transported offworld, so I gathered the last fifty or so Gate addresses that were dialed." McKay said.  
>"That should be helpful. But since the transmission which summoned us to the planet was sent using a code we gave to the Genii, <em>that<em> will be our starting point." Illyria said, her voice growing bitter.  
>"What are you gonna do - like, <em>ask<em> the Genii if one of them took Sheppard?" McKay asked.  
>"Yes, I am."<br>The Gate starts to dial in. Everyone looks at it, and then Rodney turns back to Illyria while pointing at the Gate.  
>"So this ...?"<br>"Yes, it is."  
>The Tech spoke from the Control Room. "Incoming wormhole." The Gate whooshes. "We're receiving the new identification code."<br>"Security teams, stand by. Lower the shield." Illyria instructed.  
>The shield is lowered. Moments later, Ladon Radim - the new leader of the Genii - comes through, followed by three Genii guards.<br>"Welcome, Ladon." Illyria greeted.  
>"I came as soon as I..."<br>Ronon storms over to him and glares down at him threateningly. "What've you done with Sheppard?"  
>"Ronon. He is here as our guest." Illyria said coldly.<br>Ronon turns and glares at her for a moment, then reluctantly backs away. Ladon throws him a black look, and then turns to Illyria.  
>"How can I help?"<br>҉  
><strong>KOLYA'S PLANET<strong>

John is standing at the door to an underground prison cell, his hands on the bars of the door. There appears to be no-one around.  
>"Kolya! I didn't kill you last time, remember?" When no-one replies, he kicks the bars of the door angrily, then speaks more quietly. "You promised me points for that. Kolya!"<br>Still no-one responds.  
>"Ah, dammit. I should have killed him."<br>A voice speaks from the adjoining cell. It's the voice of an old man who sounds either very tired or very weak. "You're wasting your breath."  
>"Didn't know I had company down here." John walks to the wall between the cells. There is a small window in it which has two sets of bars separating John and the other prisoner.<br>"There is no escape."  
>"Yeah, well, prisons are like that. Never stopped me before." He peers through the bars, trying to see his fellow prisoner, but the man is at the back of the cell, hidden in the darkness. "How long you been down here?"<br>"Many years." The prisoner moves slightly and there's a clanking sound which suggests that he is chained.  
>"How many is many? Five? Ten?"<br>"It no longer matters."  
>"That many, huh? What did you do to get here?"<br>"I merely allowed myself to be captured alive."  
>John shrugs. "Same here." He turns away from the window and looks around his cell. "Look, I've got people looking for me. When they find me, maybe we can both, uh..."<br>The door to the prison block opens and three Genii guards walk in. One of them walks to John's cell and unlocks the door while the second one stands holding a large rifle. As the first guard slides the door open, the second guard walks forward and aims his rifle at John.  
>The guard jerked his head towards the prison block door. "Move."<br>"Where are we moving to?" The guard cocks his rifle. "I kinda like it here."  
>The guard raises his rifle and fires it. The blast goes just past John's head and hits the wall behind him, punching a hole in it. Cement fragments fly out. John flinches as some of them hit him.<br>"Ow!"  
>"Commander Kolya insists."<br>"Oh, he insists? Well, why didn't you just say so?"  
>He walks out of the cell. As he passes the guard with the rifle, he swings round rapidly and punches him in the face. He grabs hold of the guard's gun but as he is trying to wrestle it off him, another guard runs up behind him and jams a stick into John's back. Electricity surges through the stick and John, groaning, collapses to the floor.<br>"Pick him up."  
>The other two guards pick up John from the floor and drag him away. The second guard, shaking his head in anger that he got hit so easily, follows them.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

In the Gateroom, Atlantis guards relieve the Genii guards of their weapons.  
>Illyria turned to Ladon. "I'm sorry this is necessary, but under the circumstances, I'm sure you understand."<br>"I came here as a friend, Queen Illyria. I hope to leave as one."  
>"And we appreciate your concern for Colonel Sheppard."<br>"Despite the fact that it was your incompetence that led to his capture." McKay said.  
>"Rodney." Illyria whispered.<br>"I'm sorry, but there is no disputing the fact that it was a code we provided the Genii that was used to lure us to that planet where we were ambushed." McKay said angrily.  
>Landon turned to Illyria. "Doctor McKay is quite correct. You entrusted us with codes, and I allowed them to be stolen from us. How and by whom is an ongoing investigation, but I must assume it was someone close to me."<br>"Or this is part of your plans." Marissa said.  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"It wouldn't be the first time."  
>"I say this rhetorically - since I should think it is obvious - but if I were involved in this in any way, or if my intentions were anything less than honorable, would I have come to Atlantis?"<br>"With you, who knows? All I know is my friend has been kidnapped and you had something to do with it." Ronon said.  
>"Which is why I have walked away from significant responsibilities as leader of my people to come here and offer our help. Now, you can either let me <em>do<em> that, or you can continue to berate me for my mistake. The choice is yours."  
>Ronon walks closer to him and glares down at him again. "Oh, we have more choices than that."<br>"Ronon!" Illyria yelled shrilly attracting the attention on everyone in and around the gate and control room.  
>Ladon turns to Illyria. "I see no reason to stay here if this is how I am to be treated."<br>Ronon backed away a little, but still glaring at him. "Trust me, you're not goin' anywhere."  
>"Ronon, I understand how you feel. <em>Believe me, I do<em>." Illyria glanced over her shoulder at her office where the nanny was reading to the kids and they repeated what words they could. "But we're gonna deal with this my way." She looks at Ladon. "Let's continue this in my office..." She turns as Ladon starts to walk towards the stairs, then glances at Ronon. "... privately."  
>҉<br>**KOLYA'S PLANET.**

A Genii wheels an old-fashioned (by Earth standards) television studio camera on a stand into a room. Nearby, Kolya watches as a guard handcuffs John's hands to the back of the chair that he has been made to sit in. John grunts in pain, and then looks up at Kolya as he walks over to face him.  
>"It's been some time."<br>"You must have really missed me to go through all this trouble." Kolya smiles. "Nice harpoon, by the way."  
>"To capture an extraordinary soldier takes extraordinary measures."<br>"I'll take that as a compliment."  
>"As you should, Colonel - just as you should understand this is not personal. As soon as my goal is achieved, you'll be returned to Atlantis."<br>"That simple, huh? What do you want?"  
>"It's not a question of <em>what<em> I want. It's a question of _who_."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**  
>"I entrusted the I.D.C. codes you provided to two men in my government: my second minister, in the event of my death, and my personal assistant, Cassel Massan. I trust both of these men implicitly ... or rather, I did."<br>"Are both men now accounted for?" Illyria asked, peering over the bassinet that held the Twins.  
>"Yes. In fact, they're in custody. They're being questioned as we speak."<br>Illyria looked at him a little suspiciously. "Really?"  
>"Don't underestimate the importance of this alliance between our two peoples to the Genii, Queen Illyria. In fact, when I heard the news, my first concern was..."<br>He is interrupted by the sound of the Gate starting to dial in. "We have an unscheduled offworld activation."  
>Illyria hurries out into the Control Room, ushering in the nanny, followed by Ladon. Rodney is sitting at a console looking at his screen.<br>"Identification code?"  
>"None, but we're receiving an analogue video signal."<br>"Bring it up."  
>The image of Kolya appears on the wallscreen. "<em>Queen Illyria, if you're receiving this, please respond."<em>  
>Illyria stares in surprise. Rodney, equally shocked, stands up and looks at the screen. Ronon, of course, doesn't recognize Kolya, having never seen him before.<br>"Who the hell is he?" Ronon asked.  
>"Acastus Kolya. A Genii military leader who once tried to seize Atlantis. Ladon was a member of his strike team." Marissa said, having read the report.<br>_"I do know you're there, your Highness. The existence of Atlantis is no secret among the Genii. It would be pointless not to answer."_  
>Illyria spoke over her shoulder to the technician. "Open a channel."<br>The technician presses a panel on his console, then points back to the screen to indicate that Kolya will now be able to hear her.  
>"This is Queen Illyria."<br>_"Oh, good. I wanted to be certain you were there to see this."_He steps aside and reveals John sitting behind him with a white scarf tied around his mouth as a gag.  
>"What have you done to him?"<br>_"Nothing whatsoever, Doctor McKay."_  
>"OK, let me rephrase that: what are you <em>planning<em> to do?"  
><em>"It's quite simple. I'd like to make a trade."<em>  
>"Before we continue this conversation another second, I want to speak with John." Illyria said.<br>_"Be my guest."_ He turns towards John.  
>"We'll rephrase that, too: we would like <em>him<em> to be able to speak to _us_." McKay said.  
>Kolya turns back to the camera, grinning. "<em>Very well."<em> He nods to a guard, who walks over to John and pulls down his gag.  
><em>"On my command authority, whatever he asks, don't do it, even..."<em>  
>The guard immediately starts to tug the gag back into position. Kolya laughs and turns back to the camera. <em>"Well, as you can see, he's his usual charming self."<em>  
>"Explain your terms, Kolya." Illyria commanded.<br>_ "I have heard the familiar voices of yourself and Doctor McKay, but there is one person I know is there who has yet to speak. Ladon Radim is with you, is he not?"_  
>"Why would Ladon be here?" Illyria asked.<br>_"Well, to preserve his precious alliance with you, your Highness, so that the Genii might remain in the favor of Atlantis. My sources have already confirmed this, so there's no point in denying the fact. Turn him over to me, and Colonel Sheppard will be released immediately."_  
>Ladon looks at Illyria. She glances at him, and then turns around to look at Rodney for a moment before turning back to the screen.<br>"I'll need time to consider your offer."  
><em>"Allow me to help expedite your decision."<em> He turns away from the camera, which pans across the room to the door as it opens. Two Genii guards drag in a male Wraith. Its hair is long and very unkempt, and it seems to be having difficulty walking, as if it is very weak.  
>"Oh my God." Illyria whispered, stumbling back.<br>The guards bring the Wraith across to John, whose eyes widen as he realizes what might be about to happen to him.  
>"Sheppard could have left you to rot down in that hole when we last met, Kolya. He does <em>not<em> deserve this." McKay yelled.  
><em>"Let's be clear, Doctor McKay. No-one does."<em>  
>"Don't do this." Illyria said, stumbling into Ronon.<br>The guards unshackle the Wraith's right hand and take off a leather sheath which was strapped around its lower arm.  
>"Don't do it." She pleaded, her knees shaking. Ronon put his arm under her elbow and held her up.<br>_"The choice is yours, Queen Illyria. Do we have an arrangement?"_A guard pulls John's jacket open. Illyria stares at the screen and doesn't answer. "_Very well."_  
>He turns and nods to the guards, who release the Wraith. It looks down at John and snarls, and then slams its hand onto John's chest. John's face contorts in agony.<br>"Stop! Stop!" Illyria screamed.  
>Kolya turned to his guards. <em>"Enough."<em>  
>A guard jolts the Wraith with an electrified stick as two others haul it away from John and bundle it out of the room. John, a bloodied wound visible in his chest, gasps for breath, then looks up at Kolya weakly. Kolya stares at him for a moment, and then turns back to the camera.<br>"You just crossed a line, Kolya." Illyria growled.  
><em>"We've found that a minimum of three hours between feeding sessions is crucial to ensure the body has sufficient time to recover from the trauma. That's the time you have to decide. Three hours."<em>  
>The transmission ends.<p>

**LATER. **

John is back in his cell and is sitting weakly on the floor, leaning against a wall. His hair is starting to go grey. The voice from the next cell speaks.  
>"They called you Sheppard."<br>"Yeah. That's my name. Pleased to meet you."  
>"You're in pain."<br>"Well, I just got fed on by a Wraith, what do you think?"  
>"I would not know."<br>"Hopefully, you'll never have to find out." John groans as he straightens up a little. "I didn't think anything could hurt that much."  
>"You're still alive."<br>"Yeah, well ... I don't know how many years the darned thing took off my life, but I'll tell you this: if Kolya's men hadn't have pulled that damned thing off, I'd be dust in a flak jacket."  
>"Do you blame the Wraith or the master?"<br>"I'm gonna go with both."  
>"There is a difference. The Wraith must feed in order to live." John frowns. "For Wraith, hunger burns like a fire." Still frowning, John hauls himself to his feet. His cellmate walks into view in the window between the cells. Although still in shadow, we see that it has long, unkempt hair. "Tell me, Sheppard, if you found yourself burning alive, would you settle for just one drop of water..." John walks across the cell towards the window. "... or would you take more?"<br>"Where'd you hear 'em call me Sheppard?"  
>The figure walks forward so that John can see its face. Unsurprisingly, it's the Wraith. "Just before I started to feed."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Ladon is sitting at the table with Illyria, Rodney and Marissa. Ronon is standing behind him. "Of course, you would see him only as the monster who tried to take your city from you."  
>"Kolya also killed several of our people." Illyria said.<br>"He would have killed Doctor Weir as well." Marissa said.  
>"I won't make excuses for his actions or mine during the failed Atlantis mission. We were soldiers under Cowen's orders. But that failure shattered Kolya's stature among the Genii and forced him from Cowen's inner circle."<br>"_You_ managed to stay." Illyria said.  
>"Cowen had no choice but to keep me. I was his chief scientist."<br>"And you just left Kolya out in the cold." McKay said.  
>"That was his choice, not mine. I will admit, in what little contact we had before Kolya went underground, he spoke of overthrowing Cowen's corrupt regime. I was admittedly torn."<br>"Out of loyalty to Cowen?" Illyria asked.  
>"Out of the belief that neither man had what it took to lead the Genii into the future."<br>"So, instead, you - _having_ what it took - overthrew Cowen yourself." McKay said.  
>"Kolya believes that I have taken his rightful place as leader of our people."<br>"No wonder he's pissed." Ronon said.  
>"Well, obviously, he has men loyal to him in <em>your<em> inner circle, hence the codes." Illyria said.  
>"Those traitors will be found." Landon swore.<br>"Sounds like _you're_ the traitor to me." Ronon said.  
>Landon turned to Illyria. "<em>Must<em> he be here?"  
>"The more I hear, the more I'm glad he is."<br>"I could have told you anything. I chose to tell you the truth. If you trade my life for Sheppard, you will not only be yielding to blackmail, but you'll be planting the seeds of civil war."  
>"So what? I say we turn him over and let 'em fight it out." Ronon said.<br>"We can't do that." McKay said.  
>"Why not?"<br>"Because." Rodney thinks about it for a moment. "Well ... _can_ we?"  
>"Colonel Sheppard has already ordered us not to." Marissa said.<br>"At this point, it's not his decision. There's still time for us to find him and launch a rescue operation." Illyria turns to Rodney. "Has there been any progress?"  
>"We have a list of planets where recent Genii activity has been documented, but we'd have a much higher margin of success if Ladon would be willing to point out firm locations of Genii safe houses and shelters - maybe even hidden Wraith-infested torture chambers."<br>Illyria looks at Ladon as Ronon pointedly walks closer to him. Ladon glances over his shoulder at him briefly, then turns to Illyria and nods in agreement.  
>҉<br>**KOLYA'S PLANET.**

John is pacing angrily back and forth in his cell. The Wraith stands at the window looking in at him.  
>"Your anger will only weaken you."<br>"I don't think so."  
>"You realize he is torturing both of us?"<br>"Oh, yeah? What'd he do to you?"  
>"He stopped me."<br>"Really? And how is _that_ torture?"  
>"Have you ever known starvation, Sheppard? The few years I took from you are barely enough to keep me alive. The strength I gained from you is already fading."<br>"I don't really give a damn."  
>"You pace in your cell, cursing that I took years from you. I stand here cursing that I was not allowed them all! Each in our own way, we suffer."<br>John storms over to the window, grabbing onto the bars on his side of the cell and glaring in at the Wraith. "This might come as a surprise to you, but I'm not really in the mood for conversation. So why don't you just do me a favor and SHUT THE HELL UP!"  
>The Wraith slams its hand through the bars, trying to reach him, but the wall between the two cells is too thick. "These are your last hours, Sheppard. If you wish to spend them in silence, then so be it."<br>"No. I'm getting out of here." John walks away from the window. "I've got a life and family to go back to and I'm damned well going back to it."

"You're sure of that?"  
>John was leaning weakly against the opposite wall. "Yeah. I've got friends." Groaning, he sits down on the floor. "And they're gonna come for me."<br>"I hope you continue to believe that the next time I feed."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Illyria is talking with Doctor Beckett.  
>"Illyria, I'm just saying, if you decide in favor of trading for John, it would be best if you did so before the next feeding. I honestly don't know how many sessions a man can take, even someone as strong as Colonel Sheppard."<br>"Is it possible he can recover from this?"  
>"We still know so little about the feeding process. All I can tell you is that each time he's fed upon, his chances of survival diminish severely."<br>Illyria nods. Just then, Rodney runs up the stairs, followed by Ladon.  
>"Queen Illyria! We've got a match! We went through the database. Between our list and Ladon's, there's only one potential location that makes any sense."<br>"Go."  
>"Right." McKay and Carson hurry off. Ladon looks at Illyria and nods.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

A team of marines is geared up and checking their weapons in the Gateroom. Rodney paces along the line.  
>"Alright, people, let's do this one by the numbers. We get in, we get our man, we get out. Stay sharp and stay alive."<br>Standing behind the marines, Carson, Marissa and Ronon look at Rodney in disbelief.  
>"<em>What<em> are you on about?" Carson asked.  
>"Oh, just things that Sheppard would say, so I thought I would, um..."<br>"Well said, Rodney." Marissa said.  
>"Just stay behind me." Ronon growled.<br>"Aye."  
>Ronon hesitated, wanting to look back a t Illyria, then leads Marissa, Carson and the marines into the Gate.<br>"Right!" McKay looks up to the Control Room balcony where Illyria is standing and looking down at him.  
>"Just bring him back." Illyria said.<br>Rodney gives her a thumbs-up, then follows everyone else into the Gate.  
>҉<br>**KOLYA'S PLANET. **

John has been removed from his cell and is handcuffed back in the chair facing Kolya.  
>"I thought you said this wasn't personal."<br>"The truth is, I would've settled for Doctor McKay, but I don't imagine I would enjoy his constant wailing."  
>"They're never gonna make the trade, Kolya. Why don't you just finish this?"<br>"I think you underestimate the sympathetic nature of Queen Illyria. She wouldn't want her children to grow up without a father now would she?"  
>"Well, then, you underestimate Illyria."<br>"You'd prefer I storm Atlantis and take Ladon by force?"  
>John chuckles, shaking his head. "What've you got - half a dozen men and a starving Wraith? Yeah, you go right ahead."<br>"One way or the other, Ladon is mine. Protecting him is a waste of my time and your life."  
>"What'd he do to you?"<br>"I was the one planning to overthrow Cowen. Ladon disclosed those plans, forcing me underground, then staged a coup of his own. He took what was rightfully mine." Kolya looks up to his guards. "Bring in the Wraith."  
>John can't help but grimace in dread.<br>҉  
><strong>WAREHOUSE. <strong>

Outside a warehouse door, the Atlantis strike team has lined up against the wall. Ronon, standing on the other side of the door, pulls out the pin from a stun grenade, smashes a pane of glass in the door and tosses the grenade inside before ducking back out of the way. The grenade explodes. Instantly Ronon snatches out his blaster, spins it to charge it, then kicks the door open and races inside, followed by the others. Two marines stay outside to keep guard. As the smoke dissipates, the team moves through the warehouse with their weapons aimed, weaving in and out of the many boxes and crates stacked around the place.

One of the marines holds up a fist as someone is seen running at the far end of the building. Ronon takes off after him, the others following. The man - wearing a Genii uniform - runs along a walkway. Ronon rounds the corner behind him and shoots him in the back. The man crashes to the floor. Ronon runs over to him, aiming his blaster at him, and kicks him over onto his back. Marissa and some of the others run over. Ronon looks round to them.  
>"Just the caretaker." He bends down to disarm the man.<br>Nearby, Rodney is walking along another walkway. He hears a noise coming from the top of a crate nearby and spins, immediately opening fire with his P90. Ronon and the others hear the noise and run off in its direction. Three marines reach Rodney's position and aim their weapons cautiously. Rodney, who was looking down at what he shot, looks over at them.  
>"Oh, uh..." He gives them a thumbs-up.<br>Carson runs over, aiming his pistol nervously in Rodney's direction as Marissa and Ronon also run up. "Rodney?"  
>Nervously, McKay said. "I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I just, uh, I ... you know, I reacted."<br>"What is it?" Marissa asked.  
>"It's, um ... a mouse. Really big one, though. More of a rat, really. Possibly rabid."<br>Carson turned to Marissa. "This isn't the place, is it?"  
>"I don't believe so."<br>"No. Sheppard wasn't here." Ronon growled, looking around wanting to punch someone.  
>McKay looked at his watch. "And we've just wasted two and a half hours."<br>Ronon turned to the marines. "Let's move out!"

"... and a mouse."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE. **

Illyria is talking with Ladon.  
>"Your intel was wrong."<br>"Well, then, the only way for me to help is to return to my homeworld and mobilize the resources of my military."  
>"You can contact them from here."<br>"Do you think I don't know the real reason you're keeping me here?"  
>"You are a head of state. It was John Sheppard's last order that we do not submit to Kolya's demands, and it is my own policy to never yield to terrorists. <em>Those<em> are the reasons you're still here, Mr. Radim. Because believe me, if it was simply my choice, my children would have their father back."  
>"I understand."<br>"Good."  
>"How ...?"<br>Illyria interrupted. "Now, we don't have much time. I want you to look over our list of planets again - see if there's anything you could have..."  
>She is interrupted by the sound of the Gate dialling in.<br>"Unscheduled offworld activation!" Illyria walks out into the Control Room, Ladon following. "Looks to be another video feed."  
>"Patch it through and open a channel." Illyria ordered. She walks over to the wall screen as Kolya's image appears on it.<br>_"Queen Illyria. As promised."_  
>"Where's Sheppard?"<br>_"I'm pleased to see you're wasting no time. So neither will I."_

Kolya walks across the room, the camera following him, until John comes into view, sitting bound and gagged in the chair behind him. The Wraith stands beside John. One of the guards unties the sheath around the Wraith's arm. John turns his head in dread as the Wraith shakes the sheath off its arm and flexes its fingers, snarling in anticipation. Illyria gazes at the screen in dismay as Kolya turns to the camera.  
><em>"Will you turn Ladon Radim over to me in exchange for Colonel Sheppard?"<em>  
>Illyria doesn't answer immediately. Behind Kolya, John shakes his head minutely.<br>_"Queen Illyria?"_  
>"No." Illyria strongly said, gazing at John.<br>John nods approvingly.  
><em>"I can only conclude you doubt my sincerity."<em>  
>Kolya turns to his guards and nods his head. They release the Wraith. It turns and holds its hand over John's chest, hesitating for a moment as John looks up at it, then slams its hand down. John's face contorts as the Wraith roars in delight as it feeds. Illyria and Ladon stare at the screen as the Wraith blocks their view of John. Kolya allows the Wraith to feed for about eight seconds, and then nods to his men again.<br>_"Enough."_  
>The guards drag the Wraith away from John. He gasps for breath through his gag. His hair is now almost completely grey and his face is sunken and older. He looks like a man in his mid-fifties. Kolya looks at him for a moment, and then turns to the camera.<br>_"Three hours."_  
>The transmission ends. Illyria gazes at the screen, tears in her eyes.<br>҉  
><strong>CELL. <strong>

Two guards drag John into his cell and drop him to his hands and knees on the floor before walking out and locking the door. John wearily drags himself across to the wall with the window in it and slumps down. The Wraith looks through the window. As it speaks, its voice sounds stronger than it has before.  
>"Where are your friends?"<br>"They'll be here." John said weakly.  
>"You still believe that."<br>"Yeah, I do. They just need more time."  
>"No-one has ever left this place alive."<br>"Yeah, well, I'm going to."  
>"Kolya will kill you before your friends have a chance to reach these cells."<br>John looks thoughtful. "How well do you know the layout of this place?"  
>"Well enough to know what they would be up against."<br>Painfully, John drags himself to his feet and turns to look through the window at the Wraith. "What about us? Do you know enough about this place to get _us_ out?"  
>"You and me?"<br>Sarcastically, John said, "What, are they gonna let you go after I'm dead?"  
>"No."<br>"Then what've you got to lose?"  
>"My life."<br>"Oh, yeah, you've got a great one down here." The Wraith snarls at him. "Listen, it makes sense. We have a common goal."  
>"As I said before, there is no escape."<br>It turns away from him.

**THREE HOURS LATER. **

A guard opens the door to John's cell, drawing his electrical stunner while a second guard stands ready with a rifle.  
>"Move."<br>Slowly, John walks out of the cell and turns to look as the Wraith is released from the adjoining cell. They exchange a glance for a moment before John looks away. He turns his head to look at the Wraith again but the guard with the rifle punches him across the face, and then shoves him towards the door of the cell block. The Wraith and its guards follow.  
>Shortly afterwards, Kolya once again talks into the camera. In the Atlantis Control Room, everyone has gathered.<br>_"He still has years ahead of him, Queen Illyria. My offer stands."_  
>"So does my answer."<br>_"Then you're effectively ending his life."__  
><em> Illyria shakes her head. "I'm not gonna go there."  
><em>"Is Ladon there?"<em>  
>"I am."<br>_"I can't help but wonder what you've told them so they'd choose you over one of their own."_  
>"That I betrayed you. That I took for myself what you believed to be yours."<br>_"The truth? I must say I'm surprised."__  
><em> "If you release him, you may return to our people with my promise of amnesty."  
>Kolya was smiling. <em>"Please, Ladon, I trained you better than that. There are things that cannot be undone."<em>  
>"That's not true. You can end this." Illyria said.<br>_"Strange, your Highness, I was just about to say the same thing."_ Illyria looks down as the Wraith is brought into position beside John's chair. Kolya turns to the Wraith. _"Take your fill."_  
>Instantly the Wraith slams its hand down onto John's chest. His head rolls back in agony. In the Control Room, Illyria turns her face away in anguish, covering her mouth to stifle a scream. Marissa can't bear to look at all. Beside her, Ronon's face contorts in a mixture of fury and helplessness. Finally he can take no more and, with a cry of rage, storms away. Nearby, Rodney gazes at the screen in grief. Carson, on the other hand, glares at the screen as if he's ready to commit murder. Ladon watches with his face wracked with guilt. The Wraith feeds for nearly fifteen seconds, and then suddenly it withdraws its hand.<br>_"Who told you to stop?"_ Kolya asked it.  
>The Wraith looks up at him. <em>"He is near death. Shall I finish him?"<em>  
>Kolya looks at it for a moment, then down at John, whose face is now very wrinkled. He looks about seventy years old. Kolya turns to his guards. <em>"Get it out of here."<em>  
>The guards drag the Wraith away as John slumps in his chair. Kolya turns to the camera.<p>

"_Now it's _two_ hours."_  
>The transmission ends and the Gate shuts down.<br>"If he's fed upon again, he's as good as dead." Carson said.  
>"We don't know that." McKay said.<br>"Aye, Rodney, we do. He may already be past the point of no return. We know that a large percentage of those that survive a partial feeding die anyway due to complications as a result of strain on the system. What appears as physical ageing is actually a by-product of a complex process we barely understand. I can't imagine him surviving another session, whether it's two hours or ten hours from now."  
>Ronon furiously turns to Ladon. "If you were half the man Sheppard is, you'd volunteer to make the trade yourself."<br>"The truth is, I'm not sure whether or not I would have made the trade if our roles were reversed." He turns to Illyria. "So I ask you, allow what you have done for me to be worth something. There's nothing more I can do here, but I can get you the information you need to find Sheppard if you allow me to return and interrogate the men who stole the codes from me."  
>Uncertain, Illyria looks round at her team. They gaze back at her, equally unsure what to do for the best.<br>҉  
><strong>KOLYA'S PLANET. <strong>

**CELL. **

John, lying on the floor, regains consciousness. Weakly, he pushes himself up onto his elbows and sees the Wraith looking through the window at him.  
>"You know, I could've sworn I was gonna wake up dead today." John said weakly.<br>"You are strong. Stronger than any human I have ever fed upon."  
>"You stopped yourself."<br>"Yes."  
>"Why?"<br>"Because the longer I feed, the weaker you become ... and we will need what strength you have left to escape."  
>"Oh, <em>now<em> he wants to escape!"  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS GATEROOM. **

Ladon's guards are being given their weapons back. Ladon walks down the stairs with Illyria, Marissa, Ronon and Rodney.  
>"I lack the words to thank you, Queen Illyria."<br>"I didn't do this for you."  
>"Well, nevertheless, I'll be in touch the moment I have the information that you need."<br>"Thank you."  
>Ladon nods to her, then turns and leads his guards into the Gate. Rodney steps up beside Illyria. "Why do I have this sinking feeling we've just made a terrible mistake?"<br>"Because we have." Ronon turns and walks away.  
>"I'm not so sure, Ronon." Marissa said.<br>Illyria watches as the Genii disappear through the Gate and it shuts down.  
>҉<br>**KOLYA'S PLANET. **

John is lying on the floor of his cell, asleep or resting. The Wraith stands in the middle of its cell. The door to the cell block opens and four guards come in. Two go to John's cell and two to the Wraith's. One of the men unlocks John's cell and he and his colleague go inside and drag John to his feet and help him walk towards the door. The other two walk the Wraith from its cell. As John and his escort get outside the cell, John summons all his strength and hurls himself and the guards backwards, slamming them against the bars of the cell. While they're still winded, he hurls one of the men to the floor. At the same time, the Wraith grabs one of its guards and hurls him across the floor, then wraps its chains around the neck of the second guard and starts to strangle him. Holding onto the chains with one hand, it slams its right arm against the wall repeatedly until the sheath breaks and drops off. Instantly, it slams that hand onto the chest of the guard and starts to feed.  
>Over at the other cell, John turns to his second guard and elbows him ferociously several times in the throat. The other guard jumps up from the floor and tries to grab him from behind but John swings around, seizes him and slams his head into the bars of the cell.<br>Back at the Wraith, the guard which it threw to the floor gets up onto one knee and fires his pistol into the Wraith's back. The Wraith roars in pain as he fires six bullets into it. John pulls a knife out of the belt of the guard he is holding against the cell bars and flips it across the room, where it embeds itself into the shooting guard's chest. He drops to the floor. The Wraith roars and continues to feed. John looks at the face of the guard he is holding - he looks pretty out of it but just for safe measure John punches him in the face and drops him. He looks across to the Wraith, which is still feeding. Leaving it to it, he bends down to one of the unconscious guards and takes a pistol from him.  
>The Wraith, finally finished with its prey, stands up and walks towards John. John stands up and looks at it nervously. The Wraith stops and waits. John, realizing that it's not going to attack him - at least for the time being - tosses a set of keys to it. It starts to unlock its wrist shackles and then those around its ankles while John bends down to the guards and takes a radio and another pistol. Its shackles now undone, the Wraith stands up again and looks at John, who looks into its eyes for a moment, then steps towards it and offers it one of the pistols. The Wraith takes it.<br>"Which way?" John asked.  
>"This way."<br>It leads the way out of the cell block. Shortly afterwards, they take cover behind a pillar while John looks out cautiously at three guards blocking the exit. The Wraith seems more interested in the pistol that it has been given. It holds it up, running its hand along the barrel. John turns back to see that the Wraith has inadvertently pointed the gun directly at his head. He slaps it down and glares at the Wraith. He holds up the radio he took and activates it. One of the guards, his back to the pillar, looks down at his own radio as it begins to emit static. Instantly John runs out from the pillar, grabs him around the neck from behind and stabs him in the chest. The Wraith grabs the other guard and snaps his neck. The third guard fires his rifle at the Wraith, hitting it several times in the side. It snarls but doesn't fall. The guard turns towards John, who quickly spins around, putting the man he is holding between himself and the rifle so that, as the guard opens fire, the bullets impact his colleague. John sticks his own pistol underneath the man's arm and fires twice at the guard holding the rifle, killing him. John pulls the knife out of the man he's holding and drops him. The Wraith walks over, inspecting its wounds. It looks at John.  
>"It will heal. This way."<br>It heads off. John ejects the cartridge from his pistol, walks over to the guard he just shot and takes his rifle before following the Wraith. They run up some stairs and through a long room.  
>Downstairs, guards are checking their fallen colleagues. Kolya walks in. "They did this together."<br>"They've taken weapons." The guard said.  
>"I want ten armed men at the Stargate. The rest of you, hunt them down."<p>

**LATER. **

The Wraith pushes open the cover of a raised metal hatch and finds itself in the open in the middle of a forest. It's night time. It climbs out. Behind it, John hauls himself wearily out.  
>"How far is the Stargate?"<br>"It will be guarded."  
>"We've got guns."<br>"They will be waiting for us."  
>"Don't be so negative."<br>The Wraith sinks down wearily to sit on the edge of the hatch, groaning in pain.  
>"You think you're gonna make it?"<br>"If I feed."  
>"Well, don't look at me!"<br>Tiredly, the Wraith hauls itself to its feet again and turns to face him. John backs away a step, aiming his rifle at it. The Wraith raises its own pistol and aims it at John.  
>"We make it to the Stargate, we both go our separate ways. Until then, we're gonna need each other. Deal?"<br>The Wraith nods reluctantly and lowers its pistol. John lowers his rifle and the Wraith leads them away.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

Illyria stands on the balcony of the Control Room, gazing down at the Gate and tapping her hand impatiently on the railing. The technician walks over to her.  
>"Queen Illyria?"<br>Illyria turns to look at him. "How long has it been?"  
>He looked at his watch. "It's coming up on two hours. We should receive the next transmission any minute now."<br>"Yes, I'll be there in a moment."  
>The technician nods and walks away. Illyria turns back to look down at the Gate.<br>҉  
><strong>KOLYA'S PLANET. <strong>

John and the Wraith are making their way through the forest.  
>"I was blindfolded all the way to the bunker. It wasn't <em>this<em> far." John said.  
>"If I could just move faster..." Trying to speed up, it groans and falls to its hands and knees in exhaustion.<br>"We'll rest here a few minutes."  
>"You should go on without me."<br>"No. The Gate's guarded. Got a better chance to take down the guards in a crossfire. I still need you."  
>"Very well."<br>"That is, even if we're going in the right direction." John turns to face the Wraith. "You have no idea where the Stargate is, do you?"  
>The Wraith, still on its knees, slumps down. "It was many years ago."<br>"Way to go, John! Listening to a Wraith!" John angrily yelled, sounding like an old man.  
>"It was not my intention to deceive you, Sheppard."<br>John glares at it, then is distracted as the radio he is holding activates.  
>A guard spoke over radio. <em>"Our reinforcements have arrived at the Stargate, Commander."<em>  
><em>"Kill the Wraith on sight, but I want Sheppard alive." <em>Kolya said.  
>John turns to the Wraith. "Well, we learned two things: one, he likes me better than you..." The Wraith, having finally struggled to its feet, chuckles weakly. "...two, we probably would've never made it to the Stargate anyway."<br>The Wraith sank down to the ground again. "Then it is over."  
>"No. Our people don't leave each other behind. That's three things you've learned."<br>"You still believe that?"  
>John walks closer and squats down to it. "Kolya doesn't know where we are. He's wasting manpower that could be used searching for us guarding the Gate. The odds of my people finding us are going up and up."<br>"You are more like Wraith…than you know."  
>"I'm not sure I like the sound of that."<br>"There is much about Wraith that you do not know, Sheppard."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE. **

Illyria, Carson and the rest of Team Sheppard are there.  
>"Kolya's late." McKay announced.<br>"That is not like him." Marissa said.  
>"We haven't heard anything from Ladon either." McKay added.<br>"We will." Illyria said.  
>"Is it possible they were in on this from the beginning?" Marissa asked.<br>"No, I don't think so. Why would Ladon come here in the first place?" Illyria asked.  
>"Throw us off the scent." Ronon said.<br>"What kind of a plan would that be?" McKay asked.  
>"Genii."<br>"True." McKay shrugged.  
>"Either way, there must be a reason why Kolya hasn't contacted us." Marissa said.<br>"Perhaps he knew it would take Colonel Sheppard more time to recover." Carson said.  
>"None of us are saying what we're all thinking here." McKay said.<br>"No, Rodney, we're not." Illyria whispered.  
>҉<br>**KOLYA'S PLANET. **

John listens as a guard reports over the radio:_"Tell Kolya there's nobody around the Gate."_  
>"Sounds like they're concentrating their search around the Gate." John looks down at the Wraith, which is lying on the ground on its back. "They must think we knew where we were going."<br>The Wraith chuckles, then gazes up into the sky which has three half-moons in it. "Oh, it was worth it, if only to see the sky again."  
>"I got slightly higher expectations."<br>"My wound is deep." He props itself up on one elbow and looks at John. "If I do not feed soon, I will die."  
>"Buck up. We got a deal, remember? We <em>both<em> go home alive."  
>"And if we were to meet again in the future, what then?"<br>"All bets are off."  
>The Wraith chuckles again. "Then let us hope we do not meet again."<br>"Try to get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."  
>Groaning, John stands up and hobbles off.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONTROL ROOM. **

The technician reports as Illyria and the others hurry in from her office. The Gate is active. "I'm receiving the new Genii I.D.C. along with a video feed."  
>"Ladon." Marissa said.<br>"Put it on the screen." Illyria said.  
>They hurry over to the wall screen as Ladon's image appears.<br>_"Are you receiving me?" _Landon asked.  
>"We were starting to get worried." Illyria said.<br>_"Yes, I'm sure you had doubts. The truth is, the interrogation took longer than I hoped. We've secured the location of Kolya's base. I'm forwarding you the dialing coordinates right now."_  
>"Are you certain?"<br>_"Certain enough to send a full brigade through the Gate. It will take us an hour to marshal our forces. I thought you might want that time."_  
>"What will we be up against?"<br>_ "Nothing one of your cloaked Jumpers and my good friend Ronon couldn't handle. I ask only that you leave Kolya for my own forces to find."_  
>Illyria looks round at the others, then turns back to the screen. "No promises."<br>_ "I understand."_  
>The transmission ends. Illyria turns to the others.<br>"Alright, get a cloaked Jumper and a team of marines."  
>"I'd like to reserve one of those seats for a member of my medical team." Carson said.<br>"Done." Illyria looks at Ronon. "And if you _do_ find Kolya..."  
>Ronon was smiling unpleasantly. "No promises."<br>"Exactly."  
>҉<br>**KOLYA'S PLANET. **

**DAY TIME. **

John is sitting asleep with his back against a tree. The Wraith lies on the ground flat on its back nearby. A short distance away, Genii guards make their way through the trees, searching for them. The Wraith's eyes snap open. It sits up, looking around, then gets to its feet, looking around as it hears the guards' feet snapping through the undergrowth. Clutching its injured side, it walks over to John and squats down beside him. John opens his eyes and looks at it.  
>"They're coming." The Wraith said.<br>Instantly, it slams its hand onto John's chest and begins to feed. John, too weak even to groan, closes his eyes and his face begins to age. The Wraith snarls as it takes his life force.  
>Shortly afterwards, the Genii guards arrive to find John lying on his back on the ground with his eyes closed. Ignoring him, they look around the area. The Wraith suddenly drops down from a tree and, its strength fully restored, slams its hand into the chest of one of the guards, sending him flying into the trees. It cuffs a second guard to the ground. Two more guards turn and rapidly fire their rifles into it but the Wraith runs forward, seizes their guns and rips them out of their hands before dropping them, then grabs both of them around the throat and slams them down to the ground. Holding them both down, it shifts its right hand to the guard's chest and begins to feed. The man screams. The Wraith roars with delight. The guard held down by the Wraith's left hand looks across to his colleague in terror and sees that he is ageing rapidly.<br>At the planet's Stargate, seven or so Genii guards aim their weapons at the open Gate. A Puddle Jumper flies through, cloaks instantly and flies off as the guards fire at it. Inside the Jumper, Rodney is in the pilot's seat. Nobody is looking nervous, so he must have been declared a qualified pilot after his skilled flying through the narrow streets of Sateda recently. Marissa, Ronon and Carson are in the front compartment while a team of marines is in the back. Marissa looks at the heads-up display.  
>"The facility is straight ahead."<br>"We're detecting life signs on the surface, miles from the bunker." McKay said.  
>"How many?" Ronon asked.<br>"When it first came up, it was eight, then four. I don't get it - now it's just the two." McKay looked confused.  
>"What's going on down there?" Carson asked.<br>"Well, one of them is definitely Sheppard. His subcutaneous transmitter's still broadcasting."  
>"Could the other one be Kolya?" Marissa asked.<br>"Let's hope so. Land a hundred meters to the south of their position." Ronon ordered.  
>On the planet's surface, the Wraith walks over to John and looks down at him. John is elderly, his hair white and thin and his face sunken. He looks like Colonel Sumner did just before his death. The Wraith kneels down and looks into John's face. John raises his head and stares up at it.<br>"Finish it."  
>"As I told you, John Sheppard, there are many things about Wraith that you do not know."<br>It reaches out its right hand and places it down onto his chest.  
>Nearby, the rest of Team Sheppard and the marines are making their way cautiously through the forest. Ronon, on point, raises a clenched fist, stops and squats down. The others come up quietly behind him. Some distance away, John screams. Ronon jumps up and races towards the sound, the others following. They race through the trees and come across the Wraith squatting over John. Ronon charges forward, grabs it and hurls it away from him, charging his blaster and pointing it at the Wraith.<br>"Wait!" John yelled from the ground. As the Wraith scrambles to its feet, John also stands up. He's as young and as pretty as he ever was. "Leave him." The others run up, all aiming their weapons at the Wraith. "That's an order!"  
>"I don't understand. We all saw what he did to you." Carson said even more confused than he was in the jumper.<br>John walked towards the Wraith. "He just undid it. Lower your weapons."  
>"How is this possible?" Marissa asked, looking around.<br>"Don't ask me." John said.  
>The Wraith, which has been looking round at everyone surrounding it, turns to John. "The gift of life is reserved only for our most devout worshippers ... and our brothers."<br>"Well, I guess there's a lot about the Wraith we don't know." John said.  
>The Wraith addresses the others, although its eyes never leave John's. "Sheppard gave me back my life. I merely repaid the debt."<br>McKay's voice was high-pitched in disbelief. "What debt? Are you kidding? I mean, he looks younger than he did before!"  
>"What about Kolya?" Ronon asked.<br>John, who had obviously completely forgotten about Kolya with all the other things happening to him, pats his jacket for the radio, then curses, turns and runs to where it's lying on the ground nearby. He snatches it up and activates it.  
>"Kolya, this is Sheppard." Kolya is standing in front of the open Stargate. He lifts his radio to listen to it. "Kolya? I <em>figured<em> you'd run. Next time, I kill you on sight, you hear me?" Kolya turns and walks into the Gate. Frustrated at the lack of reply, John lowers his radio and looks at Ronon. "Let's get off this rock."  
>Ronon turns and looks at the Wraith. "What about him?"<br>John looks at the Wraith. "We had a deal, right?"  
>"I did not truly expect you to honor it."<br>It chuckles. John licks his lips, thinking about it, then looks at Ronon. Ronon, with his back to the Wraith, offers his blaster to John. John looks at it for a moment, then takes it, walks past him and fires the blaster at the Wraith, hitting it in the chest. The Wraith drops to the ground. Ronon angrily takes the blaster off John and looks at the setting.  
>"You didn't kill him."<br>"No, I didn't. Get him in the Jumper. We're gonna drop him off somewhere." John said. The marines bend down and pick up the Wraith. John walks over to the rest of his team, sarcastically saying, "Thanks for showing up!"  
>Rodney makes faint protesting noises as John walks away.<p>

**NIGHT TIME. **

The Wraith regains consciousness lying on the ground. It sits up, roaring, then calms down as it sees John standing nearby. John raises his rifle cautiously. Some yards away is an active Stargate.  
>"Ah, Sheppard." The Wraith puts its hand to its chest where it was shot by Ronon's blaster. "I thought you..."<br>"There's a lot you don't know about humans."  
>The Wraith gets to its feet and looks around, realizing that it's on a different planet. "Ah, I see." It looks at John. "Next time we meet..."<br>"All bets are off."  
>The familiar sound of Wraith Darts can be heard in the distance. Both John and the Wraith look up towards the sound. As a Dart flies overhead and the Wraith turns to watch it, John backs away and disappears from view. He has obviously stepped inside the cloak of a Jumper parked on the ground. The Wraith turns and looks surprised that John is no longer there. It gazes up into the sky and waits to be picked up by the Dart.<p> 


	35. Chapter 33

**AN:/ Twins are one year eight weeks**

**EARTH. **

In the living room of a house, Jeanie Miller is playing with her four year old daughter, Madison. Jeanie is kneeling beside a low table in the middle of the room while Madison stands on the other side. Various toys are on the table, including a circular track with a toy train on it.  
>"The princess is going to play." Madison said.<br>"Where's the princess? Where's the princess in the tower?" Jeanie asked.  
>"Right there."<br>"Which one?" Madison shows her. "Oh!"  
>"Put this one..." Madison picks up a toy dog.<br>"This is how they need to get around, right?" Jeanie starts to push a toy train around the track towards Madison, making the sound effects. "Chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga..."  
>Madison put the dog down. "Go inside the train...Choo-choo!" She takes the train and starts to push it around the track. "Chugga-chugga, choo-choo."<br>She and Jeanie continue making the noises of the train until it reaches a bridge. As Madison pushes the train onto the bridge, Jeanie trails off and watches the train, lost in thought. Madison pushes the train through the arches of the bridge. Jeanie sinks back onto her heels, stares at the train and bridge for a moment, then stands up and goes over to an easel which has a large pad of white paper on it. She tears off the top sheet, which has a painting of a house which Madison obviously did earlier. She picks up a pot of red paint, kneels down in front of the easel, dips her index finger into the paint and starts to write on the pad.  
>Sometime later, Kaleb Miller comes home. He opens the front door and calls out a greeting. "Hello!" Closing the front door, he puts his bag down on the floor and looks around for his family. He soon notices Madison kneeling on the floor of the living room, gazing at something. "Madison?" Madison doesn't react. Kaleb walks into the room and squats down to her. "Honey?"<br>When Madison still doesn't move or speak, he turns to look at what she's gazing at. He stands up and stares at the sight that greets him. Sheets of paper are hung up all around the room - some on the walls, some attached to shelves - while others are spread out on the floor or on the table. All of them have complicated mathematical equations finger-painted on them in various different colors. Jeanie is sitting on the floor painting calculations on another sheet with her finger.  
>"Hi." Kaleb said.<br>Jeanie looks up at him. "Oh, hey."  
>"So ... how was <em>your<em> day?"  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

In their bedroom, Kaleb and Jeanie are getting ready for bed.  
>"Send it to Graeme Peel." Kaleb suggested.<br>"Graeme Peel has better things to do than look over my nonsensical scribbling's."  
>"Well, they didn't look nonsensical to me." Jeanie looks at him. "OK, fine, they did." They both laugh. "I'm an English major. What the hell do <em>I<em> know? Send it. What have you got to lose?"  
>Jeanie kisses him as she gets into bed. "Goodnight."<br>"Goodnight." He reaches out and turns off the bedside lights as they settle down. Jeanie gazes up at the ceiling thoughtfully.  
>҉<br>**NEXT DAY. **

Jeanie is transferring her finger paintings onto sheets of A4 paper, this time using a pen.

**LATER. **

Kaleb picks up some glasses of drinks and takes them into the living room where Jeanie and Madison are again playing with the toys on the table. There's a knock at the front door.  
>"I'll get it." Jeanie said. She goes to the door and opens it. Samantha Carter, wearing dress blues, is standing outside and smiles at her.<p>

"Jean Miller?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Hi. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force."  
>Nervously, Jeanie said, "OK."<br>"Did you send a math proof to Professor Graeme Peel of the California Institute of Technology?"  
>"Was I not supposed to?"<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard walks into a lab where Doctor McKay and Doctor Zelenka are sitting at a desk.  
>"Sorry to interrupt, kids." John turns to Rodney. "But you need to pack your toothbrush, head back to Earth."<br>"I do? Why?"  
>"Carter needs help."<br>Rodney smiles smugly. "With what?"  
>"Your sister."<br>Rodney's face falls as he looks at John in shock.  
>҉<br>**EARTH. **

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. **

**STARGATE COMMAND. **

Sam walks into the Gateroom where the Gate is active. Rodney walks through and comes down the ramp.  
>"Welcome back to Earth." Sam greeted.<br>"Yes, yes. What has my sister done?" McKay asked.  
>"Good to see you, too, McKay."<br>"Greetings, salutations, pleasantries. What's she done?" McKay impatiently asked. Without waiting for an answer, he walks past her - turning briefly to look at her backside - and leaves the Gateroom. Sam turns, rolls her eyes and follows him.

**LATER. **

Rodney is sitting at the desk in Sam's lab. A half-eaten sandwich and partly eaten tub of red jelly is on the table but Rodney is more interested in the paper that he is reading. Sam walks around the lab, clicking her fingers impatiently as she waits for him to finish reading. As he gets near to the end of the document she walks over to stand beside him.  
>"I thought that..."<br>Rodney holds up a finger and makes an inarticulate sound to stop her. He reads on for a moment. "Huh. Well, it's certainly some, uh, very interesting stuff, but it can't be her work. I mean, she's been out of the game for years."  
>Sam blinks. "'The game'?"<br>"Mmm, yeah. She hasn't published a single theoretical physics paper in, like, four years."  
>"Oh, <em>that<em> game!"  
>"Mmm. She was on a fast track to some pretty exciting grants, doing some interesting work. I mean, she was no me, of course, but she was at least a you."<br>Carter was staring at him. "Uh-huh."  
>McKay didn't notice. "Mmm. Anyway, she got herself knocked up by some English major, and her priorities shifted overnight. I tried to talk some sense into her, but she's a tad on the stubborn side."<br>"When was the last time you spoke to her?"  
>"Hmm, four years, maybe."<br>"Four years?"  
>"Not that I didn't check to see if she'd published."<br>Sam laughs in disbelief, then looks down at the paper. "You realize what this proof means, right?"  
>Condescendingly, McKay said, "Yes, well, if the math checks out."<br>"Oh, I've been over it. It checks out."  
>"Ah, well, no offence, blue eyes, but I'd like a little more time with it myself."<br>Firmly, Sam repeated, "It checks out."  
>"And she said it just came to her?"<br>"Yeah. She was playing with her kid, and she got a notion."  
>McKay got annoyed. "A notion. That is just beautiful. Oh, she's gonna love this." Suddenly he looks up at Sam in a panic. "Oh, you didn't tell her I'd been trying to prove something like this myself, did you?"<br>"Not exactly."  
>McKay sighed relieved. "Oh, good, 'cause she would just ... Wait a minute. Why not?"<br>"See, that's part of the reason I asked you here. She's been cleared by the Pentagon, but she refuses to sign the confidentiality agreement. She says she wants nothing to do with us. To be honest, she's been a bit of a pain in the ass."  
>"Ah. Well, forget her, then. I mean, she's made her choice. We'll just have to - you and I - figure out how to implement it on our own." He turns over some pages of the document and looks at them. "Let's see..." He glances nervously at Sam for a moment, then looks back at the document. "Now, upon first glance, there are certainly some missing pieces that aren't exactly spelled out in the proof, but, um..." Aware that Sam is looking at him closely, he trails off and looks up without meeting her eyes. "What?"<br>"You and I both know this would go a lot faster if your sister were on board."  
>"Well, what do you want <em>me<em> to do? She's not gonna listen to me."

"You're her brother!"

"Yeah, exactly!"  
>҉<br>**MILLER HOUSE. **

Jeanie goes to the door as someone knocks on it. She opens it and finds Rodney standing there holding a small bunch of flowers. He smiles at her.  
>"Hi."<br>Jeanie looked shocked. "Hi."  
>"Long time no see."<br>"To say the least!"

There's a long uncomfortable pause. "Aren't you gonna invite me in?"  
>"Why are you here?"<br>McKay stepped over the threshold. "What, I can't just stop by, say hi to my little sister?"  
>"Well, we haven't spoken in four years and you've never done <em>anything<em> like this, so ... no, you can't."  
>"Well, I've been kind of busy ... with work, you know, doing a lot of travelling and such, and I was called back on business, so, um ... I was in town, and I thought I'd, um, you know." He holds out the bunch of flowers to her.<br>"Wait a second."  
>"What?"<br>"You're not here because of the physics proof, are you?"  
>"What? No! No, I mean, sure, that's part of the reason I'm here, but, uh..."<br>"You work for the U.S. government?"  
>"No, no, I work for an multi-national oversight advisory that, uh..."<br>"You know what? I don't care. I already told that-that colonel person that I don't want anything to do with them."  
>Rodney looks annoyed. "Do you have any idea what you've written?"<br>"A math proof. Some-some theoretical physics. I am willing to wager it has _no_ practical application at all."  
>Rodney brandishes the flowers at her. "I'll take that action."<br>"What does that mean?"  
>"Just sign the damn agreement."<br>"No! Getting all proprietary about our research and ideas is everything that's wrong with science today."  
>McKay rolled his eyes. "Here we go."<br>"Did you know that one fifth of our genes, the very building blocks of our being, have been patented by major pharmaceutical corporations? One fifth! If there's any benefit at _all_ to what I've written, it's that it'll spark an idea in someone else. I am not gonna sign away my rights, least of all to the U.S. military."  
>"But it <em>has<em> sparked an idea in someone, a big one!"  
>"Like what?"<br>"No, can't tell you. Not until you sign the agreement."  
>"I'm not signing the agreement 'til you tell me."<br>Kaleb came into the hallway with Madison in his arms. "Is everything OK?"  
>Jeanie turns to him while gesturing towards Rodney. "Look who showed up."<br>Rodney waves at him, smiling falsely. "Hey."

Kaleb looks at him, not sure who he is.  
>"It's my brother." Jeanie said.<br>"Oh! Right." Kaleb puts Madison down. "Hey."  
>Madison runs over to Rodney and wraps her arms around his legs. Rodney grimaces. "Hi!"<br>Rodney looks down at her. "Uh ... hello, little one."  
>"Did you bring me a present?"<br>Jeanie and Kaleb laugh. "Madison!" She pulls her daughter away from Rodney.  
>"What? No. I didn't know that was a rule." McKay asked.<br>"It is!"  
>"Well, I guess I broke that rule."<br>Madison giggles.  
>"Uh, I just made some dinner. Would you care to join us?" Kaleb asked.<br>Jeanie turns and throws a look at Kaleb.  
>"Uh, well, that would be great, actually. I am starving. You have no idea what time zone I just came from." McKay said.<br>"Well, I sure hope you like tofu chicken." Kaleb smiled. He takes Madison's hand and leads her off into the kitchen. Rodney laughs nervously, hands the flowers to Jeanie and walks into the house.  
>"I sure hope he's kidding."<br>Jeanie sighs and closes the front door.

**LATER.**

Jeanie and Rodney take the dishes from the dining room into the kitchen. Jeanie laughs. "Not a fan of vegetarian cuisine, eh?"  
>"Hmm. Yes, well, I suppose I was just in the mood for, um ... well, <em>food<em>."  
>Kaleb walks in. "I'll give Maddie her bath. You two catch up."<br>"OK, hon."  
>Kaleb turned to Rodney. "Hey, pop your head in before you leave."<br>Nervously, McKay asked, "What? Uh, why?"  
>"Children like to say goodbye."<br>McKay looked relieved. "Oh, the, uh ... yeah, sure. Sure." Kaleb leaves the room. Rodney scrapes the plate he's holding into the rubbish bin. "Boy, Madison's sure grown, huh?"  
>"Since she was born? Yeah, yeah, she has!"<br>Rodney puts his plate down and speaks quietly enough that Kaleb won't overhear him, but firmly. "OK, look, I don't want to waste any more of your time. You need to come with me right now. Your proof could lead to something groundbreaking."  
>Jeanie turns to him thoughtfully. "How long would I be gone?"<br>"Well, it's like, a couple of months, tops."  
>Jeanie laughed. "A couple of months? Are you joking? I ... Madison has her first ballet recital next Tuesday."<br>"She's four! How _good_ could she possibly be?"  
>"That's not the point!"<br>"Hey, she's not gonna remember you not being there."  
>"<em>I'll<em> remember me not being there."  
>"This is bigger than your responsibilities."<br>"OK, we've had this conversation before. _You_ belittle my choices, _I_ get furious at you, and we don't talk for four years. I'm not all that anxious to do that again."  
>"This is not what Dad would have wanted." Jeanie turns to him, angry that he's using the 'Dad' card. "No, he would have wanted us working together, side by side, toppling problems and sharing credit."<br>"Oh, you share credit now, do you?"  
>"This is important, Jeanie. I mean, it's much more important than you could ever imagine."<br>"For you, I am sure it is. But this, me being here, this is important for me. Why can't you accept that?"  
>"You know, you leave me no choice." He takes something out of his trouser pocket and walks towards her.<br>"What?"  
>"Just give me your hand."<br>"Why?"  
>"Please just give me your hand!" Jeanie reaches out, then snatches her hand back again. "Will you just ...?"<br>With an annoyed look on her face, Jeanie takes Rodney's hand. Rodney pushes a button on the device he is holding.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

Sam is standing at an Asgard panel, moving the crystals. Behind her, Rodney and Jeanie transport in. Jeanie stares around in shock.  
>"Uh ... Uh, OK, what-what the <em>hell<em> just happened?"  
>Sam walks over. "It's OK. You're perfectly safe."<br>"I don't _feel_ perfectly safe."  
>"OK, you've just been teleported to an interstellar vessel in orbit around the planet." McKay said.<br>Sarcastically, Jeanie said. "Please. Teleportation is about as likely as time travel."  
>Rodney and Sam exchange a glance. "Hmm. Yes, well..."<br>He takes Jeanie by the shoulders and turns her around. They are standing at a floor-to-ceiling window which shows that they are indeed in space with Earth below them.  
>"Ohhh my." Jeanie whispered.<br>"Oh, yes."  
>Jeanie was staring at the planet. "Is-is that ...?" Then her train of thought shifts. "Why aren't we weightless?"<br>"Artificial gravity, and yes, that _is_ North America, and you are in geosynchronous orbit." Carter said.  
>"We work for something called the Stargate Program." McKay said.<br>"Stargate?"  
>"It's a device that creates stable, artificial wormholes that allows us to travel between other planets - even other galaxies."<br>Jeanie was gazing out of the window. "_What_ have you gotten yourself involved in here, Meredith?"  
>Behind her, Rodney closes his eyes and groans. Sam stares. "Meredith?"<br>"It's a long story." Rodney said.  
>"It's his name." Jeanie said.<br>"Your name is Meredith McKay?" Sam said.  
>"Meredith Rodney McKay, yes, but I prefer to go by "Rodney." Look, can we just stick to the point here? Look out the window. Much more interesting than my name." McKay said.<br>"Your name is Meredith?" Sam repeated.  
>Jeanie finally tears herself away from the window and gestures around the ship as she walks deeper into the room. "So this, this is, like, a ... like a space ship?"<br>Rodney and Sam turn to face her, Sam putting a comforting hand briefly on Rodney's shoulder. "This is a U.S. Air Force vessel called the Daedalus."  
>"Your equation has real-world applications I'm certain you've never even considered." McKay said.<br>"You see, there are some ... very bad creatures out there that want nothing more but to destroy this planet and everything that you hold dear." Carter said.  
>"Uh, did you say "creatures"? Like ... like alien creatures?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Yes." Sam said.  
>"Look, the work we could do is important, Jeanie, not just to you or me ..." McKay said as Jeanie walks back to the window to look down at Earth. "... to every living being down there, and that includes Madison and, um ..."<br>He grimaces as he realizes that he can't remember the name of her husband.  
>"Kaleb." Jeanie reminded.<br>"Kaleb, yes."  
>"We can't do this without you." Sam said.<br>McKay looked at her. "Let's not go overboard. I mean, she'd be an asset, but ..."  
>"McKay." Sam and Rodney give Jeanie a moment while she thinks about it. "So what do you say, Mrs. Miller?"<br>"Jeanie?" McKay asked.  
>"Look, it's just a lot to take in right now, OK? Just give me a second, Mer." Jeanie looks around the ship, then back out of the window at Earth. "So somewhere down there, my husband is giving my daughter a bath."<br>Behind her, Rodney smiles affectionately.  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME. **

**MILLER HOUSE. **

Kaleb wakes up and sees Jeanie sitting on the side of the bed and gazing up into the night sky through the window. He sits up in bed and laughs ruefully.  
>"You have to go."<br>Jeanie sighs and nods. "I know."  
>҉<br>**EARTH ORBIT.**

Daedalus leaves orbit and jumps into hyperspace. Inside the ship, Rodney and Jeanie walk along a corridor.  
>"What did you tell Kaleb?" McKay asked.<br>"The truth."  
>"What? Do you have any idea what "non-disclosure" means?"<br>"Just because we don't keep secrets from each other doesn't mean we're incapable of it."  
>"What did he say?"<br>"Um, he's concerned that me telling him will get him assassinated." She laughs for a moment, then looks at Rodney, her face serious. "That-that won't happen, right?"  
>"Oh, probably not."<br>They go into a lab where Sam talks to them via a video link from Earth. _"Again, I'm sorry I couldn't come with you, but there's just too much going on here."_  
>"It's fine." McKay said.<br>_"Well, I thought I could at least help you get Jeanie up to speed before you guys are out of comm range."_ Rodney and Jeanie both nod. _"About a year ago, your brother came across an abandoned alien experiment called Project Arcturus."_ Rodney calls up the information on another screen as Sam continues talking. _"It was an attempt to generate zero point energy."_  
>"That would be virtually limitless power. What happened?" Jeanie asked.<br>"A _slight_ problem. It was the creation of exotic particles in the containment field."  
><em>"He destroyed a solar system."<em>_  
><em> "Meredith!" Jeanie smacks his arm.  
>"It was uninhabited!"<br>_"Your brother, along with many others, has been trying to figure out a way to draw zero point energy from a parallel space time."_  
>"Which would get us around the whole problem of the creation of dangerous exotic particles in our <em>own<em> space time."  
>"And my theory is about bridging universes." Jeanie said.<br>_"Exactly. Yeah, we're hoping to use your proof as the theoretical basis for building a bridge from a parallel space time to ours."_  
>"The energy you'd need would be enormous to the point of absurd." Jeanie scoffed.<br>"Absurd we can do. We have something called a Zero Point Module which essentially does what we're attempting on a smaller scale - extract energy from subspace time."  
>"So subspace is real?"<br>_"You're flying in it."_  
>Nervously, Jeanie said, "Oh." Then she forgets her nerves as she thinks more about the problem. "Aren't you worried about the exotic particles crossing back over my bridge?"<br>_"Well, that's the beauty of your theory. It should not only allow us to build a bridge, it should also allow us to manage the flow rate of energy."_  
>"Like a faucet." Jeanie simplified.<br>Rodney laughs condescendingly. "Well, something like that."  
><em>"It's <em>exactly_ like that."_  
>Rodney's smile fades.<br>"What about the parallel universe? Aren't you just shifting the exotic particle problem to their side?" Jeanie asked.  
><em>"Potentially. But when you consider that the number of possible parallel universes that we could access borders on the infinite, the odds of us choosing at random one that's inhabited are astronomically slim."<em>  
>"Wow."<br>_"I know, it's an awful lot to take in at once."_  
>Jeanie turns to Rodney, looking smug. "I solved <em>your<em> problem in my spare time ... with finger paints."  
>"Here we go."<br>"I just can't _imagine_ how you're surviving the humiliation."  
>"Look, if it wasn't for my work, your little theory would be useless ..."<br>_"Whoa, whoa! Siblings, please!"_  
>McKay and Jeanie simultaneously said, as they turn back to the screen, "Sorry."<br>Sam ducks her head, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile.  
>"What?" McKay asked.<br>_"Well, it's just that you both said "sorry" in that cute little Canadian way, and I..."_ She trails off as Rodney and Jeanie exchange a look. _"Sorry. Touch base when you get back to Atlantis."_ She smiles at them. _"Good luck."_  
>She ends the transmission. Rodney and Jeanie stand and leave the room.<br>"These alien creatures must be quite the threat for you to even _try_ what you're doing."  
>"Now, I don't want to scare you, but you need to know the stakes. We are at war."<br>Jeanie looks at him suspiciously. "Did you start it?"  
>"What? No! Come <em>on<em>!"  
><strong>TWO WEEKS PASS:::<strong>  
>Rodney and Jeanie are in a lab. Rodney is sitting down looking at his sister's calculations. "OK, you've got a nota bene by the cosmological constant. Why is that?" He looks up to see Jeanie standing at the window watching hyperspace rush past. "Jeanie?"<br>She doesn't reply. He sighs, stands up and walks over to her. "Hey." He snaps his fingers in front of her face. Finally she notices him. "Yeah." He points back to the desk. "Why you're here, remember?"  
>Jeanie turned and walked back to the desk. "Yeah."<br>"Thank you."

•

Rodney and Jeanie come out of an elevator, looking at some calculations.  
>"So there's your problem right there."<br>Jeanie was pointing at the screen of the laptop she is carrying. "What are you talking about? It's _here_, and _you_ made a mistake."  
>"No I didn't!"<p>

In Engineering, Rodney shows a laptop screen to Hermiod the Asgard.  
>"OK, so, we need a yea or nay on the equations."<br>Jeanie is staring at Hermiod, though it's not clear whether she hasn't yet got used to seeing a little grey alien or whether she is worried that he won't be happy with the equations. Hermiod looks at Rodney and inclines his head.  
>"Yea."<p>

In a lab in Atlantis, Radek walks across to a screen as it beeps. A message comes up saying "Transmission from Daedalus - Dr McKay." A 'Loading' line runs across the screen, then blueprints appear.  
>There was a voiceover of McKay's voice. <em>"Atlantis already has a containment chamber we can use. I'll forward the necessary modifications to Zelenka. Now, if he doesn't mess it up, he can make the changes we need before we even get there."<em>  
>Radek stares at the complicated design, then switches to the next page, then the next. The finished product is a huge circular device.<p>

Sometime later, the doors of the containment chamber open to reveal the finished circular power generator. It's about the same size as a Stargate. Radek and various other scientists, dressed in white decontamination suits and hoods, are busy working in the lab. Radek walks over to the control console and looks at a female scientist sitting there.  
>"Ready?"<br>She nods.

On Daedalus, Rodney - with Jeanie standing nearby - is showing another laptop to Hermiod.  
>"Now, we've been through these calculations a number of times, and I think we've settled on a containment field setup that should work for us." He points at the screen. "I just wanna show you these ..."<p>

In the Atlantis containment chamber lab, Radek looks a little worried as he goes over to a screen and watches as a green oscillating wave runs across it. The top of the screen shows the message "In progress." Shortly afterwards, the message changes to "Successful."  
>"Yes, we have it, people! Good work!" The other scientists in the room applaud. "Good work, everybody." He looks at his watch and shrugs. "Just in time."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

John is walking with Illyria to the stairs down into the Gateroom, each of them having a black baby carrier around their necks carrying a child.  
>"Had he talked about his sister with you?" Illyria asked John.<br>"Once or twice in passing. Usually like, "Come _on_, even my sister can do it!" You know, that type of thing."  
>Illyria laughs, then turns to Radek as he comes up the stairs to meet them. "How's it coming, Radek?"<br>"The simulations are all in the green. We're ready to try power-up."  
>"Just in time."<br>"That's actually what I just said." He laughs nervously. The three of them walk down into the Gateroom and stop as a transporter beams Rodney and Jeanie into the room. Jeanie cringes.  
>"Holy cow! That can't be good for you."<br>"Nothing to worry about. I've done it dozens of times." John offers his hand to her as she turns around to face him. They shake hands as he smiles at her. "John Sheppard."  
>"Yeah. She's married, and she's my sister." McKay said.<br>"I'm just saying hi."  
>"Yeah. No, I know <em>exactly<em> what you're doing. I've seen that look before ... Kirk."  
>John frowns at him.<p>

"Rodney," Illyria looked back and forth between him and the kids until he got the point. Rodney rolled his eyes. Illyria shook her head and smiled at Jeanie and shakes her hand. "Hello, Mrs. Miller. I'm Queen Illyria. Welcome to Atlantis."  
>"Thank you. Mer's told me so much about you." Jeanie smiled widely at Illyria. "I can't believe I shook the hand of a Queen."<br>"All good, I ... Did you just call him "Mer"?" John said.  
>McKay quickly, before Jeanie can say anything, said, "It's a pet name." He turned to Radek. "Where are we?"<br>"Simulations are all in the green. We're ready to try a power-up."  
>"Really? So soon? That's amazing. Excellent work, Radek." Jeanie said.<br>Zelenka looked surprised. "Thank you!"  
>"Yes, we try <em>not<em> to encourage him. He's got a bit of an ego." McKay said.  
>As they all walk out of the room, Jeanie leans round behind Rodney's back and whispers, "Thank you," to Radek, who smiles in delight.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTAINMENT LAB.<strong>

Inside the chamber, lights are running around the inside of the generator. Jeanie looks through the glass door at it, checks her laptop and then walks over to a console to join Radek. Nearby, Rodney is checking the readings on another console as Illyria stands beside him.  
>"In-chamber conditions are green. Containment field is in the green. Monitors are green."<br>"Everything's green." Jeanie said.  
>Radek spoke quietly to Jeanie. "He likes to do the checklist."<br>"ZedP.M. levels are _well_ into the green. And back-up terminals are ... green." McKay straightens up and turns to Illyria. "We're ready to initiate power-up." He looked down at Jenifer in the carrier. "You…might want to get her out of here. Just in case."

"Right!" Illyria said and looked over her shoulder at her ever present nanny. The nanny took Jenifer and walked out. "Good luck."  
>McKay was rubbing his hands together. "Right. Here we go."<br>Jeanie hurries over to him, Radek following her. "Want to turn it on together?"  
>"Why would we do that?"<br>"Because it's both of our work." She smiles at him.  
>"Yeah, well, there's only room on the button for one finger, so..."<br>"Well, then, can _I_ do it?"  
>McKay was pointing down to his finger already on the keyboard. "Yeah, but I'm-I'm right here, so..."<br>Zelenka turned to Jeanie. "He likes to push the button."  
>Jeanie looks disappointed and slightly annoyed. "Fine. Go."<br>"Powering up to five percent." McKay pushes the button dramatically as Jeanie walks away in a huff. Energy runs around the generator and a small yellow glow appears in the middle, then gets larger. "Containment field is holding. Power generation is steady." He smiles smugly at Illyria.  
>"What about exotic particles?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Jeanie, please, I'm on it. We are holding at five percent." He smiles again.  
>"Good. <em>Now<em> what?" Illyria asked.  
>Before Rodney can answer her, Jeanie speaks. "The safe thing to do is hold at five percent for the next while."<br>"She wasn't talking to you." McKay said.  
>Jeanie and Radek, who had been looking at the other console, look up at him.<br>"Actually, it was an open question to the floor." Illyria said.  
>"'Shared credit', huh? 'We'll do this together'? 'Dad'll be <em>so<em> proud.'" Jeanie said.  
>"This is not the time or the place." McKay told her.<br>"Fine. I'm going to my quarters." Jeanie storms out.  
>McKay sounded irritated. "Yes, well, good night. Thank you."<br>He looks part annoyed and part embarrassed as Illyria turns to him. "So?"  
>"Well, obviously we ... hold at five percent for the next while and, um, see if any problems turn up."<br>"Right."  
>"I should probably try to get some rest myself." McKay clicks his fingers in the other scientists' direction. "Could you ... ?"<br>He walks away as the female scientist walks over to his console.  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

Four or so scientists - now out of their decontamination gear - are sitting in the lab keeping watch over the generator as it continues to cycle. From their bored faces and slumped sitting positions, they've been there for some hours. Suddenly the yellow glow in the center of the generator becomes much larger and brighter and the green lights around the outside of the device turn orange.  
>"What the ...?" She points to another scientist. "Shut it down."<br>As the generator powers down, a message appears on her screen: "Foreign object in containment chamber."  
>"'Foreign object.' Go get Doctor Zelenka."<br>Another scientist runs from the room.

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**.

The red light above the doors of the containment chamber turns to green and the doors open. The light inside the generator is no longer yellow but a glowing green. It fades and reveals a man crouched down inside the generator. He looks up. It's Rodney McKay - but he doesn't quite look the same. His hair is a little more mussy and therefore looks sexier, and he's wearing a black leather jacket. He lifts his head and looks out the door to see Radek and several other scientists staring in disbelief. Alt-Rodney grins.  
>"It worked." He jumps down out of the generator.<br>Zelenka was thinking that somehow this must be our Rodney. "What are you doing?"  
>Alt-Rodney was grinning at him. "Radek."<br>"Yes."  
>"I need to speak to whoever's in charge of this project."<br>Radek, confused, looks round briefly at the other scientists before turning back to Alt-Rodney. "But ... that's you."  
>Alt-Rodney smiles and puts his hands on his hips. "Well, then ... I guess I need to speak to <em>me<em>."  
>҉<br>**MESS HALL.**

Rodney (_our_ Rodney) walks in and hears the sound of people laughing hysterically. He goes to investigate and finds Jeanie sitting with John and Illyria holding the kids, Marissa and Ronon, all of them in fits of laughter. He walks over to their table as they continue to giggle. Jeanie waves at him.  
>"What is this?" McKay asked.<br>"Hey, _Meredith!" _John greeted.  
>"Oh, wonderful!"<br>"Illyria here was kind enough to show me around, offer me a warm meal, let me hold these _beautiful_ babies of hers and introduce me to some of your friends." Jeanie wiggled her finger's in Jenifer's face.  
>"What have you told them?" McKay asked.<br>John spoke with his face straight. "We weren't talking about you."  
>McKay looked hopefully. "Oh, you weren't?"<br>"Uh, no. We were discussing many things." Marissa said.  
>"Now, when the issue of bedwetting happened to come up, she may have mentioned something about your childhood." John said.<br>"That is not true!" McKay yelled.  
>"Relax. We all have embarrassing childhood stories." Ronon said.<br>"Of course we do." Illyria nodded.  
>"There was one time the school bullies made me eat lunch with my underwear on my head." Ronon said.<br>"Oh"!  
>"Oh, wait, that was you." Ronon pointed at McKay lazily. The four of them crack up laughing.<br>"Oh, hardy har-har. And this is revenge for what, exactly?"  
>"You don't even know, do you?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Hold on," Illyria held up a hand, the other going to her earpiece. "John and Rodney to the Isolation Room immediately." Illyria repeated.  
>"Isolation Room?" McKay gestures to John and Jeanie. "Come on."<p>

"Can you…?" Illyria asked, handing Jen over to Ronon. The nanny quickly intercepted as soon as Illyria's back was turned. Ronon shot her a glare to which she arched a skeptically eyebrow.  
>҉<br>**OBSERVATION ROOM ABOVE THE ISOLATION ROOM. **

The leather-jacketed Rodney can be seen on the video feed as he strolls casually around the Isolation Room. They come in and stare at the screen.  
>"What in the world?" McKay asked.<br>"It's you." Jeanie said.  
>"No, that is a live closed-circuit feed of a man we have in the Isolation Room." Illyria said. She leads them to the window overlooking the Isolation Room and they all stare down into it. Alt-Rodney, noticing them, stops his strolling and looks up at them calmly.<br>Jeanie looked at her brother briefly before staring down into the room again. "What?"  
>"He appeared in the containment chamber in some sort of forcefield." Illyria said.<br>"What do you mean, he appeared?" John asked.  
>"Out of thin air. Zelenka is working on it. Obviously we shut down the project." Illyria said.<br>"Well, how'd he get in there?"  
>"He claims to be from a parallel universe."<br>Jeanie rolls her eyes and turns to Rodney. "You said the odds against this were astronomical."  
>"You saw the math!" McKay shouted.<br>"Well, we got it wrong." Jeanie said.  
>"Yeah, well, he's here now, so the question is, what does he want?"<br>"To talk to you." Illyria said.  
>Rodney grimaces for a moment, then turns to Jeanie. "Alright, you want shared credit?" Jeanie shakes her head. "You're coming in with me."<br>"Wait..."  
>Rodney has already started to leave the room. Jeanie sighs and follows him.<br>҉  
><strong>ISOLATION ROOM. <strong>

Alt-Rodney turns as the door opens and our Rodney and Jeanie walk in. "Wow. Now, I figured _you'd_ be here, but, uh, but Jeanie? I always hoped we'd work together in Atlantis."  
>Jeanie was staring back and forth between the two men. "Huh. <em>This<em> is a first."  
>McKay and Alt-McKay simultaneously say, "For me too."<br>Alt-Rodney gestures to a couple of chairs in the room. "Have a seat." He turns to our Rodney. "Now, I presume you go by..."  
>"Rodney."<br>"Ah. Rod."  
>Rodney turns to Jeanie. "I could never get anyone to call me that."<br>"Huh." Jeanie said.  
>Rod sits down on one chair while Rodney takes the one opposite. Jeanie stands beside him.<br>"OK, I'm gonna make some assumptions based on what I've seen here and from readings we've taken in my own space time. Please stop me if I'm wrong. One: I presume you're running some sort of experiment that's designed to bridge between parallel universes. And two: it has something to do with power generation. Warm? Cold?"  
>"Uh, hot." Jeanie laughs.<br>"Well, I'm sure the experiment's been a success on this side, but it's having some rather serious repercussions in _my_ universe."  
>Jeanie smacks Rodney's arm. "I <em>told<em> you."  
>"Not now!" Rodney said.<br>Jeanie turned to Rod. "Dangerous exotic particles that don't belong in either of our universes are being created on your side of the bridge."  
>Rodney turns and throws her a dark look. Rod leans forward to him. "Oh, so you <em>knew<em> this could happen?"  
>Nervously, McKay said. "Uh, there was a slight risk, yes."<br>Up in the Observation Room, John and Illyria are watching the conversation.  
>"This is weird." John said.<br>"Well, you're quite correct, Jeanie, and because these particles don't behave according to any of the laws of physics in our space time, they're creating a tear in the fabric of our universe." Rod said.  
>"Huh!" Jeanie looks down at Rodney. "First a solar system, now a universe."<br>Impatiently, Rodney said, "Yes." He turned to Rod. "How exactly did you get here?"  
>"Ah. Well, we detected the anomaly about twenty hours ago in space above the planet. We maneuvered one of our Jumpers in close and tried to broadcast a signal to whoever was on the other side."<br>"Yes, but of course we would be unable to detect that signal from within the containment chamber."  
>Rod nodded. "So Sheppard and I came up with a plan to beam a <em>person<em> into the anomaly. They would be protected by an Ancient personal forcefield that we discovered."  
>Rodney smiles ruefully. "I depleted ours."<br>Jeanie turned to Rod. "Still, it was an incredible risk."  
>Rod laughs. "Well, it was Sheppard's idea."<br>In the Observation Room, John smiles smugly.  
>"We decided it might allow one of us to cross the bridge you'd created and bring the problem to your attention. There was very little time, and, well, there seemed to be no other way. We drew straws."<br>"You lost." McKay said.  
>"I won!" Rodney stares at him. "What, the prospect of saving an entire universe? No-brainer."<br>Unconvincingly, Rodney said, "Oh, sure."  
>Jeanie laughs, mostly in amazement at how much cooler her alt-brother is, then looks at him apologetically. "I can't begin to say how sorry we are."<br>"Yes, well, you could start by shutting down the experiment?" Rod asked.  
>"Already done. And after hearing what you've told me, I see no reason why we'd start it back up again."<br>"Great. Then my work here is done." Rod gives a thumbs up. "Mission accomplished."  
>He chuckles happily. Jeanie smiles with him. Rodney looks awkward, then realizes something. "Uh, well, yes, but how did you plan on getting, you know, back - I mean, to your own universe?"<br>"The matter bridge you created is unidirectional." Rod said.  
>"But that means ..." Jeanie trailed.<br>"Yes. Yes, it does."  
>"Huh."<p>

**LATER.**

Rod has been brought to some guest quarters and he and Jeanie are making the bed while John and Rodney talk outside.  
>"So, Jeanie, do you have three kids in this universe?" Rod asked.<br>"No. Just the one."  
>"Huh. Well, I'm sure you're as great a mother in this space time as you are in mine. Oh! This'll blow your mind." He rummages in his jacket pocket. "I have photographs of your alternate life. Wanna see pictures of the kids you haven't had yet?"<br>"Absolutely!" She takes the photos and starts to look through them. "Oh, look at Maddie!" She looks at another picture. "Who's that?"  
>"That's Bradley and Robbie."<br>Outside the room, John and Rodney walk away.  
>"Alright, what's the game plan here?" Rodney asked.<br>"We put him up here in the guest quarters until we can find something more permanent." John said.  
>"Something more permanent? Well, we're not keeping him!"<br>"He can't go back."  
>"That doesn't just mean he has to stay here."<br>"He said he'd rather be on Atlantis than Earth."  
>"Oh, I see. So he gets his way and I don't."<br>"How can you not wanna be with him? He's you!"  
>"He's not me! <em>I'm<em> me, the _real_ me."  
>"I suppose it's all relative. To Rod, his reality is every bit as valid as ours. To him, <em>we're<em> the impostors."  
>"What does Elizabeth have to say about all this?"<br>"Two McKays are better than one."  
>"There aren't two McKays! There's <em>one<em> McKay - and him."  
>John gets into a transporter. "Whatever you say ... Meredith." He punches the back screen and smiles sarcastically at Rodney as the doors close.<br>҉  
><strong>DAY TIME. <strong>

Veiwing the city from the outside, there's a metallic clunking sound and a small white ball soars out from the city and drops into the water. Rod with a golf club over his shoulder, having just hit the ball out into the ocean. He turns and grins at John, who whistles appreciatively. Rod chuckles happily.  
>"Nice shot! Easily two seventy-five." John said. He walks onto a small piece of Astro-turf, takes a ball from a bucket of balls and puts it onto a tee. "You know, I've been meaning to put up buoy markers, but who has the time, huh?"<br>Rod stares out over the ocean, smiling appreciatively. "This is great. We don't have one of these where I'm from. Besides, you'd need to take a cattle prod to the Sheppard I know to get him up this early."  
>John laughs. "Late nights with the Queen, huh?" He hits his ball out into the ocean.<br>"Eh, no. He's very active with the Mensa club we have there." John frowns. "They have a lot of, um, functions."  
>"Well, you can't blame a man for his intelligence."<br>"No, but I _can_ blame him for reminding all the time."  
>John looked amazed. "He doesn't!"<br>"Mmm, trust me. My Sheppard makes your Rodney seem modest in comparison."  
>John looks a little disturbed by this. "Well, I've gotta admit - between you and me - you're a lot different than our Rodney too."<br>"How so?"  
>"It's the little things. You like golf; you say "please" and "thank you"; you're, um ... what's the opposite of condescending?"<br>Rod chuckles. "You wanna hear about Illyria?" John stopped what he was doing and turned to Rod. Rod smiled and pulled out a separate wallet for photos. He flipped to a photo of a woman in an elegant white gown and man stood next to her in his Air Force formal attire. "You and Illyria got married. I hear you're just engaged?" He pointed to another photo of Rod holding a four year old Pat in the air, Carson standing in front of them with his hands out just in case he fell. "I were named Pat's godfather; here its Rodney and Carson. And…" He flipped to a still photo of Illyria and John walking, Pat and Jen were waddling next to them. There was a baby bump under Illyria's shirt. "Illyria is pregnant with _your_ son."

The look in John's eyes warmed Rod's heart.

"M-My son?" John whispered. "I have a son?"

"Here." Rod pulled the photo out and handed it to John. "Keep it. I've got another."

John took it, smiled, and put it into his breast pocket. Htees up another ball and whacks it out over the ocean. Rod watches it go. "Ooh! Now, I could help you with that hook."

҉  
><strong>MESS HALL. <strong>

Rodney walks in and hears the sound of people laughing hysterically. Rolling his eyes, he walks over to a table where Rod, John, Illyria, Jeanie, Marissa and Ronon are in fits of laughter. People on other tables have obviously been listening to their conversation and are smiling.  
>"What the hell is this?" Rodney asked.<br>"Hey, sleepyhead!" John greated.  
>"Yeah. Hi." John grumpily said.<br>Rod was still laughing. "I had a breakfast date with Jeanie. I guess it kind of ballooned into a group affair. Look, sit down. We're tracing back our lives, trying to find the little differences between our pasts."  
>"Rod is an honorary member of the Athosian Council." Marissa smiled.<br>"_And_ is godfather to Patrick and my future son." Illyria said smiling at John.  
>Sarcastically, Rodney said. "Yes, well, how wonderful for him…Hey, I thought Carson and I were Pat's godfathers?"<br>"Well, it's easier for me. Our Earth has a ZedP.M. too, so it makes the back and forth a lot simpler."  
>Zelenka's voice came over the radio. "Doctors McKay, please report to the containment chamber. <em>Doctors<em> McKay."  
>McKay and Rod simultaneously said, "Excuse me."<br>Rod and Jeanie get up from the table.  
>"Hey, Rod, are we still on to spar later?" Ronon asked.<br>"Absolutely."  
>They knock fists together, then wiggle their fingers at each other, simultaneously saying, "Ohh!"<br>Chuckling, Rod heads off after Rodney. Jeanie, grinning, follows him, full of admiration for her new brother.  
>҉<br>**CONTAINMENT CHAMBER. **

The power generator is active.  
>"What do you mean you started it up again?" Rodney asked.<br>"Shutting the experiment down only made things worse for us, not better. The matter bridge is still active, but we are not drawing any power, creating pressure like a dam. If we didn't turn it on again, it could have resulted in a catastrophic overload." Zelenka said.  
>"Oh. We should have thought of that." Rod said.<br>"Mmm-hmm." McKay accusingly said.  
>"Don't look at me." Jeanie said.<br>"Oh, so you're willing to take all the credit but none of the blame, huh?"  
>"I never wanted <em>all<em> the credit."  
>"No-one is blaming you." Rod said.<br>Jeanie glanced towards Rodney. "Oh, really?"  
>"Look, this <em>is<em> just a temporary solution. The Zelenka in my space time estimates that there is at least a week and a half before the tear expands as far as the city ... _my_ city." Rod said.  
>"What'll happen when it does?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Well, imagine what would happen if you just threw the laws of physics out the window." Rod said.  
>"Entropy, and chaos."<br>"Mmm. Worst-case scenario, the entropy expands as far as the subspace layers underneath our space time."  
>"It could travel almost instantaneously. I mean, your entire universe could just..." McKay clicks his finger "... flash out of existence."<br>"We need to mend that tear before it becomes irreparable. Now, I have some thoughts. Is there a place we can go to work?" Rod said.  
>"Uh, yes, of course. Follow me." McKay turns to leave the room. Rod puts his hand on Jeanie's shoulder. "Oh, Jeanie, we could use your help."<br>"Thank you!"  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

Rod hands a P.D.A. to Rodney. "D'you mind running up these power requirements?" " Grumpily, he said. "Done." He walks towards Jeanie, throwing a suspicious look back at Rod as he goes, then turns to his sister and speaks to her quietly. "What were you doing having breakfast with him?"  
>"I don't often meet people from another universe. I found myself curiously interested."<br>"Yeah, well, I don't want you hanging around with him anymore."  
>"What?"<br>"Look, _I_ am your real brother."  
>"In what sense?"<br>"Oh, what is _that_ supposed to mean?"  
>"You haven't been a brother to me since I quit school."<br>"You were making an incredible mistake. I was just trying to-"  
>"You were trying to control my life, Mer. I disagreed with you. I still do. And what, because of that, you stop being my brother?"<br>"I never stopped being your brother!"  
>"We haven't talked in <em>four<em> years."  
>"Don't put that all on me."<br>"It _is_ all on you. I had no way of getting in touch with you."  
>"I was doing top-secret research in another galaxy!" Realizing that his voice has been getting louder, he glances round at Rod. Rod, working on a laptop, shifts uncomfortably - it's obvious he can hear what they're saying but he tactfully keeps his eyes on his work.<br>"You could have sent me a message. You know, call me on my birthday, at Christmas. Once a year ... that's all I would have needed. Just a "Hi. How are you? Are you happy? Are you OK?" That would have been enough, but you didn't even do that. No, no, I was wrong and you were right, so, what, I was not worth talking to?" Jeanie asked.  
>"It wasn't like that at all."<br>"You don't like me talking to Rod because it makes you realize how bad a brother you've really been."  
>Rod turns from his console and calls out to them. "Hey, you guys got something over there?"<br>"No." Jeanie looks at Rodney significantly. "We don't."  
>She turns away from him and gets on with her work. Rodney stares off into the distance, upset and lost in thought.<br>҉  
><strong>JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS.<strong>

John is sitting on his bed cleaning the head of one of his golf clubs with a toothbrush. Illyria was in the nursery in the adjoined room flipping through bridal magazines and watching the kids stand and stumble around on a play mat. Rodney is pacing around the room.  
>"He's slowing me down." Rodney said.<br>"Really? I thought two of you would have sped things up." John said.  
>"Yeah, he's not me."<br>"I know he's not the same person. Trust me. I'm just saying, he's a genius too, isn't he?"  
>"Hmm. Unless he's lying."<br>"About what?"  
>"What if the people on his Atlantis were sick of him messing up all the time, huh? So when it came time to send some stooge on a one-way ticket to another universe, there was only <em>one<em> guy they could do without."  
>"Say what you want. I know what this is about."<br>"Oh, really, Mr. Mensa in a parallel universe? What is this all about?"  
>"You think Jeanie likes him more than you."<br>"What? That's crazy. That's ... that's ..." McKay stops pacing and turns to John "... that's possibly true."  
>John was smiling at him smugly. "Mmm."<br>McKay started to pace again. "Jeanie and I drifted apart. I mean, that happens. It wasn't done maliciously. Do I have regrets? Yes, of course I do, but who doesn't? I mean, you know, I'm not very good at saying I'm sorry or that I'm wrong - _possibly_ because it happens so rarely."  
>"Mmm-hmm." John cynically said.<br>"So I didn't call or write, and when I realized that four years has gone by, it was just a..." McKay stops and pauses for a long time. "You're right. Of course, you're right. I mean, she has every reason to hate me."  
>"I didn't say she <em>hates<em> you."  
>"Well, she should."<br>John looks up at him and shrugs. "Well, if you insist."  
>"I do."<br>"Well, then, fair enough."  
>Zelenka's voice came over the headset. <em>"Doctor McKay to the containment chamber. Doctor McKay."<em>  
>McKay turns to John. "Good talk. Thanks."<p>

McKay left and John chuckled. When Illyria came into the room caring Patrick, his smile got bigger. "Hey there little guy!"

Patrick said, "Daddy," and smiled when he heard John and immediately tried to fight out of Illyria's arms.

"Hold on! Hold on." Illyria laughed, placing Patrick in John's arms. "You should have seen it. Jen fell asleep playing with her blanket and Pat here stumbled his way _over_ her and towards the door."

John laughed and bounced Pat on his leg. "Really? He just missed his daddy!"

Illyria smiled and laid her head on John's shoulder. "What's Rodney want? I heard his whining from the nursery."

John chuckled and tickled Pat's belly. "He thinks Jeanie likes Rod better than him."

Illyria rolled her eyes.  
>҉<br>**CONTAINMENT CHAMBER.**

Rod is following Radek across the room to a console that Jeanie is working on as Rodney comes in.

"Great. He's here." Rod said.  
>"What's going on?" McKay asked.<br>"Well, I set up a way to pick up transmissions inside the containment chamber should Rod's universe try to contact us. We, of course, still have no way of communicating with them, but..."  
>"They sent us a message." McKay finished Zelenka's sentence.<br>"Yeah. Apparently their exotic particle problem is spinning out of control much faster than they'd anticipated." Jeanie said.  
>"Oh, boy."<br>"But they have a solution." Rod said.  
>"They do? That's great."<br>"Well, not really. Their solution will not only destroy Atlantis but tear a hole in the fabric of _this_ universe." Rod said.  
>"Oh, boy." McKay repeated.<br>҉  
><strong>CONFERENCE ROOM.<strong>

Rodney, Rod and Jeanie are reporting to Illyria and John.  
>"Now, I'm not saying that their attempt would be successful, but if it was, it would flood the exotic particles that have been created on <em>their<em> side into _this_ space time all at once." Rod said.  
>"And that would, uh..."<p>

"... be bad." Jeanie told John.  
>"Right. I got that, but, uh ..."<p>

"... _how_ bad?" Illyria finished for John.  
>"Well, to be honest, the science gets extremely complicated, but simply put, the tear will eventually swallow up the entire galaxy, possibly the universe." McKay said.<br>"So ... _very_ bad." John said.  
>"Well, I think we can all agree that that would be bad, yes." McKay said.<br>"Their plan will take six hours to implement." Rod said.  
>"I suggest we do something before that." Illyria said.<br>"Well, we have an idea." Rod said.  
>"Actually, <em>Jeanie<em> has an idea." McKay corrected.  
>Jeanie looks surprised but pleased that her brother is giving her credit for once. "We think we can collapse the bridge with a massive burst of energy from this side."<br>"And stop the creation of exotic particles on the other side by doing so." Rod said.  
>"How massive a burst are we talking?" John asked.<br>"Everything we've got. I mean, enough to severely deplete our ZedP.M." McKay said.  
>Illyria sighs. "So instead of creating a new powerful energy source, we'll be sacrificing the one we already have."<br>"Yes. We'd still be able to dial Earth but much less frequently, of course - and let's just say I wouldn't wanna be around here if the Wraith show up." McKay said.  
>Rod was grimacing. "Hmm."<br>"I don't see that we have a choice." John said to Illyria.  
>Illyria reluctantly said, "Alright. Do it."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTAINMENT CHAMBER.<strong>

Radek stares in disbelief at what Jeanie is typing on a console. He turns and walks over to Rodney. "Queen Illyria gave the OK for this?"  
>"You'd rather the universe was destroyed?" McKay asked.<br>"Not really."  
>"Rodney, talk to you for a second?" Rod asked. The two of them walk away from the others. "Look, the Daedalus is still in orbit. I thought..."<br>"I know what you're gonna say." McKay said.  
>"If I can beam into the energy stream protected by my personal forcefield ..."<p>

"... you'd be transported back to your universe, I know. I didn't bring it up before because if it doesn't work ..."  
>"I'm willing to take that risk. I've already requested the Daedalus to execute the transport to the coordinates inside the chamber on your mark. That is, if you're willing to do this."<br>"Everyone loves you here."  
>Rod laughs. "Yeah, but it's not home. Look, what, my Sheppard is a know-it-all, my Illyria has her hands full with politics and raising three kids, my Marissa is hard to talk to, and my Ronon is ... well, actually those two are pretty similar." Rodney laughs. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that - for all their faults - they're my team. My place is with them. Besides ..." he pats Rodney's arm "... they're not looking for another McKay around here. They already have one."<br>"It's just a lesser model, hmm?"  
>Rod smiles. "I envy you. You say exactly what's on your mind no matter <em>how<em> it makes you look. I can only imagine the freedom you must have, not caring if people like you or not."  
>"Oh. People don't like me?"<br>"Trust me - you've got it great here. Now, I've made some calculations. When the readings reach the levels I've indicated, you'll know whether or not I made it home."  
>McKay was smiling a little. "Oh, I guess you just need to click your heels together, huh?"<br>Rod offers him his hand. Rodney takes it and they shake. Rod turns it into a street shake. "Good luck, Rodney."  
>"You too."<br>Rod goes over to Radek and clasps his shoulder. "Radek - mej se. [Take care.]"  
>Jeanie walks towards him, her face full of concern. He turns to her. "Jeanie."<br>They hug for a long moment. Pulling back a little, he holds her at arm's length for a second or two, then lets her go and walks over to a console. Jeanie hurries over to Rodney. "You're letting him do this?"  
>"I tried to talk him out of it, but you know Rod."<br>Rod activated a radio link to Daedalus. "Hermiod, ready when you are." He looks around at everyone and smiles. "I guess there's nothing left to say but, "There's no place like home.""  
>The transporter beam whisks him away. Rodney and Jeanie go over to Radek's console.<br>"Alright, all in the green. Ready for forced power output." Zelenka reported.  
>"Right. And..." McKay stops and turns to Jeanie. "Uh ... you wanna press the button?"<br>Jeanie was looking at him in surprise and pleasure. "Yeah, yeah." She laughs and turns to the console. "Sure."  
>She pushes the button and the generator begins to cycle up, the yellow light glowing in its center. She and Rodney hurry over to two different consoles.<br>"Power is at full." Zelenka said.  
>Jeanie reports as her screen shows energy moving into the bridge. "It's working!"<br>Rodney activates his headset radio. "Hermiod, this is McKay. Commence transport."  
>In Daedalus' Engine Room, Hermiod activates his controls. "Transport is complete."<br>"The bridge is already beginning to destabilize." Jeanie said.  
>"It's not yet enough." Zelenka said.<br>"ZedP.M. is at fifty percent." McKay said.  
>"It's still not enough, Rodney!" Zelenka yelled.<br>"We _have_ to max it out." Jeanie said.  
>"Thirty percent!" McKay yelled.<br>Jeanie's screen shows the energy burst retreating back towards our end. She smiles in delight. "The bridge is collapsing. We've done it!"  
>"OK, we can shut it down now." Zelenka said.<br>"Not yet!" McKay yelled.  
>"What?"<br>"According to these readings, if we shut it down now, he won't make it!" Behind McKay, a wallscreen shows that the Z.P.M. is at seventeen percent.  
>"Give it a few more seconds." Jeanie said.<br>Zelenka spoke after a moment. "ZeeP.M. is at five percent."  
>McKay spoke as the screen behind him drops to three percent. "Almost there ... cut power now!"<br>Radek punches the button. As the generator powers down, he hurries around to look at the wallscreen. "How much power did we drain from the ZeeP ... M?"  
>He trails off as he sees the screen. Jeanie looks at the screen and stares in shock. Its message reads, "ZPM Module depleted. 0%."<p>

McKay sounded appalled. "All of it." He groans. "I drained all of it."  
>"You did the right thing." Jeanie said.<br>"Hmm. Well, I suppose I would've done the same thing for ... me." All the screens go off, then all the lights go out and the room is plunged into darkness. A moment later some of the lights come back on again as the city switches from Z.P.M. power to naqahdah generators. "I am so fired."  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

The video recording which Rodney made when the Wraith were about to attack for the first time is playing on a laptop.  
><em>"Jeanie? This is your brother, Rodney. I wanna s-say, um ... family is important. I-I've come to realise that because the people here have become a sort of a ... kind of a surrogate family to me."<em> He smiles. _"Now, I know what you're thinking: I've never really been the poster child for that kind of sentiment but, uh, when ... when one's contemplating ones own demise, one tends to see things more clearly. I really do wish you the best, you know, and I'm sorry we weren't closer. Perhaps, um ... if by chance I make it out of this, perhaps one day we can be, and I would like that."_ He gazes at the camera for a moment, then pulls himself together. _"Now - if there's time I'd like to ..."_  
>The recording is switched off and we see that Jeanie is watching it in her quarters. John is sitting nearby.<br>"When did he record this?" Jeanie asked.  
>"Couple of years back when we thought the bad guys were gonna get us."<br>Jeanie looks lost in thought for a moment, then turns and smiles at John. "Now I've seen _three_ sides of my brother!"  
>"Yeah."<br>Rodney walks in and looks at them suspiciously. "What are you two up to?"  
>Jeanie closes the lid of the laptop and hands it back to John.<br>"Nothing. Just, uh ... telling stories about you. You know, trying to help her fall sleep." John said.  
>"Ah-ha-ha." McKay sarcastically said.<br>"I'll leave you guys alone." John said. He stands up and leaves the room. Rodney watches him go, then turns to Jeanie and raises a hand to her, smiling awkwardly.  
>"Hey."<br>"Hey."  
>"Hey, you should be packing. Daedalus leaves in the morning."<br>Jeanie picks up a bag from the floor and puts it on the bed. "I'm done. How'd it go with Illyria?"  
>"Oh, um, well, she wasn't too happy about the whole killing of the ZedP.M. but, you know, in the grand scheme of things, we did prevent the destruction of the universe, so, you know, not fired."<br>"That's good."  
>"Yeah." There's an awkward pause. "Ooh, right, uh ... I got this for Madison." He holds out a clay figure to her.<br>"Oh." She unenthusiastically said.  
>"Yeah. I ... swiped it from Illyria's desk. It's not like there's a Toys "R" Us nearby, so, uh ..."<br>"Well, it's the thought that counts, I guess." She puts the figure into her bag. "Well, I'd say "see you around," but ..."  
>"Yes. About that ..." McKay gazes at her for a moment. "... which is to say, um ... look ... what I ... I wanted to ..."<br>Jeanie smiles at him, unable to bear his embarrassment any longer. "Thank you for trying."  
>She looks down at her bag again as she fastens it. Rodney looks at her a little longer, then walks over to her and wraps his arms around her. For a moment, Jeanie is too surprised to react, then she smiles and puts her arms around him. His eyes were full of tears. "How are you? Are you happy? Are you OK?"<br>Hers eyes were equally wet. "Yeah, Mer. I am. I really am."  
>They hug for a moment longer, then step back a little.<br>"Intergalactic gate network should be completed soon, so, um, maybe it won't be four years next time?"  
>Jeanie smiles. "Does this mean I'll see you at Christmas?"<br>"_If_ you can convince Kaleb not to make tofurkey."  
>Jeanie laughs and points at him. "No promises!"<br>Rodney grins at her, then turns and leaves the room, smiling happily.  
>҉<br>**MESS HALL.**

Rodney walks in and hears the sound of people laughing hysterically. He looks over to a table where John, Illyria, Marissa and Ronon are in fits of laughter. Slowly, and very annoyed, he walks over to them.  
>"Am I just not getting the team e-mails anymore?" McKay asked.<br>"Take it easy. We're just talking about Rod." John said.  
>"Oh, yes. Well, of <em>course<em> you are."  
>"Do you think he made it back to his universe?" Marissa asked.<br>"Well, it's hard to say, really, but I doubt he'll be back, though." McKay said.  
>"That's good. We found him a little creepy." Illyria said.<br>"What?" McKay asked.  
>"Yeah, I can't stand people who are nice all the time. Makes me feel like they're trying to hide something." Ronon said and Illyria faked being insulted and he laughed.<br>"Really?"  
>"He kept trying to correct <em>me<em> on my history. It grew tiresome very quickly." Marissa squinted. She was almost as smart as Daniel Jackson when it came to history, ancient cultures, and customs.  
>Unconvincingly, McKay said, "Well, he wasn't that bad."<br>"Yeah, let's be honest. Rod was annoying." John said.  
>"Well, I'll be honest with <em>you<em>. That's kind of nice to hear." McKay turns to get a chair to bring to the table. As he does, the rest of the team smile knowingly at each other. "Now ... what else has been happening?"  
>"Well, Marissa's got the hots for one of the new marines." Marissa looks indignant and kicks his leg. "Ow!"<br>"That is not true!"  
>"You know it is." Ronon smiled.<p>

"Jean Miller?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Hi. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force."  
>Nervously, Jeanie said, "OK."<br>"Did you send a math proof to Professor Graeme Peel of the California Institute of Technology?"  
>"Was I not supposed to?"<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard walks into a lab where Doctor McKay and Doctor Zelenka are sitting at a desk.  
>"Sorry to interrupt, kids." John turns to Rodney. "But you need to pack your toothbrush, head back to Earth."<br>"I do? Why?"  
>"Carter needs help."<br>Rodney smiles smugly. "With what?"  
>"Your sister."<br>Rodney's face falls as he looks at John in shock.  
>҉<br>**EARTH. **

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. **

**STARGATE COMMAND. **

Sam walks into the Gateroom where the Gate is active. Rodney walks through and comes down the ramp.  
>"Welcome back to Earth." Sam greeted.<br>"Yes, yes. What has my sister done?" McKay asked.  
>"Good to see you, too, McKay."<br>"Greetings, salutations, pleasantries. What's she done?" McKay impatiently asked. Without waiting for an answer, he walks past her - turning briefly to look at her backside - and leaves the Gateroom. Sam turns, rolls her eyes and follows him.

**LATER. **

Rodney is sitting at the desk in Sam's lab. A half-eaten sandwich and partly eaten tub of red jelly is on the table but Rodney is more interested in the paper that he is reading. Sam walks around the lab, clicking her fingers impatiently as she waits for him to finish reading. As he gets near to the end of the document she walks over to stand beside him.  
>"I thought that..."<br>Rodney holds up a finger and makes an inarticulate sound to stop her. He reads on for a moment. "Huh. Well, it's certainly some, uh, very interesting stuff, but it can't be her work. I mean, she's been out of the game for years."  
>Sam blinks. "'The game'?"<br>"Mmm, yeah. She hasn't published a single theoretical physics paper in, like, four years."  
>"Oh, <em>that<em> game!"  
>"Mmm. She was on a fast track to some pretty exciting grants, doing some interesting work. I mean, she was no me, of course, but she was at least a you."<br>Carter was staring at him. "Uh-huh."  
>McKay didn't notice. "Mmm. Anyway, she got herself knocked up by some English major, and her priorities shifted overnight. I tried to talk some sense into her, but she's a tad on the stubborn side."<br>"When was the last time you spoke to her?"  
>"Hmm, four years, maybe."<br>"Four years?"  
>"Not that I didn't check to see if she'd published."<br>Sam laughs in disbelief, then looks down at the paper. "You realize what this proof means, right?"  
>Condescendingly, McKay said, "Yes, well, if the math checks out."<br>"Oh, I've been over it. It checks out."  
>"Ah, well, no offence, blue eyes, but I'd like a little more time with it myself."<br>Firmly, Sam repeated, "It checks out."  
>"And she said it just came to her?"<br>"Yeah. She was playing with her kid, and she got a notion."  
>McKay got annoyed. "A notion. That is just beautiful. Oh, she's gonna love this." Suddenly he looks up at Sam in a panic. "Oh, you didn't tell her I'd been trying to prove something like this myself, did you?"<br>"Not exactly."  
>McKay sighed relieved. "Oh, good, 'cause she would just ... Wait a minute. Why not?"<br>"See, that's part of the reason I asked you here. She's been cleared by the Pentagon, but she refuses to sign the confidentiality agreement. She says she wants nothing to do with us. To be honest, she's been a bit of a pain in the ass."  
>"Ah. Well, forget her, then. I mean, she's made her choice. We'll just have to - you and I - figure out how to implement it on our own." He turns over some pages of the document and looks at them. "Let's see..." He glances nervously at Sam for a moment, then looks back at the document. "Now, upon first glance, there are certainly some missing pieces that aren't exactly spelled out in the proof, but, um..." Aware that Sam is looking at him closely, he trails off and looks up without meeting her eyes. "What?"<br>"You and I both know this would go a lot faster if your sister were on board."  
>"Well, what do you want <em>me<em> to do? She's not gonna listen to me."

"You're her brother!"  
>"Yeah, exactly!"<br>҉  
><strong>MILLER HOUSE. <strong>

Jeanie goes to the door as someone knocks on it. She opens it and finds Rodney standing there holding a small bunch of flowers. He smiles at her.  
>"Hi."<br>Jeanie looked shocked. "Hi."  
>"Long time no see."<br>"To say the least!"

There's a long uncomfortable pause. "Aren't you gonna invite me in?"  
>"Why are you here?"<br>McKay stepped over the threshold. "What, I can't just stop by, say hi to my little sister?"  
>"Well, we haven't spoken in four years and you've never done <em>anything<em> like this, so ... no, you can't."  
>"Well, I've been kind of busy ... with work, you know, doing a lot of travelling and such, and I was called back on business, so, um ... I was in town, and I thought I'd, um, you know." He holds out the bunch of flowers to her.<br>"Wait a second."  
>"What?"<br>"You're not here because of the physics proof, are you?"  
>"What? No! No, I mean, sure, that's part of the reason I'm here, but, uh..."<br>"You work for the U.S. government?"  
>"No, no, I work for an multi-national oversight advisory that, uh..."<br>"You know what? I don't care. I already told that-that colonel person that I don't want anything to do with them."  
>Rodney looks annoyed. "Do you have any idea what you've written?"<br>"A math proof. Some-some theoretical physics. I am willing to wager it has _no_ practical application at all."  
>Rodney brandishes the flowers at her. "I'll take that action."<br>"What does that mean?"  
>"Just sign the damn agreement."<br>"No! Getting all proprietary about our research and ideas is everything that's wrong with science today."  
>McKay rolled his eyes. "Here we go."<br>"Did you know that one fifth of our genes, the very building blocks of our being, have been patented by major pharmaceutical corporations? One fifth! If there's any benefit at _all_ to what I've written, it's that it'll spark an idea in someone else. I am not gonna sign away my rights, least of all to the U.S. military."  
>"But it <em>has<em> sparked an idea in someone, a big one!"  
>"Like what?"<br>"No, can't tell you. Not until you sign the agreement."  
>"I'm not signing the agreement 'til you tell me."<br>Kaleb came into the hallway with Madison in his arms. "Is everything OK?"  
>Jeanie turns to him while gesturing towards Rodney. "Look who showed up."<br>Rodney waves at him, smiling falsely. "Hey."

Kaleb looks at him, not sure who he is.  
>"It's my brother." Jeanie said.<br>"Oh! Right." Kaleb puts Madison down. "Hey."  
>Madison runs over to Rodney and wraps her arms around his legs. Rodney grimaces. "Hi!"<br>Rodney looks down at her. "Uh ... hello, little one."  
>"Did you bring me a present?"<br>Jeanie and Kaleb laugh. "Madison!" She pulls her daughter away from Rodney.  
>"What? No. I didn't know that was a rule." McKay asked.<br>"It is!"  
>"Well, I guess I broke that rule."<br>Madison giggles.  
>"Uh, I just made some dinner. Would you care to join us?" Kaleb asked.<br>Jeanie turns and throws a look at Kaleb.  
>"Uh, well, that would be great, actually. I am starving. You have no idea what time zone I just came from." McKay said.<br>"Well, I sure hope you like tofu chicken." Kaleb smiled. He takes Madison's hand and leads her off into the kitchen. Rodney laughs nervously, hands the flowers to Jeanie and walks into the house.  
>"I sure hope he's kidding."<br>Jeanie sighs and closes the front door.

**LATER.**

Jeanie and Rodney take the dishes from the dining room into the kitchen. Jeanie laughs. "Not a fan of vegetarian cuisine, eh?"  
>"Hmm. Yes, well, I suppose I was just in the mood for, um ... well, <em>food<em>."  
>Kaleb walks in. "I'll give Maddie her bath. You two catch up."<br>"OK, hon."  
>Kaleb turned to Rodney. "Hey, pop your head in before you leave."<br>Nervously, McKay asked, "What? Uh, why?"  
>"Children like to say goodbye."<br>McKay looked relieved. "Oh, the, uh ... yeah, sure. Sure." Kaleb leaves the room. Rodney scrapes the plate he's holding into the rubbish bin. "Boy, Madison's sure grown, huh?"  
>"Since she was born? Yeah, yeah, she has!"<br>Rodney puts his plate down and speaks quietly enough that Kaleb won't overhear him, but firmly. "OK, look, I don't want to waste any more of your time. You need to come with me right now. Your proof could lead to something groundbreaking."  
>Jeanie turns to him thoughtfully. "How long would I be gone?"<br>"Well, it's like, a couple of months, tops."  
>Jeanie laughed. "A couple of months? Are you joking? I ... Madison has her first ballet recital next Tuesday."<br>"She's four! How _good_ could she possibly be?"  
>"That's not the point!"<br>"Hey, she's not gonna remember you not being there."  
>"<em>I'll<em> remember me not being there."  
>"This is bigger than your responsibilities."<br>"OK, we've had this conversation before. _You_ belittle my choices, _I_ get furious at you, and we don't talk for four years. I'm not all that anxious to do that again."  
>"This is not what Dad would have wanted." Jeanie turns to him, angry that he's using the 'Dad' card. "No, he would have wanted us working together, side by side, toppling problems and sharing credit."<br>"Oh, you share credit now, do you?"  
>"This is important, Jeanie. I mean, it's much more important than you could ever imagine."<br>"For you, I am sure it is. But this, me being here, this is important for me. Why can't you accept that?"  
>"You know, you leave me no choice." He takes something out of his trouser pocket and walks towards her.<br>"What?"  
>"Just give me your hand."<br>"Why?"  
>"Please just give me your hand!" Jeanie reaches out, then snatches her hand back again. "Will you just ...?"<br>With an annoyed look on her face, Jeanie takes Rodney's hand. Rodney pushes a button on the device he is holding.  
>҉<br>**DAEDALUS.**

Sam is standing at an Asgard panel, moving the crystals. Behind her, Rodney and Jeanie transport in. Jeanie stares around in shock.  
>"Uh ... Uh, OK, what-what the <em>hell<em> just happened?"  
>Sam walks over. "It's OK. You're perfectly safe."<br>"I don't _feel_ perfectly safe."  
>"OK, you've just been teleported to an interstellar vessel in orbit around the planet." McKay said.<br>Sarcastically, Jeanie said. "Please. Teleportation is about as likely as time travel."  
>Rodney and Sam exchange a glance. "Hmm. Yes, well..."<br>He takes Jeanie by the shoulders and turns her around. They are standing at a floor-to-ceiling window which shows that they are indeed in space with Earth below them.  
>"Ohhh my." Jeanie whispered.<br>"Oh, yes."  
>Jeanie was staring at the planet. "Is-is that ...?" Then her train of thought shifts. "Why aren't we weightless?"<br>"Artificial gravity, and yes, that _is_ North America, and you are in geosynchronous orbit." Carter said.  
>"We work for something called the Stargate Program." McKay said.<br>"Stargate?"  
>"It's a device that creates stable, artificial wormholes that allows us to travel between other planets - even other galaxies."<br>Jeanie was gazing out of the window. "_What_ have you gotten yourself involved in here, Meredith?"  
>Behind her, Rodney closes his eyes and groans. Sam stares. "Meredith?"<br>"It's a long story." Rodney said.  
>"It's his name." Jeanie said.<br>"Your name is Meredith McKay?" Sam said.  
>"Meredith Rodney McKay, yes, but I prefer to go by "Rodney." Look, can we just stick to the point here? Look out the window. Much more interesting than my name." McKay said.<br>"Your name is Meredith?" Sam repeated.  
>Jeanie finally tears herself away from the window and gestures around the ship as she walks deeper into the room. "So this, this is, like, a ... like a space ship?"<br>Rodney and Sam turn to face her, Sam putting a comforting hand briefly on Rodney's shoulder. "This is a U.S. Air Force vessel called the Daedalus."  
>"Your equation has real-world applications I'm certain you've never even considered." McKay said.<br>"You see, there are some ... very bad creatures out there that want nothing more but to destroy this planet and everything that you hold dear." Carter said.  
>"Uh, did you say "creatures"? Like ... like alien creatures?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Yes." Sam said.  
>"Look, the work we could do is important, Jeanie, not just to you or me ..." McKay said as Jeanie walks back to the window to look down at Earth. "... to every living being down there, and that includes Madison and, um ..."<br>He grimaces as he realizes that he can't remember the name of her husband.  
>"Kaleb." Jeanie reminded.<br>"Kaleb, yes."  
>"We can't do this without you." Sam said.<br>McKay looked at her. "Let's not go overboard. I mean, she'd be an asset, but ..."  
>"McKay." Sam and Rodney give Jeanie a moment while she thinks about it. "So what do you say, Mrs. Miller?"<br>"Jeanie?" McKay asked.  
>"Look, it's just a lot to take in right now, OK? Just give me a second, Mer." Jeanie looks around the ship, then back out of the window at Earth. "So somewhere down there, my husband is giving my daughter a bath."<br>Behind her, Rodney smiles affectionately.  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME. **

**MILLER HOUSE. **

Kaleb wakes up and sees Jeanie sitting on the side of the bed and gazing up into the night sky through the window. He sits up in bed and laughs ruefully.  
>"You have to go."<br>Jeanie sighs and nods. "I know."  
>҉<br>**EARTH ORBIT.**

Daedalus leaves orbit and jumps into hyperspace. Inside the ship, Rodney and Jeanie walk along a corridor.  
>"What did you tell Kaleb?" McKay asked.<br>"The truth."  
>"What? Do you have any idea what "non-disclosure" means?"<br>"Just because we don't keep secrets from each other doesn't mean we're incapable of it."  
>"What did he say?"<br>"Um, he's concerned that me telling him will get him assassinated." She laughs for a moment, then looks at Rodney, her face serious. "That-that won't happen, right?"  
>"Oh, probably not."<br>They go into a lab where Sam talks to them via a video link from Earth. _"Again, I'm sorry I couldn't come with you, but there's just too much going on here."_  
>"It's fine." McKay said.<br>_"Well, I thought I could at least help you get Jeanie up to speed before you guys are out of comm range."_ Rodney and Jeanie both nod. _"About a year ago, your brother came across an abandoned alien experiment called Project Arcturus."_ Rodney calls up the information on another screen as Sam continues talking. _"It was an attempt to generate zero point energy."_  
>"That would be virtually limitless power. What happened?" Jeanie asked.<br>"A _slight_ problem. It was the creation of exotic particles in the containment field."  
><em>"He destroyed a solar system."<em>_  
><em> "Meredith!" Jeanie smacks his arm.  
>"It was uninhabited!"<br>_"Your brother, along with many others, has been trying to figure out a way to draw zero point energy from a parallel space time."_  
>"Which would get us around the whole problem of the creation of dangerous exotic particles in our <em>own<em> space time."  
>"And my theory is about bridging universes." Jeanie said.<br>_"Exactly. Yeah, we're hoping to use your proof as the theoretical basis for building a bridge from a parallel space time to ours."_  
>"The energy you'd need would be enormous to the point of absurd." Jeanie scoffed.<br>"Absurd we can do. We have something called a Zero Point Module which essentially does what we're attempting on a smaller scale - extract energy from subspace time."  
>"So subspace is real?"<br>_"You're flying in it."_  
>Nervously, Jeanie said, "Oh." Then she forgets her nerves as she thinks more about the problem. "Aren't you worried about the exotic particles crossing back over my bridge?"<br>_"Well, that's the beauty of your theory. It should not only allow us to build a bridge, it should also allow us to manage the flow rate of energy."_  
>"Like a faucet." Jeanie simplified.<br>Rodney laughs condescendingly. "Well, something like that."  
><em>"It's <em>exactly_ like that."_  
>Rodney's smile fades.<br>"What about the parallel universe? Aren't you just shifting the exotic particle problem to their side?" Jeanie asked.  
><em>"Potentially. But when you consider that the number of possible parallel universes that we could access borders on the infinite, the odds of us choosing at random one that's inhabited are astronomically slim."<em>  
>"Wow."<br>_"I know, it's an awful lot to take in at once."_  
>Jeanie turns to Rodney, looking smug. "I solved <em>your<em> problem in my spare time ... with finger paints."  
>"Here we go."<br>"I just can't _imagine_ how you're surviving the humiliation."  
>"Look, if it wasn't for my work, your little theory would be useless ..."<br>_"Whoa, whoa! Siblings, please!"_  
>McKay and Jeanie simultaneously said, as they turn back to the screen, "Sorry."<br>Sam ducks her head, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile.  
>"What?" McKay asked.<br>_"Well, it's just that you both said "sorry" in that cute little Canadian way, and I..."_ She trails off as Rodney and Jeanie exchange a look. _"Sorry. Touch base when you get back to Atlantis."_ She smiles at them. _"Good luck."_  
>She ends the transmission. Rodney and Jeanie stand and leave the room.<br>"These alien creatures must be quite the threat for you to even _try_ what you're doing."  
>"Now, I don't want to scare you, but you need to know the stakes. We are at war."<br>Jeanie looks at him suspiciously. "Did you start it?"  
>"What? No! Come <em>on<em>!"  
><strong>TWO WEEKS PASS:::<strong>  
>Rodney and Jeanie are in a lab. Rodney is sitting down looking at his sister's calculations. "OK, you've got a nota bene by the cosmological constant. Why is that?" He looks up to see Jeanie standing at the window watching hyperspace rush past. "Jeanie?"<br>She doesn't reply. He sighs, stands up and walks over to her. "Hey." He snaps his fingers in front of her face. Finally she notices him. "Yeah." He points back to the desk. "Why you're here, remember?"  
>Jeanie turned and walked back to the desk. "Yeah."<br>"Thank you."

•

Rodney and Jeanie come out of an elevator, looking at some calculations.  
>"So there's your problem right there."<br>Jeanie was pointing at the screen of the laptop she is carrying. "What are you talking about? It's _here_, and _you_ made a mistake."  
>"No I didn't!"<p>

In Engineering, Rodney shows a laptop screen to Hermiod the Asgard.  
>"OK, so, we need a yea or nay on the equations."<br>Jeanie is staring at Hermiod, though it's not clear whether she hasn't yet got used to seeing a little grey alien or whether she is worried that he won't be happy with the equations. Hermiod looks at Rodney and inclines his head.  
>"Yea."<p>

In a lab in Atlantis, Radek walks across to a screen as it beeps. A message comes up saying "Transmission from Daedalus - Dr McKay." A 'Loading' line runs across the screen, then blueprints appear.  
>There was a voiceover of McKay's voice. <em>"Atlantis already has a containment chamber we can use. I'll forward the necessary modifications to Zelenka. Now, if he doesn't mess it up, he can make the changes we need before we even get there."<em>  
>Radek stares at the complicated design, then switches to the next page, then the next. The finished product is a huge circular device.<p>

Sometime later, the doors of the containment chamber open to reveal the finished circular power generator. It's about the same size as a Stargate. Radek and various other scientists, dressed in white decontamination suits and hoods, are busy working in the lab. Radek walks over to the control console and looks at a female scientist sitting there.  
>"Ready?"<br>She nods.

On Daedalus, Rodney - with Jeanie standing nearby - is showing another laptop to Hermiod.  
>"Now, we've been through these calculations a number of times, and I think we've settled on a containment field setup that should work for us." He points at the screen. "I just wanna show you these ..."<p>

In the Atlantis containment chamber lab, Radek looks a little worried as he goes over to a screen and watches as a green oscillating wave runs across it. The top of the screen shows the message "In progress." Shortly afterwards, the message changes to "Successful."  
>"Yes, we have it, people! Good work!" The other scientists in the room applaud. "Good work, everybody." He looks at his watch and shrugs. "Just in time."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

John is walking with Illyria to the stairs down into the Gateroom, each of them having a black baby carrier around their necks carrying a child.  
>"Had he talked about his sister with you?" Illyria asked John.<br>"Once or twice in passing. Usually like, "Come _on_, even my sister can do it!" You know, that type of thing."  
>Illyria laughs, then turns to Radek as he comes up the stairs to meet them. "How's it coming, Radek?"<br>"The simulations are all in the green. We're ready to try power-up."  
>"Just in time."<br>"That's actually what I just said." He laughs nervously. The three of them walk down into the Gateroom and stop as a transporter beams Rodney and Jeanie into the room. Jeanie cringes.  
>"Holy cow! That can't be good for you."<br>"Nothing to worry about. I've done it dozens of times." John offers his hand to her as she turns around to face him. They shake hands as he smiles at her. "John Sheppard."  
>"Yeah. She's married, and she's my sister." McKay said.<br>"I'm just saying hi."  
>"Yeah. No, I know <em>exactly<em> what you're doing. I've seen that look before ... Kirk."  
>John frowns at him.<p>

"Rodney," Illyria looked back and forth between him and the kids until he got the point. Rodney rolled his eyes. Illyria shook her head and smiled at Jeanie and shakes her hand. "Hello, Mrs. Miller. I'm Queen Illyria. Welcome to Atlantis."  
>"Thank you. Mer's told me so much about you." Jeanie smiled widely at Illyria. "I can't believe I shook the hand of a Queen."<br>"All good, I ... Did you just call him "Mer"?" John said.  
>McKay quickly, before Jeanie can say anything, said, "It's a pet name." He turned to Radek. "Where are we?"<br>"Simulations are all in the green. We're ready to try a power-up."  
>"Really? So soon? That's amazing. Excellent work, Radek." Jeanie said.<br>Zelenka looked surprised. "Thank you!"  
>"Yes, we try <em>not<em> to encourage him. He's got a bit of an ego." McKay said.  
>As they all walk out of the room, Jeanie leans round behind Rodney's back and whispers, "Thank you," to Radek, who smiles in delight.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTAINMENT LAB.<strong>

Inside the chamber, lights are running around the inside of the generator. Jeanie looks through the glass door at it, checks her laptop and then walks over to a console to join Radek. Nearby, Rodney is checking the readings on another console as Illyria stands beside him.  
>"In-chamber conditions are green. Containment field is in the green. Monitors are green."<br>"Everything's green." Jeanie said.  
>Radek spoke quietly to Jeanie. "He likes to do the checklist."<br>"ZedP.M. levels are _well_ into the green. And back-up terminals are ... green." McKay straightens up and turns to Illyria. "We're ready to initiate power-up." He looked down at Jenifer in the carrier. "You…might want to get her out of here. Just in case."

"Right!" Illyria said and looked over her shoulder at her ever present nanny. The nanny took Jenifer and walked out. "Good luck."  
>McKay was rubbing his hands together. "Right. Here we go."<br>Jeanie hurries over to him, Radek following her. "Want to turn it on together?"  
>"Why would we do that?"<br>"Because it's both of our work." She smiles at him.  
>"Yeah, well, there's only room on the button for one finger, so..."<br>"Well, then, can _I_ do it?"  
>McKay was pointing down to his finger already on the keyboard. "Yeah, but I'm-I'm right here, so..."<br>Zelenka turned to Jeanie. "He likes to push the button."  
>Jeanie looks disappointed and slightly annoyed. "Fine. Go."<br>"Powering up to five percent." McKay pushes the button dramatically as Jeanie walks away in a huff. Energy runs around the generator and a small yellow glow appears in the middle, then gets larger. "Containment field is holding. Power generation is steady." He smiles smugly at Illyria.  
>"What about exotic particles?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Jeanie, please, I'm on it. We are holding at five percent." He smiles again.  
>"Good. <em>Now<em> what?" Illyria asked.  
>Before Rodney can answer her, Jeanie speaks. "The safe thing to do is hold at five percent for the next while."<br>"She wasn't talking to you." McKay said.  
>Jeanie and Radek, who had been looking at the other console, look up at him.<br>"Actually, it was an open question to the floor." Illyria said.  
>"'Shared credit', huh? 'We'll do this together'? 'Dad'll be <em>so<em> proud.'" Jeanie said.  
>"This is not the time or the place." McKay told her.<br>"Fine. I'm going to my quarters." Jeanie storms out.  
>McKay sounded irritated. "Yes, well, good night. Thank you."<br>He looks part annoyed and part embarrassed as Illyria turns to him. "So?"  
>"Well, obviously we ... hold at five percent for the next while and, um, see if any problems turn up."<br>"Right."  
>"I should probably try to get some rest myself." McKay clicks his fingers in the other scientists' direction. "Could you ... ?"<br>He walks away as the female scientist walks over to his console.  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

Four or so scientists - now out of their decontamination gear - are sitting in the lab keeping watch over the generator as it continues to cycle. From their bored faces and slumped sitting positions, they've been there for some hours. Suddenly the yellow glow in the center of the generator becomes much larger and brighter and the green lights around the outside of the device turn orange.  
>"What the ...?" She points to another scientist. "Shut it down."<br>As the generator powers down, a message appears on her screen: "Foreign object in containment chamber."  
>"'Foreign object.' Go get Doctor Zelenka."<br>Another scientist runs from the room.

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**.

The red light above the doors of the containment chamber turns to green and the doors open. The light inside the generator is no longer yellow but a glowing green. It fades and reveals a man crouched down inside the generator. He looks up. It's Rodney McKay - but he doesn't quite look the same. His hair is a little more mussy and therefore looks sexier, and he's wearing a black leather jacket. He lifts his head and looks out the door to see Radek and several other scientists staring in disbelief. Alt-Rodney grins.  
>"It worked." He jumps down out of the generator.<br>Zelenka was thinking that somehow this must be our Rodney. "What are you doing?"  
>Alt-Rodney was grinning at him. "Radek."<br>"Yes."  
>"I need to speak to whoever's in charge of this project."<br>Radek, confused, looks round briefly at the other scientists before turning back to Alt-Rodney. "But ... that's you."  
>Alt-Rodney smiles and puts his hands on his hips. "Well, then ... I guess I need to speak to <em>me<em>."  
>҉<br>**MESS HALL.**

Rodney (_our_ Rodney) walks in and hears the sound of people laughing hysterically. He goes to investigate and finds Jeanie sitting with John and Illyria holding the kids, Marissa and Ronon, all of them in fits of laughter. He walks over to their table as they continue to giggle. Jeanie waves at him.  
>"What is this?" McKay asked.<br>"Hey, _Meredith!" _John greeted.  
>"Oh, wonderful!"<br>"Illyria here was kind enough to show me around, offer me a warm meal, let me hold these _beautiful_ babies of hers and introduce me to some of your friends." Jeanie wiggled her finger's in Jenifer's face.  
>"What have you told them?" McKay asked.<br>John spoke with his face straight. "We weren't talking about you."  
>McKay looked hopefully. "Oh, you weren't?"<br>"Uh, no. We were discussing many things." Marissa said.  
>"Now, when the issue of bedwetting happened to come up, she may have mentioned something about your childhood." John said.<br>"That is not true!" McKay yelled.  
>"Relax. We all have embarrassing childhood stories." Ronon said.<br>"Of course we do." Illyria nodded.  
>"There was one time the school bullies made me eat lunch with my underwear on my head." Ronon said.<br>"Oh"!  
>"Oh, wait, that was you." Ronon pointed at McKay lazily. The four of them crack up laughing.<br>"Oh, hardy har-har. And this is revenge for what, exactly?"  
>"You don't even know, do you?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Hold on," Illyria held up a hand, the other going to her earpiece. "John and Rodney to the Isolation Room immediately." Illyria repeated.  
>"Isolation Room?" McKay gestures to John and Jeanie. "Come on."<p>

"Can you…?" Illyria asked, handing Jen over to Ronon. The nanny quickly intercepted as soon as Illyria's back was turned. Ronon shot her a glare to which she arched a skeptically eyebrow.  
>҉<br>**OBSERVATION ROOM ABOVE THE ISOLATION ROOM. **

The leather-jacketed Rodney can be seen on the video feed as he strolls casually around the Isolation Room. They come in and stare at the screen.  
>"What in the world?" McKay asked.<br>"It's you." Jeanie said.  
>"No, that is a live closed-circuit feed of a man we have in the Isolation Room." Illyria said. She leads them to the window overlooking the Isolation Room and they all stare down into it. Alt-Rodney, noticing them, stops his strolling and looks up at them calmly.<br>Jeanie looked at her brother briefly before staring down into the room again. "What?"  
>"He appeared in the containment chamber in some sort of forcefield." Illyria said.<br>"What do you mean, he appeared?" John asked.  
>"Out of thin air. Zelenka is working on it. Obviously we shut down the project." Illyria said.<br>"Well, how'd he get in there?"  
>"He claims to be from a parallel universe."<br>Jeanie rolls her eyes and turns to Rodney. "You said the odds against this were astronomical."  
>"You saw the math!" McKay shouted.<br>"Well, we got it wrong." Jeanie said.  
>"Yeah, well, he's here now, so the question is, what does he want?"<br>"To talk to you." Illyria said.  
>Rodney grimaces for a moment, then turns to Jeanie. "Alright, you want shared credit?" Jeanie shakes her head. "You're coming in with me."<br>"Wait..."  
>Rodney has already started to leave the room. Jeanie sighs and follows him.<br>҉  
><strong>ISOLATION ROOM. <strong>

Alt-Rodney turns as the door opens and our Rodney and Jeanie walk in. "Wow. Now, I figured _you'd_ be here, but, uh, but Jeanie? I always hoped we'd work together in Atlantis."  
>Jeanie was staring back and forth between the two men. "Huh. <em>This<em> is a first."  
>McKay and Alt-McKay simultaneously say, "For me too."<br>Alt-Rodney gestures to a couple of chairs in the room. "Have a seat." He turns to our Rodney. "Now, I presume you go by..."  
>"Rodney."<br>"Ah. Rod."  
>Rodney turns to Jeanie. "I could never get anyone to call me that."<br>"Huh." Jeanie said.  
>Rod sits down on one chair while Rodney takes the one opposite. Jeanie stands beside him.<br>"OK, I'm gonna make some assumptions based on what I've seen here and from readings we've taken in my own space time. Please stop me if I'm wrong. One: I presume you're running some sort of experiment that's designed to bridge between parallel universes. And two: it has something to do with power generation. Warm? Cold?"  
>"Uh, hot." Jeanie laughs.<br>"Well, I'm sure the experiment's been a success on this side, but it's having some rather serious repercussions in _my_ universe."  
>Jeanie smacks Rodney's arm. "I <em>told<em> you."  
>"Not now!" Rodney said.<br>Jeanie turned to Rod. "Dangerous exotic particles that don't belong in either of our universes are being created on your side of the bridge."  
>Rodney turns and throws her a dark look. Rod leans forward to him. "Oh, so you <em>knew<em> this could happen?"  
>Nervously, McKay said. "Uh, there was a slight risk, yes."<br>Up in the Observation Room, John and Illyria are watching the conversation.  
>"This is weird." John said.<br>"Well, you're quite correct, Jeanie, and because these particles don't behave according to any of the laws of physics in our space time, they're creating a tear in the fabric of our universe." Rod said.  
>"Huh!" Jeanie looks down at Rodney. "First a solar system, now a universe."<br>Impatiently, Rodney said, "Yes." He turned to Rod. "How exactly did you get here?"  
>"Ah. Well, we detected the anomaly about twenty hours ago in space above the planet. We maneuvered one of our Jumpers in close and tried to broadcast a signal to whoever was on the other side."<br>"Yes, but of course we would be unable to detect that signal from within the containment chamber."  
>Rod nodded. "So Sheppard and I came up with a plan to beam a <em>person<em> into the anomaly. They would be protected by an Ancient personal forcefield that we discovered."  
>Rodney smiles ruefully. "I depleted ours."<br>Jeanie turned to Rod. "Still, it was an incredible risk."  
>Rod laughs. "Well, it was Sheppard's idea."<br>In the Observation Room, John smiles smugly.  
>"We decided it might allow one of us to cross the bridge you'd created and bring the problem to your attention. There was very little time, and, well, there seemed to be no other way. We drew straws."<br>"You lost." McKay said.  
>"I won!" Rodney stares at him. "What, the prospect of saving an entire universe? No-brainer."<br>Unconvincingly, Rodney said, "Oh, sure."  
>Jeanie laughs, mostly in amazement at how much cooler her alt-brother is, then looks at him apologetically. "I can't begin to say how sorry we are."<br>"Yes, well, you could start by shutting down the experiment?" Rod asked.  
>"Already done. And after hearing what you've told me, I see no reason why we'd start it back up again."<br>"Great. Then my work here is done." Rod gives a thumbs up. "Mission accomplished."  
>He chuckles happily. Jeanie smiles with him. Rodney looks awkward, then realizes something. "Uh, well, yes, but how did you plan on getting, you know, back - I mean, to your own universe?"<br>"The matter bridge you created is unidirectional." Rod said.  
>"But that means ..." Jeanie trailed.<br>"Yes. Yes, it does."  
>"Huh."<p>

**LATER.**

Rod has been brought to some guest quarters and he and Jeanie are making the bed while John and Rodney talk outside.  
>"So, Jeanie, do you have three kids in this universe?" Rod asked.<br>"No. Just the one."  
>"Huh. Well, I'm sure you're as great a mother in this space time as you are in mine. Oh! This'll blow your mind." He rummages in his jacket pocket. "I have photographs of your alternate life. Wanna see pictures of the kids you haven't had yet?"<br>"Absolutely!" She takes the photos and starts to look through them. "Oh, look at Maddie!" She looks at another picture. "Who's that?"  
>"That's Bradley and Robbie."<br>Outside the room, John and Rodney walk away.  
>"Alright, what's the game plan here?" Rodney asked.<br>"We put him up here in the guest quarters until we can find something more permanent." John said.  
>"Something more permanent? Well, we're not keeping him!"<br>"He can't go back."  
>"That doesn't just mean he has to stay here."<br>"He said he'd rather be on Atlantis than Earth."  
>"Oh, I see. So he gets his way and I don't."<br>"How can you not wanna be with him? He's you!"  
>"He's not me! <em>I'm<em> me, the _real_ me."  
>"I suppose it's all relative. To Rod, his reality is every bit as valid as ours. To him, <em>we're<em> the impostors."  
>"What does Elizabeth have to say about all this?"<br>"Two McKays are better than one."  
>"There aren't two McKays! There's <em>one<em> McKay - and him."  
>John gets into a transporter. "Whatever you say ... Meredith." He punches the back screen and smiles sarcastically at Rodney as the doors close.<br>҉  
><strong>DAY TIME. <strong>

Veiwing the city from the outside, there's a metallic clunking sound and a small white ball soars out from the city and drops into the water. Rod with a golf club over his shoulder, having just hit the ball out into the ocean. He turns and grins at John, who whistles appreciatively. Rod chuckles happily.  
>"Nice shot! Easily two seventy-five." John said. He walks onto a small piece of Astro-turf, takes a ball from a bucket of balls and puts it onto a tee. "You know, I've been meaning to put up buoy markers, but who has the time, huh?"<br>Rod stares out over the ocean, smiling appreciatively. "This is great. We don't have one of these where I'm from. Besides, you'd need to take a cattle prod to the Sheppard I know to get him up this early."  
>John laughs. "Late nights with the Queen, huh?" He hits his ball out into the ocean.<br>"Eh, no. He's very active with the Mensa club we have there." John frowns. "They have a lot of, um, functions."  
>"Well, you can't blame a man for his intelligence."<br>"No, but I _can_ blame him for reminding all the time."  
>John looked amazed. "He doesn't!"<br>"Mmm, trust me. My Sheppard makes your Rodney seem modest in comparison."  
>John looks a little disturbed by this. "Well, I've gotta admit - between you and me - you're a lot different than our Rodney too."<br>"How so?"  
>"It's the little things. You like golf; you say "please" and "thank you"; you're, um ... what's the opposite of condescending?"<br>Rod chuckles. "You wanna hear about Illyria?" John stopped what he was doing and turned to Rod. Rod smiled and pulled out a separate wallet for photos. He flipped to a photo of a woman in an elegant white gown and man stood next to her in his Air Force formal attire. "You and Illyria got married. I hear you're just engaged?" He pointed to another photo of Rod holding a four year old Pat in the air, Carson standing in front of them with his hands out just in case he fell. "I were named Pat's godfather; here its Rodney and Carson. And…" He flipped to a still photo of Illyria and John walking, Pat and Jen were waddling next to them. There was a baby bump under Illyria's shirt. "Illyria is pregnant with _your_ son."

The look in John's eyes warmed Rod's heart.

"M-My son?" John whispered. "I have a son?"

"Here." Rod pulled the photo out and handed it to John. "Keep it. I've got another."

John took it, smiled, and put it into his breast pocket. Htees up another ball and whacks it out over the ocean. Rod watches it go. "Ooh! Now, I could help you with that hook."

҉  
><strong>MESS HALL. <strong>

Rodney walks in and hears the sound of people laughing hysterically. Rolling his eyes, he walks over to a table where Rod, John, Illyria, Jeanie, Marissa and Ronon are in fits of laughter. People on other tables have obviously been listening to their conversation and are smiling.  
>"What the hell is this?" Rodney asked.<br>"Hey, sleepyhead!" John greated.  
>"Yeah. Hi." John grumpily said.<br>Rod was still laughing. "I had a breakfast date with Jeanie. I guess it kind of ballooned into a group affair. Look, sit down. We're tracing back our lives, trying to find the little differences between our pasts."  
>"Rod is an honorary member of the Athosian Council." Marissa smiled.<br>"_And_ is godfather to Patrick and my future son." Illyria said smiling at John.  
>Sarcastically, Rodney said. "Yes, well, how wonderful for him…Hey, I thought Carson and I were Pat's godfathers?"<br>"Well, it's easier for me. Our Earth has a ZedP.M. too, so it makes the back and forth a lot simpler."  
>Zelenka's voice came over the radio. "Doctors McKay, please report to the containment chamber. <em>Doctors<em> McKay."  
>McKay and Rod simultaneously said, "Excuse me."<br>Rod and Jeanie get up from the table.  
>"Hey, Rod, are we still on to spar later?" Ronon asked.<br>"Absolutely."  
>They knock fists together, then wiggle their fingers at each other, simultaneously saying, "Ohh!"<br>Chuckling, Rod heads off after Rodney. Jeanie, grinning, follows him, full of admiration for her new brother.  
>҉<br>**CONTAINMENT CHAMBER. **

The power generator is active.  
>"What do you mean you started it up again?" Rodney asked.<br>"Shutting the experiment down only made things worse for us, not better. The matter bridge is still active, but we are not drawing any power, creating pressure like a dam. If we didn't turn it on again, it could have resulted in a catastrophic overload." Zelenka said.  
>"Oh. We should have thought of that." Rod said.<br>"Mmm-hmm." McKay accusingly said.  
>"Don't look at me." Jeanie said.<br>"Oh, so you're willing to take all the credit but none of the blame, huh?"  
>"I never wanted <em>all<em> the credit."  
>"No-one is blaming you." Rod said.<br>Jeanie glanced towards Rodney. "Oh, really?"  
>"Look, this <em>is<em> just a temporary solution. The Zelenka in my space time estimates that there is at least a week and a half before the tear expands as far as the city ... _my_ city." Rod said.  
>"What'll happen when it does?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Well, imagine what would happen if you just threw the laws of physics out the window." Rod said.  
>"Entropy, and chaos."<br>"Mmm. Worst-case scenario, the entropy expands as far as the subspace layers underneath our space time."  
>"It could travel almost instantaneously. I mean, your entire universe could just..." McKay clicks his finger "... flash out of existence."<br>"We need to mend that tear before it becomes irreparable. Now, I have some thoughts. Is there a place we can go to work?" Rod said.  
>"Uh, yes, of course. Follow me." McKay turns to leave the room. Rod puts his hand on Jeanie's shoulder. "Oh, Jeanie, we could use your help."<br>"Thank you!"  
>҉<br>**LAB.**

Rod hands a P.D.A. to Rodney. "D'you mind running up these power requirements?" " Grumpily, he said. "Done." He walks towards Jeanie, throwing a suspicious look back at Rod as he goes, then turns to his sister and speaks to her quietly. "What were you doing having breakfast with him?"  
>"I don't often meet people from another universe. I found myself curiously interested."<br>"Yeah, well, I don't want you hanging around with him anymore."  
>"What?"<br>"Look, _I_ am your real brother."  
>"In what sense?"<br>"Oh, what is _that_ supposed to mean?"  
>"You haven't been a brother to me since I quit school."<br>"You were making an incredible mistake. I was just trying to-"  
>"You were trying to control my life, Mer. I disagreed with you. I still do. And what, because of that, you stop being my brother?"<br>"I never stopped being your brother!"  
>"We haven't talked in <em>four<em> years."  
>"Don't put that all on me."<br>"It _is_ all on you. I had no way of getting in touch with you."  
>"I was doing top-secret research in another galaxy!" Realizing that his voice has been getting louder, he glances round at Rod. Rod, working on a laptop, shifts uncomfortably - it's obvious he can hear what they're saying but he tactfully keeps his eyes on his work.<br>"You could have sent me a message. You know, call me on my birthday, at Christmas. Once a year ... that's all I would have needed. Just a "Hi. How are you? Are you happy? Are you OK?" That would have been enough, but you didn't even do that. No, no, I was wrong and you were right, so, what, I was not worth talking to?" Jeanie asked.  
>"It wasn't like that at all."<br>"You don't like me talking to Rod because it makes you realize how bad a brother you've really been."  
>Rod turns from his console and calls out to them. "Hey, you guys got something over there?"<br>"No." Jeanie looks at Rodney significantly. "We don't."  
>She turns away from him and gets on with her work. Rodney stares off into the distance, upset and lost in thought.<br>҉  
><strong>JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS.<strong>

John is sitting on his bed cleaning the head of one of his golf clubs with a toothbrush. Illyria was in the nursery in the adjoined room flipping through bridal magazines and watching the kids stand and stumble around on a play mat. Rodney is pacing around the room.  
>"He's slowing me down." Rodney said.<br>"Really? I thought two of you would have sped things up." John said.  
>"Yeah, he's not me."<br>"I know he's not the same person. Trust me. I'm just saying, he's a genius too, isn't he?"  
>"Hmm. Unless he's lying."<br>"About what?"  
>"What if the people on his Atlantis were sick of him messing up all the time, huh? So when it came time to send some stooge on a one-way ticket to another universe, there was only <em>one<em> guy they could do without."  
>"Say what you want. I know what this is about."<br>"Oh, really, Mr. Mensa in a parallel universe? What is this all about?"  
>"You think Jeanie likes him more than you."<br>"What? That's crazy. That's ... that's ..." McKay stops pacing and turns to John "... that's possibly true."  
>John was smiling at him smugly. "Mmm."<br>McKay started to pace again. "Jeanie and I drifted apart. I mean, that happens. It wasn't done maliciously. Do I have regrets? Yes, of course I do, but who doesn't? I mean, you know, I'm not very good at saying I'm sorry or that I'm wrong - _possibly_ because it happens so rarely."  
>"Mmm-hmm." John cynically said.<br>"So I didn't call or write, and when I realized that four years has gone by, it was just a..." McKay stops and pauses for a long time. "You're right. Of course, you're right. I mean, she has every reason to hate me."  
>"I didn't say she <em>hates<em> you."  
>"Well, she should."<br>John looks up at him and shrugs. "Well, if you insist."  
>"I do."<br>"Well, then, fair enough."  
>Zelenka's voice came over the headset. <em>"Doctor McKay to the containment chamber. Doctor McKay."<em>  
>McKay turns to John. "Good talk. Thanks."<p>

McKay left and John chuckled. When Illyria came into the room caring Patrick, his smile got bigger. "Hey there little guy!"

Patrick said, "Daddy," and smiled when he heard John and immediately tried to fight out of Illyria's arms.

"Hold on! Hold on." Illyria laughed, placing Patrick in John's arms. "You should have seen it. Jen fell asleep playing with her blanket and Pat here stumbled his way _over_ her and towards the door."

John laughed and bounced Pat on his leg. "Really? He just missed his daddy!"

Illyria smiled and laid her head on John's shoulder. "What's Rodney want? I heard his whining from the nursery."

John chuckled and tickled Pat's belly. "He thinks Jeanie likes Rod better than him."

Illyria rolled her eyes.  
>҉<br>**CONTAINMENT CHAMBER.**

Rod is following Radek across the room to a console that Jeanie is working on as Rodney comes in.

"Great. He's here." Rod said.  
>"What's going on?" McKay asked.<br>"Well, I set up a way to pick up transmissions inside the containment chamber should Rod's universe try to contact us. We, of course, still have no way of communicating with them, but..."  
>"They sent us a message." McKay finished Zelenka's sentence.<br>"Yeah. Apparently their exotic particle problem is spinning out of control much faster than they'd anticipated." Jeanie said.  
>"Oh, boy."<br>"But they have a solution." Rod said.  
>"They do? That's great."<br>"Well, not really. Their solution will not only destroy Atlantis but tear a hole in the fabric of _this_ universe." Rod said.  
>"Oh, boy." McKay repeated.<br>҉  
><strong>CONFERENCE ROOM.<strong>

Rodney, Rod and Jeanie are reporting to Illyria and John.  
>"Now, I'm not saying that their attempt would be successful, but if it was, it would flood the exotic particles that have been created on <em>their<em> side into _this_ space time all at once." Rod said.  
>"And that would, uh..."<p>

"... be bad." Jeanie told John.  
>"Right. I got that, but, uh ..."<p>

"... _how_ bad?" Illyria finished for John.  
>"Well, to be honest, the science gets extremely complicated, but simply put, the tear will eventually swallow up the entire galaxy, possibly the universe." McKay said.<br>"So ... _very_ bad." John said.  
>"Well, I think we can all agree that that would be bad, yes." McKay said.<br>"Their plan will take six hours to implement." Rod said.  
>"I suggest we do something before that." Illyria said.<br>"Well, we have an idea." Rod said.  
>"Actually, <em>Jeanie<em> has an idea." McKay corrected.  
>Jeanie looks surprised but pleased that her brother is giving her credit for once. "We think we can collapse the bridge with a massive burst of energy from this side."<br>"And stop the creation of exotic particles on the other side by doing so." Rod said.  
>"How massive a burst are we talking?" John asked.<br>"Everything we've got. I mean, enough to severely deplete our ZedP.M." McKay said.  
>Illyria sighs. "So instead of creating a new powerful energy source, we'll be sacrificing the one we already have."<br>"Yes. We'd still be able to dial Earth but much less frequently, of course - and let's just say I wouldn't wanna be around here if the Wraith show up." McKay said.  
>Rod was grimacing. "Hmm."<br>"I don't see that we have a choice." John said to Illyria.  
>Illyria reluctantly said, "Alright. Do it."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTAINMENT CHAMBER.<strong>

Radek stares in disbelief at what Jeanie is typing on a console. He turns and walks over to Rodney. "Queen Illyria gave the OK for this?"  
>"You'd rather the universe was destroyed?" McKay asked.<br>"Not really."  
>"Rodney, talk to you for a second?" Rod asked. The two of them walk away from the others. "Look, the Daedalus is still in orbit. I thought..."<br>"I know what you're gonna say." McKay said.  
>"If I can beam into the energy stream protected by my personal forcefield ..."<p>

"... you'd be transported back to your universe, I know. I didn't bring it up before because if it doesn't work ..."  
>"I'm willing to take that risk. I've already requested the Daedalus to execute the transport to the coordinates inside the chamber on your mark. That is, if you're willing to do this."<br>"Everyone loves you here."  
>Rod laughs. "Yeah, but it's not home. Look, what, my Sheppard is a know-it-all, my Illyria has her hands full with politics and raising three kids, my Marissa is hard to talk to, and my Ronon is ... well, actually those two are pretty similar." Rodney laughs. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that - for all their faults - they're my team. My place is with them. Besides ..." he pats Rodney's arm "... they're not looking for another McKay around here. They already have one."<br>"It's just a lesser model, hmm?"  
>Rod smiles. "I envy you. You say exactly what's on your mind no matter <em>how<em> it makes you look. I can only imagine the freedom you must have, not caring if people like you or not."  
>"Oh. People don't like me?"<br>"Trust me - you've got it great here. Now, I've made some calculations. When the readings reach the levels I've indicated, you'll know whether or not I made it home."  
>McKay was smiling a little. "Oh, I guess you just need to click your heels together, huh?"<br>Rod offers him his hand. Rodney takes it and they shake. Rod turns it into a street shake. "Good luck, Rodney."  
>"You too."<br>Rod goes over to Radek and clasps his shoulder. "Radek - mej se. [Take care.]"  
>Jeanie walks towards him, her face full of concern. He turns to her. "Jeanie."<br>They hug for a long moment. Pulling back a little, he holds her at arm's length for a second or two, then lets her go and walks over to a console. Jeanie hurries over to Rodney. "You're letting him do this?"  
>"I tried to talk him out of it, but you know Rod."<br>Rod activated a radio link to Daedalus. "Hermiod, ready when you are." He looks around at everyone and smiles. "I guess there's nothing left to say but, "There's no place like home.""  
>The transporter beam whisks him away. Rodney and Jeanie go over to Radek's console.<br>"Alright, all in the green. Ready for forced power output." Zelenka reported.  
>"Right. And..." McKay stops and turns to Jeanie. "Uh ... you wanna press the button?"<br>Jeanie was looking at him in surprise and pleasure. "Yeah, yeah." She laughs and turns to the console. "Sure."  
>She pushes the button and the generator begins to cycle up, the yellow light glowing in its center. She and Rodney hurry over to two different consoles.<br>"Power is at full." Zelenka said.  
>Jeanie reports as her screen shows energy moving into the bridge. "It's working!"<br>Rodney activates his headset radio. "Hermiod, this is McKay. Commence transport."  
>In Daedalus' Engine Room, Hermiod activates his controls. "Transport is complete."<br>"The bridge is already beginning to destabilize." Jeanie said.  
>"It's not yet enough." Zelenka said.<br>"ZedP.M. is at fifty percent." McKay said.  
>"It's still not enough, Rodney!" Zelenka yelled.<br>"We _have_ to max it out." Jeanie said.  
>"Thirty percent!" McKay yelled.<br>Jeanie's screen shows the energy burst retreating back towards our end. She smiles in delight. "The bridge is collapsing. We've done it!"  
>"OK, we can shut it down now." Zelenka said.<br>"Not yet!" McKay yelled.  
>"What?"<br>"According to these readings, if we shut it down now, he won't make it!" Behind McKay, a wallscreen shows that the Z.P.M. is at seventeen percent.  
>"Give it a few more seconds." Jeanie said.<br>Zelenka spoke after a moment. "ZeeP.M. is at five percent."  
>McKay spoke as the screen behind him drops to three percent. "Almost there ... cut power now!"<br>Radek punches the button. As the generator powers down, he hurries around to look at the wallscreen. "How much power did we drain from the ZeeP ... M?"  
>He trails off as he sees the screen. Jeanie looks at the screen and stares in shock. Its message reads, "ZPM Module depleted. 0%."<p>

McKay sounded appalled. "All of it." He groans. "I drained all of it."  
>"You did the right thing." Jeanie said.<br>"Hmm. Well, I suppose I would've done the same thing for ... me." All the screens go off, then all the lights go out and the room is plunged into darkness. A moment later some of the lights come back on again as the city switches from Z.P.M. power to naqahdah generators. "I am so fired."  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

The video recording which Rodney made when the Wraith were about to attack for the first time is playing on a laptop.  
><em>"Jeanie? This is your brother, Rodney. I wanna s-say, um ... family is important. I-I've come to realise that because the people here have become a sort of a ... kind of a surrogate family to me."<em> He smiles. _"Now, I know what you're thinking: I've never really been the poster child for that kind of sentiment but, uh, when ... when one's contemplating ones own demise, one tends to see things more clearly. I really do wish you the best, you know, and I'm sorry we weren't closer. Perhaps, um ... if by chance I make it out of this, perhaps one day we can be, and I would like that."_ He gazes at the camera for a moment, then pulls himself together. _"Now - if there's time I'd like to ..."_  
>The recording is switched off and we see that Jeanie is watching it in her quarters. John is sitting nearby.<br>"When did he record this?" Jeanie asked.  
>"Couple of years back when we thought the bad guys were gonna get us."<br>Jeanie looks lost in thought for a moment, then turns and smiles at John. "Now I've seen _three_ sides of my brother!"  
>"Yeah."<br>Rodney walks in and looks at them suspiciously. "What are you two up to?"  
>Jeanie closes the lid of the laptop and hands it back to John.<br>"Nothing. Just, uh ... telling stories about you. You know, trying to help her fall sleep." John said.  
>"Ah-ha-ha." McKay sarcastically said.<br>"I'll leave you guys alone." John said. He stands up and leaves the room. Rodney watches him go, then turns to Jeanie and raises a hand to her, smiling awkwardly.  
>"Hey."<br>"Hey."  
>"Hey, you should be packing. Daedalus leaves in the morning."<br>Jeanie picks up a bag from the floor and puts it on the bed. "I'm done. How'd it go with Illyria?"  
>"Oh, um, well, she wasn't too happy about the whole killing of the ZedP.M. but, you know, in the grand scheme of things, we did prevent the destruction of the universe, so, you know, not fired."<br>"That's good."  
>"Yeah." There's an awkward pause. "Ooh, right, uh ... I got this for Madison." He holds out a clay figure to her.<br>"Oh." She unenthusiastically said.  
>"Yeah. I ... swiped it from Illyria's desk. It's not like there's a Toys "R" Us nearby, so, uh ..."<br>"Well, it's the thought that counts, I guess." She puts the figure into her bag. "Well, I'd say "see you around," but ..."  
>"Yes. About that ..." McKay gazes at her for a moment. "... which is to say, um ... look ... what I ... I wanted to ..."<br>Jeanie smiles at him, unable to bear his embarrassment any longer. "Thank you for trying."  
>She looks down at her bag again as she fastens it. Rodney looks at her a little longer, then walks over to her and wraps his arms around her. For a moment, Jeanie is too surprised to react, then she smiles and puts her arms around him. His eyes were full of tears. "How are you? Are you happy? Are you OK?"<br>Hers eyes were equally wet. "Yeah, Mer. I am. I really am."  
>They hug for a moment longer, then step back a little.<br>"Intergalactic gate network should be completed soon, so, um, maybe it won't be four years next time?"  
>Jeanie smiles. "Does this mean I'll see you at Christmas?"<br>"_If_ you can convince Kaleb not to make tofurkey."  
>Jeanie laughs and points at him. "No promises!"<br>Rodney grins at her, then turns and leaves the room, smiling happily.  
>҉<br>**MESS HALL.**

Rodney walks in and hears the sound of people laughing hysterically. He looks over to a table where John, Illyria, Marissa and Ronon are in fits of laughter. Slowly, and very annoyed, he walks over to them.  
>"Am I just not getting the team e-mails anymore?" McKay asked.<br>"Take it easy. We're just talking about Rod." John said.  
>"Oh, yes. Well, of <em>course<em> you are."  
>"Do you think he made it back to his universe?" Marissa asked.<br>"Well, it's hard to say, really, but I doubt he'll be back, though." McKay said.  
>"That's good. We found him a little creepy." Illyria said.<br>"What?" McKay asked.  
>"Yeah, I can't stand people who are nice all the time. Makes me feel like they're trying to hide something." Ronon said and Illyria faked being insulted and he laughed.<br>"Really?"  
>"He kept trying to correct <em>me<em> on my history. It grew tiresome very quickly." Marissa squinted. She was almost as smart as Daniel Jackson when it came to history, ancient cultures, and customs.  
>Unconvincingly, McKay said, "Well, he wasn't that bad."<br>"Yeah, let's be honest. Rod was annoying." John said.  
>"Well, I'll be honest with <em>you<em>. That's kind of nice to hear." McKay turns to get a chair to bring to the table. As he does, the rest of the team smile knowingly at each other. "Now ... what else has been happening?"  
>"Well, Marissa's got the hots for one of the new marines." Marissa looks indignant and kicks his leg. "Ow!"<br>"That is not true!"  
>"You know it is." Ronon smiled.<p> 


	36. Chapter 34

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year ****2 moths.**

** FINALLY! I typed up the Wedding chapter and it's now going into storage. But sadly it will be a few more chapters before you get to read it. : ( Sorry : )**

**ATLANTIS. **

Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard meets up with his fiancé, Queen Illyria, and Doctor McKay as they walk along a corridor.  
>"Illyria, we may have a situation. Major Leonard's team - they're late returning from M1B-129."<br>"We sent them to check out an unusual energy reading, correct?"  
>"An anomalous spike the M.A.L.P. picked up on a Gate scout. The planet is uninhabited, but I thought it warranted a closer look." McKay said.<br>"The point is they missed a check-in. They're now six hours overdue." John said.  
>"We've tried contacting them by the radio, but the signal is intermittent at best. Just a lot of static. Could have something to do with the anomaly, but I'm not sure." McKay said.<br>"I wanna take our team, go see what happened." John said.  
>"Of course. Take an additional marine unit as well, and the good Doctor Beckett, just in case." Illyria told him.<br>"Alright."  
><strong>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<strong>  
><strong>M1B-129. <strong>

John, Rodney, Captain Frio, Ronon Dex, Doctor Beckett and three marines come through the Gate into a forested world. As they check out the area around the Gate, John activates his headset radio.  
>"Major Leonard, this is Sheppard. Come in."<br>Marissa, Rodney and Carson all cringe as a mixture of static and a high-pitched whining comes through their earpieces. All three of them take their earpieces out. John tries again.  
>"Major Leonard." There's no reply through the interference. "These things are useless."<br>Rodney consults a hand-held Ancient scanner. "I'm picking up that puzzling energy reading."  
>"What is it?" Carson asked.<br>McKay raised his eyes in irritation. "Did I not just use the word "puzzling"?"  
>"Charming."<br>Ronon is kneeling nearby and looking at the ground. He looks up as John walks over to him. "Tracks. Boot prints."  
>"Let's go find 'em."<br>The team heads off into the forest.

**LATER. **

The team is walking along a wide pathway.  
>"The readings are stronger. Whatever it is, we're getting warmer." McKay said.<br>Marissa spots something ahead of them. "Look."  
>They walk towards what she has seen. It's the body of someone long dead. Almost all the flesh has gone. John looks down at the uniform the corpse is wearing. "Genii."<br>Carson bends down to examine the body more closely. "He's been dead for months."  
>"No, really?" McKay sarcastically said.<br>"OK, we know _our_ guys didn't do it." John said.  
>"And he wasn't fed on, so it wasn't the Wraith." Marissa said.<br>Carson finds holes in the body's uniform. "Bullet wounds. Dozens of 'em."  
>Ronon called out from nearby. "Over here."<br>He has found three more bodies. The team goes over to them. Carson bends down to one of the bodies. "Also shot."  
>John was looking at another body. "This guy was stabbed - repeatedly."<br>Ronon looked at the third body. "By this guy, looks like." He lifts up the corpse's arm which has a knife clenched in its skeletal hand.  
>"What, so they killed each other?" McKay asked.<br>"Aye, quite possibly - and by the looks of it, in a violent fashion." Carson said.  
>Ronon takes the knife from the corpse's hand and tosses it a couple of times, testing it out to see whether it's worth taking. John walks away and looks thoughtfully into the forest.<br>"Which begs the question: what the hell happened to Major Leonard's team?"

**LATER.**

The team is continuing its search for the missing team.  
>"I thought you said this planet was uninhabited." Ronon said.<br>"According to the Ancient database." McKay said.  
>"Well, it recently became habited." John said.<br>"D'you suppose the Genii are responsible for the energy readings we're detecting?" Carson asked.  
>"Probably. It'd be just our luck we've stumbled on one of their nuclear testing sites." McKay told him.<p>

Behind them, Lieutenant Kagan looks nervous. "Nuclear testing site?"  
>John shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a small one."<br>Suddenly Ronon stops, charges his blaster and aims it into the forest. Instantly John and Marissa aim their P90s in different directions in reaction to this. Rodney and Carson move cautiously behind the protection of the marines as they aim their weapons back the way they came.  
>"What is it?" Marissa asked.<br>"I saw something." Ronon said.  
>Everyone looks around. There doesn't appear to be anything moving.<br>"Well, what? Person? Animal? ... How many syllables?" McKay asked.  
>Marissa turned to Ronon. "What is it?"<br>John called out. "Leonard?"  
>After a few more seconds Ronon lowers his blaster. "It's probably nothing."<br>The team moves on.  
>"Why am I not comforted?" McKay asked.<p>

•  
><strong>LATER.<strong>

As the team continues through the forest, Rodney's scanner starts beeping faster.  
>McKay spoke to John in a whisper. "Hey."<br>He points in the direction they ought to go. They approach the entrance to a cave. John moves cautiously to the mouth of the cave, gesturing to Marissa who runs across to the other side of the entrance. Ronon pats John's back to signal that he is covering that point and John moves nearer towards the entrance while the marines continue to watch the forest. John switches on the light on top of his rifle and walks cautiously into the cave mouth. Once he is confident that there is nobody in the close vicinity, he looks round to the others.  
>"Alright, let's go check it out." The team makes its way inside the cave. They reach a small cavern and shine their lights around. A transmitter -probably Genii - can be seen on a rock, partly covered with long strands that look like vines. John spots something on the floor. "Doc ..."<br>He and Carson squat down to another long-dead Genii corpse lying on the floor near the transmitter. It too is covered with vines.  
>"Oh, for God's sake. Enough with the bodies." McKay said.<br>"Head's snapped completely around." Carson said.  
>"By him?" Marissa asked. They turn to see what she's talking about. She has found another vine-covered body of a Genii.<br>"Quite possibly ..." Carson bends down to look at the body "... and then he shot himself. Lovely!"  
>"Wraith bunker, but no Wraith." Ronon said.<br>"It appears to 've been abandoned for some time." Marissa said.  
>"The Genii probably stumbled onto it just like we did." John said.<br>"And then promptly killed each other. Why?" Carson asked.  
>"Eh, another Hardy Boys mystery. " McKay looks at his scanner, and then points to another area of the cave. "In here."<br>"Alright. We'll check it out." John turned to Marissa. "You and Ronon check out the immediate area around the cave. Keep an eye out for our friends, alright?"  
>As Marissa and Ronon head outside, John, Carson and Rodney walk to the place which Rodney indicated. They find a mass of vines hanging down from the ceiling.<br>"What _is_ this?" John asked.  
>"It appears to be organic." Carson said.<br>"It's like the energy conduit aboard a Wraith ship ... _and_ every bit as disgusting." McKay said.  
>"Possibly." Some lights come on, illuminating the vines a little better. Carson is looking around. "Rodney?"<br>"Huh. We've got power."  
>"What's this, now?" Carson said.<p>

Inside the vines is a tall, slender device of some kind. Rodney pushes his way through the vines to get a better look at it as his scanner beeps even more rapidly. "Well, this is it. Ground zero for the energy readings."  
>"This thing's still active?" John asked.<br>"Apparently so."  
>Sergeant Barroso looks at him. "Actively doing what, exactly?"<br>McKay was squeezing through the vines to get to the device. "It's some sort of E.M. generator. It's emitting a modulated ultra-low-frequency pulse. These energy conduits are acting almost like antennae."  
>"Is that what's interfering with the radio communications?" Carson asked.<br>"Probably. The Genii must have found this place, activated it somehow, and they couldn't figure out how to turn it off, so they did what any other good soldier would do in their situation."  
>"Shot the hell out of it." John said.<br>"Mmm."  
>"Looks like it's healing itself." Carson said.<br>"That's the beauty of hybrid organic design." McKay said.  
>"This frequency ... can it hurt us?" Kagan asked.<br>"It's doubtful, apart from the obvious sterility issues."  
>"Wh... what?" Kagan nervously asked.<br>"He's kidding." John looks round at Rodney. "You're kidding, right?"  
>"Meh." McKay vaguely said.<p>

"Rodney, I'm getting married!"  
>Marissa runs back into the cave. "Colonel. We found the team."<br>A short distance from the cave, three dead marines are lying on the ground. Carson checks the bodies.  
>"OK, so where's Major Leonard?" John asked.<br>"I don't know." Ronon said.  
>"We were unable to locate his body." Marissa said.<br>Carson was finishing his inspection. "They were killed by MP5 fire, all three of them. Shot multiple times."  
>McKay found something on the ground nearby. "Hey. A camera." He holds it up as the others walk over to him. "Look at this."<br>He opens the screen and activates the playback. The voice of one of Leonard's team, Largent, can be heard as the image shows the team making their way along the path from the Gate. The camera appears to be attached to Largent's chest, so it shows whatever he is facing throughout the recording.  
><em>"OK, it's a road leading from the Stargate. Kind of wish there was a burger stand or something around here. I'm starving."<em>  
>The recording cuts to the moment when Leonard's team found the dead Genii. Major Leonard is bending over the body of one of the Genii, and then he looks across to see the other bodies. He points.<br>_"More of 'em."_  
>Largent walks across to the other three bodies. The recording cuts again, and then shows the interior of the cave. Largent pans down to the floor.<br>_"Oh, God."_ He calls out to his team. _"More bodies in here!"_ He pans around the cave._ "What __is__ this place?"_  
>He spins around as automatic gunfire can be heard outside.<br>_"Who's that?"_  
>The image becomes jerky as Largent runs back towards the cave entrance. The recording cuts, then starts again. The image bounces up and down as Largent runs back through the forest, one of his team mates running ahead of him.<br>_"We're not gonna make it!"_  
>There's another burst of gunfire. The team member ahead of Largent cries out and falls to the ground. Team Sheppard look at the screen in shock as Largent's voice can be heard, calling into his radio.<br>_"Prometheus, this is Largent! Where the hell are you?"_  
>The image on the screen continues to jolt as Largent runs on, panting. There's another burst of gunfire and Largent grunts, falls to the ground and rolls over onto his back. The camera shows Major Leonard run past, firing at someone or something further ahead. Rodney switches the recording off and closes the screen.<br>"He was calling for the Prometheus. That ship was destroyed last year."  
>"Major Leonard killed his own men? Why would he do that?" Marissa asked.<br>"I don't know." John said.  
>"Maybe whatever caused the Genii to turn on each other did the same thing to our people." Ronon asked.<br>"That bloody machine back there." Carson said.  
>"I'll check it out." John said.<br>"No. We need to head back to Atlantis." John said.  
>"What? No, we can't leave. Look, the generator's still running."<br>"I know."  
>"Look, I have to at least figure out its purpose. They're probably right. It may somehow be linked to all of this."<br>"Well, then we'll come back, but first things first: we have to transport our dead back to Atlantis. Then we'll return with more units and search for Major Leonard."

**LATER.**

John leads the way back towards the Stargate. Carson and McKay are carrying one body on a stretcher that has been cobbled together from branches. Kagan and Barroso follow with another stretcher, and Ronon and a nameless third marine, wearing a red shirt under his jacket, carry a third. Marissa is covering their backs.  
>McKay was panting. "Can we stop for a second?"<br>"No." John said.  
>"Look, I mean no disrespect but this guy's heavy, and ever since I was shot in the ass by an arrow, I've been prone to sciatica." John doesn't reply. "No?"<br>The team continues onwards. Ronon glances into the forest and sees a ghostly image flit by. It looks like the fake images that Wraith project. Quietly but urgently, Ronon said, "Down. Down. Down."  
>They lower the stretchers to the ground and everybody ducks down. Ronon draws his blaster, charges it and aims it into the forest. John, keeping low, runs back along the line to Ronon.<br>"What is it?" Ronon looks into the forest but can see nothing moving. "You OK?"  
>"Yeah." Ronon said after a moment.<p>

He sheathes his blaster. John makes a hand gesture to the team signifying that they should move out. They pick up the stretchers and head off again. Sometime later they reach the Gate. John checks out the area, and then turns to the redshirt marine.  
>"Sergeant, dial the Gate."<br>Sergeant Redshirt and Ronon put their stretcher down and the sergeant walks over to the D.H.D. He presses the first button to start the dialing sequence. Instantly the D.H.D. explodes. The sergeant is thrown several feet backwards and everyone else is blown to the ground by the blast. John gets to his feet.  
>"Carson!"<br>Carson was scrambling to his feet. "Right." He turned to Barroso. "Get my medical kit."  
>He heads for Kagan, who must have been hit by flying debris from the exploding D.H.D. As Barroso runs for Carson's kit, John bends down to the sergeant and searches for a pulse at his neck.<br>"He's dead."  
>A burst of automatic gunfire comes from the trees nearby, hitting Barroso in the shoulder. Barroso collapses. Ronon ducks around behind the cover of a tree.<br>"Wraith!" He fires towards the source of the gunfire.  
>John was dragging Barroso to cover. "It's not Wraith! It's automatic gunfire!" He ducks behind a fallen tree trunk and looks towards the gunfire to see Major Leonard firing at them. Leonard fires another burst, then turns and runs out of view. "Leonard! Stand down! It's Sheppard!"<br>Carson is tending to Kagan as he groans in pain. He looks up to see that the coast is clear and makes a run for his medical kit. Ronon races off into the forest in pursuit of Leonard. Carson crawls back to Kagan who has a large wound in his chest.  
>Kagan was groaning and was trying to look at his wound. "How bad is it?"<br>"You'll be fine, son. Just lie back."  
>John was yelling into the forest. "Leonard!"<br>Ronon reaches the rise where Leonard was last seen, looks around the area, then calls back to John. "He's gone!"  
>Marissa goes over to check Barroso who is conscious but in a lot of pain. Nearby Kagan screams as Carson unwraps a dressing.<br>"Easy. Easy. You'll be alright. You'll be alright, son." Carson cradles Kagan's head with one hand and applies the dressing as Kagan continues to scream. Marissa looks down at Barroso as she takes out a field dressing from her vest.  
>"Are you alright?"<br>"Yeah. I think so." Barroso said in pain.  
>Rodney stands up and walks over to the D.H.D. The central panel is almost completely blown out and the crystals inside are smashed to bits. John walks over and stares at the damage. Rodney looks up at him. "We are unbelievably screwed."<br>҉  
><strong>SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.<strong>

Carson fetches something from his medical kit and goes back to Kagan whose dressing is already soaked in blood. Kagan looks down at his injury, very distressed.  
>"It's bad, isn't it? Am I gonna die?"<br>"Look at me. Look at me! Not if I have any say." Carson looks across to Marissa who is applying pressure to Barroso's wound. "Marissa, keep pressure on the wound. We need to stop that bleeding." Marissa nods to show that she understands. Carson turns his attention back to Kagan. "Right ..."  
>Nearby, Rodney has hooked his laptop up to the D.H.D.<br>"Is there any other way to dial?" John asked. Rodney snorts and opens his mouth but John interrupts. "And don't say no if there is _any_ possibility, because I am _not_in the mood for your usual impossible heroics game."

"I wouldn't do that." John looks at him. "Look, no. Even if we could somehow manually dial, there's no power. Your pal, Major Looney Tunes, knew _exactly_ where to set the charge."  
>"We need to go after him." Ronon said.<br>"No, what we need to do is go back to the bunker." McKay said.  
>"When we're overdue, Illyria will contact us through the Gate." John said.<br>"And she'll probably only get static, remember? Look, as long as that generator is emitting that pulse, we'll have little if any chance of responding to Atlantis if they radio. No, you wanna get out of here? I need to shut that thing down."  
>John thinks about it for a moment, then calls out so that everyone can hear. "Alright, we'll leave the dead here. We'll get 'em when we come back."<p>

**LATER.**

The team is making its way back towards the cave. John is again taking point while Ronon and Rodney are carrying Kagan on a stretcher. Barroso, grimacing in pain, is walking along with support from Carson while Marissa covers the rear. Kagan looks up at Rodney whose face is contorted with effort.  
>"I'm sorry about this, Doctor McKay."<br>"Hey, don't worry about me. You just ... just hang in there, OK?"  
>Carson glances across at Rodney, surprised by his attempt to be nice for once, but says nothing.<br>҉  
><strong>CAVE.<strong>

The team has arrived back at the cave. Rodney is already working on the generator. He hands something to Marissa.  
>"Marissa, you wanna hold this?"<br>"Yeah, of course."  
>Nearby, Kagan has been laid on a long waist-height table carved out of the rock in the middle of the cavern. Carson is tending to him. John calls him over.<br>"Doc ..." Carson walks over to him. "They gonna be OK?"  
>"Barroso's shoulder's still bleeding internally, but I should be able to keep it in check. It's Lieutenant Kagan I'm worried about. He's suffered severe penetrating abdominal trauma. He needs complicated surgery, blood transfusions, and all I have here is my medical kit."<br>"Alright, you do what you can to keep him alive, OK? We're gonna get out of here soon."  
>"Colonel ... I'm afraid for Lieutenant Kagan, "soon" may only be a matter of minutes."<br>They exchange a long glance, then John sighs and walks over to Rodney, who is showing what he's found so far to Marissa.  
>"There - you see right here? According to these readings, if I cut through that membrane, there should be several actuator coils underneath ... well, it's Wraith tech, so it's more like actuator veins. Now, if I can isolate the primary conduit, I can follow it straight back to the core."<br>"Glad to see you've got it all worked out." John said.  
>"Definitely not all."<br>"Some?"  
>"Well, actually, very little. Look, I can only surmise that it's some sort of Wraith experiment."<br>"I'm trying to impress upon Doctor McKay that determining how to turn the thing _off_ is more pressing than learning what it actually does." Marissa said.  
>John turned to Rodney. "You don't even know what it does?"<br>"Well, I can now state for certain that it is, in fact, a generator."  
>"We already knew that!"<br>"Look, the E.M. pulse it's emitting is very peculiar. It's fluctuating in systematic intervals along the ultra-low frequency."  
>"Is that what made all these people kill each other?" Marissa asked.<br>"I hope so." McKay said.  
>"You <em>hope<em> so?" John asked.  
>"Otherwise, there are <em>two<em> bizarre things going on, and one is more than enough for me, thank you very much."  
>҉<br>**OUTSIDE THE CAVE.**

Ronon is guarding the entrance to the cave. Suddenly he sees another Wraith 'ghost' fly past. Staring in its direction, he sees a male Wraith run through the forest some distance away. Shortly afterwards, it's followed by a Wraith guard.  
>҉<br>**INSIDE THE CAVE.**  
>"Whatever it is, I don't think it's doing what it's supposed to be doing. It doesn't make sense to have his prey kill each other before he can feed on them." John said.<br>"Well, I think you're right." McKay pulls the end of one of the vines loose. "I don't think these "antennae," as I have so colourfully put it, _have_ overgrown beyond their intended lengths. It's as if whoever turned it on dialled it up to eleven and just left it there."  
>"You don't think ..."<br>"Yeah. The Genii. They must have discovered the place, started messing around with the machine without having the first clue as to what they were doing." He indicates more of the vines. "It explains why the place is covered in this."  
>"And before they realized what they'd done ..." Marissa trailed off.<br>"... they couldn't figure out how to turn it off, so they shot the thing, hoping they could somehow kill it, which only made it regrow more, make it that much more difficult for someone with the ability to actually turn it off _to_ actually turn it off." McKay said.  
>"So you can't actually turn it off?" John asked.<br>"I never said that."  
>"Well what <em>did<em> you say?"  
>Rodney sighs. "Look, the control console is shot to hell. As I was telling Marissa, I'll have to bypass it, isolate the primary actuator conduit, and follow it back to the core. Once I cut power to that ..." He is interrupted by the sound of Ronon's blaster firing outside. The three of them race out. There is no sign of Ronon.<br>"Ronon!" John yelled.  
>"Ronon!" Marissa yelled.<br>"OK, we're gonna go after him, Rodney. You stay here, get that thing shut down." John ordered.  
>They hear the sound of Ronon's blaster firing again in the distance.<br>"This way." Marissa said.  
>She and John run off. Rodney heads back into the cave.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM. <strong>

Illyria comes out of her office and walks over to a female technician. "Has Colonel Sheppard's team returned?"  
>"Not yet."<br>"Oh. They're late. Have they dialed in the status update?"  
>"We've received no communication from them since they left."<br>"OK, try to establish a radio link, find out what's taking them so long; and I want a team standing by just in case they need assistance."  
>"Right away."<br>҉  
><strong>M1B-129.<strong>

John and Marissa race through the forest, but stop at the sight of a massive hole blasted through a tree trunk.  
>"We're heading in the right direction." John said.<br>"Do you think he's already beginning to feel the effects of the Wraith device?"  
>"Well, if he is, let's hope we find him before he finds us."<br>҉  
><strong>CAVE.<strong>

As Rodney continues to work on the generator, Carson comes over.  
>"You wanted a scalpel?"<br>McKay takes the scalpel. "Yeah, I need to cut through this membrane. It's like surgery. It's more up your alley - maybe _you_ ought to do it."  
>"I'm a little preoccupied at the moment, thank you."<br>"How is Kroger?"  
>"Kagan."<br>"Kagan, Kagan. What is it with me and names?" As he gets back to work, Carson goes back to the main cavern and is surprised to find Barroso on his feet and gearing up.  
>"What the devil d'you think <em>you're<em> doing?"  
>"I'm fine." Barroso said.<br>"You most certainly are not. Off your feet, now."  
>"Look, I'm OK, Doc. We've got no-one covering the entrance. I'm gonna take up watch outside."<br>"We just stopped the bleeding."  
>"Yeah, and if it starts again, I'll be right outside the door..." Carson tries to protest but Barroso continues "...sitting down, off my feet. I'll be able to keep better watch out there than I can in here."<br>He starts to leave the cave.  
>"You don't go running off, you understand? The last thing I need is you bleeding to death in those woods." Carson said.<br>Barroso waved a hand at him. "I'm not going anywhere. Just look after Kagan."  
>Carson sighs. "Right." He turns to Kagan and picks up a pair of surgical scissors. "OK..."<br>He probes into the wound as Kagan grunts in pain. "How's Doctor McKay doing?"  
>"Good. He'll figure it out soon, have us out of here in a jiff. Smartest man I've ever met." He pulls something out of the wound and flicks it onto the floor. "Now, you're still bleeding. I need to go back in, apply additional ligatures, hopefully shut off the spigot once and for all. Alright?"<br>"Alright."  
>Carson pats his arm and goes to fetch more equipment from his medical kit.<p>

҉  
><strong>FOREST.<strong>

John and Marissa run through the forest and spot Ronon nearby, staring off into the distance.  
>"What's he looking at?" John asks.<br>Marissa looks in the direction that Ronon is looking. "I see nothing."  
>"Ronon." John called out.<br>Ronon looks round at them and waves a hand at them in warning. "Stay back."  
>Up on a rise where Ronon was looking, Major Leonard comes out from cover and fires at John and Marissa, hitting Marissa in the thigh. She cries out and falls to the ground.<br>"Ronon! Cover fire!"  
>Ronon scrambles forward to a better position. He takes cover just in time as Leonard opens fire on him. Leaning out of his cover, he returns fire while John gets Marissa to her feet and helps her hobble off. Leonard fires towards them but they get to the shelter of a tree trunk. John lays her down, then moves to the edge of the trunk and glances out, ducking back as Leonard fires at him again. John waits until he finishes firing, then calls out.<br>"Leonard, stand down!"  
>Leonard opens fire again. Nearby, Ronon starts to make his way towards Leonard, diving for cover as Leonard turns his attention towards him again. He looks across to John. As John starts to fire towards Leonard, Ronon looks towards Leonard's position, only to see a male Wraith where Leonard just was. Ronon fires a couple of blasts in its direction and it turns and runs. John fires again at Leonard, then stops as Leonard turns and runs. Ronon bursts out of cover and races off up the hill.<br>"Ronon! Stop! Ronon!"  
>Ronon takes no notice. Behind John, a man's voice speaks.<br>"Sheppard." John turns to where Marissa was just lying, only to see a badly injured man wearing desert camo lying there and no sign of Marissa. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"  
>John stares in shock. "Holland?"<br>"John?" Marissa is back where she was before and the man is gone. "John?" She looks at him nervously as he walks over to tend to her. "Are you OK?"  
>"Yeah." He pulls himself together and looks at her wound. "He got you pretty good. Alright." He takes a field dressing out of his vest as Marissa still looks at him anxiously. "Gotta stop the bleeding."<br>Marissa winces as he starts to dress her wound.  
>҉<br>**LATER. **

Marissa is hobbling through the forest with her arm around John's neck as he supports most of her weight. They stop as they see a small hide nearby, made up of some thick branches and covered with foliage. John nods to Marissa who takes her arm from around his neck and supports herself on a nearby tree while she checks the area behind them. John raises his rifle and walks cautiously towards the hide.  
>"Leonard?"<br>He quickly opens the camouflage tent material that Leonard has used to cover the front of the hide. There's nobody inside but some of Leonard's gear is lying on the ground. He turns and runs back to Marissa.  
>"We're clear."<br>Marissa puts her arm around his neck again and he helps her inside the hide, lowers her to the floor, then goes back to the doorway and checks the area. Once he's sure that there's nobody around, he looks around the hide.  
>"Leonard must have built this place before he lost it." He goes back to Marissa and checks her dressing. "Dressing's a little sloppy. Still bleeding pretty badly. I'm gonna change it, and then go get Beckett."<br>"John, what just happened out there? The look on your face -"  
>"Nothing. Somebody just popped into mind, caught me off-guard."<br>"Think it has anything to do with the Wraith generator?"  
>"Hell if <em>I<em> know." Marissa winces as he changes her dressing. "Don't worry." He smiles at her reassuringly. "I'm fine. No violent urges yet, huh? What about you?" Marissa looks at him enquiringly. "Gettin' any ideas about killing me?"  
>"No." Marissa was smiling.<br>"That's good to hear."  
>Automatic gunfire can be heard outside. John picks up his rifle and moves to the doorway. Looking out, he can see Leonard making his way towards the hide, his rifle aimed out into the forest. Leonard fires into the trees as John carefully leaves the hide. Marissa crawls to the doorway and looks out. Leonard fires some more, then runs out of bullets. Tossing the rifle to the ground, he takes out a pistol and fires again before turning and firing some more in the opposite direction. Then his pistol runs out of ammunition. As he throws the pistol angrily to the floor, John comes out from cover and walks towards him.<br>"Major?"  
>Leonard looks at him, his eyes wide.<br>"It's alright. It's Sheppard."  
>Leonard backs away from him nervously as John walks slowly towards him. Through Leonard 's eyes it's not John but a man dressed head to foot in black armor with a black shiny helmet enclosing his face, one of Anubis' Kull warriors. <em>(Non "SG-1" viewers ask, "What the heck is <em>_that__ supposed to be?" I patiently explains that Kull warriors - dubbed "super soldiers" by Stargate Command - are genetically engineered human/Goa'uld hybrids designed by Anubis as a virtually unkillable army.)_ John, unaware of what Leonard is seeing, tries to calm him down as he stares at him in panic.  
>"Listen. There's some strange Wraith pulses messing with your mind. We're gonna turn it off, and you're gonna be OK."<br>Leonard stares wide-eyed at the warrior standing in front of him. He looks to his left and sees another warrior approaching. To his right, two more warriors walk towards him, aiming their weapons at him. He activates his radio.  
>"I've got four super soldiers on me. Where's that backup?" He said into the headset.<br>"It's alright, Major. I'm here all alone."  
>Glaring at the warrior, Leonard reaches into his vest and takes out a grenade. He pulls the pin out as John stares at him wide-eyed. Leonard looks at Johnthe warrior with a determined look on his face as he holds the grenade up. John turns and runs as Leonard clasps the grenade to his chest. As John hurls himself to the ground, the grenade explodes and debris rains down all around him. He gets to his feet and looks back, his face full of sorrow and shock, then turns and walks back to Marissa who is still lying in the doorway.  
>"I'm sorry."<br>John looks back towards what's left of Leonard's body. "Gotta get his tags."  
>Suddenly he turns and looks to his left, aiming his rifle cautiously as he hears the surprising sound of a car engine some distance away.<br>"What's wrong?" She asked.  
>John rises to his feet as the engine sound continues, fading as if the vehicle is moving away. "Did you hear that?"<br>"What?"  
>"Engines - like a jeep ..."<br>"I don't hear anything."  
>The engine sound disappears into the distance.<br>҉

**CAVE.**

Carson is still operating on Lieutenant Kagan.  
>"Doctor Beckett ..." Kagan weakly said. Carson stops what he's doing and looks at him. "Thanks for helping me."<br>"I'll have none of that, son. You hang in there. We'll get you back to Atlantis and patched up properly. D'you hear me, Lieutenant?" Kagan's eyes close and he stops breathing. Carson drops the implement he was holding and puts his ear down to Kagan's mouth. "Oh ..."  
>He runs over and picks up a metal box - presumably left behind by the Genii - before hurrying back to the table. Using the box as a step, he climbs up onto the table, kneels beside Kagan and blows a breath of air into his mouth before starting heart compressions. He spoke in rhythm with the compressions, "Come on. No. Come on. Come on."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

In the Control Room, Doctor Zelenka is attempting to contact the missing teams through the open Stargate.  
>"Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis. Please respond. Atlantis calling Colonel Sheppard. Please respond."<br>Illyria walks in. "How are you doing?"  
>"I've tried dialing three separate times. I've tried several R.F.I. filters to cut through the static, but I'm still unable to establish contact."<br>"Send a U.A.V."  
>"Alright."<br>҉  
><strong>M1B-129.<strong>

Sergeant Barroso wanders into the cave. "How goes it, Doc? You need a hand with Lieutenant Ka... ?" He trails off at the sight of Carson sitting despondently beside the table. Kagan's body has been draped with some sheeting.  
>"I did everything I could." He quietly said.<br>"Yeah. You OK?"  
>"I will be ..." Carson stands up and throws his surgical glove angrily to the floor, "... once I'm out of this bloody place."<br>He walks away, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Barroso watches him for a moment, then looks at Kagan's body again. He frowns. "Doc?"  
>"Aye?" He responded disinterestedly.<br>"Doc."  
>He was looking at Kagan's hand which is outside the sheeting. Kagan's fingers are moving slightly. "Oh, for crying ..."<br>He runs over and rips the sheeting back. Kagan looks up at him, weakly asking, "Doctor Beckett?"  
>Carson looks at Barroso in shock for a moment, then takes his stethoscope from around his neck and gets back to work.<p>

**LATER.**

Rodney is still working on the generator as he talks to Carson nearby. "So you made a mistake. You thought he was dead and he wasn't. Better off that way than the other way around."  
>"There was no mistake. That boy was most definitely dead: no pulse, no respiration. I tried to revive him but I couldn't."<br>"Huh. Well, it could be the effects of the generator. Look, I think I've learned a little more about this experiment the Wraith have been conducting. It seems that they're trying to improve their ability to manipulate the minds of their prey."  
>"What, make people see things that are not there?"<br>"Exactly. They're already pretty good at it - they just wanted to get better. But then the Genii dial up the power, send out a massive pulse, which is obviously messing with people's minds, inciting violence, pulling up traumatic images and..." He stops as his laptop beeps. He looks at it. "Damn!"  
>"What?"<br>"I'm detecting a power surge."  
>"I thought you said it was <em>at<em> full power."  
>"Well, that's what we thought. Could be a result of the Genii destroying the control console." McKay moves to another part of the generator. "Yeah, see - they've destabilized any kind of power regulation."<br>"Rodney?"  
>"Hmm?"<br>"Have _you_ experienced anything yet?"  
>Rodney looks round at him, a little surprised when he realizes that he hasn't. "No. No, but everyone's brain chemistry is different. Maybe some people are more susceptible than others. Look, I toked pot once in college. Didn't feel a thing."<br>"Really?"  
>"Mmm. Well, aside from itchy ... and the overpowering urge to eat an entire loaf of white bread. Besides, look, I've been working inside the generator, which is probably shielded somehow." McKay's laptop beeps again. "Damn it!"<br>"What is it?"  
>"Power levels are increasing again."<br>"Why?"  
>"Carson ..." McKay sounded annoyed.<br>"Alright. I'll leave you to it, then." Carson walks away as Rodney goes back inside the generator area and looks at another screen unhappily.  
>"No!"<br>҉  
><strong>HIDE.<strong>

John is wrapping a better dressing around Marissa's leg when his head snaps up as he hears something.  
>"Colonel?"<br>"Shh." He turns around to the doorway as he hears the sound of vehicles pulling up and stopping, then doors opening and men's voices.  
>"There's nothing outside."<br>"You're telling me you don't hear that?"  
>"What?"<br>"People."  
>"I hear <em>nothing<em>."  
>"They're coming closer."<br>"John, listen to me. There is no-one outside. You are imagining it." John stands up and moves to the doorway. "John, wait!"  
>John flips the door covering open and walks out ... into a desert. He is wearing desert camo and the tent behind him is sand colored. He looks around the area and then down at his uniform in confusion for a moment. Behind him the tent has gone. Instead there is a downed helicopter, its blades snapped and scattered around the area. The helicopter - also sand colored for use in the desert - is old and rusty and has apparently been there some time. A low wall of sandbags has been erected near the front of the machine - they butt up against an old dead tree trunk. John walks around the helicopter, looking at it in bewilderment for a while, then hears men's voices in the distance, shouting at each other. While he can't make out what they're saying, it doesn't sound like they're talking in English. He runs up a sand dune nearby and lies down at the top when he sees three Afghan men walking along nearby. Pulling out a small telescope on a chain around his neck, he takes a closer look before tucking it back inside his vest and then running back to the helicopter. He takes cover behind the tree trunk as a jeep can be heard over the other side of the sand dune.<br>"You're out of your mind, you know that?"  
>John turns around to see Captain Holland - the man he saw earlier in the forest - sitting with his back against the helicopter. He is badly injured. "Where's the rest of your crew?" John doesn't answer him. "You flew back in here alone, didn't you? Against orders - am I right?"<br>"Yeah. Command was taking too long coordinating extraction scenarios with the Afghans." He takes out a field dressing and unwraps it. "I didn't think I could wait much longer ... and from the looks of it, I was right." He starts putting the dressing onto a wound on Holland's thigh, in exactly the same place as Marissa's was. "So, what was wrong with _your_ helicopter that you had to go and hide out in an old Russian one?"  
>"Mine was burning." Holland said ruefully.<br>"Right."  
>"Can't help but notice that you're missing yours, too."<br>"Small arms fire hit my tail rotor. Lucky shot."  
>"Great. Now we're <em>both<em> gonna die out here."  
>"Well, <em>there's<em> the Holland I know - always so positive."  
>"Place is crawling with Taliban."<br>"Yeah. There _are_ a few here and there." John walks away from Holland and takes cover behind the tree trunk as he looks out at the dunes. "A few as in how many?"  
>"Six or so. We can take 'em."<br>"Crazy son of a bitch."  
>In the forest on M1B-129, John glances round from his position at the doorway to the hide.<br>"Tell me something I don't know." John said.  
>Marissa, lying at the back of the hide, stares at him with concern. "John? John, listen to me."<br>"I'm gonna get you out of here, Captain. Don't worry. Then ... you buy the first round back in Kandahar."

**LATER.**

A U.A.V. (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) sent by Atlantis through the Stargate flies over the area. In the desert, John looks up as fighter jet flies overhead, skimming low over the area. He takes his radio out of his vest and activates it.  
>"Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?"<br>In the forest, Ronon is stalking through the trees. He sees a Wraith in the distance, unaware of his presence. He aims his blaster at it but is distracted by the sound of something flying overhead. He looks up as the familiar sound of a Wraith Dart can be heard. He aims up at it and fires. The Dart plummets towards the ground some distance away, fire and smoke trailing from one of its wings.  
>In Atlantis, the image from the U.A.V. fritzes and dies. The message "Signal lost" appears on the screen. Radek looks up in surprise.<br>"We just lost contact with the U.A.V."  
>"E.M. interference?" Illyria asked.<br>"I don't think so. The signal was terrible, so I had it boosted so at least we were reading something, but then all of a sudden it just disappeared."  
>"Could it have crashed?"<br>"Well, it's a possibility. The E.M. field could interfere with its guidance systems - or it could have been shot down.:  
>"I can't risk sending another team through the Gate without knowing what's waiting for them on the other side. How far away is the Daedalus?"<br>"Unfortunately, it's on its way back from Earth. It'll be a day or two before it's in range."  
>"So we can't rescue them until then?"<br>Radek looks at her helplessly.  
>҉<br>**DESERT.**  
>John spoke into a radio. "Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?"<br>There's no reply. He looks round at Holland, then hurries over to him as he sees that he is starting to lose consciousness.  
>"Hey, hey, hey." He shakes him awake. "Come on. Stay with me. I didn't come all this way to leave you here."<br>Holland spoke weakly. "Sheppard, when we get out of here, I'll make sure I say something really nice at your court martial."  
>John was smiling. "Yeah. Come visit me in Leavenworth, huh?"<br>"No. It's way too depressing."  
>"Yeah."<br>John goes back to the tree trunk again, looks out to check the area and then activates his radio. "Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read? Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?"  
>Behind him in the forest hide, Marissa shakes her head to try and keep herself awake. "John... whatever you're seeing, it's not real."<br>John glances back at her, then activates his radio again. "Arclight, this is Zero-Six. Come in."  
>҉<br>**CAVE.**

Rodney continues to work on the generator. Nearby, Carson walks over to check on Lieutenant Kagan. He looks down at him, then puts his ear down to his mouth. He looks up and calls out.  
>"Sergeant Barroso!"<br>Barroso hurries in from the cave entrance. "What happened?"  
>"No pulse. Tell me I'm not imagining it."<br>Barroso puts his fingers on Kagan's neck to check his pulse. "Nothing."  
>"Right. C.P.R." Barroso hauls himself up onto the table as Carson runs for an air bag and a syringe. "Start compressions."<br>Barroso starts pumping Kagan's chest as Carson prepares the injection. Meanwhile, at the generator, McKay yanks out a cable/vine.  
>"There." His laptop beeps. "What? Power levels are still rising. No-no-no-no-no-no-no. No, that's impossible."<br>He goes around to another laptop which has been hooked into the generator.  
>"OK. That's not right." He changes to another image on the screen. "What? Thermal levels should be dropping, not rising. OK, this is nuts." He calls out. "Carson! Carson, get in here, I need your help! Carson!"<br>At the table, Carson administers another burst of air from the air bag over Kagan's face while listening to his heart with his stethoscope. He looks up at Barroso. "He's back. Thank God." Barroso climbs off the table as Carson takes the stethoscope from his ears. "Nice job."  
>Barroso smiles and walks away as Rodney storms out from the generator area. "Carson. Look, didn't you hear me? I've been calling you."<br>"Not now, Rodney."  
>"Well, I need your help. It is physically impossible for me to isolate the conduits <em>and<em> monitor the laptops at the same time."  
>"Lieutenant Kagan needs me. We nearly lost him just now. We were barely able to restore his heartbeat. I'm not about to abandon him."<br>"Who's "we"?"  
>Carson nodded in the direction that Barroso just went. "Sergeant Barroso and I."<br>Rodney looks in that direction, then turns and looks around the cave. He stares. "Carson ..."  
>"What?"<br>He looks where Rodney is looking. Sergeant Barroso is sitting on the floor, his eyes open and fixed. Carson stares in shock, looks back at the area where he thought Barroso was, then goes over to the sergeant, bends down and puts his fingers on his neck.  
>"Cold." Carson removes his fingers from his neck and tries to lift his arm. "Rigour mortis." He stares up at Rodney. "That's impossible. He was just helping me."<p>

Rodney walks over to him and puts his hand gently on his shoulder. "Come on. We need to turn that generator off."  
>Carson stands up, looking back down at Barroso for a moment, softly saying, "Aye."<br>"This way."  
>҉<br>**FOREST.**

Ronon races through the trees, then stops and takes cover behind a tree. Peering out from behind it, he sees the hide a little way away.  
>Inside the hide, Marissa winces as she tries and fails to get up. She looks across to John who is still at the doorway. "John, Major Leonard is dead. There's no more danger. Now, I need you to get me to Doctor Beckett. I can't walk..."<br>Without turning, John holds out a hand to silence her as he hears movement outside. He moves out of the hide ... and in the desert he looks around the tree trunk and sees an Afghan man on the top of the sand dune making his way towards the helicopter. In the forest, Ronon looks through a small telescope and sees a Wraith peering around a tree nearby. Ronon ducks back behind the tree. In the desert, John cocks his rifle. In the forest, Ronon chooses his moment, comes around the tree, fires towards the Wraith and races off, firing as he goes. In the desert, the man fires an automatic rifle towards John. John returns fire. In the forest, Ronon runs for cover as P90 fire blasts the heck out of a tree stump nearby. He returns fire and the blast rips through the hide. Marissa cringes and calls out.  
>"Ronon, don't shoot! It's us!"<br>In the desert, John fires a hail of bullets at the man, who cries out and falls down before getting up and stumbling away. In the forest, John lowers his rifle and turns back to Marissa.  
>"Clipped him in the arm. Not enough to kill him, but enough to scare him off."<br>"John ..."  
>"He's probably calling his buddies."<br>"John ..."  
>"We've gotta get out of here." He hauls her to her feet, ignoring her groan of pain, and drags her towards the hide doorway. Out in the trees, Ronon rips some material from his vest and, holding one end in his teeth, wraps the material around the gunshot wound in his arm. He groans in agony as he pulls the material tight, then ties it off. Back at the hide, Marissa groans as John hurries her outside.<br>"Don't worry. I'm going to take care of his friends."  
>҉<br>**CAVE. **

At the generator, Rodney is giving instructions to Carson.  
>"OK, the one on the left, follow it straight down to the core. From there, you should be able to..." His laptop beeps. "No ..." He looks across to what Carson is doing and rolls his eyes. "No, look, the one on the left. Carson, come on. Pay attention."<br>He walks over to where Carson is standing in a very uncomfortable position, trying to reach through a mass of vines to reach a cable. "I'm trying, damn it!"  
>"Doc!" Carson looks around and sees Barroso standing nearby and pointing urgently to the area where Kagan is lying. "Doc, come <em>in<em> here. I need you."  
>Rodney stares at Carson as he turns away from the generator. "Hey, what are you doing?"<br>Carson was starting to walk towards Barroso. "He needs me."  
>"Who?"<br>"Sergeant Barroso."  
>Rodney glances to where Carson is looking. There's nobody there. "I already told you - Barroso is dead. It's the E.M. generator - it's messing with your mind."<br>"Kagan's crashed again! Get _in_ here, Doc!" Barroso yelled.  
>Carson starts to walk towards him but Rodney stops him. "Hey, Carson, come on. I need you to concentrate."<br>"For God's sakes, Rodney! Don't you see him?"  
>McKay was shouting. "Barroso is dead! And if we don't shut that generator down, we're gonna be dead right along with him!"<br>"He's trying to stop you from saving Kagan's life! Don't let him!" Barroso yelled.  
>Carson hesitates for a moment, then runs back into the other chamber.<br>"Carson!" McKay yelled after him. Behind him, the laptop beeps urgently. Rodney turns towards it. "Oh my God."  
>He hurries back to the generator. The laptop starts to flash a message, "Overload imminent."<p>

In the outer chamber, Barroso is kneeling on the table again, administering heart compressions to Kagan.

"Move aside." Carson ordered. He puts his ear down to Kagan's mouth while checking his neck for a pulse. Barroso climbs down and hurries over to him. "We've got a pulse."  
>"Yeah, not for long if McKay keeps pulling you away."<br>"Carson!" McKay was calling out.  
>"Come on, Doc. We need to get him out of here."<br>"Alright." Carson said. He picks up Kagan in his arms and starts to carry him out of the cave.  
>҉<br>**DESERT. **

John has Holland's arm slung around his neck and is helping him hobble along the top of a sand dune. They glance at each other in resignation as they realize that they have no choice but to make their way down the steep slope.  
>"Easy." John said. They start to descend the slope but almost instantly Holland's lame leg drags in the sand and pulls them off balance and they start to fall. "Woah!"<br>Helplessly, they roll over and over until they reach the bottom, Holland clutching his leg in agony. John sits up as Holland groans repeatedly.  
>John stood up and dusted himself down. "As much as I'd like to stop and take a break ..."<p>

"Oh, am I slowing you down? I'm sorry!" Holland sarcastically said. John looks around. "Are we even going in the right direction?"  
>"West." John pointed.<br>"Looks east to me."  
>"It's west."<br>"Because there's a whole mess of Taliban just east of here."  
>"You know what? When we get back to Kandahar, you're buying the next <em>two<em> rounds. Alright. Can you stand?" John bends down to help him up.  
>"Stand, sure." He grunts as John hauls him to his feet. "Walk? We'll see." With his arm again slung over John's shoulder, they start to move forward. Holland spoke quietly, his voice tense with the effort. "Alright, alright."<br>"See? Not so bad."  
>"Just go, OK?"<br>"See how the sun's moving? That's west."  
>"Whatever."<p>

**LATER.**

John and Holland have reached the top of another dune and are lying on the sand. On the plain below then are two trucks and a lot of men.  
>"West?"<br>John shrugs. He raises his head to peer over the top of the dune but is instantly spotted and ducks back as the people below fire at him. John fires a long burst of bullets towards the trucks and eventually there's an explosion in the back of one of them. The men cry out in alarm and run in all directions away from the trucks. Taking advantage of the distraction, John hauls Holland to his feet and they hurry away as the truck explodes.  
>҉<br>**FOREST.**

Ronon runs through the trees, then stops and aims his blaster as he sees a Wraith nearby. He hesitates from firing when he sees who is with it.  
>"Marissa."<br>As the Wraith hurries off with Marissa, Ronon chases off after them.  
>҉<br>**CAVE.**

Rodney is still frantically trying to prevent the overload. "Come on! Shut down!"  
>He turns to another laptop which is flashing the word "Overload" and is now showing 18 seconds until it happens. "Oh, no." He runs from the generator. "Carson! We need to get out of here right now!" He stares around when he can't see anybody there. "Carson!"<br>He runs for the cave entrance, passing Barroso's dead body. Whimpering with fear, he runs out of the cave and throws himself face down on the ground. He lies there for a few seconds, then rolls over and stares back towards the cave. "What the hell?" He gets up. "Why didn't it explode?" He looks at the cave entrance for a moment, then realization dawns. "It's happening to me, too."  
>Just then he hears the sound of running feet.<br>"Rodney!" Marissa shouted.  
>Rodney turns to see John carrying Marissa in his arms and running towards him. John drops Marissa to her feet and aims his rifle at Rodney.<br>"John, no!" Marissa shouted.  
>"No!" Rodney said. He holds out his hands in a futile preventative gesture but John fires a single shot, hitting him in the side. As he falls to the ground, Ronon hears the shot from nearby and runs towards the sound. John drags Marissa forward.<br>In the desert, an Afghan soldier lies on the sand and speaks Pashto weakly as he puts his hand to a gunshot wound in his side. John ignores him and drops Holland to the ground nearby before crouching down beside him and activating his radio.  
>"Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Come in."<br>Holland looks up at him weakly. "Sheppard ... whatever happens, thanks for coming for me."  
>In the forest, Ronon makes his way cautiously towards the cave. He stops and shelters behind a tree as he sees the Wraith sitting on the ground just outside the cave with Marissa lying beside it.<br>Just outside the cave, John activates his radio again. "Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read? Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?"  
>Marissa looks across to Rodney who is conscious but in a lot of pain. He stares at her intently. "I already told you how to fix it. Cut the power."<br>John spoke into the radio. "Arclight, respond. We need to get the hell out of here."  
>Marissa points into the cave. "The interference is coming from in there."<br>John looks where she is pointing but can see only desert. "Nothing there but sand."  
>"There is an entrance to a cave." Marissa insisted.<br>"There's nothing there."  
>Marissa grabs his vest and pulls him closer, speaking urgently. "John, you have to trust me. Now, the enemy is jamming our radio signal. You have to disconnect the power. I can show you how, but you have to take me in there."<br>In the trees, Ronon looks at the Wraith sitting beside Marissa. He aims at it and fires. Luckily the shot goes wide and hits the cave mouth.  
>Marissa's tone turned desperate. "Take me in there, now!"<br>John hauls her to her feet and helps her run into the cave. Rodney looks over as Ronon comes out of hiding and fires again, missing John and Marissa narrowly. As they race inside, Ronon runs towards the cave.  
>Inside, John drags Marissa over to the generator. Grunting in pain and effort, she grabs one of the laptops and looks at it.<br>"Rodney, you were almost done. Why did you stop?" She points to a mass of vines. "Reach in there. The largest cord - follow it with your hand until you reach the end." John hesitates. Marissa grabs his vest and pulls him close again. "_Do_ it, John. Then you can ..."

"...radio for help and get us out of here." Holland finished.  
>As John stares at Holland, Marissa pushes him in the direction she wants him to go. John looks at the vines - or whatever he's seeing in the desert - then pushes his hand into the mass. Marissa watches the laptop screen.<br>"There. That's it."  
>Ronon runs into the cave, aiming his blaster.<br>"Pull it."  
>Grunting with effort, John hauls on the vine. Ronon walks up behind them, his blaster aimed at John's head. With one last effort, John pulls the end of the vine loose. The generator groans, then powers down. Marissa sags in relief and exhaustion. Bewildered, John turns and sees Ronon standing there with his blaster aimed.<br>"Ronon."  
>Ronon stares at him in shock. "Sheppard?"<br>"Hey, buddy, you wanna lower your gun?"  
>Frowning in confusion, Ronon does so. "What the hell?"<br>"Yeah. I know. Let's get the hell outta here." John turns back to help Marissa, who sighs in relief.

**LATER.**

John is walking through the forest looking for Carson and Kagan. "Beckett!"  
>"Here."<br>John races towards Carson, who is sitting with his back against a downed tree trunk with Kagan in his arms. Kagan's eyes are closed. Carson has his fingers against Kagan's carotid artery.  
>"I turned the damned thing off. It's over." John said. He stops and stares as he sees Carson's serious face. "Kagan?"<br>"He's alive."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM.**

Illyria is speaking on the radio. The Stargate is open.  
>"I know you can't dial back in, but I could at least send more personnel through to help with the wounded."<br>_"Beckett says he can handle it. Daedalus should be here by night, and I think we can make it with the supplies you sent."_  
>The view switches to the area outside the cave. Kagan, now looking more comfortable, is lying on some bedding in the shelter of the cave mouth with Ronon sitting nearby. Marissa is sitting on a tree stump in the sun. Rodney is lying nearby with a dressing around his waist. Carson is sitting next to him.<br>_"How are Rodney and Marissa?"_  
>"He shot me." McKay indignantly said.<br>"They're _both_ fine, and..." John glances back towards Kagan "...I think Kagan's out of the woods, too."  
>"You <em>shot<em> me!"  
><em>"And none of you are experiencing any after-effects from this Wraith device?"<em>  
>"Well, I mean, we're all pretty creeped out." John said.<br>"It was the most unsettling thing I've ever experienced." Carson said.  
>"But ... we're gonna be fine." John said.<br>_ "Alright, well, check in in a few hours. Illyria out."_  
>John deactivates his radio.<br>"You shot me!" McKay yelled again.  
>"Yes, Rodney, I shot you, and I said I was sorry."<br>"You shot me, too." Ronon said.  
>'I'm sorry for shooting everyone! Just ... the Daedalus'll be here in a little while. Just get some rest."<br>John walks over to Marissa and sits down beside her. She looked up at him. "So ... did you manage to get Captain Holland to safety?"  
>John looks at her for a moment, then looks away, his face full of memories. "No."<br>Marissa nods sympathetically, knowing his pain. "Well, _we_ survived."  
>"Yes. We did."<br>"I can't believe you shot me!" McKay yelled.  
>Ronon laughs silently. John sighs. "Get some sleep, Rodney!"<p> 


	37. Chapter 35

**AN:/ Twins will be 1 year 4 months and 1 week**

** WOAH! Special you, two chapters uploaded within minutes for your viewing pleasure. How about a review? **

**DAEDALUS. **

The ship is travelling through hyperspace. On the Bridge, Doctor McKay is talking to the Bridge crew who are standing watching him as he paces in front of a wall screen.  
>"So, I'm in Atlantis and I need to get to Earth. What do I do? Since we no longer have access to a ZedP.M. - due to unforeseeable circumstances - my only option would be to call the Daedalus and spend the next three weeks twiddling my thumbs waiting to get back home ... until now." He turns and points to the screen. "I give you the McKay-Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge."<br>On the screen, a horizontal line of circles appears across the width of the screen. The line is broken in the middle by a larger icon.  
>"Thirty-four Gates from both the Milky Way and Pegasus Gate systems have been strategically placed in the massive void between our two galaxies. Simply enter on either side - for example, Atlantis - and boom! A macro that I have written specially for the occasion will command each Gate in the chain to store you in its buffer and forward you along to the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next until you arrive here."<br>The circles depicting the Stargates flash sequentially along the line until they reach the central icon.  
>"Once at the midway space station you simply exit the Pegasus Gate system and enter the Milky Way Gate system where a similar macro designed by yours truly will forward you along to the S.G.C. Total travel time, a little over thirty minutes. Cue applause."<br>The crew - somewhat reluctantly in some cases - politely applauds him. Rodney waves magnanimously. "Thank you. Enough."  
>The crew stops clapping.<br>"The midway space station isn't completed yet so we will be testing the system today using a Puddle Jumper. Now, given the history of ..."  
>He is interrupted by Colonel Steven Caldwell walking onto the Bridge. "Alright, show and tell's over. The test is about to begin. Let's get back to our stations, please."<br>Rodney looks slightly irked that his presentation has been interrupted. "Right."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Daedalus exits hyperspace and moves towards the framework for the midway space station. Clamped in one end is a Milky Way Stargate. The camera pans along the structure, which is shaped like a large tube, and shows that a Pegasus Gate is clamped at the other end. As the camera looks along the length of the station, the Milky Way galaxy can be seen in the distance. On the Daedalus Bridge, Rodney consults his computer tablet.  
>"All systems seem to be ..." he walks over to Captain Kleinman's position, still looking at his tablet "...huh."<br>"What?" Caldwell asked.  
>Rodney looks at Kleinman's console. "Oh, there's a ... odd echo on the proximity sensors. Won't affect the test but, uh ..." he types on his tablet "... yeah, we're ready to go."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

In the Gateroom, the Gate whooshes and a Puddle Jumper lowers down from the ceiling and takes up position in front of the Gate. Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard reports from the Jumper.  
>"Gate is dialed. Forwarding macro has been uploaded."<br>On the balcony of the Control Room, Queen Illyria looks down at the Jumper and smiles. "Alright, John. You have a go."  
>"Alright, then. Here goes." He flies the Jumper into the event horizon.<br>**WORMHOLE TRAVEL. **

The usual sequence is punctuated with occasional bright flashes, presumably caused as the Jumper travels from one Gate to another. After some time, the Jumper bursts through the final Pegasus Gate and stops inside the space station structure. On Daedalus' Bridge, Rodney reports.  
>"We have a contact."<br>Caldwell spoke into comms. "Colonel Sheppard, right on time. What's your status?"  
><em>"Felt a little weird, but everything seems to be in one piece. Ready to proceed to next phase. Uploading macro and initiating dialing sequence."<em>  
>He starts to punch the symbols on the Jumper's D.H.D. Ahead of him, the Milky Way Gate whooshes. On the Bridge, Rodney looks at his computer tablet in concern. "Oh, no-no-no-no, this is weird." He looks at Kleinman's console again.<br>"Shall I tell him to stand down?" Caldwell asked.  
>"No-no-no, it's nothing to do with the test. It's just our sensors aren't working properly."<br>_"Daedalus, ready to proceed."_  
>Caldwell leans over the side of his seat and stares hard at Rodney. "Do I clear him?"<br>Rodney is working on his tablet again and answers distractedly. "Mmm. Mmm, yeah-yeah-yeah, I'm sure he's fine." Caldwell continues to stare at him. Finally Rodney notices and looks up. "Uh, he's good to go, good to go, yes. Go ahead."  
>Caldwell sits back in his seat, not totally convinced. "Colonel Sheppard, you have a go."<br>John takes a deep breath and flies the Jumper forward. On Daedalus, Rodney looks at Kleinman's console.  
>"Jumper is away."<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX, COLORADO. **

**STARGATE COMMAND. **

In the Control Room, Chief Master Sergeant Harriman is sitting at the control desk while Major General Landry stands behind him, waiting patiently. Major General O'Neill walks over to join Landry.  
>"He's late." O'Neil said.<br>"When travelling almost three million light years, I'm not so sure there's such a thing as "late"!" Landry said.  
>"Right. Yes."<br>"You're just mad you didn't get to fly the maiden voyage yourself."  
>"General, I am quite fond of both maidens and voyages. I mean, put the two together and..."<br>"You're not a test pilot any more, Jack."  
>Jack looks at him indignantly. "That's what the President said."<br>As Landry chuckles, the Stargate whooshes.  
>"Incoming wormhole." Harriman reported.<br>Landry and Jack turn to face the Gateroom as the Puddle Jumper comes through the Gate and stops just inches away from the window. Jack leans forward to the microphone on the control desk while looking into the front window of the Jumper at John.  
>"It's about time!"<br>"Sorry, sir." John smiled.  
>"Colonel Sheppard. Welcome to Earth." Landry greeted.<br>"Thank you, sir. Good to be back."  
>"You know where to park. We'll debrief and go over the flight data as soon as you're ready."<br>"Yes, sir."  
>The Jumper rises up and disappears from view.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS BRIDGE.<strong>  
>"Colonel, we're receiving a data burst. Jumper Three has arrived at Stargate Command." Kleinman reported.<br>"Mission accomplished." Caldwell said.  
>Rodney is still looking at his computer tablet. "Yes, of course it worked. I'm already onto the next problem."<br>"Which is?"  
>"Well, the sensors are having a hard time determining what it is, probably due to the Doppler effect."<br>"What is?"  
>"I'm detecting a foreign object travelling at point nine nine nine the speed of light ... and it's coming this way."<p>

**LATER. **

**MIDWAY SPACE STATION. **

Jumper Three comes through the Milky Way Gate and stops inside the station structure.  
>"We have a contact, sir. It's Colonel Sheppard back from Earth." Kleinman reported.<br>"Colonel Sheppard, welcome back to the middle of nowhere." Caldwell greeted.  
>"Thank you, Colonel. I've got a take-out pizza for everyone back at Atlantis. With your permission, I'd like to upload the macro and dial out before it gets cold."<br>"Negative. We're putting that leg of the trip on hold for now. Seems like we're expecting company."

**LATER. **

John has transferred from the Jumper to Daedalus and is sitting at a table in a briefing room with Caldwell and several members of the crew. Other crew members are standing around the walls while Rodney, in full lecture mode, is walking around the table.  
>"Believe it or not, moving that fast, while an incredible feat of technology, isn't very useful - certainly in comparison to travel through hyperspace. Now, moving as fast as it is, this ship - assuming it is a ship - would still take at least a million years just to reach the Milky Way."<p>

"That close to the speed of light, don't you have to take relativity into account?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Exactly. The people on board - assuming that they are people - would only experience maybe twelve years, so a few stasis chambers and you're laughing ... I mean, they're not laughing, they're unconscious - but, uh, you know, metaphorically."<br>"So - assuming it's a ship and assuming they're people ..."

"... what do we do about them?" Caldwell finished for John.

"Well, we try and make contact, obviously." McKay said.  
>"How do you propose we do that?" Caldwell asked.<br>"Pull up, honk the horn, try to get 'em to roll down the window." John said.  
>"I'm talking about attempting to match their speed. This ship is not designed to do that."<br>"We can't. I mean, even if we succeeded, we'd still be subject to the same time dilation effects. We'd be out of contact with Earth and Atlantis for, well, years." McKAy said.  
>"Can't we overtake 'em with our hyperdrive?" John asked.<br>"Yes, but they would blow right past us as soon as we dropped back into normal space because our sublight engines are incapable of accelerating to anywhere near the speed of light." McKay said.  
>"So we max out the sublight engines, get as close as we can get."<br>"Hmm. Yes. I mean, that might work. We should at least be able to stay in range long enough to get some sensor readings, yeah."  
>"Do it." Caldwell turned to John. "I'll let Atlantis know you're gonna be late."<br>As the meeting breaks up, Rodney walks over to John. "Um, did you really get pizza for everyone? Because it would be a shame for that to go to waste if we're gonna, um ..." John stares at him. "... Yeah, OK, so solve this first and then ..."  
>He hurries away.<p>

**LATER.**

Daedalus is travelling through normal space.  
>"Sir, we've got just about everything we're gonna get out of the sublight engines." Kleinman reported.<br>"They're gonna fly by us in three, two, one." Caldwell said and a blur appears behind Daedalus and draws closer. It races past the ship - it looks like it is a ship but its outline is difficult to make out because of its speed. On the Bridge, Rodney looks at his computer tablet.  
>"Interesting."<br>"What?" Caldwell asked.  
>"If these readings are correct - and to be perfectly fair, they may not be ..."<br>"Rodney." John warned.  
>"It's an Ancient warship. It's possibly Aurora class."<br>"Who's flying it?" Caldwell asked.  
>"I ... would imagine Ancients."<br>"But there hasn't been any of them around for over ten thousand years." John said. "Well, except for Illyria."  
>Rodney sighs. "Relativity? Look, remember, for them only a handful of years have passed."<br>"Don't those ships have hyperdrives?"  
>"Well, maybe their hyperdrive was damaged in a battle with the Wraith. It happened to us all the time. Maybe it conked out on the way and they were forced to continue at as close to light speed as possible. That would explain how they got a million light years away from Pegasus without having to leave a million years ago."<br>"You know the subspace drive specs better than I do, Doctor, but I'm not sure an Aurora class ship has the power to do what you're suggesting." Caldwell said.  
>"Well, maybe they have a ZedP.M."<br>John perks up. "That would be worth finding out."  
>"OK, we need to send them a message before they get out of range and we have to jump ahead. Uh, something like, you know, 'We are humans from Earth currently occupying Atlantis, uh, yada, yada, yada ...'" McKay trialed.<br>"Why don't we just ask 'em to slow down?" John asked.  
>Kleinman's console beeps. "Colonel Caldwell. The unidentified vessel is slowing down."<br>"Maybe they heard me."  
>McKay was looking at the pilot's console. "No, they saw us. They're not just slowing down - they're slamming on the brakes something like twenty-seven gees."<br>"So now what?" Caldwell asked.  
>There's a flash at the front of the Bridge and a hologram of a blonde woman appears. Her clothing is similar to that worn by the Ancients on Aurora. "Unknown vessel, I'm Captain Helia of the Lantean warship Tria. Our ship has suffered damage. We've scanned your vessel and determined that it is capable of hyperspace travel. We've begun deceleration maneuvers. Will you render assistance in the form of hyperspace transport?"<br>"Well, yes! Yes, of course we will." McKay yipped.  
>The hologram doesn't turn to him or respond in any way to what he just said.<br>"I don't think she can hear you." John said.  
>Caldwell turned to Kleinman. "Open a channel." Kleinman does so. Rodney looks disappointed that he wasn't the first one to speak to the new Ancients. "This is Colonel Steven Caldwell of the Earth ship Daedalus. It would be an honor to render assistance in any way we possibly can."<br>Helia smiles at him, then her hologram disappears.  
>"We're gonna meet Ancients! I mean, flesh and blood Ancients who know what everything is and how everything works! I mean, I don't even know what to ask first!"<p>

"Hey!" John slapped McKay upsde the head. "Illyria and the kids are flesh and blood Ancients too."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but Illyria doesn't really know al lot about the systems. If she does, she's not telling us."  
>"Well, it's gonna be a couple of hours before we can match velocities for transport." Caldwell interrupted.<br>John turned to Rodney, contempt in his voice. "That should give you enough time to write out that list!"  
>"Right, right!" McKay hurries off.<br>҉  
>ATLANTIS.<p>

Elizabeth is walking towards the Gateroom with Captain Frio and Ronon Dex.  
>"They were battle-scarred and already well on their way to Earth when their hyperdrive finally gave out on them. They decided it was best to continue forward than go back." Illyria informed them.<br>"How many survivors?" Ronon asked.  
>"Just over a hundred." Illyria said.<br>"Word has already begun to spread amongst the Athosian people. They believe this return was foretold - that it marks a turning in the tide on the war against the Wraith. That Jen and Pat are profits," Marissa looked over at Illyria, "that they, along with the new ancients, with bring forth the ends of the Wraith."  
>"Well, I don't know about that. Th-They're only ten weeks old!"<br>Up in the Control Room, the Canadian technician walks over to the balcony. "Queen Illyria. The Daedalus is ready to beam down our people and the Ancient delegation."  
>"Thank you." She turns towards the Gate, zipping up her jacket. A few moments later the transporter beams down John, Rodney, Helia and several other Ancients.<br>"Queen Illyria, Ronon, Marissa - this is Helia-"  
>"Captain of the Tria." Illyria smiled widely and rushed towards the woman. Helia reciprocated warmly and the Ancients around them smiled and the Team looked puzzled. Illyria pulled back, keeping her hands on Helia's shoulders. "'Lia, you do not know how wonderful it is to see you again."<p>

Helia smiles at her. "Likewise, My Queen. And from what I'm told, they've done a remarkable job preserving our city."  
>"We did what we could with what we had." John said.<br>Helia's face becomes serious as she turned to him. "I need to speak to the leader of your people."  
>"I'm incharge of everyone within the city." Illyria said.<br>"You misunderstand me, my Queen. I need to talk to the one who can speak for all the people of Earth."  
>"That can certainly be arranged, but may I ask why?"<br>Helia smiles, and a console rises up from the floor between her and Illyria. Instantly Ronon snatches out his blaster and aims at it.  
>"What is that? How come I've never seen that?" McKay said.<br>"That is because I have never told you." Illyria said over her shoulder, never taking her eyes off Helia. Helia walks to the console and puts her hand on it. All around the Control Room, the screens go blank. "What are you doing, Helia?"  
>"Thank you for all that you've done, Queen Illyria, but your guardianship of this city is no longer necessary. The city is now under my control."<br>҉  
><strong>TWO WEEKS LATER.<strong>

Jack O'Neill and Richard Woolsey of the International Oversight Advisory have travelled to Atlantis and are sitting at the table in the Conference Room. Helia stands opposite them.  
>"We were in a battle with Wraith cruisers. They proved too much for us so we started back to Atlantis only to be told that the final evacuation was already in progress. I decided to push on to Earth and join the evacuees. Even when our hyperdrive failed we decided to continue on."<br>"I can't begin to imagine what you and your crew must be going through right now." Woolsey said.  
>"We owe you and your people a debt of gratitude, but we've just returned home - home to a place we thought we'd never set eyes on again - and we need some time ... alone."<br>"You do know that we've shed our own fair share of blood defending the city from the Wraith?" O'Neil pointed out.  
>"But by your own admission, you were responsible for waking the Wraith."<p>

"... Right." Jack looks to Woolsey for help.  
>Woolsey spoke to Helia. "And by your own admission, you are responsible for the emergence of the Wraith as a species. The fact is, if it weren't for our expedition, there would be no Atlantis. Queen Illyria would still be in stasis and the Ancient Twins would never have been born."<br>"No-one's saying the city doesn't belong to you or that you don't belong here. What we're saying is that ..."  
>Woolsey puts his hand on Jack's arm to stop him. "What we're asking ... "<br>Jack looks down at Woolsey's hand. Woolsey withdraws it, then both he and Jack look up at Helia. "What we're ... asking is that we be allowed to stay here."  
>"There is so much that we can learn from you - and in return we can offer supplies, manpower, the kind of support you'll need to restore Atlantis to its former glory."<br>"The day will come when your people will once again have a place here. But that is not this day."  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**

Illyria is standing and gazing anxiously towards the Conference Room, rocking Patrick. Rodney walks over and points to the Conference Room doors.  
>"You should be in there."<br>"I'm the Queen, Rodney. Yes, I should be in there, but….it wouldn't make a difference. It's been _years_ since they've been under my command." She turns away from the window. John is sitting in a chair with his feet up on her desk. Jen was on her back in his lap and smiling and screaming when John was dancing his fingers on her belly.  
>"You're right. They want us out of here." John said.<br>"But why? There are maybe a hundred or so of them? I mean, they could use us. They might even need us." McKay said. "_You're_ they're Queen! They can't possibly kick you out."  
>"What if you were forced from your home by a war, only to return to find someone on your couch, eating your Cheetos, watching your TV." John simplified.<br>"Well, I'd be fine with that." McKay said unconvincingly.  
>"No, you wouldn't." Illyria sighed.<br>Jack and Woolsey walk into the office. John gets to his feet, cradling Jen to his chest. "How go the talks, sir?"  
>"No talks. Listening is what we did." Jack said.<br>"It was essentially a transitional meeting. They needed to know how much time we needed to vacate the city." Woolsey said.  
>"I said forty-eight hours, unless you need more." Jack said.<br>"No. It should be enough." Illyria exchanges a distraught glance with John, then turns away, handing Pat to Jack.  
>"That's it? We're just gonna take this lying down? We rescued them!" McKay yelled.<br>"And they're immensely grateful." Woolsey said.  
>"Well, they're not showing it!"<br>"From their point of view, Doctor McKay, they're being extremely generous. Keep in mind that when they left Atlantis, we were basically a hunter-gatherer species." Woolsey said.  
>"Well, did you remind them that if we hadn't hunted and gathered them out of the void between galaxies, they would still be stuck there?"<br>"We should have left them out there." John said.  
>"I know you feel as though you're losing the city." Woolsey said.<br>"This isn't just about losing a city, Richard. It's about losing your opportunity to talk with and learn from living, breathing Ancients that aren't me." Illyria countered.  
>"They are willing, over time, to let us back in the city - just not right now. That way we get all the benefit of Atlantis with very little of the risks..." Woolsey looks at Jack. "...or expense."<br>"Yeah, it's not like we don't have our own galaxy to worry about." Jack said. John and Rodney slump, defeated looks on their faces. "Colonel, I'd like you to supervise the withdrawal."  
>John glanced at Illyria briefly. "Yes, sir."<br>"Go ahead." Woolsey leads John and Rodney out of the room. Jack waits until they've gone, then walks over to Illyria. "Can I talk to you for a moment? I didn't wanna say this in front of McKay because I know he'd want the job."  
>"What job?"<br>"Ancients are willing to leave someone behind as a liaison - kind of a ... ambassador, if you will."

Illyria gazes at him hopefully. "You know I would be more than happy..."

"One condition." Illyria's face dropped. "John can't stay."

"Wh-what? No! No, no!" Illyria stumbled back, nearly backing into Jen's bassinet. "Jack-"

"Shhhh," Jack placed Pat in his bassinet and pulled Illyria into an embrace, letting her sob into his chest. "It'll be okay."

"Ha-How is this going to be okay!" Illyria pushed him back and heavily sat down on a chair. "Why can't John-"

"You're not married. Helia explained that since John isn't in the Royal Family he can't stay."

"What about the twins? Where will they go?" Illyria looked over to their bassinets.

"They're Breen's, not John's. They stay here." Illyria hung her head. "They also want someone else to stay - the I.O.A. wants Woolsey."  
>"Woolsey?"<br>"Yeah. To paraphrase the Ancients, they think you won't be able to..." he struggles for the right words "... let go."  
>"So they're gonna just shut you out after everything you've done here?"<br>"I know." Illyria sags, defeated. Jack walks closer to her. "Look, you and Elizabeth have done a hell of a job here, and I am sorry it's ending this way."  
>"I suppose I can take comfort in the fact that, out of all the ways this expedition could have ended ..." she hesitates for a moment, then raises her head bravely and looks up at Jack "... this is definitely not the worst." Jack offers her his hand. She shakes it. "Thank you."<br>"Yeah." He turns and leaves the office.

Illyria sinks down to sit on her desk, her face filled with loss.  
>҉<br>**JOHN and ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS**.

John shoves a bag of his possessions into a metal box, closes the lid, then sits down on the bed and picks up another bag. It was the Twin's baby bag. Ronon and Marissa come to the open door. Ronon taps on the door and John looks round to them and stands up, whipping the wetness of his face.  
>"Hey. You guys all packed up?<br>Ronon shrugs as he and Marissa walk into the room. "I really don't have that much stuff."  
>John smiles. "Right."<br>"Most of my belongings are already with the Daedalus." Marissa nodded.  
>"How's that Athosian thing going, by the way? Are the Ancients allowing them to stay on the mainland?"<br>Marissa smiles ruefully. "They've found a suitable planet for them to relocate to - one with their own Stargate."  
>"How'd that go down?" John asked.<br>"It was not the homecoming of the Ancestors Teyla's people envisioned."  
>John looks awkward, then gestures around his quarters. Baby toys and bridal magazines strew across. "You guys want any of this stuff?" He takes his poster off the wall above his bed. "Johnny Cash poster? Skateboard? Sudoku books?"<br>Marissa throws an amused smile at Ronon who is flicking through the pages of a book he has picked up. John hesitates, still looking awkward, then walks over the top of his bed to the other side. He sighs and sits down on the bed again. Ronon puts the book down as John looks at Ronon.  
>"You know you're welcome to come back with us, right?"<br>"I can't leave this galaxy until every last Wraith is dead." Ronon smiles.  
>"Well, I just had to say it out loud."<br>"And the Athosian's would like us to know that they would be honored if we decided to stay with them." Marissa added.  
>John was taking the last of his items off the bedside table, hesitating over a picture of him and Illyria before putting them into a box. "Yeah, well, I think the Air Force has got other plans for me. And the Marines for you."<br>"I also just had to say it out loud."  
>"Right." John looks around the room, realizing that he has packed everything that <em>he<em> owned. He shrugs awkwardly as he looks back to the other two. "Well ... this sucks."  
>"Yeah." Ronon grumbled.<br>"I'm not, I'm not ... I'm not good at ... goodbyes."  
>"Our paths will cross again," Marissa turned to Ronon. "Of that I am sure."<br>"Well, before our paths uncross, would you give me a hand with these boxes? I'll throw in pizza and some beer and ..."  
>"... popcorn?" Marissa interrupted.<br>"And popcorn!" As Marissa laughs, Ronon stands up, grinning, wraps his arms around John's waist in a bearhug and hoists him up off the floor. "Oh, my God!"  
>Ronon swings him round and dumps him back down again. They all laugh as Ronon and Marissa move to collect John's stuff. Before they exit, Marissa stops in the doorway. "Why isn't Illyria's stuff packed?"<p>

John hesitated, looking down. "She…she isn't coming." Marissa's jaw dropped and Ronon's face got stern. "The Ancients what to keep the Twins here. The only way Illyria would allow that-"

"Was if she stayed." Ronon finished.

John nodded. "Yeah. Woolsey is also staying as a sort of Liaison."

"John-" Marissa streached out her hand but pulled it back.

"Let's just get these boxes moved."

**LAB.**

Rodney, Doctor Zelenka and Doctor Beckett are standing at a table in the middle of the room, packing stuff into metal boxes.  
>"Well, I was offered a job at Masaryk University right before I came here. I imagine I could work there if I wanted to. What about you, Carson?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Well, they offered me a surgery position at Stargate Command." He looks at Rodney. "You?"  
>"I don't know. Area 51, I guess - tool around with as much of the database as we're able to bring back with us."<br>"You know, in a way I look forward to focusing on a single problem for a while. Being continually pulled off of research to put out fires can be, you know, frustrating." Zelenka said.  
>"Ah, I suppose so. I just don't know how many times I'm gonna be asked to save the day at the eleventh hour at Area 51."<br>"Oh, I'm sure it'll come up." Carson said.  
>"Yeah, well, not as often as I'd like." McKay complained.<br>"Well, I must admit, it's been a pleasure working with you both. In fact, out of all the people..." Carson trails off and stops what he's doing, lowering his head.  
>"You are not tearing up on me, are you?" McKay rolls his eyes. "Oh, he is, he's tearing up."<br>Carson angrily starting to pack again. "Now you've ruined it."  
>"Oh, I'm sorry." McKay sarcastically said.<br>"I was just about to say something."  
>"Well, it's not like we're not gonna see each other at the Gate."<br>"No, of course not." Carson closes the case he was packing, lifts it off the table and starts to walk away. "I don't know what I was thinking." He sighs in an annoyed way.  
>"What was it?" McKay said in a tetchy voice.<br>Carson stopped. "What?"  
>"What you were gonna say. Just say it. Now I'm curious."<br>Carson sighs again, then turns to face him and Radek. Quietly saying, "I was going to say ... goodbye, Rodney."  
>Rodney's sarcastic look fades. Radek raises a hand in farewell to Carson, who turns and leaves the room.<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME.<strong>

**ILLYRIA AND JOHN'S QUARTERS. **

Illyria is packing books into a metal box. Her door chime sounds and she goes over to the door and touches the wall panel. The door opens and she finds John standing there, writing on a notepad.  
>"Colonel."<br>"Queen."  
>"Come in."<br>John walked in. "Well, we are way ahead of schedule, ready to head out at 0800. Daedalus is gonna take most of the gear. People and our odds and ends will make their way through the Stargate, thanks to the Ancients' new ZeeP.M."  
>"Good….You're taking this rather well."<br>John was still writing on his notepad. "Actually, I'm pissed. For one thing, I'm only a quarter of the way through 'War and Peace.'"  
>"I can't imagine what I can possibly do without you here."<br>John was writing on his pad again. "Life isn't fair - it's just fairer than death."  
>Illyria frowns, surprised at his quote. "Oscar Wilde?"<br>"'The Princess Bride.' Good movie." Illyria chuckles. John looks up at her, and then lowers his pad, looking awkward. "You gonna be ready to move out at 0800?"  
>Illyria looks round thier room briefly. "Yeah, yeah. I should be. You?"<br>"Just one or two ... hundred things to do. I'll see you at the Gate."  
>He turns and leaves the room. Illyria sighs deeply, then runs over to John, embracing him from the back. "Please," she sobbed, "Please don't leave me. Leave us…"<p>

John breathed in a rugged breath. "I want to—God, I want too!" He spun around and crushed his lips to Illyria's. They spent a few breathless moments passionately kissing. When they came up gasping for breath, lips raw, John rested his head on her hair. "Where are the kids now?"

"They're with the Team." She whispered. She pulled away a little and looked up at John. "John, stay with me tonight?"

In response, he lowered his head.  
>҉<br>**NEXT MORNING.**

**0800. **

In the Control Room, Rodney is talking with Helia. "Grounding station on the south pier's a bit twitchy - got shot up. It wasn't our fault. You need to look at that."  
>"I'm sure we'll find our way, Doctor."<br>"No, I'm sure you will, but, um, you should also, uh ..."  
>"Rodney!" Illyria called up from the Gateroom.<br>Rodney turns and looks over the balcony. As various crewmembers walk through the Gate, carrying the last of their possessions, Marissa, John and Carson are standing waiting for him. Ronon and Illyria are standing facing them. Carson jerks his head at Rodney in a "get down here!" gesture.  
>"Uh, right, yes, well." McKay turns to Helia. "I gotta go."<br>Helia hides a smile as he turns and heads for the stairs. Down in the Gateroom, Illyria smiles at the others. "You've been good friends - to all the people of this galaxy."  
>Hesitantly, John walks over to her. He looks at her for a moment, and then bows his head. Marissa bows hers and they touch foreheads. They said nothing, just stared at each other. That was all they needed.<br>"Farewell."  
>"Take care." He softly said.<br>Ronon looks on, his eyes a little teary. Rodney arrives at the bottom of the stairs and smiles at Illyria as he walks past her. "Bye." He walks over to Marissa, John and Carson. "Hi."  
>Illyria and Ronon walk away as the Earth team faces the Gate. They walk towards it side by side, but Marissa stops just before they reach the event horizon. John, Rodney and Carson walk into the Gate. Marissa turns and runs towards Ronon and Illyria. She embraced them both tightly before turning and running into the event horizon.<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.G.C. GATEROOM. **

**TWO MONTHS LATER **

John - wearing green BDUs - comes through the Gate supporting a soldier who is limping and grunting in pain. "Get your damned weight off your foot, you'll be fine."  
>They reach the bottom of the ramp and John hands the man over to a medic who is waiting for them. Landry walks in.<br>"Tell me you didn't engage the Ori, Colonel."  
>"We didn't engage the Ori, sir." John gestures to another member of his team behind him. "Bambus here was inspecting some curious fauna when he discovered the ground underneath him wasn't stable. He fell twenty feet into a babbling brook." He gestures in the direction the medic just took the other man. "Wallace there was trying to help him get back up when he lost his footing and broke his ankle."<br>"I see."  
>"Never thought I'd miss Rodney McKay being a member of my team!"<br>"Well, chemistry doesn't happen overnight. We'll debrief as soon as Wallace is out of the Infirmary."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>The Gate begins to dial in behind them. Harriman yelled from the Control Room. "Offworld activation."  
>"Hold on, Colonel. You may get a kick out of this." Landry starts to lead John from the Gateroom. "This should be General O'Neill on his scheduled check-in from Atlantis."<br>"He went back, sir?"  
>"Woolsey needed a little back-up. Apparently the Ancients find him a bit trying." He chuckles as John smiles. "Imagine that!"<br>"Mmm! What about-" before John could finish his sentence, the Gate whooshes and Jack and Woolsey appear on the video screens.  
><em>"General!"<em>  
>"General!" Landry responded.<br>_"Is that Sheppard there with you?"_

"Yes, sir." John said.  
><em>"Talks are proceeding at an acceptable pace; but the real news is that the Pegasus Replicators are heading back to Atlantis to make another run at the city."<em> Woolsey said.  
>"They are?"<br>_"No-one here seems to be that worried about it."_ Jack said.  
>"Why not?" Landry asked.<br>_"They're Ancients!"_ O'Neil yelled.

"What about Illyria? She must've told them what happened to us. She wouldn't let them-"

Woolsey coughed, ignoring John's question. _"Apparently these Replicators have a law in their base code that makes it impossible for them to harm their creators."_ Woolsey explained.  
>"And they're expecting to find us." John said.<br>Woolsey nods.  
><em>"According to Helia, they're gonna run into some kinda nasty surprise."<em> O'Neil said.  
><em>"So you can pass it on to Doctor McKay that if you and he hadn't rescued the Ancients and returned Atlantis to their care ..."<em> Woolsey trailed off for John to finish.  
>"... I'd have lost the city anyway."<br>_"Right."_ O'Neil said. John smiles briefly, but he doesn't look at all reassured by the news. _"Well, we should get back to our talks ... and talks and talks. O'Neill out."_  
>The Gate shuts down. John turns to Landry. "Sir, I'd be happy to talk to you more about these Replicator guys."<br>"Naah, sounds like they've got everything under control."  
>Landry walks away.<br>"Yes, sir ... I guess they do."  
>҉<br>**JOHN'S OFFICE.**

John throws a dart into a dartboard on the wall. He grimaces, not making the shot. As he throws another dart, Rodney's voice comes over a speaker on John's desk.  
><em>"I hate it here."<em>  
>"How's that possible?"<br>_"It's true."_  
>John sat down at his desk. He glanced over at a photo of him and Illyria smiling and holding the twins. He smiled briefly. "Look, they gave you everything you wanted: your own lab ..."<br>_"Yeah, it's too big."_

Rodney is standing as he talks to John on his mobile phone. He is on a balcony overlooking a huge chamber. Behind him a massive generator or reactor of some sort is spinning slowly.  
><em>"... hand-picked assistants ..."<em>  
>"Yeah, sycophants, every one of them."<p>

_"... even your own choice of projects."_  
>"Well, that's not true." McKay said dejectedly.<br>_"Well, other than going back to Atlantis."_  
>Rodney sighs. "You know, the truth is, I ..."<br>He trails off. John looks at the phone suspiciously.  
>"What?"<br>_"I don't - I don't wanna use the term "lonely," but, uh, there are certain people who ... I miss."_  
>John smiles. "Me?"<br>_"You? You I'm talking to on the phone right now and having dinner with tomorrow, so not so much, but other people - people who I may never see again. Like, even Marissa- she hasn't returned any of my calls."_  
>"I know what you mean."<br>Rodney sighs again. _"Hey - at least you still get to go offworld with a team of your own."_  
>"Oh yeah, the best and the brightest! Alright, see you tomorrow night."<br>_"Yeah, wouldn't miss it. Hey, you know, I ..."_ John reaches out and switches the phone off. At his lab, Rodney takes the phone away from his ear and looks at it ruefully for a moment before closing it. "Yeah."  
>҉<br>**MARISSA'S APARTMENT BLOCK**.

In her apartment, Marissa sits on a sofa writing. An empty pizza box lies on a chair nearby, while the coffee table is covered with empty take-out cartons. Someone knocks on the door. Marissa gets up, goes over to the door as the person knocks again, and looks through the spyhole. When she sees who it is, she sighs, hesitates for a moment, then opens the door to reveal Carson standing outside.  
>"Carson."<br>Carson was smiling at her. "Hullo, Marissa."  
>"This is a surprise."<br>"Well, you didn't return my messages so I thought I'd just stop by."  
>"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Come in."<br>"Thank you." He walks in and looks around the room. It's quite a mess.  
>"Oh, excuse the mess. I wasn't really expecting company." She picks up a cardigan from the floor. Carson looks at her with concern but masks it.<br>"Oh, please. I'm from a family of seven - our home was never this clean! You look good."  
>She doesn't. She's dressed very scruffily and her hair is tied back in a ponytail but still looks unkempt.<br>"Ah, well, thanks for lying. How is the S.G.C. treating you?"  
>"It's only been two months so I'm still settling in, but it's good. Interesting work, kind people."<br>Marissa glances down at the coffee table and starts to clear up the take-out cartons and crockery on it. "Good! That's good."  
>"How about you?"<br>"Oh, you know - keeping busy." She said, still clearing up.  
>Carson watches her, his look of concern back on his face. "Oh yeah? Doing what?"<br>"In the Marine reserves, working for my father at the Station House. I've been doing a bit of writing - uh, working on my memoirs." She straightens up again and smiles at him.  
>"Your memoirs? About your time in Atlantis?"<br>"Yeah. So what?"  
>"And on what planet did you expect to publish it?"<br>"I suppose it's for posterity as much as anything else. And for me. Just trying to get it straight in my own head. It all went by so fast, you know?"  
>"Aye - that it did." Marissa looks down. Carson walks closer to her. "Marissa, we're all a bit worried about you."<br>She laughs. "You're worried about me?" She sits down. "Why?"  
>"Well, you don't return phone calls, and the few times that you've run into people, they say you've seemed distant."<br>"I'm just ... I'm just trying to move on."  
>"By writing your memoirs and fighting fires?" Marissa looks up at him, unable to answer. Carson sighs and sits down on the coffee table opposite her. "Marissa, why haven't you taken another position?"<br>"The S.G.C. let me enter their version of the reserves when I asked. Since then, I'm doing consults for them and Homeland Security."  
>"You don't need to be here for that - you could easily consult them from a secure phone line."<br>Marissa looks at him for a moment, then looks down. "I guess I'm just not ready yet."  
>"Look, Rodney's flying in tomorrow. John and I are taking him for dinner. You should come."<br>"Tomorrow? Oh, gosh, tomorrow ... I ..."  
>"I'll pick you up at seven." Standing up, Carson kisses her hair, then leaves.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

In the Control Room, Jack and Woolsey, together with Helia, are watching the wall screen as it shows a Puddle Jumper approaching a ship which is headed towards the planet.  
>"That seems like a pretty big ship. You're sure only sending one Jumper up to fend it off is the right thing to do?" Woolsey asked.<br>"It is impossible for them to harm us." Helia stated.  
>"I could use some enemies like that." O'Neil said.<br>The Jumper Pilot spoke over comms. _"We have established communications, Commander."_  
>"This is Commander Helia. The city you're approaching is once again under Lantean control. Stand down and return to your planet immediately, or you will be..."<br>The image of the Puddle Jumper flashes, then disappears from the screen.  
>"I thought you said they couldn't harm you!" Woolsey yelled.<br>Helia turned to one of her crew. "Raise the shield!"  
>The sound of the shield deploying can be heard but before it can raise over the entire city, a blast rocks the tower.<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**RESTAURANT. **

John, Marissa, Rodney and Carson are sitting at a table eating dessert. John speaks to Carson through a mouthful of food.  
>"You should call her."<br>"Mmm." McKay said, agreeing with him.  
>"Who, Cadman?" Carson asked.<br>"You guys did make a cute couple." Marissa nodded.  
>"It didn't work out. May have something to do with our first kiss being through Rodney!" He mock-glares at Rodney accusingly.<br>McKay grimaced. "Oh, I thought we made a solemn vow never to speak of that again!"  
>"I remember no such thing!"<br>"You know what? It's getting late." Marissa said.  
>"Since when do you sleep?" John asked.<br>"Since I got back. I've got a lot of catching up to do. But it's been awesome seeing all of you again." She puts a hand on Carson's arm. "Thank you for getting me out."  
>"No, we should thank you. You're taking us to dinner, right?" John asked.<br>"Cheeky!"  
>John's mobile phone, which he had put on the table, starts to ring. As he reaches for it, a second ringtone can be heard. Rodney rummages in his pockets and takes his phone out as John answers his.<br>"Sheppard." John asked.  
>Just then another ringtone starts. Marissa reaches into her handbag as Rodney answers his mobile.<br>"McKay."  
>Marissa takes her Blackberry out of her bag and looks at the screen. It has the message, "Incoming call - N.O.R.A.D." She answers it. "Hello?"<br>"I didn't bring my bloody cellphone with me. What's happening?" Carson asked.  
>҉<br>**S.G.C. BRIEFING ROOM.**

The four of them are sitting at the table as Landry walks across the room.  
>"We got this data burst about twenty minutes ago." Landry said.<br>He activates a remote control and a recording begins to play on the wall screen. Jack O'Neill appears on the screen, broadcasting from Atlantis' Control Room. The recording is poor and filled with static and there are several moments when the image fritzes out completely.  
><em>"Atlantis is under attack from Replicators. Somehow they figured out how to override their programming. The Ancients were taken off guard and have lost most of the city already."<em>  
>Woolsey, standing behind him, turns to something off camera and fires a pistol at it several times.<br>_"Request immediate evacuation!"_  
>Woolsey turned towards Jack. <em>"They're coming!"<em>  
>The screen blanks out. Landry turns to the others, who have been watching the recording in horror. "They never made it to the Gate. I was informed they had a law written into their base code that made it impossible for them to harm the Ancients. How the hell did this happen?"<br>Marissa and John looks over to Rodney who answered nervously. "It is remotely possible that in trying to rewrite Niam's base code, I ... uh, we may have opened the door for them to make other changes."  
>"You did this?" Landry yelled.<p>

"At the time we thought it was the only possible way to save the city." Marissa backed Rodney.  
>"How it happened doesn't matter. They may have changed it on their own. The question is: how do we fix it?" John asked.<br>"That's why I called you in. I have my orders. The Daedalus is already on the way. Now, what I need from you is ..." Landry activates his remote control again and a schematic of Atlantis appears on the screen "...what's the best way to get a nuke past the shield?"  
>The team stare at each other, appalled.<br>"Well, I have no idea." Carson said.  
>"I didn't call you in, Doctor." Landry said.<br>"You're going to use nuclear weapons on Atlantis?" Marissa asked.  
>"It's the gateway to Earth." Landry said.<br>"And we have an iris!" McKay shouted.  
>"Yes, we do, but thanks to your Intergalactic Gate Bridge, all they have to do is rewrite your macro and they can come out anywhere in the Milky Way."<br>"Yeah, but those macros are very complicated."  
>"They are very complicated, Doctor McKay. They just rewrote their own damned base code! I think they can handle it."<br>"Sir, General O'Neill and Woolsey may still be alive. Hell, my fiancé and our kids are still there! Now, I know the city like the back of my hand. Just give me sixty marines and some of Colonel Carter's new, um ..." John snapped his fingers.  
>"... Anti-Replicator weapons." McKay said.<br>"Yeah, those things."  
>"I'm sorry, Colonel. I have standing orders. They happen to be General O'Neill's standing orders. The Daedalus will be there in a little under four days. Now, how do I get a nuke past their shield?" Landry asked.<p>

҉  
><strong>LATER.<strong>

**JOHN'S OFFICE**  
>"Now, those Replicator thingamyjiggies you're talkin' about ..." Carson trailed off.<br>"Let's just call 'em A.." John said.  
>"They're energy weapons. They disrupt the link between the nanites' cells. The Replicators literally fall apart when you fire on them." McKay said.<br>"You know, uh - hypothetically - Ronon'd be more than willing to help ... if we asked." John suggested.  
>"We would need to gate into Atlantis. All they'd need to do to keep us out is activate the Gate's shield." Marissa said.<br>"Well, I did write a back door to the shield program a couple of years ago when Kolya stormed the city, so ... I mean, it could hypothetically let us get into the Gateroom." McKay said.  
>"General Landry was worried about the Replicators rewriting the Bridge macro to gate them somewhere else in the Milky Way. Does that mean you could change the macro - take us somewhere else in Pegasus?" Marissa asked.<br>"Somewhere like, uh ... just talking here ... the Athosian settlement where Ronon is?" John asked.  
>"We'd need a Jumper." McKay said.<br>"... and some of those A.."  
>"... and someone to make sure Landry doesn't close the iris on us." Marissa said.<br>"Hmm!" McKay smiled.  
>"Hypothetically." Marissa smiled.<br>"Of course!" Carson said.  
>John shrugs in agreement.<br>҉  
><strong>LATER.<strong>

Marissa and Rodney are walking along a corridor.  
>"The Jumper is in its storage area under guard. We need for one of us to be added to the authorized personnel list, and there's only one guy who can do that." McKay was telling her.<br>"You?"  
>"No. Why'd you think I was gonna say me?"<br>"I don't know. Seemed like you were leading up to it."  
>They reach an elevator. Rodney swipes his keycard through the wall panel to call the elevator. "No, sadly, Doctor Lee's been the one heading up the Jumper research project, because they refused to send him to Area 51 for me. But I think I should be able to add one of our keycards to the authorized personnel list, but I have to do that from his office."<br>"So?"  
>"Well, he's in his office, so you need to distract him."<br>Marissa's eyes widen. "Me? How?"  
>"Well, here's what I'm thinking..."<br>The elevator doors open and they go inside.  
>҉<br>**DOCTOR LEE'S LAB.**

Doctor Bill Lee smiles with delight at Marissa who is standing near to him, then grins across to Rodney.  
>"I gotta say, I have never met a woman this into World of Warcraft!"<br>"It's a silent passion of mine."  
>"As it is with all of us." Marissa strolls casually around Lee, forcing him to turn with her. Once he can no longer see Rodney, Rodney takes out his keycard and turns to a computer nearby. "I'm level seventy-five - Mage, specializing in engineering and dueling. You?<br>Rodney swipes his card through the reader and a list of names comes up on the screen.  
>"Oh, wow! Level seventy-five!" Marissa said. Lee smiles proudly. Behind him, Rodney turns the screen around so that it's no longer facing Lee. "Me, I'm only fifty."<p>

Behind Lee's back, Rodney spins his finger at Marissa to indicate that she should keep talking. He starts to type.  
>"Ah. Well, I had the beta of the expansion pack, so I sorta had a leg-up on most people. What's your race?" Lee asked.<br>Flummoxed, Marissa glances over at Rodney. Without looking at her, he holds up his hands, puts his fingers together and then pulls them away from each other, indicating that she needs to drag this out for as long as possible.

"...Mage."  
>"You know, I'm trying to increase my enchanter skills, but it's just, it's not going very well." Lee bows his head, shaking it sadly.<br>"Oh, I disagree, Bill!" Marissa shouted.  
>"What?" He looks up as Marissa smiles at him flirtatiously. "Oh! Uh, Rodney..." He starts to turn towards Rodney, who straightens up from the computer quickly. Marissa instinctively grabs at the lapels of Lee's lab coat and turns him back towards her. "Look, I don't mean ..." she lets his lapels go and straightens them down again "... I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so forward."<br>"No, no, no, go on, be forward!"  
>Now that Lee has turned away from him again, Rodney gets back to work on the computer.<br>"Well, oh, I ... look, I'm not quite sure how exactly I should put this ..."  
>On the computer, Rodney creates a space in the list between "Mason, John" and "Mirman, Wallace" and types in "McKay, Rodney."<br>"A true Mage speaks his mind ... or her mind, in your case."  
>Clearing the screen, Rodney moves the computer back into its original position. "Wow!" He looks at his watch. "Will you look at the time?" As Lee turns to face him, Marissa sags in relief. "Where does it go, huh?"<br>"What?" Lee asked.  
>"Uh, we're late. We should, um ..." McKay looks at his watch again "... we'll see you, Bill."<br>He starts to hurry out of the lab. Marissa follows him quickly. "Bye, Bill!"  
>Lee tries to protest, but they've already gone.<br>҉  
><strong>CORRIDOR.<strong>

John, Marissa, Rodney and Carson, geared up in black BDUs, walk briskly along the corridor, John and Rodney both carrying rifles. They stop as Wallace - the man who John had brought back through the Gate earlier - hobbles around the corner on a pair of crutches.  
>"Wallace! What are you doin' here?" John asked.<br>"General Landry wanted to talk to me about reassignment."  
>"Oh, right. Sorry about that."<br>Wallace looks at the others. "Are you already going on missions without me, or ...?"  
>Carson walks towards him, putting on his best bedside manner in both his voice and his smile. "You should really stay off of that ankle, son."<br>He puts his hand gently on Wallace's shoulder as John casually walks around behind them.  
>"Yeah, well, when General Landry says "now", he means now." Wallace said.<br>John looks around the corner to check that nobody is in the vicinity, then turns and activates a zat gun. "Sorry about this, too." He fires into Wallace's back. Wallace convulses and starts to collapse. John catches him while Rodney grabs his crutches. Carson helps John carry Wallace out of sight. "Can't afford to have him tell Landry he ran into us."  
>҉<br>**JUMPER STORAGE AREA. **

Marissa, Rodney and Carson sneak to the side of the Jumper while John walks quietly to the front and peeks in through the windshield. He ducks back again at the sight of Master Sergeant Siler, one of the base's technicians, working in the rear compartment. He walks along the side of the Jumper and round to the rear hatch. Activating his zat gun, he shoots Siler, who collapses and rolls down the ramp onto the floor.  
>"Let's move!" John said, running into the Jumper's back hatch.<br>Marissa and Carson hurry inside the Jumper while Rodney goes to a computer in the room and pulls up a screen showing an image of the Stargate and the message "Idle." He enters a Gate address, then calls out to John.  
>"You set?"<br>John has just settled into the pilot's seat. "Go for it."  
>Rodney activates his command and then runs into the Jumper. In the Gateroom, the Gate begins to dial. Walter, sitting at the control desk, looks up in surprise. "What the hell?" He activates the radio. "General Landry to the Control Room immediately."<br>In the Jumper, Rodney runs into the front compartment and sits down behind John. "OK, they'll be able to get through my hack pretty quickly."  
>"It's alright - I don't need much time."<br>Landry comes into the Control Room. "What's going on?"  
>"I don't know, sir. The Gate just started dialling on its own."<br>"It doesn't do that!"  
>"I know that, sir."<br>In the Gateroom, the Jumper lowers down from the ceiling until it is opposite the Gate.  
>"Close the iris." Landry commanded.<br>"I can't, sir."  
>"Find a way, Walter!" Landry calls out to the Jumper, "Colonel Sheppard, stand down! That is a direct order!"<br>Before he can finish speaking, the Jumper flies into the Gate. Moments later, the Gate shuts down.  
>"D'you want me to try to find out where they were going, sir?"<br>"Don't bother. I already know."  
>҉<br>**MIDWAY SPACE STATION.**

The Jumper has arrived at the space station. Rodney is working on a console behind John while the others wait anxiously. Suddenly Carson's eyes widen.  
>"My turtles!"<br>Marissa and John look round at him. "What?"  
>"I just bought some wee baby turtles and no-one knows to feed them."<br>"Well, turtles are pretty hardy. I'm sure they'll be fine." Marissa said.  
>"And they make good soup." John said.<br>Carson frowns at him in disgust. "I figured I'm back for good so I might as well get a pet. I'm allergic to cats and, well, I'm at work too long to be fair to a dog, so I went with turtles. I've probably killed them."  
>"Any time now, McKay!" John called out.<br>Rodney turns around from his console. "Oh, trust me, I am going as fast as I can!"  
>"Poor little buggers." Carson muttered.<br>The heads-up display comes up on the windshield. John frowns. "The Milky Way Gate just activated." Rodney turns around from his console to look. "Did you do that?"  
>Landry's face appears on the windshield.<br>"Nope." McKay said.  
><em>"Colonel Sheppard. I'm going to assume that you're still at the midway station waiting for Doctor McKay to rewrite his macro. I understand what you're doing, Colonel. Hell, I'll even call it brave."<em> Landry's voice begins to rise. _"But if you don't turn that ship around immediately and come back to the S.G.C., I'll see to it personally that yours and Captain Frio's career in the military is ..."_  
>John slams his hand down on a button on the front console and the H.U.D. shuts down. Marissa stares at him. "That way I won't know what he was gonna say."<br>Rodney's console beeps. "OK. OK, I've got it."  
>John looks round at everyone. "Alright. Last chance to change our minds." Nobody answers him, although Carson looks doubtful, but perhaps he's more worried about his turtles than what might face him in the Pegasus galaxy. "Alright. Let's do it."<br>**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>ATHOSIAN SETTLEMENT.<strong>

Illyria and Ronon are sitting in a tent with Ladon Radim of the Genii.  
>"I knew you would never come to me so I thought I would come to you. Our relationship has been ... strained, but we need to put all that behind us now." Ladon said.<br>"We do?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, your friends have all returned home and you've been asked to leave Atlantis. So the question is: what will you do next?"<br>"We are helping the Athosian people rebuild this settlement." Illyria said.  
>"Yes, but the settlement seems finished." Ladon looks at Ronon. "Besides, is carpentry and clearing brush really the best use of your skills?"<br>"Get to the point." Illyria said.  
>"Come work with me." Ronon snorts quietly and sits back. "I understand your reluctance. In the past, the Genii have hardly been the shining beacon of hope in the galaxy."<br>"In the past'?" Ronon said.  
>"We are growing stronger every day, and we have a number of operations planned that could seriously cripple the Wraith."<br>"What do you have in mind?" Illyria asked.  
>"Well, I am of course reluctant to go into specific details here ..." Marissa and Ronon exchange a glance "... but suffice it to say the plans are dangerous and in need of your unique abilities."<br>"We're not interested." Ronon said.  
>Ladon smiles. "Well, that's too bad ... although not entirely surprising. Give it some time, Ronon. I wonder how much joy you'll find as a tava bean farmer."<p>

**LATER.**

Ronon and Illyria are walking through the settlement, guiding the twins as they waddled more steadily.  
>"I'm not gonna start working for the Genii." Ronon said.<br>"We would not be working for them - merely with them."  
>They stop at a fire with a large pot of bubbling liquid - presumably soup or stew - on top of it.<br>"Forget it."  
>"When I left Atlantis, it was returned to Helia; the Genii are the most powerful and organized group of humans fighting the Wraith."<br>"The Atlantians'll do something."  
>"True - but they neither need nor have they requested our help. The Genii have." Ronon gazes at the fire, not answering. "I know that you are anxious to return to the fight, but the Athosians are farmers."<br>"Maybe this isn't the place for me, then. A place for us." Ronon turns to walk away.  
>"That smells great." Illyria and Ronon turn back in surprise as John, Marissa, Carson and Rodney walk out of the trees, smiling at them. "Hope you saved some for us."<br>"John!" Illyria quickly put Jen in the basinett next to her and ran over to John who caught her in mid leap. They embraced tightly, squeezing their eyes closed. It was a few moments before John left Illyria slid down, smiling. "It's wonderful to see you - all of you!"  
>"And you." Marissa said, taking her hug from Illyria.<br>"We missed that - whatever that is." John said, pointing to the pot.  
>Ronon looks at the four of them closely. "Something's wrong."<p>

**LATER**

**ILLYRIA'S TENT**

In the center of the tent were piles of blankets and furs. Chests and baskets were lined against the walls. The team was sitting on cushions surrounding a small table off to the side. Rodney is unpacking the Anti-Replicator Guns - which are about the same size and shape as Ronon's blaster - and hands one to Ronon.  
>"They emit a directional energy beam that disrupts the connection between nanites."<br>"Not what I asked." Ronon said, taking the gun.  
>"Uh, yes. They work good."<br>"Good." He lifts the gun and sights along it. "Do you need us because we know our way around the city?"  
>"I need you because you're part of our team." John said.<br>"There may be hundreds of Replicators on Atlantis by now." Illyria said, rocking her bassinet.  
>"We've got a plan - a good one. I wouldn't ask you to come with us if I didn't think we could do it."<br>"Also, General O'Neill and Richard Woolsey were both on Atlantis when the Replicators attacked. There's a chance they're still alive." Marissa added.  
>"I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a bunch of Replicators take our home away from us. So - you with us?" John asked.<br>Ronon looks over at Illyria. She returns the look, and then they smile at John, who smiles back.  
>҉<br>**ATHOSIAN STARGATE.**

The Puddle Jumper lifts off the ground and hovers just in front of the Gate.

"OK, I think I've loaded up the G.D.O. It'll lower the shield when we dial." McKay said.  
>"Go for it." John said.<br>"Alright." He looks round at everyone for a moment. "Dialing Atlantis." He punches six symbols on the D.H.D. "And ..."  
>He hits the final symbol. In front of the Jumper, the Gate whooshes.<br>In the Atlantis Control Room, the Gate whooshes. The Replicators/Asurans in the Control Room turn to look.  
>"What's happening? Activate the shield." A rep. man asked.<br>Behind him, another 'man' works on a console. "I can't."  
>In the Jumper, Rodney looks at his laptop. "That's confirmation. The Gate shield has been lowered."<br>"I hope this little plan of ours works." John said.  
>"Ah, you and me both."<br>With a grim look on his face, John sends the Jumper into the event horizon.  
>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<br>**TO BE CONTINUED.**


	38. Chapter 36

**AN:/ THANK YOU! To whomever sent the AWESOME vids. I LOVED them!**

**Aly & Sherry: The Queen was outmanned. If she were to assume control, there would be a mutiny and she would be forced to leave. And yes, for geniuses, Ancients are super stupid when it comes to family. **

**P.S i hate cliffs too.**

**Twins are 1 year 4 months and 1 week**

**ATLANTIS. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

In a dark and damaged corridor, Richard Woolsey is sitting on the floor, nervously clutching a pistol and trembling with fear. He hears a sound nearby and scrambles to his feet, cautiously making his way towards the sound.  
>"General?" Woolsey said in a loud whisper. There's no reply. He creeps on, peering into the darkness. He spoke in an even louder whisper. "General?"<br>General Jack O'Neill appears as if out of nowhere out of the darkness, making Woolsey jump. "And if I'm a Replicator?"  
>Woolsey tries to catch his breath, then looks guilty as he realizes what he has done. "Then I just exposed my position."<br>"Again." Jack said pointedly.  
>"I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this."<br>Jack reaches into his jacket pocket, takes out an energy bar and hands it to Woolsey. "Here."  
>Woolsey snatches it off him. "Thank God! I'm starving!" He rips the bar open, bites off a big mouthful and starts chewing. "Is this all you could find?"<br>"No - actually there was a lovely buffet."  
>"How did the recon go?" Woolsey said, still chewing.<br>"Well, the Stargate Ops is crawlin' with 'em. There's no way we're gonna get across to the Jumper Bay."  
>"Are they looking for us?"<br>"I plum forgot to ask."  
>"Well, as long as the life signs detectors aren't working in these damaged areas, we should be able to hold out until they rescue us."<br>He and Jack sit down on the floor with their backs against a wall.  
>"Uh, Richard, there's not going to be a rescue."<br>"What?"  
>"Landry has standing orders to nuke the city if there's any sign of a foothold situation."<br>"What kind of a standing order is that?"  
>Jack sighs. "Mine."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM. <strong>

The Gate whooshes. The Replicators/Asurans in the Control Room turn to look.  
>"What's happening? Activate the shield." Man 1 said.<br>Behind him, man 2 works on a console. "I can't."  
>҉<br>**ATHOSIAN SETTLEMENT.**

A Puddle Jumper hovers just in front of an open Stargate. On board are Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard, Captain Frio, Rodney McKay and Carson Beckett, and Illyria and Ronon Dex. Rodney looks at his laptop.  
>"That's confirmation. The Gate shield has lowered." McKay said.<br>"I hope this little plan of ours works." John said.  
>"Ah, you and me both." With a grim look on his face, John sends the Jumper into the event horizon.<br>**WORMHOLE TRAVEL.  
>ATLANTIS GATEROOM.<strong>

As Replicators aim their weapons at the Gate, the Jumper bursts through the Gate and smashes into a Replicator who had just run down the stairs. He falls underneath the Jumper. The other Replicators fire at the Jumper but it is protected by its shield. As they continue to fire while the Jumper hovers just in front of the stairs, John activates the radio.  
>"Authentication code Alpha Six Delta Charlie Niner. General O'Neill, Woolsey - do you copy?" John asked.<br>In the corridor, Jack activates his radio. "Sheppard? Is that you?"  
><em>"Yes, sir. I need to know if you're anywhere near Stargate Operations."<em>  
>"No, we're not."<br>_ "That's good. Can't talk right now, sir. I'll get back to you in a couple of hours. Sheppard out."_  
>He deactivates the radio and turns to Rodney. "Drop the package."<br>"Package is ... away."  
>"Hold on."<br>Everyone braces themselves. As the Replicators continue to fire, John throws the Jumper into reverse, sending it back through the Stargate - which has shut down - and smashing through the wall behind it. In the Control Room, man 1 turns to man 2.  
>"Follow me."<p>

The two of them hurry from the Control Room. Down in the Gateroom, Replicators cautiously approach a black box, about the size of a car battery, which has been dropped from the Jumper. It is beeping ominously. As they walk closer, the rate of beeping begins to increase until it is almost a continuous tone.  
>Jumper smashes through the outside wall of the central tower and flies backwards away from the tower just as the top of the tower explodes. Inside the Jumper, the team stares at the devastation in front of them. Illyria allows herself a small smile. John shrugs.<br>"That went well."  
>The Jumper slows down and its engine pods deploy. It starts to go forwards again, flying past the burning tower and up into the sky.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS CORRIDOR.<br>** "That sounded like an explosion." Woolsey said.  
>"Because it was."<br>"Is Sheppard attacking the city?"  
>"He'd better be."<br>Woolsey frowns. "Why can't he get back to us for two hours?"  
>"I don't know."<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. **

**STARGATE COMMAND (S.G.C.). **

In the Control Room, Chief Master Sergeant Harriman sits at the control desk and reports to General Landry who is pacing behind him.  
>"It's coming up on 23:00 hours, sir."<br>Landry was looking at his watch. "I can see that, Chief."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>"I have to assume Sheppard heard my message and chose to ignore it."  
>"There's no way to be a hundred percent certain, sir ..."<br>"He heard me alright. They're already in Pegasus doing goodness knows what. Which leaves me no choice but to lock out their I. and invalidate their personal authentication codes."  
>"But sir, if they're successful in rescuing-"<br>"We have no way of knowing whether they've been successful or if they've been compromised. I have my standing orders and I'm damned well gonna follow them. Now, when you're done locking out those I., have Doctor Lee report to my office."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>Landry leaves the room. Unhappily, Walter starts to type.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS**.

The Jumper flies around the planet and heads out into space.  
>"It's good to be back - however briefly." McKay said.<br>"I feel like I'm gonna be ill." Carson said, looking queasy.  
>"Don't be." Ronon said sternly.<br>"Alright, just take some deep breaths, Carson." Illyria said.  
>"Aye."<br>"Shouldn't we have informed General O'Neill of our plan?" Marissa asked.  
>"He knows we're here. We'll contact him again as soon as we get closer to the city." John said.<br>"Well, that is gonna be easier said than done. With all those hits we took, it's gonna be impossible for me to convert the shield back to a cloak." McKay said.  
>"And by "impossible," you mean ..."<br>"I mean "not possible." What do you think I mean?"  
>"Well, hopefully we took out the sensors when we blew the tower."<br>Illyria turned to Rodney. "Well, you had said they could rebuild remarkably fast. How long before they restore critical systems?"  
>"A couple of hours?" McKay guessed.<br>"Plus the painting and redecorating." John said.  
>"If we time this right, this could work to our advantage."<br>There's a beeping sound and the heads-up display comes onto the windshield. John looks at it. "Got him! Right where we left him!"  
>"That's him." McKay said, checking his laptop.<br>"Who else would it be?" Ronon sarcastically said.  
>"True. His power levels are barely registering. It's no wonder the Replicators didn't find him."<br>"Alright, I'll swing around and pick him up." John looks around to make sure everyone is in the front section of the ship. "Watch yourselves - I'm closing the bulkhead."  
>The bulkhead doors close. The Jumper flies towards a distant shape in space, its rear hatch lowering as it goes.<br>"Will we not be vulnerable to the same nanovirus with which Niam infected Elizabeth?" Illyria asked.  
>"He's been floating in space for over a month now. Existing in such a harsh environment, direct solar radiation has severely diminished his power levels. We're fairly certain he's almost completely incapacitated." Carson said.<br>"Is he dead?" Ronon asked.  
>"As in "mostly dead." Besides, we don't have a choice. He's the key to our whole plan." McKay said.<br>"Alright. But if he even twitches ..." Marissa trailed.  
>Ronon, holding an Anti Replicator Gun (A.R.G.) in each hand, clanks them together reassuringly. "Don't worry."<br>"Thank you!"  
>Ronon turns towards the bulkhead door as the control panel beeps again.<br>"Got him. Closing the rear hatch." John said. He stands up from the pilot's seat and looks at Carson. "Take the seat."  
>Carson gets into the pilot's seat as John walks towards the bulkhead door and takes one of the A. from Ronon. Rodney reaches into his jacket and takes out an Ancient control device.<br>"The compartment's re-pressurized." Carson said.  
>As Rodney looks at his device, Ronon - who has taken out his blaster with his other hand - pushes the end of it against the wall control to open the bulkhead doors. He and John aim their weapons into the rear compartment as the bulkhead doors open and reveal the AsuranReplicator Niam lying on his back on the floor with his eyes closed and his hands folded on his chest. His body and clothes are covered in frost. John and Ronon look at him closely for a moment, then John turns and jerks his head to Rodney. Rodney sighs and spoke quietly, under his breath. "OK, OK, OK."  
>He stands up and follows John into the rear compartment. As John and Ronon continue to aim their weapons, Rodney kneels down beside Niam and scans him with his device.<br>"OK. This is good. His power levels are minimal but not too minimal. I'm fairly sure he doesn't have the juice to regain consciousness ..." Just then, the fingers on one of Niam's hands twitch. Rodney jumps to his feet. "Woah..." Ronon steps closer to Niam, aiming his weapons at him. After a moment, Niam's fingers stop moving and settle back down on his chest. "I was ... fairly sure."  
>"Just load the program." John said.<br>Rodney cautiously kneels down again and starts typing on his device.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

Smoke was rising from the devastated central tower. Somewhere inside the city, man 1 and man 2 are walking into another control room.  
>"Repairs are under way in Stargate Operations but we have lost all main sensors." Man 1 said.<br>"We are trying to route all the telemetry through these terminals but they were not designed to take on so many systems." Man 2 said.  
>They walk over to a map of the city.<br>"We have stationed several observers around the city. If the Gateship returns, we will detect it visually." Man 1 said.  
>"They communicated briefly with someone within the city." Man 2 points to a couple of places on the map. "We'll send search parties here and here."<br>"All of the Ancients were killed. Their commander attempted to conceal that fact as I probed her mind."  
>"There may have also been a small number of humans."<br>Man 1 shakes his head. "We would have detected them."  
>"They may be hiding where the sensors are inoperable. If we want to capture the ones who attacked us, we must first capture those they came for."<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER.<strong>

Rodney is still working on his device as he kneels beside Niam. John has squatted down nearby and looks at Rodney impatiently.  
>"Well? Done yet?"<br>"I think we're good to go."  
>John stood up. "Alright. I'll take us back." He walks into the front compartment.<br>"Why do we not do this from here?" Illyria asked.  
>"Do what from here?" McKay asked.<br>"Render the Replicators helpless, Rodney? Remember the plan?"  
>"Of course I remember the plan. It's my plan."<br>John was getting into the pilot's seat which Carson has vacated. "Uh, actually, using Niam was Illyria's plan."  
>"Thank you!" Illyria smiled.<br>"It was mostly my plan." McKay spoke quietly, to himself, "It was my freezing program."  
>"You said they'd be frozen in place six or seven hours. Why not do it now?" Marissa asked.<br>"Because I've gotta keep Niam at nominal power levels, otherwise we risk him waking up. Look - low power means short range. Short range means we need to get closer."  
>"How much closer?"<br>"Much."  
>"With no cloak?" Ronon asked.<br>"No cloak."  
>"Good to be back home, huh?" John said.<br>"Hmm! There's no place like it." Illyria agreed.  
>The Jumper heads back down towards the planet.<br>҉  
><strong>EARTH. <strong>

**S.G.C.. **

Doctor Lee is in Landry's office and sits down opposite the General. "I realize I was duped, General, but they were incredible. It was like a scene out of "The Sting.""  
>"Calm down, Bill. That's not why I brought you in here."<br>"In my defense, this was obviously something they had planned for a long time..."  
>"Forget about it. I'd like to know your opinion on the best way to disable the Gate Bridge between galaxies." Landry said sternly.<br>Bill blinks. "We just finished building that."  
>"I'm aware of that."<br>Bill draws in a breath. "OK. Uh, well, umm ... I - I suppose if one were to detonate a Mark Nine at the midway station, that'd pretty much do it."  
>"I thought so. I'd like you to supervise the preparation of a Mark Nine to keep our options open."<br>Bill sinks down into his chair thoughtfully. "Ah. You know, you could always dismantle it. Of course, it would take a bit more time ..."

Landry stood. "... which we may not have."  
>"Wow. That - that is such a shame." Bill looks down, lost in thought.<br>"Doctor?" Bill looks up at him. "Why are you still in my office?"  
>"Uh, right." He gets out of his seat and hurries out of the room. Landry sighs.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

The Jumper flies through the clouds and heads down towards the city.  
>"Alright, we're about a mile out." John said.<br>Rodney is still kneeling beside Niam. "OK, I'll start broadcasting the virus now, but, uh, we're gonna need to get closer than that."  
>On a balcony in the city, a Replicator sees the approaching Jumper. Presumably he instantly communicates this news to his brethren, because the Drone Bay immediately irises open and five drones soar out and head towards the Jumper. Inside the ship, Marissa - sitting in the co-pilot's seat - sees them approaching.<br>"Drones!"  
>"McKay!" John yelled.<br>"We're still not close enough."  
>"Hang on!"<br>John swings the Jumper around so that it dodges the incoming drones, and sends the ship towards the city. The drones turn and follow him. Some very nifty flying ensues as the Jumper soars around the towers, sometimes flying through large archways and skimming very close to some of the buildings. One of the drones cannot correct itself in time and impacts against a bridge. John flies on, still swerving around the towers, and another drone hits part of a building and explodes.  
>In the dark corridor, Woolsey and Jack look up.<br>"That sounded like another explosion." Woolsey said.  
>"Yes. Yes, it did." Jack said calmly.<br>"What does that mean?"  
>"Something exploded."<br>"But is it Sheppard attacking the Replicators, or the Replicators attacking Sheppard?"  
>"We'll find out!"<br>"How did they even get here? Through the Gate?"

Jack closes his eyes briefly in irritation. "I've been sitting next to you through the whole thing. Why do you think I have more information?"  
>Annoyed, Woolsey puts his pistol down, takes off his tie and throws it across the floor. "Look, I told you I wasn't good at this."<br>"He said he'd be back in a couple of hours." Jack looks at his watch. "That gives him a good ... eleven seconds."  
>A much larger explosion goes off nearby, shaking the corridor. Woolsey scrambles to his feet and clings to a piece of broken furniture. "What was that?"<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER.<strong>  
>"If we keep this up, there won't be much of a city<em> left<em> to save." Illyria said, irritated.  
>"I'll try to run the drones into your<em> least<em> favorite buildings. McKay!" John yelled.  
>"It should be working."<br>"Well, it's not working!" Carson yelled.  
>"Look, if I give him any more power, he'll wake up and kill us all!" McKay said angrily.<br>"Sheppard can't keep this up forever." Ronon said.  
>The Jumper continues its swerving flight around the city, still pursued by three drones. One of the drones clips the Jumper's shield.<br>"Shields have been damaged." Marissa reported.  
>"Alright, I've had enough. I've got a different idea." John said.<br>He veers off and heads out of the city. As the Jumper reaches the edge of the city, its engine pods retract and the ship plunges straight into the ocean. The drones, unable to detect the ship once it's under water, head off into the sky.  
>҉<br>**CORRIDOR.**  
>"They're overdue." Woolsey said.<br>"Not yet."  
>"It's been well over eleven seconds."<br>"Yes. But you've been ignoring the dramatic element of ..." O'Neil trails off. Woolsey looks round at him. "... suspense."  
><em>"General O'Neill. Are you there, sir?"<em>  
>Woolsey scrambles over to Jack and sits down beside him. Jack gives him a look.<br>"See?" O'Neil said.  
>"Oh, thank God!"<br>Jack activates his radio. "Yes, we're here. You're late."  
><em>"Sorry, sir. Had to go into space and pick up some ... frozen goods."<em>  
>Jack and Woolsey exchange a glance.<br>"Whatever. Where are you now?"  
><em> "We're not exactly inside the city yet. We're headed toward an underwater Jumper Bay."<em>  
>•Inside the jumper•<p>

"Well, what we think may be an underwater Jumper Bay." Marissa said and Illyria rolled her eyes.  
><em>"Is that Captain Frio I hear?" <em>O'Neil said.  
>Marissa smiled. "Yes, General. It's good to hear your voice too."<br>_"I didn't say it was good, Marissa."_ Marissa's smile fades. _"Please, don't be offended as I express my ... surprise that Landry would send you on a mission like this."_  
>"Well, sir, General Landry didn't sanction this mission." Marissa bit her lip.<br>_"So, am I to assume you are not surrounded by heavily-armed S.G. teams and young strapping marines?"_  
>Marissa glances round at Ronon, who smiles and raises his A.R.G. "You've got Colonel Sheppard, Ronon, Illyria, McKay, myself and Doctor Beckett."<br>_"Ooh! Doctor Beckett, is it? Well, I'm comforted."_  
>Carson frowns and spoke quietly to himself, "What's that supposed to mean?"<br>Illyria shakes her head at him. Meanwhile, Rodney has been working on a laptop, which now beeps at him. "OK, ready to open the lock."  
>"We've got a plan, sir..." John grimaces at the rest of the team. "…a good one."<br>_ "Yes, Colonel, I'm sure you do. But in the unlikely event you don't fail miserably, you're fired."  
><em> John's eyes widen. "Yes, sir. ... Look forward to that."  
>•Corridor•<p>

Jack lowers his radio and looks at Woolsey wearily. "They have a plan."  
>"I heard." Woolsey said, not reassured.<br>Under water, the Bay door opens. A Puddle Jumper can be seen inside, so it is a Jumper Bay. John 'flies' the ship inside slowly.  
>"Careful." Carson said quietly.<br>"Thanks, Doc!" John muttered.  
>The Jumper flies on, then lands on the ground with a bump.<br>"OK. Closing the outer door." McKay looks at his screen in satisfaction. "Yes. Now, I just have to pressurize the compartment and we are..." His laptop beeps negatively at him. "Huh?"  
>"What?" John asked.<br>"It's not letting me do it."  
>Ronon indicates something to Illyria, who walks back towards him to investigate. Meanwhile Carson peers through the windshield.<br>"The water's not draining out."  
>"Yeah, excellent observation, thank you." McKay snipped.<br>"It is, however, draining in." Illyria said.  
>She has seen what Ronon was showing her. Water is trickling from the roof near the bulkhead doors.<p>

Rodney turns and looks in dread. "Oh, not again."  
>John gets up to take a look. Carson takes the pilot's seat. "Well, guess we took some damage."<br>"I just wanna point out that this was not my idea." McKay said.  
>"You said, "Get us close to the city." This is pretty damned close!"<br>"And yet, no cigar!"  
>"Alright. Just open up the outer doors - I'll figure something else out."<br>"Right." McKay turns back to his laptop and types. After a few seconds, the computer beeps negatively again. "Ohhhh ... dear."  
>Everyone turns to look at him.<br>"What?" Illyria asked.  
>"I don't think I'm gonna be able to open the outer door." McKay said with a look of dread on his face.<br>"Why not?" Illyria said.  
>"I think it might be jammed."<br>John scowls at McKay. "'Might'?"  
>"OK, "is.""<br>"Well, that's unfortunate." John sarcastically said.  
>"Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on that."<br>"This part of the plan isn't going so well."

**LATER.**

The Jumper sits on the floor of the Bay. Air is bubbling out of the side of the ship. Inside, as John tries in vain to block the water trickling in, Illyria walks over to Rodney, who has his head sunk in his hand.  
>"There must be a manual override somewhere."<br>"In the Bay's Control Room, yes."  
>"OK, I'll swim to it." John said.<p>

"... which is sealed from the other side." McKay snipped.  
>"Of course it is!"<br>"Perhaps General O'Neill can reach it." Marissa suggested.  
>"Good." McKay picks up his Ancient device. "OK, give me half an hour to get Niam to the right power level so we can do this."<br>"We've got more than one fracture. We don't have that kind of time." John activates his radio. "General O'Neill? We're gonna need a favor."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Jack and Woolsey are making their way through the city, following instructions given by Rodney over the radio.  
><em> "OK, there should be a hatch leading down to the next level. Do you see it?"<em>  
>"Yep. Sure do. We see it." He and Woolsey walk towards the hatch in the floor.<br>_"The Control Room should be almost directly below."_  
>Jack and Woolsey have reached the open hatch. It has a ladder leading down to the next level ... and there's a problem. Woolsey sighs. Jack turned to his radio, "OK, slight problem here."<br>Rodney looks up, his eyes wide. "What's that?"  
><em> "Well, the level below is completely flooded too."<br>_ "Ah. I, uh, couldn't convince you to take a swim today, could I?"  
>Jack takes a breath, then looks at Woolsey and hands him the radio. "Alright." He offers him his rifle. Woolsey, already holding a pistol in the other hand, puts the radio on the railing and takes the rifle, looking at it nervously. "If you hear something, don't call out to it. Shoot it."<br>"Understood."  
>"Anything that's not me is a Replicator, so don't hesitate." Jack kicks off his boots and takes his jacket off.<br>"You won't be gone long, will you?" Woolsey said nervously.  
>Jack walks to the edge of the hatch and looks down into the water. "Uh, kinda depends on the temperature of the water." He lowers one foot into the water, then instantly snatches it out again, wincing, and looks at Woolsey. "Not long." He picks up the radio and activates it. "McKay? What do I do once I get down there?"<br>_"It's a manual override. It should be in the center of the console. It'll be obvious once you get in there."_  
>"Alright." He deactivates the radio.<br>"Good luck." Woolsey said.  
>"Thank you." Jack puts the radio back on the railing, and then climbs down the ladder until the water is up to his waist. He stops and braces himself. "Alright, here we go."<br>He takes a breath and drops into the water. He looks around, and then swims through an open doorway into the Control Room. There's a window in one wall which shows the Jumper Bay. Jack looks through it for a moment, and then turns to the control console, which has several panels surrounding a central column. The panels have all sorts of levers and buttons on them. One of the panels has a large round button on it but when he tries to press it or move it, nothing happens. He throws up his hands in despair, and then swims through the doorway again and back towards the ladder.  
>On the level above, Woolsey is lying on the ground peering into the water. Jack hauls himself up the ladder and breaks the surface, gasping for breath.<br>"Did you do it?"  
>"Radio." Woolsey reaches up, takes the radio off the railing and hands it to Jack, who activates it. "McKay."<br>_"Did you do it?"_  
>"You and I have very different ideas of what "obvious" is."<br>_ "Well, I've never seen it before!"_  
>"There are dozens of controls down there I wouldn't even know how to describe."<br>_ "Well, it's an emergency control. It should be among the most prominent."_  
>Jack glares at the radio as he deactivates it and hands it back to Woolsey. "God."<br>He turns to face the ladder, takes a breath and pushes himself down under the water again. He swims into the Control Room and goes to a panel which has three levers on it. He pulls the first one. Lights come on in the room. He pulls the second one. The doors to the room close, blocking his exit. He pulls the lever several more times but the doors stay closed. He pulls the third one. The doors open ... but only a little, then they jam.  
>Jack swims around to another panel which has a lever. He pulls that one and, through the window, can see the water starting slowly to lower in the Jumper Bay. Content that he has found the override, he lets it go and starts to swim towards the doors, but as soon as he turns from the panel, the lever flips back into its original position and the console groans as the override shuts down. Jack turns back and looks at it in horror but he's running out of air so he continues to the doorway. It's too narrow for him to get through. He hauls on the doors and after an enormous amount of effort, manages to force them wide enough to squeeze through the gap. As he swims away, the doors stay open.<br>On the level above, Woolsey stares anxiously down into the water. He looks at his watch nervously. Just then Jack bursts out of the water with a cry of effort.  
>"God, you can hold your breath a long time! You almost gave me a heart attack!"<br>Jack coughs and spoke weakly, "Me too."  
><em>"General. It sounded like you had the right control. Why did you stop?"<em>  
>Jack takes the radio and activates it. "It's a dead man's switch. I have to hold it in place."<br>Rodney sinks back in his seat, unable to speak for a moment. _"I had no idea."_  
>"Really?" Jack sarcastically said. He hands the radio back to Woolsey with a look of resignation on his face. "Oh, God."<br>He turns to face the ladder once again, takes a breath and heads down into the water again. He swims through the doors, goes over to the lever and pulls it, holding it in position.  
>Inside the Jumper, the team looks through the windshield as the sound of the water leaving the Bay can be heard.<br>"He's doing it!" McKay yelled. The water level begins visibly to drop. "He's almost done!"  
>Up above the Control Room, Woolsey is gazing down into the water but looks up in dread at the sound of approaching footsteps from several pairs of feet. He stares nervously as the footsteps get nearer. Suddenly Rodney's voice comes over the radio. <em>"Tell him, like, thirty more seconds and we're..."<em>  
>Frantically, Woolsey switches the radio off, then stands and aims his rifle towards the sound of footsteps, his face determined but afraid.<p>

"I can do this."  
>Underwater, Jack has his eyes closed in concentration as he hangs onto the lever.<br>Inside the Jumper, Ronon tosses an A.R.G. to John as they prepare to leave the ship. Rodney stares anxiously as he waits for news from outside.  
>"Woolsey? ... Woolsey, come in." McKay said.<br>"Something's wrong." John said. He runs to the rear of the ship and hits the button to lower the hatch. The water level has dropped sufficiently that nothing floods in as the hatch starts to open. "McKay - you stay here and reprogram Niam. We're gonna go and meet General O'Neill and Woolsey, alright? We'll wait for your OK."  
>He and the others hurry outside.<br>At the hatch, Jack surfaces with a whoop of triumph. "Woo! Yeah!"  
>He turns to face Woolsey, only to be confronted by two Replicators pointing rifles down at him.<br>"Don't move."  
>There are three other Replicators behind the front two. Two of them are holding a rueful looking Woolsey by the arms.<br>҉  
><strong>BRIG.<strong>

The forcefield around the cell disengages and the door opens as the Replicators march Jack and Woolsey into the room and inside the cell. Jack is making a big deal of grimacing in (possibly pretended) pain about the grip that his Replicator has on his shoulder. The Replicators shove the men down onto a bench and release them. Jack grabs his shoulder and glares at his captor.  
>"Ow!"<br>Man 1 and man 2 approach them.  
>"Where are the others?" Man 1 asked.<br>Jack and Woolsey look at each other for a moment, then look up at the Replicators.  
>"What others?"<br>҉  
><strong>CORRIDOR.<strong>

John and the team (minus Rodney) run into the area where the hatch to the Jumper Bay is. They slow and look in shock at what they see. There are bullet casings all over the floor, so Woolsey obviously put up a better fight than they imagined.  
>"They've been captured?" Marissa asked.<br>"Yeah, looks like." John said.  
>"Which means their minds will be probed for information any minute now." Illyria said.<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER.<strong>

As Rodney sits on the bench working on his Ancient doohickey, John's voice comes over the radio.

_"McKay. Fire up that virus."_  
>"I am working as fast as I can." McKay said tetchily.<br>_"The Replicators have O'Neill and Woolsey."_  
>"Unfortunately, that information can't make me work any faster."<br>John grimaces, then turns to the others. "This way."  
>They hurry off.<p>

҉

**BRIG**.  
>"What were you doing in the flooded sections of the city?" Man 2 asked.<br>"The backstroke ... I think." Jack said.  
>"What are you planning?" Man 1 asked.<br>"Well, I was planning to retire..." Jack laughs. "... but, man, is that over-rated. I mean, it's not like I'm a workaholic or anything, but, you know, I like to stay active ... with the community. It's ... it's a health maintenance sort of thing ... you know?" Man 1 and 2 look at each other. As they turn back towards the men, Jack looks at Woolsey. "I don't like where this is going."  
>Two of the other Replicators walk up behind the men and put their hands on their shoulders.<br>"What are they doing?" Woolsey asks.  
>Jack grimaces, knowing what's coming next. Man 1 and 2 walk forward. Man 2 sticks his fingers into Woolsey's forehead, while Man 1 does the same to Jack's.<br>Inside of Jack's mind, he is standing in front of an open Stargate with Man 1 standing facing him. He frowns at Man 1, trying to stay casual.  
>"What you doin'?"<br>"Probing your mind."  
>Jack looks around the area, proudly saying, "Kinda roomy, ain't it?"<br>Man 1 smiles briefly. "Your ability to resist is quite remarkable, General O'Neill."  
>O'Neil smiled. "It's not the first time I've had a hand in my head, as it were."<br>"If you do not give me what I am looking for, I'm sure Richard Woolsey will."  
>"I'll tell you what: you look around and I'll tell you if you're gettin' warmer or colder, alright?"<br>Man 1 smiles again, then looks away slightly, apparently getting a message from Man 2. "Ah. There it is."  
>"So ... hot, I guess."<br>Back in the real world, Man 1 and 2 pull their hands out of the men's heads as they groan in pain. The Replicators turn and leave the cell as the men clutch their foreheads and continue to groan.  
>"That was the worst thing I've ever experienced." Woolsey groaned.<br>Jack puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It gets worse."  
>Woolsey lifts his head and looks at Jack in dread. Jack smiles and pats his shoulder sympathetically.<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER<strong>.

Rodney continues working on his gadget.

"OK, if I ..." he types a little more "... That should..." The device beeps. "Yeah. OK, yes." He stands up and speaks into his radio. "Stand by." He walks towards the front of the Jumper. "I've got his power levels about as high as I'm comfortable with. I'm gonna try to get him to ..."  
>Sensing something, he pauses and turns, to find Niam on his feet and glaring at him.<br>"You've been warned about tampering with our base code, Doctor. You won't get a second chance."  
>As Niam walks towards him, Rodney grabs an A.R.G. and fires it at him. Niam instantly disintegrates into tiny pieces.<br>_"McKay? Come in, McKay."_  
>"Fall back to the Jumper! We're gonna need a new plan."<br>҉  
><strong>EXTERNAL VIEW OF THE CENTRAL TOWER.<strong>

It's still night time, though the moon has sunk almost to the horizon. The tower is already almost completely repaired.  
>Inside the Jumper, John is squatting down looking at a handful of Replicator crystals. He shakes the crystals off his hand and stands up to look at the others.<br>"He just came to life?" Illyria asked  
>"They must have got to O'Neill and Woolsey." Ronon said.<br>"O'Neill would've never given us away." John said.  
>"Obviously their minds were probed." Marissa said.<br>"Well, they know we're here and how we got in." John sighed.  
>"Which is how they were able to reactivate Niam, which pretty much screws Plan A." McKay said.<br>"Could you activate the freezing program another way?" Carson asked.  
>"No. I need to load the program directly into a Replicator and spread it that way."<br>"Alright, so that plan is out the window. We need another one." Illyria said.  
>Ronon holds up his A.R.G. "Well, these weapons blow them apart, right? I say we just start killing 'em."<br>"Well, normally I would share your run-and-gun enthusiasm, but these weapons are only gonna work for so long before they manage to identify the frequency they use to disrupt the bonds that hold the Replicators together." McKay said.  
>Ronon looks at him for a moment, then turns to John. "What'd he say?"<br>"They build up an immunity."  
>Exactly. Look, the freezing plan would have worked because they would be unable to communicate with each other while we were blasting them, but the more we shoot, the greater the likelihood these weapons are gonna become ineffective." McKay said.<br>"OK, so what are our options?" Illyria asked.  
>"I just gave you one." Ronon said.<br>"We'll call that ... Plan B." John said.  
>"Anyone for a Plan C?" Illyria asked.<br>Rodney has a light bulb moment and clicks his fingers several times, turning to John. "C4. How much do we have?"  
>"A bunch. Why?"<br>"Well, it's desperate ..."  
>"Well, so are we." Marissa said.<br>"We need to split into groups." McKay said.  
>"I was gonna suggest that anyway. Why? What are you thinking?" John asked.<br>҉  
><strong>BACK-UP CONTROL ROOM.<strong>  
>"We far outnumber them. If we conduct a search ..." Man 2 trailed.<br>"We will be able to locate them more effectively once repairs are complete." Man 1 said.  
>"The damage was severe. We had to dismantle our ship to provide the raw materials."<br>"Once repaired, Atlantis will be all the ship we need."  
>҉<br>**BRIG**.

Woolsey is sitting in a corner of the cell, dozing, while Jack is lying on the bench, also half asleep. He wakes instantly as the door to the Brig opens. A Replicator guard turns towards the door, drawing his weapon but John runs in and fires his A.R.G., disintegrating him. John fires again as a second guard runs into view, disintegrating him too. John and Rodney run into the Brig.  
>"Well, it's about time!" Jack yelled.<br>"Oh, thank God!" Woolsey said.  
>John turned to Rodney. "Alright, get 'em out of here. I'll stand guard."<br>He heads back to the door while Rodney walks over to the control panel on the side of the cell. As he starts to work on the panel, Jack walks over to him.  
>"Hey! Thanks for the rescue!" Jack said.<br>"Oh, hey! No problem."  
>"No! <em>You<em> should be saying, "Thanks for the rescue"!"  
>"Oh! Uh, right. Thanks. Should have you outta there in no time. This won't take long at all." McKay gets back to work on the panel, then looks at his doohickey as it beeps. 'Oh, my. They've changed the codes."<br>"But you can crack it, right? You need to get us out of here." Woolsey said.  
>"Yeah, of course I can. Just give me about one ... two seconds." McKay gets back to work.<br>"So I guess that frozen Replicator plan didn't pan out?" Jack asked.  
>"Yeah, not so much."<br>"How's that Plan B working for ya? Good?"  
>"Actually, it's more like Plan C." Jack and Woolsey frown at him blankly. "C as in C4, if you catch my drift."<br>"No."  
>"Let's just say that we're concerned the Daedalus won't be able to carry out your standing orders."<br>"What? To destroy Atlantis with nuclear weapons? I thought we were past that! Why are we going back to that?" Woolsey asked.  
>"Yeah, it's the only way."<br>"Can you do that?" Jack asked.  
>"Yeah. If we plant charges in all ten of the shield emitters before the Daedalus arrives, that way when the Replicators try to activate the shield..."<p>

"...the C4 detonates, the Daedalus beams a warhead into the city, and we all get vaporized." Woolsey finished.  
>"Sounds more like a Plan F, doesn't it? As in, "We are totally ...""<br>"If we can fight our way back to the Bay, then we'll be able to fly the Jumper to a safe distance." McKay hesitates. "That is, if we can get the underwater Bay door open."  
>"You can't even open this door!" Jack said indignantly.<br>"Hey, I'm workin' in it!" McKay said, equally indignantly.  
>"Yes. I see that."<br>John runs back into the room. "We got company." He turned to Jack. "Sorry, sir, we're gonna have to come back for you."  
>"No-no-no-no-no-no, we can't leave them here. They know too much." McKay said.<br>"What'd you tell 'em?"  
>"Uh, uh, I mean, they guessed most of it."<br>John smacks him round the head. "What, and you filled in the rest?"  
>"I thought I would have time to get them out of here!" McKay turns to Jack and Woolsey. "Look, just forget what I said."<br>"Sheppard, get out of here while you still can. That's an order." Jack said.  
>"Sorry it has to be this way." John told him.<br>"Yeah, I get it. Go."  
>John and Rodney hurry out of the Brig. Jack closes his eyes in resignation as Woolsey sinks down onto the bench.<br>"So ... we're back to being vaporized."  
>҉<br>**EARTH. **

**S.G.C. **

In the Gateroom, the Gate is active. General Landry comes down into the Control Room and walks over to Walter.  
>"What is it, Chief?"<br>"We're receiving a subspace data burst via Midway in the Alpha Site. Daedalus is holding station at their failsafe point and awaiting your order."  
>Landry sighs unhappily. "Reply to Colonel Caldwell that General O'Neill's order stands. Atlantis is to be destroyed at all costs."<br>"Yes, sir." He said reluctantly.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**DAWN. **

The central tower is now completely repaired.  
>In one of the shield emitter stations, Carson is holding a block of C4 in one hand and carefully attaching a small cable to a crystal in the emitter with the other. "Done ... and done." He gently lifts his hands away from the emitter.<br>"Good. We're well ahead of schedule." Marissa said.  
>"Perfect. Now let's find some place out of the way and wait for this thing to be over."<br>He closes the tray and they leave the room.  
>At another emitter station, Ronon is keeping watch while Illyria works on the emitter.<br>"Come on. One more to go." He said impatiently.  
>"Almost done." She looks around the room. "We haven't run into a single Replicator." She closes the tray.<br>"I know. It's weird."  
>"Woolsey and O'Neill said that there were hundreds of them. Where are they?"<br>"Let's go."  
>They head off.<br>At another emitter station, Rodney attaches a block of C4 and a small cable to the emitter.  
>"OK, that should do it."<br>"One more to go ..."

"... and it's all over but the crying."  
>"Hopefully them, not us."<br>As Rodney closes the tray, a loud noise comes from above them. He and John both look up.  
>"What the hell?" McKay asks. A sound like an engine powering up can be heard. Rodney hurries over to a wall panel in the room. "No wonder they weren't coming after us. They've been busy repairing the city."<br>John looks up as the engine noise gets louder. "What is that?"  
>"They brought their to power the stardrive."<br>"So that sound is ..."

"... the city about to take off. Time to start crying."  
>"They'll still have to activate the shield to take off, won't they? We got most of their emitters."<br>"Yeah, "most" ain't gonna cut it. For this plan to work, it is all or nothing."  
>"What do they want to fly around for?"<br>"Maybe they wanna fly home, back to their homeworld."  
>"And take on the Daedalus. How are we gonna stop 'em?"<br>"Well, I ..." McKay trails off. He apparently can't think of anything.  
>"Drones. They fired drones at us. That means the Chair is active and powered."<br>"You wanna fire drones at the city? We're nowhere near the Chair!"  
>"But Marissa and Beckett are." John takes his radio out and activates it.<br>Elsewhere in the city, Carson stares in horror as he talks into his radio. "You want me to do what?"  
><em>"Just do what I say."<em>  
>"Alright, I'll give it a try. But no apologies if I happen to destroy the entire bloody city." Carson sarcastically said.<br>_"Stardrive, Carson. Concentrate on the stardrive."_  
>"Right." Carson sighed.<br>_ "And, Marissa, you may have to fight your way in."_  
>"I'm ready, Colonel."<br>_"Use your A.R.G. sparingly. They may build up immunity. You may have to go to Plan ... B."_  
>"OK. ... Which one's that, again?" Carson asked.<br>John and Rodney exchange a look. "Never mind. Just go."  
>҉<br>**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Marissa bursts through the open door of the Chair Room. Four Replicators are inside, two of them near the Chair facing the door and two of them just inside the door facing the Chair. With an A.R.G. in each hand, she takes down the two near the Chair, then instantly crosses her rifles and disintegrates the other two as they're still turning to face her.  
>"Clear."<br>Carson runs in. "Thank you, dear."  
>"Hurry."<br>Carson jumps into the Chair and activates it. He closes his eyes in concentration as the Chair reclines.  
>҉<br>**NEWLY-REPAIRED GATEROOM**.

Man 1, 2 and some other Replicators hurry into the Control Room.  
>"They've taken out the guards in the Chair Room." Man 2 reported.<br>He activates the control panels.  
>"What are they doing?" Man 1 asked.<br>҉  
><strong>CHAIR ROOM<strong>.

Carson concentrates hard. Outside, the Drone Bay irises open and three drones soar up into the air, then turn and plunge down into the ocean and head towards their destination. There's a massive explosion and the city jolts violently. In the Control Room, the Replicators struggle to keep their feet.  
>"They've hit the stardrive." Man 2 reported.<br>"A search and destroy team is on their way to the Chair Room now." Man 1 said.  
>"Make sure they understand - we need them alive."<br>In the Chair Room, Carson opens his eyes as Marissa cries out in alarm. "Beckett!"  
>As Carson looks round, a Replicator shoots Marissa with a stunner. As she falls to the floor, Carson scrambles out of the Chair and draws his pistol but the Replicators walk towards him, aiming their stunners. Carson slowly bends down to put his pistol on the floor.<br>"OK, lads, easy. Easy."  
>As soon as he has put the pistol on the floor, the Replicators seize him and bundle him out of the room. Other Replicators drag Marissa out.<br>҉  
><strong>EMITTER STATION.<strong>

Illyria fits another block of C4 to the emitter. As she turns, her eyes widen in horror. Ronon, who was facing her, instantly drops his A.R.G. to the floor and turns, charging his blaster. He fires several shots at an approaching Replicator, but it has no effect. Another Replicator walks over and grabs Illyria. Ronon goes hand to hand with two Replicators but they are stronger than him. One grabs his hair and hauls him off-balance and the other kicks his feet from under him. They pick him up and drag him away.  
>At another emitter station, Rodney closes the tray, then turns and instantly raises his hands as several Replicators point their stunners at him and John.<br>"And I was so sure we were gonna survive this one." John said.  
>"Me too."<br>The Replicators disarm the boys.  
>"Move."<br>҉  
><strong>BRIG.<strong>

John and Rodney are thrown roughly into a cell. The rest of the team is already there.  
>"Bring the prisoners from the other cell." A Replicator said.<br>John gets to his feet. "Everyone OK?"  
>"So far." Illyria said.<br>"I'll be fine." Carson said.  
>"Why aren't we dead yet?" Ronon asked.<br>"Probably saving us for a little recreational mind-probing. Did everyone get the ...?"  
>"We finished the job." Marissa interrupted John.<br>"So did we ... in the nick of time." Illyria asked, trying out some 'lingo' she learned from John.  
>Ronon turned to John. "You?"<br>"Yeah. Just under the wire." McKay said.  
>The force field lowers and the door opens. Jack and Woolsey are marched in to join them, followed by Man 1. "Did you really think you'd be able to stop us?"<br>"Well, of course we did. Why else would we be here?" John asked.  
>"Colonel? Am I gonna have to fire you?" Jack asked.<br>"No, sir. I think you'll have that to look forward to when we get back."  
>"I'm afraid your plan has been discovered, Colonel Sheppard. It is over." Man 1 said.<br>Everyone turns and looks accusingly at Woolsey.  
>"He put his hand in my forehead. How can you resist that?" Woolsey stressed.<br>"Well, I like to close my eyes and think of England." Jack said.  
>"Mr. Woolsey informed us of everything we need to know. All of your C4 has been removed from the emitters." Man 1 reported. To prove it, a Replicator opens a bag and pulls out one of the C4 blocks. John grimaces. "I'm afraid they won't be destroyed when the Daedalus arrives - which should be in any moment." Illyria closes her eyes and turns away. "Your plan has failed."<br>From the Control Room, Man 2 reports. "Talus. The Daedalus is approaching the planet."  
><em>"As expected. Activate the shield."<em>  
>Man 2 reaches towards the control that will activate the shield. Suddenly his hand slows down ...<br>... and the chapter goes into fast rewind, skimming backwards over the events that have happened so far. It pauses briefly over the time when Rodney was talking to Jack and Woolsey in their cell, then continues fast rewinding until it gets to the moment when Rodney did his fast finger-clicking in the Puddle Jumper.  
>"C4. How much do we have?"<br>"A bunch. Why?" John asked.  
>"Well, it's desperate ..."<br>"Well, so are we." Marissa said.  
>"We need to split into groups.<br>"I was gonna suggest that anyway. Why? What are you thinking?" John asked.  
>"If we're gonna destroy these guys using Replicator disruptors, we have to hit them all at once. We'll probably only get a dozen or so shots off before they manage to figure out the frequency."<br>"So, what, you gonna get 'em all to stand in one place at the same time?"  
>Rodney looks at him witheringly. "Clever, yes ... or we could figure out a way to send one massive blast through the city." He looks at everyone. "Follow me."<br>The flashback moves on a little. Rodney has brought the team to one of the shield emitters. He hands his A.R.G. to Carson and takes out a block of C4 with its connecting cable.  
>"Atlantis has ten of these emitters with which it creates the city's shields. So ..." McKay connects the cable to the open emitter "... if we can interface the crystals from the disrupter weapons ..." he unscrews a crystal from the A.R.G. "... with those of the shield emitters, we should be able to trigger a massive anti-Replicator wave throughout the city." He slots the crystal into the emitter.<br>"OK, that's where splitting into teams comes in." John said.  
>"Exactly. Now, I need to show you how to do this, so listen carefully. You slide out the crystal tray, take the crystal from the Replicator weapon, you place it in the third slot from the right. Third symbol from the left activates the crystal tray." He presses the third symbol on the front of the tray and it slides shut. "Clear on that? Great."<br>The flashback moves on. The team is moving out, ready to break into smaller groups.  
>"They're bound to find one of our groups working on the shield emitters." Marissa said.<br>"I already thought of that. That's what the C4's for." McKay said.  
>"We blow them up?" Ronon asks.<br>"No. We feed them misinformation."  
>"Alright. Once you guys have made all your alterations, avoid using your shiny new toys even if that means getting caught, OK?" John instructed.<br>Marissa and Illyria both look at Ronon, wondering if he can (a) avoid using a shiny new toy and (b) let himself be captured. He frowns as if puzzled how they could possibly doubt him. The teams move out.  
>The flashback moves on to the conversation between Rodney, Jack and Woolsey in the Brig.<br>"If we plant charges in all ten of the shield emitters before the Daedalus arrives, that way when the Replicators try to activate the shield ..."

"... the C4 detonates, the Daedalus beams a warhead into the city, and we all get vaporized." Woolsey finished.  
>"Sounds more like a Plan F, doesn't it?" Jack said.<br>The flashback moves on. John and Rodney are hurrying away from the Brig.  
>"General O'Neill didn't buy it but I think Woolsey did." John said.<br>"Well, I did win a Sears Drama Festival award when I was a kid. Could have made it a career if I wanted to." Rodney said.  
>"Wish you would've."<br>"What?"  
>The flashback moves on. Jack and Woolsey are being held on their knees in the cell and have Talus' and Man 2s' hands in their foreheads again. The Replicators pull their hands out and the men groan and clutch their heads in pain.<br>"We need to get to the shield emitter stations. Remove the C4 explosive you find there." Man 2 said.  
>"Way to resist." Jack sarcastically said to Woolsey.<br>"I said I wasn't good at this." Woolsey said angrily.  
>The flashback moves to the moment when Man 2, in the Control Room, reports to Talus in the Brig.<br>"Talus. The Daedalus is approaching the planet."  
><em>"As expected. Activate the shield."<em>  
>Man 2 reaches towards the control that will activate the shield. This time his hand gets all the way. As he presses the control, the shield rises over the city. The moment the shield is complete, an energy wave washes downwards ... and all over the city the Replicators disintegrate. Jack and Woolsey stare in amazement as Talus and his colleagues fall to bits. John smiles in satisfaction.<br>"Ha! It worked! I can't believe it worked!" McKay yelled.  
>"Rodney - amazing." Illyria sighed.<br>"Well, it was a group effort." McKay shrugged.  
>John picks up the bag of C4 and tosses it to Rodney. "Good old Plan D - works every time. You guys stay here a sec."<br>He and Ronon leave the cell to check that the coast is clear.  
>"Excuse me, but what just happened?" Woolsey asked.<br>"We turned the shield into a giant Replicator weapon." McKay simplified.  
>"I knew that!" Jack said.<br>"You knew?" Woolsey asked.  
>"Well, I've seen Carter crack enough codes to know that McKay was faking the door thing." Jack said.<br>"He was? I bought it completely."  
>"I believe that was the point." Marissa sighed.<br>"Wait a minute - you ... you used me?" Woolsey squeaked.  
>"You're alive - and you're welcome." Carson said.<br>Ronon comes back in. "Hey, we're clear."  
>"OK, we have got to get to the Control Room and contact the Daedalus." Illyria said.<p>

She, Marissa, Rodney and Carson hurry after Ronon. Jack and Woolsey walk out more slowly. Jack puts a hand on Woolsey's shoulder as they go.  
>"You see, Richard? You were good for something."<br>Woolsey nods, not exactly happy. "Thanks."  
>҉<br>**HYPERSPACE. **

**DAEDALUS. **

On the Bridge, Captain Kleinman reports to Colonel Caldwell. "Sir. I have an incoming message from Atlantis."  
>"Atlantis? Is it Replicators?"<br>"No, sir. It has Colonel Sheppard's authentication code."  
>"Open a channel." Kleinman does so. "Colonel, I'd like to believe this is you."<br>_"Well, it is. Authentication code Alpha Delta Charlie Niner Six."_  
>"That code is no longer valid, Colonel."<br>_ "Hey, Caldwell. General Jack O'Neill here. That valid enough for you?"_  
>"You may have been compromised, sir."<br>"We're lowering the city's shields, Steven." Illyria nods to Rodney, who moves to comply. "You can send a team to come check us out if you need to. We'll explain everything."  
>Caldwell thinks about it for a while, then looks at Kleinman. "Get a team of marines ready to beam down."<br>"Sir."  
>"Should be an interesting explanation."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**SUNSET**.

Jack walks into Illyria's office. It has been rebuilt exactly as it was before but there's no furniture in it because, of course, it was all destroyed in the explosion. Illyria is gazing at the blank walls. She turns as she hears Jack approach.  
>"Gettin' all settled in?"<br>"Easily - although their decorating?" She gestures around the room. "Little bit _Spartan_ for my liking." She walks out onto the bridge. "But the Replicators did do an excellent job of rebuilding Stargate Operations back to its original state. How about yourself? Do you check out OK?"  
>"Apparently I don't have any little tiny robots floating in my bloodstream, which is always nice to hear."<br>"Huh! That it is." She looks at him closely. "So what now?"  
>"Oh, I was hoping to see those kids of yours before I left on a Jumper ride home to the S.G.C., followed by a hot shower, followed by a hot toddy, followed by..."<br>"I was thinking a little more selfishly." Jack raises his eyebrows at her. "What are the chances of my team staying here in Atlantis?"  
>Jack grimaces. "Illyria, if it were up to me ..."<br>"It is up to you and it's _my_ city."

"... Right." Now it's Illyria's turn to raise her eyebrows at him. "You can stay."  
>Illyria smiles. "Really?"<br>"You're probably still gonna have to get the rubber stamp from the I.O.A., but since you saved Woolsey's ass and you did a fair job on mine, I don't think that'll be a problem."  
>"Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you very much."<br>"Hey, you came back to rescue me."  
>"Hmm! Yes, we did."<br>"Of course, next time, consider bringing Carter with you." Illyria smiles. "Welcome home."  
>He goes to walk past her, but she puts her arms around his neck and hugs him. Jack hesitates for a moment, then gently pats her on the back with both hands. She releases him and smiles at him. He smiles back, then walks away. Illyria turns towards the Gateroom, smiling in delight, and looks over her city.<p> 


	39. Chapter 37

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year 4 months and 3 weeks**

**OCEAN. **

**DAY TIME. **

Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard is flying a Puddle Jumper over the ocean on a return flight from the mainland. Doctor Zelenka is sitting in the co-pilot's seat, dressed in casual gear. Ronon Dex is sitting behind him.  
>"Well? How'd the camping go?" John asked.<br>"Oh, splendid. I was able to run several ground-penetrating radar tests - you know, to test the dielectric permittivity of the region's subsurface." Zelenka said, excited and happy.  
>John frowns. He clearly has no idea what Radek is talking about. "Sweet!" He looks round at Ronon, who is sitting with his arms folded and a sulky look on his face. "What about you? How was the hunting?"<br>"If there was any game, it was all scared off by the noises his stupid machines made." He said angrily.  
>"I said I was sorry." Zelenka said and Ronon grimaces at him behind his back. "It was necessary for the tests."<br>John turned to Ronon. "You're the one who volunteered to go."  
>"Well, if I do something like that again, shoot me."<br>Zelenka turned to John. "He was like this all night, you know - very agitated. Had me scared."  
>"He'll be alright. Get him home, get him a nice warm bath, hot meal ..."<br>Zelenka was looking through the windshield. "Oh, no."  
>"What?"<br>"Where's Atlantis?" There's nothing but ocean for miles. "It should be right in front of us."  
>"Well, why isn't it?"<br>"I-I don't know."  
>"Is it cloaked?"<br>"No, no, no. They would have radioed us about it."  
>"So what are you saying? We're lost?" Ronon asked.<br>Zelenka was looking at the controls in front of him. "Wait-wait-wait-wait." He turns to John. "Adjust your heading forty degrees south." John does so. As the Jumper changes direction, Radek frowns at his controls. "The navigation system is off."  
>"Why?" John asked.<br>"I don't know. It could be any of a number of reasons, you know - clock drift, the fluctuations in the magnetosphere from the sunspots ..."  
>John points out of the window. "There it is."<br>They can now see Atlantis in the distance. Radek sighs in relief. "Thank God!"  
>"See? No harm, no foul." He looks round at Ronon, who is back in his arm-folded, sulky posture. "You might wanna take Marissa up on her offer of yogameditation lessons. Looks like you could use a little unwinding ..."  
>"Just land this thing." He said irritably.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**NIGHT. **

Captain Frio is sitting cross-legged on the floor with the backs of her upturned hands resting on her knees. A candle is burning in front of her. Her eyes are closed and she speaks slowly and calmly.

"... and then slowly exhale, allowing each breath to cleanse you, restoring your body and spirit." She takes a slow breath. "Feel your mind clearing ..." she breathes in again "... open to all that surrounds you." Ronon is sitting on the floor behind and to the left of her with his hands resting on his knees and his eyes closed. Marissa takes another slow breath. "Embrace the silence."  
>As she smiles gently and takes another slow breath, Ronon snores loudly. Marissa opens her eyes and frowns.<br>"Ronon?"  
>Ronon snores again. Marissa rolls her eyes and turns to look at him, then turns away again with an exasperated look on her face.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Marissa walks down some stairs in the city, smiling ironically to herself. She turns a corner and walks along the corridor, then stops and looks in surprise as a woman with long brown hair and wearing a floor-length white robe walks towards her. Marissa's eyes widen as she realizes that the woman appears to be an Ancient. The woman continues to walk towards her and speaks, but her words are distorted and unrecognizable. Marissa frowns as the woman continues to approach her with an urgent look on her face, still speaking gibberish.  
>"I'm sorry. I don't understand."<br>The woman walks right through her. Marissa gasps. She turns, but the woman has disappeared.

҉  
><strong>DAY TIME.<strong>

Queen Illyria is walking down the stairs from the Control Room to the Gateroom, but stops with a resigned look on her face as Doctor McKay hurries down the stairs behind her.  
>"Illyria. Did you get my email?"<br>Illyria sighs and continues walking. 'Which email? One of the seven today, or one of the eighteen yesterday?"  
>"I know, I'm being unusually persistent about this, but that should only underscore its importance, yes?"<br>"We cannot keep all three from the Replicator take-over, Rodney. We get one. Now, I don't know how to make it any clearer for you."  
>"Well, I felt if I could just outline the reasons for keeping them - you know, bullet point, very brief ..."<br>"It was twenty-six pages!"  
>"I know, but if we hope to persuade Stargate Command ..."<br>Illyria stopped and turned to face him. "OK. So tell me. Who would you deprive of the other ? The Antarctic outpost?"  
>"Well, no, because they need it to power the Chair to protect Earth."<br>"OK, how about the Odyssey, then? They're getting the other ZeeP.M. to help them in their fight against the Ori. Rodney, we have enough power now to raise the shield and cloak the city and dial Earth. Please, can you start seeing the glass as half full?"  
>"Well, you mean one-third full."<br>"No more emails." She said sternly, turning and walking away.  
>Rodney starts to speak again, pointing to the computer tablet he's holding, but then trails off, realizing that it's useless. He turns and walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>GYM.<strong>

Marissa and Ronon are sparring with Athosian fighting sticks. They are evenly matched for a while, but then Marissa grabs both his arms and head-butts him hard. As he groans and recoils, she leaps into the air, spins and kicks him hard in the waist. He doubles up, groaning, as Marissa watches him, looking pleased with herself.  
>"I'm sorry. You weren't expecting that?" She said insincerely.<br>Ronon looks up at her. She grins.

**LATER.**

Marissa and Ronon are walking down the stairs. Marissa giggles.  
>"I was tired. Been a long day." Ronon explained.<br>"Hmm!"  
>"To be honest, I-"<p>

"-you don't care much for meditation."  
>"Never could sit still long enough for it."<br>Marissa grinned. "All the more reason for you to consider..." Her smile fades and she stares down the corridor. The Ancient woman is walking towards her again. Ronon looks at her face, then follows her gaze down the corridor. There's no-one there. He looks back at Marissa.  
>"What is it?"<br>Marissa gazes at the woman as she walks towards her, speaking in the strange distorted, incomprehensible language. "That woman."  
>Ronon looks again but can still see no-one. "What woman?"<br>The woman continues to speak unintelligibly as she walks towards Marissa with an urgent look on her face. Ronon looks puzzled as Marissa steps aside as the woman passes her. Marissa turns and watches the woman continue down the corridor, then follows her. The woman approaches a closed door at the end of the corridor. As she reaches it, the door slides open and a man stumbles out. Marissa gasps in horror as she realizes that the man is hideously burned. She stumbles back in shock as a male voice speaking in the same distorted and unintelligible language can be heard. Ronon grabs hold of her.  
>"Hey, hey - what's wrong?" Marissa looks at him for a moment, then looks back to the door. It is closed and there's no sign of the man or the woman. "What?"<br>҉  
><strong>EXTERIOR BALCONY<strong>.

Rodney is looking out over the ocean with a pair of binoculars. The door behind him slides open and John strolls out and goes over to stand beside him. Rodney doesn't notice, engrossed in whatever he's watching.  
>"Huh!" He said, thoughtfully to himself. He lowers the binoculars, then realizes that John is beside him, ignoring him as he looks out over the ocean. "Hey. How long have you been standing there?"<br>John glances at him briefly. "Hour or so."  
>"What? Why didn't you say anything? I feel like a..." He trails off. "Oh. It's the kidding."<br>John was holding his hand out for the binoculars. "What did you wanna show me?"  
>Rodney hands him the binoculars and points in the direction he wants him to look. "Right there."<br>John lifts the binoculars to his eyes and looks. All he can see is ocean. "Wow!"  
>"Hmm!"<br>"All that ... water!"  
>McKay rolls his eyes. "Just wait for it." Just then, a whale-like creature breaches, slapping its tail on the water as it sinks back down again. John lowers the binoculars as Rodney smiles affectionately at the creature. "It's my friend. He's back."<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Marissa is lying on a bed with her eyes closed as a scanner passes back and forth over her. Nearby, Doctor Beckett is watching the results of the scan on a screen with Illyria and Ronon.  
>"The scan's clean. No sign of any physical abnormality." Carson reported.<br>"We've seen devices that mess with people's minds - cause them to hallucinate things." Ronon said.  
>"Aye, but they've always had corresponding neural activity to indicate a problem. No, I'm afraid for the moment anyway, there doesn't appear to be any physiological reasons for her hallucinations."<br>"Then why did she see what she saw?" Illyria asked.  
>"I don't quite know."<br>"Many Ancients died here recently." Marissa sits up. "During the Replicator invasion, the crew of the Tria were all murdered. Maybe they attempted to ascend but were prevented from fully doing so - trapped between this plane of existence and the next."  
>"What you call ghosts?" Illyria asks.<br>Ronon looks at Marissa with a half-cynical and half-sarcastic look on his face. "You ask me, it's too much meditation."  
>҉<br>**CORRIDOR.**

John and Illyria are walking along, holding hands.

"Is she gonna be OK?" John asks.  
>"I do not know. Hopefully she just needs some rest. We have all been through quite a lot..."<br>Rodney approaches them. "There you are."  
>"Rodney, I told you..."<br>"Oh, no, not you. I mean Sheppard."  
>"Thank you!" Illyria sarcastically said.<br>"Oh, I mean, not that I don't wanna talk to you. Well, you can be a part of this conversation. In fact, I think you'll probably find it every bit as interesting ..."  
>John interrupted, "What are you saying?"<br>Rodney smiles and holds up his computer tablet to show them. It has an image of his whale on it, surrounded by Ancient writing. "Check it out. Found it in the Ancient database. They have a whole subsection on indigenous Lantean animal life. Did you know that there was a lobster-like crustacean down there the size of a Buick?"  
>"Yes." Illyria points at the tablet. "And what is that?"<br>"That's Rodney's whale friend." John said.  
>"Ah, but not actually a whale. Whale-like, but not a mammal. It's a fish. It's a big, big fish." Rodney said.<br>"Did you have a name for it?" John asked Illyria and Rodney smile fades.  
>"Yes. Flagecallus."<p>

"I know - you were terrible at naming things. I've just, um ... I've just called it "whale" for now." McKay shook his head.  
>"And why are you studying this?" Illyria asked.<br>"Oh, 'cause he's out there right now, circling the city. Sheppard and I saw him. Probably the very same whale that saved me last year when I was trapped in that submerged Jumper."  
>"I thought Zelenka and I saved you?" John asked.<br>"Well ... you did, technically, but only after Sam led you to me."  
>John and Illyria stare at him. "Sam?"<br>"Uh, it's the whale. I named him - after Sam ... another Carter. Personal reasons."  
>"You named him after Samantha Carter?" John asked.<br>"Well, Sam's a boy's name too." McKay defensively said.  
>John bites back a smile.<br>"And how do you know he is a he?" Illyria asked.  
>"Oh, because I cross-referenced the renderings in the database with the whale outside and, you'll see..." McKay types on the tablet to pull up a new image to show to her "...the males have a rather prominent ..."<br>"Oh, it's OK, never mind." She said quickly. "I'll take your word for it. I trust this little diversion isn't actually cutting into your work time?"  
>"Oh, no, no. No, of course not. No, I'm just dabbling in my free time."<br>"Alright, then, boys. Dabble away!" She quickly pecks John on the cheek. "Marissa is helping me pick out a wedding dress."  
>"Can I help?" John called after as she walked away. He turned back to Rodney. "So, these, uh, whales. Did the Ancients say they're good eating?"<br>"Oh, you wouldn't!"  
>"I would."<br>҉  
><strong>NIGHT TIME.<strong>

Marissa climbs into bed. She moves a burning candle on the nightstand beside the bed a little further away so that she won't knock it over, then pulls the bedclothes over her and settles down. She lies quietly for a few moments, then her eyes snap open as she hears the strange distorted voice again. She gets out of bed, goes to the door and opens it. A figure walks past in the dark corridor. Marissa follows after it and sees the long-haired woman walking along the corridor.

Marissa follows her.  
>"Hello?" The woman ignores her, heading for the closed door at the end of the corridor. "Wait!"<br>The woman reaches the door and it opens. The burned man stumbles out, his face contorted in agony. The woman catches him as he begins to fall and turns towards Marissa, calling out in apparent anguish, but again her voice is distorted and unintelligible. However, this time it is much higher-pitched than before. Marissa clutches her head in pain.  
>҉<br>**DAY TIME.**

Marissa is sitting in the office of Doctor Heightmeyer, the base's psychologist.  
>"You don't understand what the woman is saying?" Kate asked.<br>"No. I think she's speaking in the ancestral tongue."  
>"You said she's afraid?" Marissa nods. "Of the burned man?"<br>"No. It looks like she's trying to help him. Whatever she fears, I don't know."  
>"Did you try to talk to her?"<br>"Yes, but she seems unaware of me. It's as if I'm not even there."  
>"If these are apparitions, why do you think they're appearing to you?"<br>Marissa shakes her head, unable to answer, then smiles. "Too much meditation." Kate frowns, not understanding. "Something Ronon said to me."  
>"Oh. Well, there are those who believe that meditation is a way of opening a door to the spiritual world."<br>"If these are Ancestors trapped between planes of existence, perhaps they're trying to communicate something to me. Maybe they believe I can help them to move on."

**LATER.**

Kate is walking along a corridor with Illyria.  
>"I don't know why she's experiencing these visions, but she's always been one to shoulder a lot of emotional responsibility. She may be carrying some guilt over what happened to the Ancients here recently."<br>"Well, why? It certainly was not her fault."  
>"No, no, of course not, but somewhere deep inside her she may somehow feel complicit in the actions that led up to their murders."<br>"Hmm."  
>"I'll continue working with her and see if I can sort things out."<br>"OK. I'll make sure she gets some rest, even if it means taking her off the next mission."  
>"She does seem tired. She hasn't been sleeping well, and the last few days she's been complaining of headaches."<br>"Doctor Beckett gave her a clean bill of health."  
>"Well, we'll just keep an eye on her. Hopefully it'll all pass."<br>"Let's hope so. Thank you."  
>Kate smiles and walks away. Sighing, Illyria turns to a transporter door and passes her hand over the wall panel. The doors open. Inside is the hideously burned man, staring and gasping in agony. Illyria yells, stepping back appalled, as the man keels forward ... and disappears.<p>

•  
><strong>LATER.<strong>

Kate is walking with Illyria and Marissa.  
>"So now both of you are seeing them? Why do you suppose that is?" Kate asked.<br>"Well, that is why we have come to you." Illyria said, rubbing her arms to keep away chills.  
>"Maybe they believe that appearing to two people would increase the chance their message would be heard." Marissa said.<br>"If, in fact, they are trying to communicate something to us." Illyria said.  
>"Or maybe it's just the power of suggestion. It's been documented that when one person sees a ghost, it won't be long before others around them see it too." Kate looks at Illyria. "You said it yourself: you've all been through a lot recently. When's the last time you took a day off?" Illyria and Marissa exchange a glance. "Exactly." She looks at Marissa. "Have you seen any more apparitions?"<br>"Not recently."  
>"How are the headaches?"<br>"Still have them."  
>"Have you been able to sleep?" Marissa shakes her head. "Perhaps Doctor Beckett can prescribe something for you..." Kate looks at Illyria "...for both of you."<br>҉  
><strong>RODNEY'S LAB.<strong>

Rodney is studying a laptop, but looks around as John comes in.

"Ah. There you are." McKay looks at the laptop again. "You are not gonna believe this. I've been monitoring Sam on the underwater scanner ..."  
>"Stop calling him that."<br>"Why?"  
>"It's creepy!"<br>"No it's not. Look ..." McKay points to the screen "... here he is, circling the city. He's been doing it for a while. Won't leave."  
>"You didn't feed him, did you?" John said, suspiciously.<br>"No! Look, now ..." He shows an image of one of the piers of the city, with the whale's image a short distance away. "If I widen the scan ..." He types and the image zooms out, showing more of the ocean. An image of another whale can be seen further away from the city, but this one is much bigger than 'Sam'.  
>"Another whale."<br>"Yeah. Probably the mother."  
>"That guy's the size of a football field!"<br>"Yeah - a Canadian football field."  
>"So the first one was a baby."<br>"Yeah."  
>"Hey - wanna take a closer look?"<br>Rodney looks at him. John nods encouragingly as Rodney looks bewildered. "Umm..."  
>"Come on." John hurries away. Rodney follows him.<br>҉  
><strong>JUMPER BAY.<strong>

John walks into the rear of a Jumper, to find Radek working on one of the panels. "Oh, Radek. Didn't know anyone was here."  
>"Do you need to use the Jumper?"<br>"Yeah. Gonna check out some whales. Rodney's on his way - he's just taking some Dramamine but, uh..." John looks at Radek. "Yeah, we can take another Jumper."  
>"Oh, just be careful. I'm not too sure if I've fixed the navigational glitch. The other Jumpers might be affected as well."<br>"Well, we won't go far. We'll stay within sight of the city..." he starts to leave the Jumper "... plus you'll be tracking us from the Control Room."  
>"I will? Oh, yes, yes, I will." He pauses, then frowns at John's departing back. "Did you say whales?"<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Carson takes a couple of blister packs of pills out of a cabinet and hands one each to Marissa and Illyria.  
>"These should help, but don't take them until you can have at least eight hours of uninterrupted rest."<br>"Huh! Around here with kids? When does that ever happen?" Illyria asked.  
>"Well, both Doctor Heightmeyer and I think you should take the time to make it happen." Carson smiled. "Now, I wouldn't mind watching my Godson and I'm sure Ronon would love to have Jen stay with him for the night."<br>"Alright. Thank you, Carson." Illyria sighed and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll have the Nanny drop 'em off while I'm snoozing."  
>"Thank you." Marissa said.<br>They leave the room. Carson sits down at his desk and starts to work on a laptop. Suddenly he hears a roar of pain. Puzzled, he looks up and wheels his chair back to look in the direction of the sound. Four medics wearing white medical clothing and white hooded masks over their heads and faces are standing at a nearby bed treating someone. The person on the bed is crying out with pain, though his voice sounds distorted. Carson stands up and walks towards them just as the person on the bed sits up, screaming in agony. He is badly burned. As Carson gets nearer, the medics and the man disappear.  
>҉<br>**OCEAN.**

A Puddle Jumper flies over the ocean, then settles gently down onto the surface of the water before sinking. Inside, Rodney looks up at the roof nervously. John glances at him briefly, noticing his anxiety.  
>"You alright?"<br>"Yeah, I'm fine. I just never feel safe in these things underwater."  
>"In space you're OK?"<br>"Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"  
>John nods, then activates the comms. "Zelenka, you there?"<br>_"I'm here. Hello!"_ In the Control Room, he looks at his screens. "Uh, the whales are deeper now, less than a kilometer from you in your two o'clock position."  
>Rodney calls up the H.U.D. It shows an image of the two whales swimming nearby. "There they are. Should have a visual on them any moment now."<br>He disengages the H.U.D. again and they look through the windshield. After several seconds a shape can be seen in the distance. Rodney points. "There's Sam."  
>A moment later a much larger shape appears through the darkness. "... and there's Mum."<br>"We need to get a closer look."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

Ronon is walking along a corridor when he stops as he hears a strange distorted sound. He turns around and behind him a control console has appeared out of nowhere. Two scientists, dressed in Ancient clothing, are working on the console. Although they are talking, their voices are unintelligible. Ronon frowns and watches as they continue to talk gibberish. Whatever it is they're talking about, it's obvious that the female scientist is very agitated and frightened by what she's seeing on the screen.  
>Behind Ronon, Marissa approaches. She stops and frowns. "Ronon?" Ronon turns and looks at her. "You saw them too?"<br>Ronon turns back to look in the other direction. The console and the scientists have gone.  
>҉<br>**OCEAN.**

The Jumper is descending towards the whales.  
>"Alright, not too close now, OK? We still have no idea what these things eat." McKay said. John grimaces in pain and shakes his head, then puts his hand to his eyes. "What? What is it?"<p>

John lowered his hand. "Nothing. Just got a headache all of a sudden."  
>"Oh." John slows the Jumper down. Rodney looks through the windshield again. "Where'd they go?"<br>"I don't know."  
>Rodney reaches out to activate the H.U.D. to search for the whales but just then the water boils outside and Mum's enormous eye appears as she passes right in front of the Jumper. In Atlantis' Control Room, Radek sits up in his chair, startled.<br>"Oh! They're right in front of you."  
>"Yeah! We were aware of that!" John said. Rodney grimaces in pain and puts his hand to his eyes. "What's wrong?"<br>"Now my head's hurting too."  
>"That's not a coincidence."<br>"I don't think so."  
>"I'm pulling back."<br>"Good idea.  
><em>"Perhaps it's the whales' echo location mechanism. It's creating uncomfortable vibrations which are-"<em>  
>"Yes, Radek. We are moving away. Try to keep up, OK?" McKay snipped.<br>Radek stares as he spots something on another screen. "Oh my."  
><em>"Oh my, what?" <em>John asked.  
>Radek's screen shows the Puddle Jumper with Sam and Mum nearby. In the distance, a large pod of whales is moving into view. "Uh, uh, uh, I'm detecting several more whales."<br>_"How many more?"_ McKay asked.  
>"Uh, dozens more. They're still several kilometers away from you, but they're heading towards you."<br>John and Rodney exchange a glance. John does a double-take and stares. "Rodney?"  
>Rodney has a trickle of blood running from one nostril. "What?"<br>"Your nose is bleeding."  
>Rodney puts his hand to his nose, looks at the blood, grimaces and groans, and immediately pinches his nose and tilts his head back.<br>҉  
><strong>CONFERENCE ROOM<strong>.  
>"Now you're all seeing them?" Kate asked.<br>"We just got word that other people in the city are starting to see them, too." Illyria said.  
>"Some see the burned man, others see the Ancient woman, and a few such as Ronon here see what appear to be scientists." Carson said.<br>"There's something definitely going on around here." Ronon said.  
>"In every sighting, two things remain constant: all the apparitions are Atlantian 'Ancients'; and they all seem pretty worried." Illyria said.<br>"It's like they're trying to warn us about something." Marissa said.  
>Zelenka's voice came over the radio. <em>"Queen Illyria?"<em>  
>She smiled apologetically and answered, "Yes, Radek?"<br>_ "You'd better come to the Control Room right away."_  
>"Be right there."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Illyria and Radek are looking at the screen showing the approaching pod of whales and, closer to the city, the Jumper with Sam and Mum nearby.  
>"What's their status?" Illyria asked, worry in her voice.<br>"They're moving away from the whales. Hopefully that will alleviate their pain."  
>Illyria activated her comms. "John, this is Illyria. How are you holding up?"<br>In the Jumper, Rodney is still holding his nose, while John's face is contorted with pain. "Other than feeling like my head's about to explode, I'm fine."  
>Ahead of the Jumper, Sam swims in front of the windshield.<br>"I thought we were moving away from them?" McKay asked.  
>"I'm trying to, but they're cutting us off."<br>Rodney groans in pain and clutches his head again.  
><em> "What happened?"<em>  
>"The whales are gettin' way too close." John said. Rodney passes out, crashing forward onto his control panel. John stares at him. "Crap!"<br>_ "John, what's going on there?"_  
>"Rodney's passed out. His ears are bleeding. We've gotta get out of the water."<br>Illyria turns to a technician in the Control Room. "Medical team to Jumper Bay." The technician nods and hurries off. "John, are you alright?"  
>John grimaces and puts his hand to the side of his head. As he takes his hand away again, he realizes that his own ears are also bleeding. He stares at his hand for a moment.<br>_ "John?"_  
>John puts the Jumper into a steep climb and it bursts out of the ocean and heads up into the sky.<br>"We're out of the water. Rodney's in trouble. Have a medical team ready."  
><em> "Already done."<em> She looks at the screen and the approaching whales.  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME. **

**INFIRMARY. **

Rodney and John are in adjoining beds. Both are conscious and are opening their mouths wide frequently as if trying to get their blocked ears to pop. Carson, Illyria and Radek are standing nearby.  
>"Their eardrums have been perforated." Carson reported.<br>"How?" Illyria asked.  
>"The whales are emitting an intense low-frequency pulse, like a sonar, as well as an E.M field. The combination is very dangerous to humans, particularly in such close proximity." Zelenka said.<br>"It's the whales!" McKay said loudly.  
>Carson turned to Illyria. "Hearing's been impaired. It should heal soon."<br>"It's their echo location. It's creating very powerful vibrations. The closer we got, the worse it became." McKay was still yelling.

The others smile in amusement at each other.  
>"Yes, Rodney, we know!" Zelenka said equally as loud.<br>"Oh!"  
>John holds his nose and blows down it, still trying to get his ears to pop asking loudly, "What?"<br>Carson turned to Illyria. "They should rest."  
>"Agreed!" She calls out loudly. She walks over to John, kisses him gently, and said to the boys as she leaves, "I'll come back."<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM<strong>.

The screen now shows whales heading towards the city from all sides.  
>"The whales are approaching from every direction. It appears that they're converging on Atlantis." Zelenka reported.<br>"We are their destination?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yes. It appears so. The signals they emit are their way of communicating with each other. Unfortunately, the closer they get to the city, the more it may affect the people living here."<br>"Even above the waterline?" Ronon asked.  
>Radek nods.<br>"We're already being affected. Several of us are experiencing headaches - not as heavy as McKay or Colonel Sheppard - but if these whales get any closer ..." Marissa trailed off.  
>Illyria turned to Radek. "Turn on the shield."<br>"Aye." He goes to the control panel.

Marissa walks closer to the screen and looks at it. "These ghosts we've been seeing: if they're trying to warn us of something, maybe this's it." The sound of the shield deploying can be heard. "I first saw the Ancient woman at the same time Rodney saw the first whale."

**LATER.**

Illyria is walking along a corridor working on a computer tablet when she hears a distorted voice. She looks up and sees the Ancient woman walking toward her, talking in her unintelligible language and looking concerned. Illyria steps aside and the woman walks past, taking no notice of her.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Rodney is sitting up in bed and working on a computer tablet. John is lying in the bed next to him.  
>"Pain's goin' away. Think my hearing's gettin' better too. What about you?" John said loudly. Rodney continues working, apparently unable to hear him. John looks at him. "Rodney?" Rodney carries on working. John frowns. "Canadian football league's a joke." Rodney carries on working. "Celine Dion is over-rated." Rodney carries on working. "Zelenka is smarter than you are!"<br>"Hey! I found mention of a bio-lab in the database!" Rodney said, loudly, still looking at his screen. John rolls his eyes. "Ancient scientists used it to study animal life. We should check it out!"  
>"OK ... Meredith."<p>

•

Shortly afterwards, Illyria walks into the Infirmary and goes over to Carson, who is examining the ears of a patient lying in bed.  
>"How's it going?"<br>Carson walks over to her, looking concerned. "More people are falling ill - headaches, nosebleeds. I'm giving everyone painkillers - hopefully buy some time until we figure out how to stop this."  
>"And how are you feeling? Did the Pat give you anytrouble last night? Ronon said Jen slept through the night."<br>"My head's throbbing a wee bit but I'll manage and Patrick put up a fuss for a while, but a little Scottish music calmed him down." Carson smiled. "You?"  
>"I'm fine." She said unconvincingly.<br>Carson reaches into his pocket and hands her another blister pack of pills. "Here: painkillers - just in case."  
>Illyria takes the pack. "Thank you. I hope it doesn't get..." She looks up, distracted, as John and Rodney, dressed, walk around the corner. "Hey, hey! What's this?"<br>Carson turns to see who she's looking at. "That's a damned good question. Who said you could get out of bed?"  
>"We're feelin' a lot better." McKay said loudly.<br>"Well, I beg to differ. Back to bed, the pair of you." Carson instructed.  
>"We need to check out a lab!"<br>"What lab?" Illyria asked.  
>"It's a bio-lab. Turned up in my whale research!"<br>"It's in one of the flooded areas of the city." John said loudly.  
>"Formerly flooded. With the area finally repaired, we're now able to access it." McKay said loudly. Carson frowns in pain at all the loud noise. "According to the database, the Ancient biologists used it to study animal life on the planet. Look, there may be some more information stored there."<br>"Such as how to tell these whales how to get the hell outta here." John said loudly.  
>"But we won't know that for sure until I can have a look at it." McKay said loudly.<br>Illyria and Carson look at each other for a moment, then Carson looks back at the boys. "Alright."  
>The boys head off. Just then, a technician reports over the radio. <em>"Queen Illyria?"<em>  
>She activated her radio. "Go ahead."<br>_ "Daedalus just arrived in orbit. They're requesting permission to beam people down."_  
>Illyria closes her eyes briefly, then looks at Carson.<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS ORBIT.<strong>

On Daedalus' Bridge, Colonel Caldwell frowns at the message he has just had from Illyria. "What do you mean, no?"  
><em>"I'm afraid things down here might get a lot worse before they get any better. It's probably safer for you to stay up there until we can sort this problem out."<em>  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS CORRIDOR.**

Marissa walks down the stairs and into the corridor she has been in before. She grimaces and holds her head in pain as the Ancient woman walks towards her. The woman speaks unintelligibly, her voice higher pitched than before.  
>"I'm sorry. I don't understand."<br>The woman walks past her. Marissa cringes and clutches her head again, whimpering in pain. She watches the woman walk towards the door at the end of the corridor but before she reaches it, more sound comes from behind Marissa. She turns and sees the two Ancient scientists working at the console and talking urgently. Marissa groans and clutches her head again. Unable to bear the pain, she turns to a nearby transporter door and passes her hand over the wall panel. The door opens and the burned man stumbles out. Marissa jerks back and falls to the floor, her nose bleeding. A hand reaches down to her.

It's Ronon.  
>"Come on. Gotta get you to the Infirmary."<br>Marissa takes his hand and he hauls her to her feet.  
>҉<br>**CORRIDORS.**

Rodney and John are walking along, Rodney looking down at his computer tablet. Suddenly he stops and holds up a clenched fist in the military signal to stop. John, irritated, smacks his fist down again. Rodney looks at him, then points to a door.  
>"This is it!"<br>John glares at him for a moment, then walks to the door, which opens automatically. He walks inside, Rodney following him, and the lights come on. As John walks deeper into the room, the control consoles come on.  
>"Alright. Let's see." McKay goes over to a console and puts his tablet down. The wall screen above the console lights up and Rodney starts operating the controls. The wall screen activates and begins to show an erratically oscillating wave. Rodney looks at it in interest.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>  
>"Did you put up the shield?" Caldwell asked Illyria over the comms.<br>_"Yes, but it only extends so far and the whales' signals seem to be able to penetrate it."_  
>Beside her in the Control Room, Radek has taken his glasses off and is rubbing the bridge of his nose in pain. "Well, we might be able to manage it if there were only a few dozen whales, but we're talking hundreds now. And they're swimming closer as we speak."<br>"Doctor McKay is checking out an Ancient bio-lab. Hopefully there will be some information there that could lead us to a solution."  
><em>"And if there isn't?"<em>  
>"Well, we'll have to consider evacuating Atlantis until the whales leave. Steven, I have a favor to ask."<p>

_"Shoot."_

"Would you mind beaming up the Twins and their Nanny? I don't want to take any chances with them."

_"Done."_ Over the radio, the sound of the beam activating can be heard. "_They're aboard. But, back to the whales. Supposing they don't leave?"_  
>"What are you suggesting, Colonel?"<br>_"You've got plenty of drones in your arsenal."_  
>"You're saying we should kill them?"<br>_ "Before they kill you."_  
>"They're not trying to kill us." Rodney walks into the Control Room. His voice is now at a normal level. "It's quite the opposite. I think they're trying to help us."<br>"Help us?" Illyria asked.  
>"Rodney unplugs a laptop computer and picks it up. "Come on - you should see this."<br>He starts to leave the room. Illyria follows him. Radek stands up. "I see your hearing has improved."  
>Rodney turns and squints at him. "What?"<br>Not bothering to repeat himself, Radek just waves at him to carry on. Rodney starts to leave again, turning back to Illyria as he goes. "What is he ...?"  
>Radek wearily repeats his wave to Rodney to keep going. They all head out.<br>҉  
><strong>BIO-LAB.<strong>

Rodney is connecting cables to a console. "It's like a receiver calibrated to the specific frequencies on which the whales communicate."  
>"The Ancients designed it to study whales so they could learn about their songs." John said.<br>"They were studying the whales' language, trying to assign frequencies to emotions and identify moods."  
>"All sorts of tree-huggy stuff. Tell 'em about the ghosts."<br>"Ah. Not ghosts - image projections. There appears to be a causal relationship with the whales. They may very well be what's been projecting the images to us and this receiver should - from what I can tell so far - be able to interpret them."  
>"Seems like we've been going about this backwards. The ghosts aren't warning us about the whales."<br>"They're not?" Illyria asked.  
>"No. No, it seems the whales may be using the images to warn us." McKay waved his hand.<br>"About what?"  
>"Ah, well, that ... that I don't know yet."<p>

"But, judging from the way this machine is freaking out, it can't be good." John said.  
>They all look at the oscillating wave on the wall screen.<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

A medic shines a penlight into a woman's eyes. Carson makes his way through the room. It's packed with patients, some of them lying on makeshift beds on the floor. He pats another medic's back as he goes past.  
>"Alright?" He goes over to Marissa lying in a bed. "How're you faring?"<br>Marissa glances at him, then looks at the bed next to her. Everyone else can see that there is another member of the Atlantis crew lying in the bed, but she can see Ancient medics taking the jacket off the burned man who is lying on the bed. He screams in pain and tries to get off the bed.  
>"I keep seeing them." She whispered.<br>Carson sighs. "Aye." He looks over to another bed. He can see the burned man on that bed as he writhes in agony while the Ancient medics try to treat him. "Me too."  
>Illyria comes in. "I've just spoken with Colonel Caldwell. The Daedalus Infirmary is ready to beam up the sickest of the patients."<br>"Good. Marissa should be amongst the first to go."  
>"No. I'm staying." Marissa said. She looks across at the jacket that the Ancient medics have taken off the burned man.<br>"You're far too sick, dear." Carson said.  
>"He's a pilot." Marissa said. Illyria looks where Marissa is looking but can't see what she's seeing. "The burned man." Carson pinches his nose in pain. "I just noticed his uniform. He is an Ancient pilot."<br>Illyria looks at Carson as he turns his head. She gasps. "Carson!"  
>"Aye?"<br>"Your nose."  
>Carson's nose is bleeding. He wipes it with his fingers and looks at the blood. "Oh, bloody hell. 'Scuse me."<br>He walks away.  
>҉<br>**BIO-LAB.**

Illyria comes back in. Rodney is busy working on the console as John sits nearby watching. "How's he doing?"  
>"I don't know. He's taking a while. A lot longer than he usually takes." John said.<p>

Rodney turns around, frowning. "He can hear you, you know!"  
>"Yeah. We know." John said.<br>"OK, let's have a listen." He types on the laptop that he has connected to the console. A distorted unintelligible voice can be heard.  
>"Who's that?" John asked.<br>"The woman - the Atlantian woman. That's her voice, I'm sure of it." Illyria said.  
>"She's speaking Ancient?"<br>"No. I mean, it doesn't sound like the language. The phonetic rhythm is similar but I do not recognize any of the words."  
>"That's because it's gibberish ... well, to be more accurate, it's an attempt at mimicry. Look, it turns out the receiver is also a transmitter. The Ancients weren't just trying to learn the whales' language - they were attempting to teach them theirs by sending them auditory and visual signals. And while they were doing that, they experienced a traumatic moment which the whales then stored in their genetic memory." McKay said.<br>"And that's what the images we've been seeing are?" Illyria asked.  
>"Exactly. Re-runs. Now, unfortunately, these whales are several generations removed from the incident, so they're finding the language a bit of a tough go. It's kind of like trying to sing the lyrics to The Macarena. You can send out the words but you have no idea what you're singing."<br>"OK. So this traumatic event - I'm assuming it's the war against the Wraith."  
>"That would be my assumption as well, yes. Hey—you were there, why can't you tell us anything?"<p>

"Rodney, how about you go into stasis for ten million years and see how much you remember?" John chuckled at Rodney's apologetic face. "Now, the whales are trying to warn us that it might happen again?"  
>"I-I don't know. Possibly."<br>"So what? The Wraith might attack. Tell us something we don't know." John said.  
>"Ah. Interesting thing is, the Ancients seemed to be aware of the whales' deficient mimicry skills and so they incorporated a kind of acoustic language filter into the receiver. That's what's been taking me so long to figure out."<br>"Well, did you figure it out?"  
>"Well, let's have a listen, shall we?" McKay types on the laptop. The distorted voice plays again. John smiles smugly.<br>"Guess the answer's no."  
>"Just ... hang on, hang on. If I, um..." He thinks for a moment, then types again. The voice plays again, but this time it's clearer and is obviously a language.<br>"Hey, wait a minute. Play that back again." Illyria instructed. Rodney plays the voice again and Illyria smiles. "This is Ancient, somewhat. At least now I can make out a few of the words now."  
>McKay was smiling smugly at John. "Ha!"<br>"'Incursus' - something was attacked, or overtaken." Illyria told them.  
>"Meaning Atlantis." McKAy said.<br>"No, I don't think so. 'Adaris'?"  
>"What's 'adaris'?" John asked.<br>"I-I can't remember…"

҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Illyria is standing behind Radek as they look at the screen showing the city surrounded by whales.  
>"They've arrived - hundreds of them." Zelenka reported.<br>_"Queen Illyria?"_ Caldwell spoke over the comms.  
>"Go ahead, Colonel."<br>_"The sick patients have been beamed up. Our Infirmary's filled."_  
>"Thank you. Unfortunately, more people are falling ill down here, so it's not making much of a dent."<br>_"Listen, whether these creatures are trying to communicate with you or not, at some point you're gonna have to deal with them. If they don't leave ..."_  
>"I am sure there are options besides killing them." Rodney and John hurry in. Rodney sits down at a console. "What's wrong?"<br>"We figured it out." John said.  
>"Well, actually, I did most of the figuring..." McKay mumbled.<br>"Adaris is a ship we found in the database."  
>"It's an Ancient science vessel. About fifteen thousand years ago, it ran into some trouble. The entire crew was killed except for the pilot."<br>"The burned man. Marissa noticed the uniform. He was a pilot." Illyria said.  
>"Which would explain the burns." McKay said.<br>"What does?" Zelenka asked.  
>"The ship got hit by a blast of radiation from the sun." John said.<br>"It's a coronal mass ejection on a scale that dwarfs anything our sun has ever emitted. Apparently the sun in this solar system goes through an unusually turbulent sunspot cycle every fifteen thousand years or so. The Ancients have records of this class of C.M.E. occurring twice before." McKay said.  
>"The ship was very close to the sun when it happened." John said.<br>"It's a massive prominence. It arced up and then collapsed when the magnetic field surrounding it weakened. We're talking an intense proton stream travelling at over four thousand kilometers per second."  
>"Most of the crew was killed instantly but the pilot managed to open up a hyperspace window just as they were hit. He flew the ship back here, jumping ahead of the radiation wave just in time to warn everyone."<br>"The Ancients were able to raise the shield and extend it far enough to protect a large portion of the planet from the blast."  
>"So what are you telling me? This is going to happen soon?" Illyria asked.<br>"Not soon. It's happening right now." McKay said. He turns the screen of his laptop towards her. It shows a prominence curling out from the edge of the sun.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Marissa lies in bed, barely conscious. Ronon walks over and sits down beside her. "How're you doing?"  
>Marissa was smiling weakly "I've felt better."<br>"You need any more pain medicine?"  
>"No. It doesn't seem to help anymore."<br>"Well, just hang on. You're gonna be fine." Marissa sighs and closes her eyes. "Marissa? Look at me." He gently takes hold of her chin and turns her head towards him. "Look at me." Marissa opens her eyes. "You gotta hold on." He smiles and releases her chin. "Gotta teach me those meditation lessons."  
>Marissa smiles wearily. "You're hopeless."<br>Ronon smiles. "Yeah. I know." He takes her hand and holds it. Marissa smiles briefly before her eyes flutter and she loses consciousness. "Marissa?" He turns and calls out. "Nurse."  
>A nurse hurries over.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

The image of the coronal prominence is now on a large screen.  
>"The magnetic field around it is already beginning to weaken. When that prominence collapses, the coronal mass ejection will occur. It'll erupt from a very small area - a mere pinprick in comparison to the total sun's surface, but it'll immediately begin to fan out. Within a few million miles, the blast wave will cut a swathe wide enough to take out this entire planet." McKay said.<br>"How much time do we have?" John asked.  
>"The prominence will collapse any moment now. After that, we have less than an hour before the radiation wave hits us." Zelenka said.<br>"Why did we not notice this before?" Illyria asked.  
>"Because these things happen very quickly." McKay said.<br>"This kind of sunspot cycle is extremely chaotic - impossible to predict. No doubt that's what caused the glitch in the Jumper's navigational systems." Zelenka said.  
>"Not to mention our focus was on attack from the Wraith, not the sun."<br>"The whales were aware this was happening." Illyria said.  
>"Well, a lot of animals - whales, dolphins ..." McKay trail and Zelneka added, "... pigeons ...", before continuing, "... are affected by the tiniest anomalies in the magnetosphere. It's as if their internal compasses are somehow ... uh ... pigeons?"<br>"Yeah, homing pigeons, yes. I used to raise them before coming here. We used to consult solar charts before our pigeon races."  
>"Pigeon races?"<br>"Rodney." Illyria said turning his attention back to the matter at hand.  
>"Well, it's still somewhat of a mystery how they're able to sense this trouble, but they do, often well before we do."<br>"Whatever. What are our options?" John asked.  
>"Well, the Ancients were able to raise the shield and stretch it wide enough to protect a significant portion of the planet - attenuated, to be sure, more of a thin bubble, but it was able to block out enough of the radiation..." McKay trailed.<br>"That's interesting, because we have found evidence of mass extinction on other parts of the planet." Zelenka said.  
>"Wow! Well, now we know what caused it!" McKay snipped.<br>"OK, so our shield is already activated. What else?" Illyria asked.  
>"Ah. Small problem. The Ancients had three at their disposal and we - as you know - only have one. Maybe I was so insistent on keeping them because I too am able to sense trouble on the horizon." McKay said.<br>"Just like a pigeon." John smiled.  
>"So we just need to get the other two back here temporarily-"<br>McKay interrupted Illyria. "Not enough time. Look, the Odyssey's away from Earth. In the time it would take them to return, the blast wave would almost certainly have hit us."  
>"How far can we extend the shield with one ZeeP.M?" John asked.<br>"Well, enough to cover the city and perhaps a little bit of the ocean surrounding it, but-"  
>John interrupted McKay. "We should evacuate, just to make sure.<br>"We can't gate to Earth. Look, we need the ZedP.M's power for the shields."  
>"We've got the Intergalactic Bridge."<br>"The midway station isn't completed yet. We'd need to ferry people by Jumper. Again, no time."  
>"Alright - we'll send everyone to the Alpha Site and pick 'em up when this is over."<br>"I don't think you understand. Look, the shield will protect the city from the initial blast, yes, but the entire ecosystem of this planet will be damaged beyond recovery for hundreds of years. Look, we're talking no plant life, which means no breathable air..."  
>Illyria faints, dropping to the floor.<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

John carries Illyria into the Infirmary and lays her on a bed. "Beckett!"  
>Carson turns around wearily, then breaks into a run towards the bed when he sees who it is lying there. "Illyria?" He takes her headset out of her ear, which is bleeding. "Dammit."<br>He puts his stethoscope on. John looks around the room and sees a medic pulling a blanket over the face of an Asian man lying on a makeshift bed nearby. John frowns. Carson notices where he's looking. "Sergeant Bell - developed an aneurysm from the pressure. First fatality."  
>John walks over to Marissa's bed. Ronon is stitting beside it, holding her hand. "How is she?"<br>"Out of time." Ronon growled.  
>"Guess we all are." He turns and starts to leave the room. Ronon turns to him.<br>"Sheppard." John turns back to him. "You got a plan?"  
>John bites his lip and says, not very convincingly. "Sure."<br>He heads out.  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Radek is looking at the wall screen which shows that the whales are clustering as close to the city as they can. "Look at them! Seeking shelter under the umbrella of the city."  
>McKay was working on a laptop nearby. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no. We don't have nearly enough power. Look, we can extend the shield twenty kilometers beyond the city, maybe. But it'll be dangerously thin and there's no way of knowing whether we can sustain it, especially in a radiation blast of fifty thousand rem."<br>John activates his headset. "Colonel Caldwell? This is Sheppard."  
><em>"Go ahead, Colonel.<em>"  
>"I think we have a plan."<br>Rodney stands up, frowning. "We do?"  
>҉<br>**POWER ROOM.**

Rodney sighs as the Z.P.M. rises up out of its slot. "This is not a good plan."  
>"Sure it is." John said.<br>"You realize just how close we'll have to get to the sun?"  
>"Pretty damned close, I'm thinkin'." John picks up the case for the Z.P.M. and opens it.<br>"Suicidally close. I mean, we'll be toast."  
>"That's why we're taking the ZeeP.M. - to give the Daedalus' shield an extra boost."<br>"OK, OK - you want to deflect the coronal mass ejection away from the planet."  
>John was taking the Z.P.M. out of its slot. "Like an umbrella."<br>"OK, listen to me." McKay picks up his computer tablet and starts to draw on its screen. "This..." he draws a big circle in the bottom right hand corner "...this is the sun; and this..." he draws a small squiggle in the top left hand corner "... this is us." John frowns at the drawing as he puts the Z.P.M. into its case. "A bolt of energy unlike anything you could possibly comprehend is gonna shoot out of the photosphere at a tremendous velocity, OK?" He draws a line coming out of the sun and heading towards the dot depicting Atlantis. "It is immediately gonna start fanning out..." he draws lots of lines fanning out in different directions from the line "...like so."  
>"I know." John said impatiently. He goes over to the power console and bends down to retrieve something.<br>McKay was drawing a curve across the emission line to depict Daedalus' shield. "Which means that we will have to be really close to the surface of the sun if we wanna intercept that stream and deflect it before it can start spreading out."  
>John pops back up into view for a moment. "I know, Rodney!" He bends down again.<br>"No, no, I don't think you do. I don't think you fully grasp the reality of just how damned hot it gets that close to the surface of the sun."  
>John has retrieved a small device from the console and comes across to the case with it. "That's why we're taking a ZeeP.M. - to strengthen the shields."<br>"From the blast wave, yes, but even with the shields at that strength, the build-up of residual heat behind it could cause serious problems for the Daedalus..." he points to himself "... and everyone inside it."  
>John puts the device in the case and closes the lid. "'Could.' '<em>Could<em>' cause."  
>Rodney sighs. "OK. Tell me..." he shows John his drawing again "...if this is such a great plan, why didn't the Ancients do it?"<br>"They were in the middle of a war! They probably didn't have a ship available at the time. And, like you said, they had three ."  
>Zelenka's voice came over the radio. <em>"Rodney?"<em>  
>"What?" He said irritably.<br>_"The prominence has begun collapsing."_  
>John picks up the case. "Colonel Caldwell, we're ready."<br>Rodney grimaces. A transporter beam envelops the pair of them and whisks them away.  
>•<p>

Daedalus breaks orbit and heads towards the sun. Inside the ship, Rodney is connecting the Z.P.M. to the shield generator.  
>John comes over the radio<em>. "How's it going, Rodney?"<em>  
>Rodney rolls his eyes in irritation. "You know, this might look easy, but it's actually a little more complicated than just flipping a switch."<br>He walks across the room, trailing a cable behind him, and pulls open a panel of crystals.  
><em>"Hurry up, please. We're there."<em> Caldwell said.  
>"What, we are already?" He said, his eyes wide.<br>_"Not far to go."_  
>Rodney rolls his eyes again and gets on with connecting the cable to the crystals. Daedalus heads closer to the sun. On the Bridge, everyone is bathed in bright sunlight. Caldwell takes his place in the command chair while John stands nearby.<br>"Position, Doctor. The shields are up. We need the extra power from that ZeeP.M. now."  
>"Yes, yes. I just need to..." He trails off irritably. He turns from the crystal panel and trails off as he sees the wall screen. "Oh no."<br>_"What?"_ John asks.  
>"The prominence is fully collapsing into the photosphere. Brace yourselves." He grabs his tablet and starts working on it. On the sun's surface, the emission bursts out and heads into space. John stares.<br>"Rodney?"  
><em>"ZedP.M. is online."<em>  
>The emission heads towards Daedalus and impacts its shields, which deflect it away in all directions. Caldwell squints as the bright light envelops the shields and the ship vibrates under the strain. "How long will this last, Doctor?"<br>"_Anywhere from a few seconds to several hours."_  
>"Hours? You never said anything about hours!" John yelled.<br>"We're building up serious heat behind the shield." Caldwell said.  
><em>"I told you this wasn't a good plan!"<em> McKay said, plaintively.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM.**

Ronon is looking at a laptop with Radek. Both of them look strained from the consistent headaches.  
>"How're they doing?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, according to my calculations, the blast wave should have hit us by now but I'm reading no discernible increase in radiation."  
>Ronon stares at him. Finally Radek realizes that he's staring and turns to look at him. "So they're doing good?"<br>Radek smiles. "Yes. So far, anyway."  
>҉<br>**SPACE**.

The emission continues to blast Daedalus' shields. Rodney is looking at readouts on his tablet. "Temperature inside the shield's rising too fast. I'm already detecting several failed sensors on the bow."  
><em>"If this thing keeps going, the heat build-up could damage the hull."<em> Caldwell said.  
>"Not "could." It's already damaging it." An alarm beeps. "We have a breach in the 302 Bay."<br>Caldwell turns to his right-hand man [not Kleinman]. "Seal it off."  
>The man complies. From an external viewpoint we see the wall of the 302 Bay rupture and debris spill out. In the shield room, another alarm beeps.<br>_"Another breach. Deck four - we're venting atmosphere."_ McKay said.  
>John and Caldwell stare grimly, unable to do anything. A few seconds later, the emission fades and the light level on the Bridge diminishes somewhat.<br>"Rodney?" John asks. He walks nervously towards the front of the Bridge. In the shield room, Rodney stares in surprise.  
>"It's over."<br>_"And we're not toast."_ John said.  
>"We're not toast!"<br>_"Good plan, huh?"_  
>Rodney smiles in delight, then heaves a sigh of relief. Back on the Bridge, John turns to Caldwell, smiling. "Mind if I go see my kids?"<p>

Caldwell chuckles.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM.**

The wall screen shows only a few whales still visible, and they're all heading away from the city. Radek reports to John and Illyira.  
>"Most of them are gone now. They began dispersing almost immediately."<br>"Without so much as a thank you." John said.  
>"No - thank you!" Illyria said, loudly. She smiles and walks away. John narrows his eyes and looks at Radek suspiciously.<br>҉  
><strong>GYM.<strong>

Marissa is sitting on the floor in her meditation pose with her eyes closed. Ronon walks in and squats down beside her as the doors to the gym close noisily behind him. Marissa smiles ruefully, opens her eyes and turns to look at Ronon. He smiles back.  
>"How're you feeling?"<br>"Much better." She smiles at him. "Heard you stayed with me the whole time."  
>He shrugged. "Walked the whole way over here - didn't see one ghost."<br>"Neither did I." She smiles at him again, then closes her eyes.  
>"Mind if I join you ...?"<br>Marissa opens her eyes again. "If you fall asleep one more time..."  
>She points to the Athosian fighting sticks leaning against the wall. Ronon looks at them, then stands and walks over and picks one up. He smacks it experimentally against the wall, then brings it over and offers it to her as he sits down on the floor beside her.<br>"Hit me with that."  
>Marissa takes it, looking at it thoughtfully as Ronon settles into position, then smiles at him.<br>҉  
><strong>EXTERNAL BALCONY<strong>.

Rodney is standing and gazing out over the ocean. John comes out, holding Jen, and walks over to him.  
>"They're gone, Rodney."<br>Rodney smiles. "Not all of them." He points out to the ocean where the water is disturbed in one area. "Look."  
>As John looks, a fin raises out of the water as if waving, then splashes back down into the water. "Let me guess: your buddy, Sam."<br>"I like to think so. I like to think he's saying goodbye."  
>"Makes sense. He saved your life, now you've saved his. You're even." Jen raises hand to wave at the whale and giggles. John pats Rodney on the back and walks away.<p>

Rodney smiles out into the ocean.


	40. Chapter 38

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year 4 months and 4 weeks**

**ATLANTIS. **

Queen Illyria is holding Jen and walking with Captain Frio who is geared up for an offworld mission. They are on their way from Illyria's office into the Control Room.  
>"This hero you speak of - he doesn't happen to have a name, does he?" Illyria asked.<br>"No. The Athosian who spoke to me about his deeds simply referred to him as 'a great hero of the town - a warrior who possesses almost superhuman-like powers'."  
>Ronon Dex joins the pair of them as they walk down the stairs into the Gateroom.<br>"Well, we have sent teams to this planet before." Illyria said.  
>"They're good traders and kind people." Marissa said.<br>"I don't recall there being many superheroes."  
>Ronon was smiling. "Sounds like one of my people."<br>Marissa laughs.  
>"Well, whoever it is, it would be nice to have someone like that on our side." Illyria said.<br>Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Beckett are waiting for them as they reach the Gateroom.  
>"Provided the rumor's true. Sounds to me like someone's imagination's running a little wild." John said, reaching for Jen. Jen smiles, says, "Daddy," and scrunches her hands for him.<br>"As I said, my Athosian contact told me he saw this hero in action against several armed men." Marissa said.  
>"I do that all the time." Ronon said, nonchalantly.<br>"Where's McKay?" John asked, bouncing Jen in his arms.  
>"I'm here, I'm here." The team turns to face Doctor McKay as he walks in. "I just had to get my autograph book in case Marissa's superhero turned out to be the real deal."<br>"Well, at the very least, see if you can establish trade relations with the townspeople." Illyria said.  
>"We will."<br>Illyria turns and looks up into the Control Room. "Dial the Gate."  
><strong>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<br>PLANET.**

Overhead view of the town: brick buildings surround a town square. The team is walking through a nearby park towards the town. As they go, some of the townspeople stand nearby and watch them without any apparent fear. They are dressed somewhat similarly, but not ominously similarly, to the Genii in when they were masquerading as simple farmers.  
>"My childhood hero was Evel Knievel." John said.<br>"Wasn't he evil?" Ronon asked.  
>"No, that was just his name. He was a daredevil ... which isn't a kind of a devil, he just jumped motorcycles over things."<br>"Why?"  
>"Just because. Didn't always make it, either."<br>"And you admired this behavior?" Marissa asked.  
>"No, I just ... Look, at least my hero is human. McKay's is Batman!"<br>"Mmm. Misunderstood and un-appreciated by many, his most formidable weapon was the power of his brilliant mind. Not just a hero - a superhero." McKay said, appreciatively.  
>"Dougie Angus Wood, the Highland Giant. Not only a hero but a legend in Scotland." Carson said.<br>"The Marke Hartoren - my first unit commander. He once fought and killed twelve enemy soldiers, gutting them with his bare hands. He was also a funny guy, too!" Ronon said.  
>"Yes, I can imagine the jokes and the entrail slime." McKay said.<p>

"Mine was Conan," Marissa smiled. McKay snorted and John raised an eyebrow. "What? The guy was hot, had an awesome body, and _killer_ fighting moves. Literaly."  
>The team walks into the town where a group of four townspeople is talking. They see the team and turn to greet them.<br>"Good day, travelers."  
>Marissa smiled. "Good day to you."<br>"This is your first visit to our village?"  
>"Several of my friends have said that you are good and fair traders."<br>"We are."  
>"My friends, the Athosians, also speak of a great hero who protects this town."<br>"Rumor has it he's a warrior with some impressive kills to his credit, including the Wraith." Ronon said.  
>"This is true." The man smiles.<br>Ronon grins. "Then, uh, there's a good chance he is one of my people."  
>John throws him a look.<br>Marissa turned to the man. "Can you take us to him?"  
>"Of course." He gestures. "This way."<p>

He walks off. The team follows him.  
>҉<br>**TOWN SQUARE.**

A large group of townspeople is gathered, laughing hilariously at something. The man brings the team into the square.  
>"Here he is - the mightiest of heroes. Our champion protector..." The townspeople part and the team sees the man for the first time. "...Lucius Lavin."<br>Lucius is sitting on a table with his feet on a bench. He is the center of attention of the townspeople. He grins at the team as they approach. "Well! Will you look who it is?"  
>Ronon's head drops in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!"<br>•

**LATER**.

Lucius is telling the enthralled townspeople one of his tall tales. John is slumped in a chair, chewing a piece of grass.  
>"As I lay there, the iratus bug's tendrils just grasping my throat, choking me, I could feel my very life essence ebb and wane. With every passing second, I could feel myself drawing closer to death."<br>Ronon is sitting on the table beside Lucius, his head in his hand. Carson is standing on the other side of Lucius. Marissa and Rodney are sitting on chairs nearby, both slumped in a position of boredom and disbelief.  
>"Now, had I been the only one in that building - the only one in that burning building..." Ronon raises his head briefly out of his hand and makes a despairing gesture towards John as if to say, "Let me kill him now!" "... I would have surrendered and allowed sleep to overtake me. But there were women and children there with me whose very survival lay in my hands, and I'm not about to let them down."<br>John looks pointedly at his watch.  
>"So I reached deep down within me and I summoned whatever strength I had and I grabbed that bug and I ripped him away, and through sheer force of will I began to choke him and strangle...ow, ow!" Carson has just stuck a needle into Lucius' arm to draw a blood sample. "Ow! Ow! Thought you said that wasn't gonna hurt!"<br>"I lied." He pulls the needle out.  
>"Ow!" Carson bends Lucius' arm up to hold the swab in place over the puncture mark. Lucius resumes his story but is a little distracted by his sore arm. "And I - I sprang up and I led them all to safety."<p>

The townspeople cheer and applaud.  
>"Thank you very much! Thank you! I appreciate it. Thanks very much."<br>John waits for the applause to die down a little, then takes the piece of grass out of his mouth. "How?"  
>"What?" Lucius asked.<br>"How'd you lead the people to safety?"  
>"You said the way out was blocked." Ronon said.<br>Lucius gives him a look. "Oh, you were listening. That's good, that's good - because it was." He looks at the townspeople. "It was blocked - until I cleared a path through the burning wreckage..." The townspeople gasp in awe. "...and, ignoring the searing heat and the flames that were just swirling and swirling-"  
>John interrupted. "But how did you, uh ...?"<br>"OK. That's enough reminiscing for today." The townspeople groan. "Believe me, there's plenty more where that story came from, so when we gather tomorrow, I'll tell you about how I was seduced by a beautiful Ancient Queen!"  
>John glared and the townspeople murmur excitedly as the gathering breaks up and the people move away to get back to their daily routine.<br>"Sounds entertaining!" Carson said.  
>"Yeah, you'd think so, but between you and me, not so much." Lucius said.<br>"You know, your stories are awfully fascinating…and familiar." John said.  
>"Alright." Lucius checks to make sure that none of the townspeople are in earshot. "I admit - I took some inspiration from some of the mission reports that I perused while I was on Atlantis, but I spiced 'em: a little story here, bit of a story there..."<br>Carson turned to the team. "Alright, I'm done here."  
>"Well, you're not gonna find any trace of that special herb in my system. I learned my lesson the last time, thanks to all of you."<br>"You mean these people aren't drugged - they simply adore you for who you are?" Marissa said cynically.  
>"Yeah." He grins at her. "Innit great?" John rolls his eyes. Lucius' smile fades. "You don't believe me."<br>"Well, Lucius, I have a lab set up, so I think I'll just run the tests anyway." Carson said.  
>"You're wasting your time. In all modesty, these people love me, pure and true."<br>"Lucius, you can't say anything modestly!" John said.  
>"I saved them." The team exchange sarcastic glances. "A couple of months ago this bunch of ruffians come into town, start causing trouble. I beat 'em up, I chase 'em away, and all of a sudden I'm the town hero. They give me gifts; the women are throwing themselves at me..." John looks pointedly at his watch again, while Rodney shakes his head in exasperation. "...It's like the old days, except better, because now they're not drugged."<br>"Hang on, hang on. So you beat them up." Rodney repeated.  
>"Yes! Me! I did!"<br>"How'd you manage that?" Ronon asked.  
>"It's not so hard ... when you're invincible." Lucius grins at the team. "I'm invincible."<br>John laughs. "Right!"  
>"Alright. Looks like this is gonna take some convincing." Lucius gets off the table and looks around the square. "Let me see." He notices three men straining nearby as they haul a large pallet of heavy sacks into the air on a pulley outside a building. "Hey! Time for a demonstration." He walks underneath the pallet as the ropes groan ominously under the weight of the sacks.<br>"What is he...?" Marissa trialed off.  
>As Rodney stands up to get a better look, Lucius stands underneath the pallet and waves to the men.<br>"Let it go." Lucius said. John stands up and takes off the sunshades he's been wearing up until now. The men on the rope don't do anything for a moment. "Trust me. Trust me."  
>The men release the rope and the pallet plunges towards the ground. It breaks over Lucius' head and the sacks burst, spraying flour everywhere. The villagers gasp. For a split second no-one can see what has happened to Lucius but we do see a green glow shimmer briefly amidst the cloud of flour. The cloud clears, and Lucius is standing there unharmed. The villagers cry out in awe.<br>"Oh, my God!" Rodney said amazed.  
>Nonchalantly, Lucius steps forward and looks at Ronon, pointing to his own head. "Hit me."<br>"Don't!" John said to Ronon.  
>"C'mon." Lucius beckoned.<br>Grinning, Ronon gets off the table and walks towards Lucius.  
>"I wouldn't! I'm telling you - don't." Rodney warned.<br>Ignoring him, Ronon grins and squares up to Lucius, then throws a hard punch at him. His fist impacts a green glow just before it reaches his face. Ronon's face crumples in pain and he turns away, clutching his injured fist and trying not to cry out. Carson grimaces in sympathy.  
>"See? Invincible." Lucius grinned. Ronon continues to clutch his hand, whining in pain. "I can't be vinced."<p>

•  
><strong>LATER.<strong>

Lucius and the team (minus Carson) are sitting round a table in the tavern. Lucius opens his jacket and takes out a small green glowing device attached to his shirt. It is the same type of personal shield that Rodney found. He attaches it to his jacket.  
>"As it turns out, I had this personal shield all along. It was a gift from one of my many admirers back at the old village - you know, before I was forced to pack up and leave, thank you very much! Anyway, I didn't even know what it was until I went to Atlantis. I perused some of the mission reports about the Ancient device that you guys discovered ..."<br>"You did an awful lot of perusing while you were on the base." McKay said.  
>"I peruse. It's a gift." Rodney grimaces. Lucius looks round at the barmaid as she passes by with a jug. "Hey, sweetheart. What'd you say you come by my place tonight...?"<br>"No thanks." She starts to walk on but Lucius holds his hand out to stop her.  
>"Wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm the town hero!"<br>"That was ages ago. She walks away. Rodney smiles as Lucius turns back to the team.  
>"Let me tell you something. You're only as good as your last rescue."<br>"How is it that you're able to operate the Ancient technology without the A.T.A. gene?" McKay asked.  
>"Oh, that was easy. All I had to do was find a guy with the gene, have him initiate the device. I mean, it took a long time but, you know, once it was done, I could activate this thing any time I wanted."<br>"Fascinating! You do know those things run out of juice eventually, don't you?" John said.  
>"Come on - these Ancient things last forever." Lucius grins at the team. "Look, lunch is on me." He drops some coins onto a plate and stands up. "I'm gonna go take a walk. If I don't see you before you leave, well, then, I'll just, uh, well, I'll talk to you later."<br>"We're not going anywhere 'til we get those test results." John said.

Lucius shrugs. "Whatever you want. People to save."  
>He leaves the tavern. John and Marissa both sigh.<br>"Well, what do you think?" John asked.  
>"Maybe he's learned a lesson." Marissa said.<br>"He's Lucius! Are you kidding me?" McKay said.  
>"Well, he's made a lot of mistakes in the past, but who hasn't?" John looks pointedly at Rodney.<br>"Why are you looking at me?"  
>"Look, at least he's trying to do something good in order to get people to like him this time."<br>Carson comes in. "Well, I've completed my tests. Looks like Lucius is telling the truth. No traces of the drug in his system. He's clean."  
>"That's our cue to leave." John stands up.<br>"Woah-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, wait. Am I the only person here who thinks he is taking advantage of these poor people?" McKay asked.  
>"C'mon, Rodney - you just want another crack at that shield." John said.<br>"You're damned right I do! Look, it could come in extremely handy." The rest of the team are already on their feet and start to leave the tavern. "It's practically wasting it!"  
>The team heads outside. John spots the man from earlier nearby. "Where's Lucius?"<br>"He went out for a stroll. He should be returning shortly."  
>"Well, whenever he gets back, tell him we said goodbye."<br>They start to walk away.  
>"Uh ... um ... alright."<br>"I think we're makin' a mistake." Ronon said to John.  
>"Well, we'll have the Athosians keep an eye on everyone. If anything gets out of control, we'll come back."<br>Nearby, a woman screams in terror. Instantly the team raises their weapons and aims them in all directions as some men walk into the square aiming pistols and rifles and surround them. The men are wearing dusty brown jackets or coats. What with their clothing and their very old fashioned Earth-looking weaponry, they look like the bad guys from a cowboy movie. The townspeople cry out in alarm as the men shove them out of the way and surround Team Sheppard. The leader of the men points his pistol at John, Marissa and Ronon, who have put their backs to each other and are covering as much of the square as they can. Carson and Rodney are nearby, also aiming their pistols out at the bad guys.  
>"Drop your weapons or die where you stand." The leader commanded. There's a long stand-off while John and the others evaluate their position. "I said drop your weapons."<br>"We're not lookin' for a fight. We're just passing through town." John said.  
>Ronon spoke quietly to John, "I've got two on my right and one straight dead ahead."<br>John spoke equally as quietly, "Two at twelve o'clock and one behind the fruit stand."  
>"If we act now, we risk injuring innocent villagers." Carson said equally as quietly.<br>"And us! We risk injuring us!" Rodney said.  
>"I can take my three out before they get a shot off." Ronon said.<br>"There may be others hidden where we can't see." Marissa said.  
>Rodney looks up at the rooftops nervously.<br>Ronon spoke to John, "It's your call."  
>John thinks for a moment, then speaks louder, aiming his voice at the leader. "Here's the thing: if we all start shootin' at each other, somebody's bound to get hurt." He moves slowly away from the other two, still aiming his P90. One of the leader's cronies moves to cover him. "I can pretty much guarantee you'll be one of 'em."<br>"Are you this hero we've heard rumors of?" The leader asked.  
>John raises his head, reluctant to say otherwise, but then decides to be honest. "No."<br>The leader looks around and sees the barmaid standing nearby. "Come here." He walks over and grabs her, drags her across the square and then points his pistol at her head. "Then lower your weapons."  
>The team hesitates. The leader's crony aims his pistol more pointedly at John's head. It's an old fashioned revolver and John is looking at it head-on. He realizes that the barrels are empty. He shrugs.<br>"OK."  
>"Sheppard?" Ronon asked.<br>"Trust me on this one." John slowly kneels down and puts his rifle on the ground. The others follow suit. The leader's cronies run in and handcuff their hands behind their backs. Meanwhile the leader drags the barmaid forward, still holding a gun on her.  
>"So where is this hero - one who'd surely stop us from emptying the town's coffers, helping ourselves to its women, burning it to the ground once we're done?" He looks around at the terrified townspeople. "So tell me - where is he? Where is this great hero who'd keep us from destroying everything you hold dear?"<br>"He's right here!" The townspeople gasp, then begin to applaud and cheer as Lucius walks into view. John rolls his eyes. "For I am the man you seek."  
>The leader releases the barmaid and aims his pistol at Lucius. "Kill him!"<br>His men grab some planks of wood and rush towards Lucius. Encircling him, they start trying to hit him with the planks but Lucius just stands there with his hands on his hips, smiling as the wood shatters against his shield. Once all the wood is broken and the men pause for a moment, Lucius dramatically puts one arm behind his back and beckons to the man directly in front of him. The man runs at him and Lucius punches him to the ground, backhanding the man behind him on his backswing. Each of the other men run at him and Lucius punches each one down, tossing the last two into the walled pond in the middle of the square.  
>"Get out! And don't come back!" Lucius yelled. The men stumble to their feet and stagger out of the town square. "For so long as I protect these people, this town shall be safe."<br>The townspeople cheer and rush towards Lucius to hug him. Team Sheppard, still on their knees and handcuffed, watch the adoration with various looks of disgust or amazement. John, the only one who knows what's going on, smiles ironically. The townspeople start up a chant of "Lucius! Lucius!"

**LATER. **

**TAVERN. **

Lucius is telling another of his stories to an enraptured audience as Team Sheppard walks in.  
>"So I finish off the last Wraith guard and I turn around and I look at the Queen and I say, 'You know, if you were twenty pounds heavier, you'd look like my ex-wife.'" He laughs uproariously as the townspeople join in. The team walks over to Lucius and sees that he is sitting at the table with the barmaid happily sitting on his lap. "I said that 'cause she was so fat! Hey, Colonel Sheppard! Hey, come in! Sit down, sit down." He turned to the people sitting at the table, "Make way - let 'em have a seat."<br>The people get up from their seats.  
>"No, no, we have to go." John said.<br>"You sure? Because they're making some kind of a schnitzel in my honor tonight."  
>"No, we've gotta get back."<br>"Oh. Well, I guess the only thing left to do is for you to thank me."  
>"What for?" Ronon asked.<br>"For saving your lives."  
>John grimaces at Ronon, then smiles falsely at Lucius. "Thank you."<br>"Please - it was nothing."  
>"Yeah, it was nothing."<br>"What are you talking about, it was nothing? These people had you on your knees." Lucius said angrily.  
>"Yes, they did."<br>"Well? You're welcome." The team turns and leaves. Lucius calls after them, "Be careful on the way back to the Gate, because there's talk of some angry raiders in the area!"  
>Ronon, who has already left the tavern, turns to go back in again, shoving Rodney out of his way. John stops him. "No, no, no, no. Let's go."<br>He turns Ronon around again. Ronon sighs angrily and they head off. Inside the tavern, Lucius looks round at his people. "You know what? I think I'm gonna go out for a walk, take a look around - make sure those ruffians are gone for good, alright?" He stands up, then turns to the barmaid and pulls her close as she smiles at him. "Don't you worry." He kisses her. "I'll be back."  
>҉<br>**WOODLAND.**

Lucius walks rapidly into the woods, checking around him frequently to make sure that nobody is following him. He walks onto a wooden bridge across a stream and pauses, again looking around cautiously. He heads on; stopping again later to check around him once more, then continues walking and eventually comes to a clearing where a small wooden building can be seen. On the grass outside the building are the bad guys. The Leader from earlier is tending to one of his men who is sitting on the ground. He stands up as Lucius approaches.  
>"Nice job, everybody! Very convincing."<br>"A little too convincing. You took out three of Lanko's teeth and broke Fortnum's wrist." Fortnum is the man he was just tending to, who is now putting a sling around his neck to support his bound hand.  
>"Hey, I had to make it look good." Lucius reaches into his inside jacket pocket. "Anyway, here's a little something that may make it worthwhile."<br>He takes out a small bag and hands it to the leader. The leader opens it and looks inside. The bag jingles with the sound of coins. "This isn't the amount we agreed on."  
>"Yeah, well, to tell you the truth, you guys didn't really seem to have your hearts in it."<br>"We had a deal."  
>"Maybe next time you'll make more of an effort."<br>"How dare you speak down to us? We were elite soldiers in the Genii army - Cowen's personal guard."  
>"Yeah, you were. Now you're mercenaries. C'mon - as far as jobs for hire go, this wasn't so bad. You come in, you scare a few people, you take a few punches, then you leave. You get paid, nobody gets hurt ... well, except for Lanko, and of course Fortnum with his gimpy wrist." Lucius turned to Fortnum, "Sorry about that, buddy."<br>"We may have been forced from our homes when Ladon Radim took power. We're still Genii, and one of these days we'll march into the capital and retake what was ours." The leader said.  
>"Yeah, well, good luck with that." Lucius turns and walks away into the woods. Unseen by him or the mercenaries, Marissa is up a tree at the edge of the clearing. Underneath her, the rest of the team is crouched down in the bushes. They have heard the entire conversation.<br>҉  
><strong>TOWN SQUARE.<strong>

Lucius is standing with a group of townspeople, all of them laughing happily. Lucius is encouraging a small boy to try to kick him in the groin but the boy's foot hits the shield every time and everyone laughs. Lucius holds his arms out to the crowd.  
>"Please, come on! There you go, yeah! Anybody else? Anybody else wanna take a crack at me, huh?" As the people laugh uproariously, Team Sheppard walks back into the village. "Hey! Hey, what are you doing back here? I thought you left town?"<br>"Well, we were leaving when we ran into this gentleman who has a very interesting story to tell." John said. He gestures to Fortnum, his arm now in a sling, who is brought in by Ronon. Lucius stares at him in panic, and then turns nervously to the townspeople.  
>"Uh, speaking of stories, um ... did I ever tell you the story about the time that I was on this planet made entirely of lava..."<br>"There's no point in pretending, Lucius." Marissa said.  
>"You lied to these people." Ronon said.<br>John spoke to the townspeople. "This man's not a hero. He paid those men to show up and then made it look like he came to your rescue."  
>"It's true. It was all a set-up to make him look like he saved the town." Fortnum said.<br>Lucius bows his head. Nearby, the helpful villager from earlier stands up and stares angrily. "Deceiver!"  
>"Well, you do have every right to be upset with him." John said.<br>"Not him - you."  
>"Me?"<br>"Unable to accept the shame of surrendering to those raiders..." he points at John "...he chooses to besmirch our Lucius."  
>The townspeople nod and murmur angrily as Lucius raises his head hopefully.<br>"The whole thing was an act! The guns weren't even loaded!" John yelled.  
>"If it were not for Lucius, you and your friends would all be dead." The fruit stand owner called out.<br>"Yeah!" The townspeople chorused.  
>"No, no! He tricked you! You don't know him like we do." Carson said.<br>"We're the good guys." McKay said.  
>The townspeople scoff and move towards the team, protesting angrily. Lucius watches with a smug smile on his face.<p>

**LATER.**

Lucius is lying on top of his bed in his house. Two women are kneeling at the foot of the bed, each massaging one of his bare feet. Team Sheppard is nearby, watching with distaste.  
>"Listen, I wanna apologies for the whole angry mob thing." Lucius said. He picks a grape from a fruit bowl beside him and eats it.<br>"I guess we should be grateful." Marissa said reluctantly.  
>"Yes, well, he did stop them from swarming us." McKay said.<br>"Just consider it my way of saying all is forgiven." Lucius said.  
>John moved forward angrily. "Alright, I'm putting a stop to this."<br>Lucius looked at the women. "Oh, c'mon! They just got started!"  
>"I'm not talkin' about the foot massage ... actually, I am talkin' about the foot massage!"<br>"Alright, alright. Girls, come back later, alright?" The women stand up and leave the house.  
>"This little scam of yours..." John trails off.<br>Lucius was sitting up and looking indignant. "Scam? What scam?"  
>"You're taking advantage of these people." Marissa said.<br>"I know it looks that way, but I was being honest about that bunch of thugs that attacked this village a couple of months ago. You know, this is a nice town, nice people, and they needed somebody to save 'em, so I did. I was a hero! Now, today's incident-"  
>"You mean performance." McKay interrupted.<br>"It was just my way of reminding them of that fact, but I insisted the guns not be loaded so nobody would get hurt."  
>"That was nice of you!" John said.<br>"Yeah - then you had to go and figure it all out."  
>"You're goin' out there right now and you're gonna come clean with these people."<br>"Or else." Ronon said.  
>"Or else what?" Ronon stands up and walks towards him threateningly. "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah. No, you can't threaten me on account of my shield..." he gestures towards the town square "...and they're not gonna believe you." He smiles smugly. "Hey, you're trying to figure out a way to hurt me, aren't you?"<br>"Yep." Ronon said ominously.  
>"Yeah. Well, you keep thinkin', big boy, because..." He is interrupted by the sounds of gunfire and screaming from outside. The team heads towards the windows, but then John turns and points at Lucius accusingly. "It's not me this time, I swear."<br>The gunfire continues as the townspeople run screaming. A group of Genii soldiers, this time in uniform, walks into the town square wielding Genii rifles. Amongst them is a very familiar face. John stares in shock. "Kolya!"  
>The team continues to watch from behind the curtained windows as the soldiers clear the square. John goes to the back window to check what's happening back there. "The soldiers are Genii. They're part of a-"<br>"Oh, I know all about Kolya and the Genii. When I was on Atlantis, I perused-"

"-mission reports, right, right."

"This is very bad." Carson said.  
>"No, no, this is great. This'll be a great opportunity for me to solidify my place in the community. They're gonna give me a parade after this one!" Lucius turns towards the door.<br>"Hey, hang on! You're not takin' on Kolya and his men!" John said.  
>"Why not? They can't hurt me. I've got the personal shield."<br>"And if they burn the town down around you out of spite?" McKay asked.  
>"Well, that'd be petty of 'em."<br>"Yeah, well, they're like that." John said.  
>"Obviously somebody tipped them off that we're here." Ronon said.<br>Lucius was walking over to John and gesturing to the door. "So go ahead - shoot him."  
>John stares at the door for a moment. "That's a good idea." He cocks his rifle and heads for the door.<br>"Colonel, you can't." Marissa said.  
>"This is Kolya." John said.<br>"The shooting won't stop them."  
>"She's right. We'll have to kill 'em all." Ronon looks at John. "I'm alright with that, by the way."<br>"Good! Let's do it."  
>"John." Marissa said sternly.<br>"What?"  
>"You can't."<br>"Oh, I'm pretty sure I can. In fact-"  
>"If we engage in open fire with them, then many of these townspeople will <em>certainly<em> be killed. They don't deserve to die because of us." John grimaces. "If they search the town and can't find us, then they'll simply move on."  
>"Nobody gets hurt. That's my vote and my heartfelt recommendation." Carson said.<br>"You wanna hide." John said.  
>"Well, we could call it strategic concealment." McKay said.<br>"I got just the place." Lucius said.  
>"I'm sure you do!" John said.<br>Lucius walks across to a grandfather clock and opens the glass over the face. "Here." He pushes the minute hand down to the 'half-past' position and closes the glass. The wall behind the clock opens and reveals a secret room behind. "See, I like to entertain and on occasion a husband'll get angry, come lookin' for his wife, so to avoid an awkward scenario..."  
>"OK, we get it." Reluctantly, John jerks his head to the team and they go inside.<br>"I'll let you know when the bad guys clear out." Lucius said. He starts to close the door but John turns back to him.  
>"Don't screw around, Lucius, alright? Tell 'em we've moved on. Once they get out of town and they're out in the open, we'll deal with it ourselves. This is no time to be a hero, you understand?"<br>"Perfectly."  
>"I'm serious."<br>"I can see that! No heroics."  
>John scowls at him suspiciously, then steps back and allows the door to close. Lucius walks across to his coat, puts it on and walks outside. In the square, the soldiers are checking the now empty area while some of them are conducting house to house searches.<br>"Alright, that's enough." Kolya turns around to look at him. "Take your men and get out. This town is under my protection."  
>"Is it?" Kolya asked.<br>"It is. So you've got two choices: you can either leave, or I'll make you leave."  
>Kolya smiles, raises his pistol and fires. The blast impacts the shield. Kolya nods, impressed. "Interesting."<br>Lucius smiled. "Is that the best you can do?"  
>"As a matter of fact, no, it isn't."<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

One of Kolya's soldiers is holding Lucius' face down in the well. He releases him and Lucius gasps for breath and coughs. Although he is still dry, he obviously couldn't get any air under water. "I admit - I've got a shield..." he gasps again "...but I've got to breathe. I should have thought of that."  
>The mercenary leader walks across with a couple of Genii guards. "Not so invincible now, are we, hero?"<br>"You led them here?" Lucius asked.  
>"They've been looking for this Sheppard a long time."<br>"We had a deal!"  
>"I saw an opportunity and I took it. No different to what you did with these villagers."<br>"But I haven't hurt anybody. Alright, that guy Lanko, and the one with the gimpy wrist-"  
>"Look, I don't wanna hurt you or anyone in this town. All I want is Sheppard and his team." Kolya said.<br>"But I told you, you missed 'em. Look, maybe if you hurry, you can get 'em before they get to the Gate."  
>"My men are already guarding the Gate." Lucius sighs. "I'll ask you once more: where are they?"<br>"I don't know. I don't!"  
>"Well, then, we'll have to do a thorough job of searching the area, which could take hours. How long can you hold your breath?"<br>Lucius stares at him in dread. The soldier puts his hand on the back of his neck. Although he can't touch him directly through the shield, he pushes his head down into the water again.

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Half a dozen soldiers walk into Lucius' house. One of them walks over to the clock, opens the glass and moves the minute hand to the half-past position. The secret door opens and reveals the room behind, but there's nobody inside. They leave the room and walk back into the square. On an upper level of the house next door, John peers cautiously through the curtained window.  
>"Well, that didn't take too long. Alright, let's get out of this town, set up a decent ambush without all these people around."<br>The team heads out.  
>҉<br>**TOWN SQUARE.**

Kolya walks over to Lucius, who is sitting on the edge of the pond. He sits down next to him. "They weren't there."  
>Lucius looks at him in surprise. "Really? That's weird. I wonder where they could have gone?"<br>"That personal shield of yours is very interesting."  
>"Yeah."<br>"If we were to bury you alive, it would protect you from the weight of the soil, but you would still suffocate. A fascinating way to die, don't you think?"  
>"Gotta tell you, it's not that fascinating to me."<br>Kolya laughs. "It is to me." He nods to his soldiers and stands up as the men walk over to Lucius.  
>"Wait, wait. You can't kill me. Look, I'm the perfect bait. If Sheppard finds out that I'm in trouble, he's gonna come rescue me. We're really close."<br>"You and Sheppard?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"I don't think so."  
>"Then Illyria, or Rodney, or Carson. We're like the best of friends."<br>"And how is it you know them so well?"  
>"Well enough to know Sheppard isn't the real father of those Twins." Lucius raised an eyebrow. "I spent some time in Atlantis. It's the nicest place I've ever been, best time I ever had. It's like, I remember like I was there this morning."<br>"Tell me more."  
>҉<br>**TAVERN.**

Lucius is sitting at a table with the mercenary leader and some of Kolya's soldiers. Kolya is sitting on a stool nearby. All of them are drinking from tankards.  
>"So I finish off the last Wraith guard and I turn to the Queen and I say, I say, 'If you were twenty pounds heavier, you'd look like my ex-wife!'" The mercenary leader and the soldiers laugh. "Course, my ex-wife was a knock-out but, you know, where's the funny in that?"<br>"You know, that personal shield's amazing. You mind if I try it?" The mercenary leader asked.  
>"Yeah, go ahead, go ahead."<br>"I'll give it right back." He reaches for it but of course the shield repels him. He and Lucius both laugh.  
>"Got ya! What, you think I'd let you have this? You'd kill me right on the spot!"<br>"Yeah, I'd slit your throat from ear to ear."  
>They both laugh uproariously. The soldiers join in.<br>"Good times!" Lucius looks round at Kolya, who smiles falsely at him. "Good times!"  
>"As much as I love hearing about your former wives, Lucius, I'd rather hear more about what you know of Atlantis."<br>"I told you everything already."  
>"In that case, it's getting late and I could use some rest..." Kolya toasts Lucius with his tankard and raises it towards his mouth "...before the funeral." He drinks.<br>"Funeral?" Lucius's smile fades as Kolya and the others stand up. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, don't bury me alive, please, I don't deserve that." The men start to leave the tavern. "You know what? Nobody deserves that! I deserve banishment! That's what I de-" He trails off as the last of the men leaves the tavern and closes the door.  
>"Lucius?"<br>Lucius looks round to see John behind him with his P90 aimed, having just come in through another door. "What are you doing here?"  
>"Kolya's got all the exits out of town covered and rumor has it they were gonna bury you alive."<br>"I can't believe it! You came to save me?"  
>"Yeah, well neither can I. Let's go."<br>"I can't, I can't. I'm tied into the chair."  
>John sighs, kneels down and bends under the table. Lucius' legs are tied with rope to the legs of the chair, and the rope is then tied to the leg of the table. John's eyes widen as he realizes that also tied to the leg of the table are several sticks of dynamite...and the fuse is burning.<br>"Oh, no!" He rapidly gets up, banging his head on the underside of the table in the process. "Good luck with that shield!" He pats Lucius' shoulder quickly and races out of the tavern.  
>"Hey, what? C'mon, untie me."<br>The tavern explodes in a massive fireball. John, who just made it out into the alleyway in time, is thrown to the ground by the shockwave. Groaning, he tries to get to his feet.  
>In the town square, Ronon charges his blaster and comes out of hiding, aiming his gun around. Nearby, Rodney cries out in pain.<br>"Ow!"  
>Ronon turns towards him, aiming his blaster, as Rodney comes out from a nearby building with his hands raised, followed by Genii soldiers with their guns aimed at him. Realizing that anything he does could result in Rodney's death, and finding more soldiers behind him, Ronon grimaces and raises his hands. A short distance away, Marissa bursts out of a doorway but is immediately surrounded by soldiers. She aims her rifle defensively but then turns to see Carson, his hands behind his head, being escorted towards her by more soldiers. She too surrenders.<br>John finally gets to his feet and takes cover behind a building. He peers around the corner into the square and sees his team being taken to the center of the square at gunpoint. He turns and hurries away.  
>As the team comes to a halt, Rodney turns at the sound of coughing nearby. Lucius stumbles through the broken window of the shattered tavern.<br>"What, are you crazy? You could have killed me!"  
>"That shield of yours impresses me more and more. You did your part, Lucius. You get to live another day." Kolya said. Lucius glares at him, then walks away. Kolya walks over to face the mercenary leader. "Sheppard?"<p>

"He got away."  
>"That's unfortunate." He raises his pistol and fires it at his heart, but the gun just clicks. The mercenary leader stares at him wide-eyed, then sighs with relief.<br>"Thanks for sparing me, sir."  
>"Don't disappoint me again." The leader walks away. Kolya calls out to his soldiers. "Secure the prisoners. Perhaps they'll be more effective bait." As the team is hustled away, Kolya looks down at his pistol and then hands it to a soldier. "Get this fixed."<p>

**LATER.**

Three Genii soldiers make their way through the streets on patrol. Once they've left the area, John comes out of hiding and heads off.  
>҉<br>**TOWN JAIL.**

The rest of Team Sheppard is leaning against the bars of the jail.  
>"Do you think he got away? Marissa asked.<br>"If they'd captured the colonel, wouldn't he be here with us?" Carson asked.  
>"He'll be back in a Jumper in no time." McKay said.<br>The helpful village man from earlier approaches with a tray holding four bowls of something like soup or stew. He looks around to check that no soldiers are nearby and takes the tray over to the team. Rodney grabs one quickly and immediately tucks in.  
>"Your friend escaped the village." He gives a bowl to each of the others. "They're still looking for him."<br>"If they haven't found him yet, chances are he managed to slip the perimeter." McKay said.  
>"Yes." He smiles. "He and Lucius are no doubt plotting our rescue as we speak."<br>"Lucius?"  
>"He would not abandon us."<br>"Oh, sure he wouldn't, just like he wouldn't sell us out while we were trying to rescue him."  
>"He would never do that."<br>"OK, you know what? Just stop it, alright? Lucius is not a superhero. Batman - that's a superhero."  
>"I don't understand."<br>"Your people can't place their future in Lucius' hands. The time has come for you to save yourselves." Marissa said.  
>"We have no hope of defeating these soldiers."<br>"You will with our help." Ronon said.  
>"Then why did you not do so before?"<br>"We're concerned for the safety of the village." Marissa said.  
>"Now we don't care." Ronon said.<br>"OK, just pretend he didn't say that, and then just let us out of here." McKay said.  
>"No. It's too dangerous. Best to wait for Lucius to return, then he'll save us all." He turns and walks away.<br>"No, wait! Lucius isn't a hero!" Carson called after him.  
>҉<br>**PARK.**

Four Genii soldiers run down a path. Once they're gone, John comes out of hiding in some bushes and makes his way cautiously onwards. He hears twigs snapping in a bush nearby and turns quickly, aiming his P90. Lucius bursts out of hiding, holding his hands out placating.  
>"Don't. Don't. Don't. I swear I didn't know about the bomb. I don't know what those guys were doing under the table."<br>"How the hell did you get out here?" John asked.  
>"Everybody's looking for you. I just walked out unnoticed. Isn't that something? So what are we gonna do?" He and John start to make their way carefully through the park, John checking the area at all times.<br>"What are we gonna do? Well, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna get by Kolya's men so I can get to the Gate and call for reinforcements."  
>"Reinforcements? What d'you say we just get off this planet?"<br>"My team is back there!"  
>"Yeah, so is the guy who wants to bury me alive."<br>"Oh, you're done playing hero now, are you? Fine - you can leave as soon as we get to the Gate. Just keep up."  
>"You're angry, aren't you?"<br>"Shut up." John growled.  
>"See - that's anger."<br>҉  
><strong>TOWN JAIL.<strong>

Ronon has climbed onto the bars and is trying to shake them loose. When he can't manage it, he gets down and directs an angry kick at them. Carson sighs and turns around to see Rodney chipping away at the cement of the solid rear wall with his spoon. Carson closes his eyes briefly in disbelief.  
>"Rodney, you're not tryin' to dig your way out of here, are you?" Carson asked.<br>"See if you can find another spoon. With someone helping, this would go twice as fast."  
>"Someone's coming." Marissa said.<br>Rodney tries to cover the hole as Kolya and a couple of soldiers approach.  
>"I have to give Colonel Sheppard credit. No opponent's ever caused me this much trouble. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to kill him."<br>"That's funny - he says the same thing about you." McKay said.  
>"Really?" Kolya laughs. "I'm flattered."<br>"But you can't kill him if you can't catch him." Ronon said.  
>"I will, eventually."<br>"And what about us, huh? How do we fit into your evil plans for galactic domination?" McKay asked.  
>"You'll be allowed to stay alive for the time being ... unless you were stupid enough to eat the meal you were served." Rodney gasps and clutches at his throat in a panic. In the process the spoon he had concealed up his sleeve falls out and drops to the floor with a clatter. Kolya laughs. "I'm just kidding."<br>McKay was taking his hands away from his throat. "Oh, thank God."  
>"In fact, I intend to send you back to Atlantis in exchange for a few things."<br>"There's no way Queen Illyria would cut a deal with you, even if our lives were in danger. You know that." Carson said.  
>"In the past I may have been a little too ambitious with my demands. This time, however, I have no intention of backing Queen Illyria into a corner. After all, what's a small number of your P90s, a few grenades and some ammunition in exchange for your lives? And, who knows? If we're successful in toppling Ladon and I assume rightful leadership of the Genii, we could end up allies."<br>"That's not gonna happen, Kolya." Ronon growled.  
>"While we're standing here having this little chat, there's no doubt Colonel Sheppard has reached the Stargate and contacted Atlantis. In just a matter of minutes, this village will be swarming with our people." McKay said.<br>"And I can guarantee you that's not going to happen either."  
>҉<br>**WOODS.**

John and Lucius are making their way through the trees. They reach the edge of a clearing and look out cautiously. The Stargate is in the distance, and is surrounded by Genii soldiers.  
>"I don't believe this. Isn't that the worst thing you could imagine?" Lucius asked.<br>Kolya's voice comes over the radio. _"Colonel Sheppard?"_ John puts his hand to his earpiece, then gestures to Lucius to keep quiet as Kolya continues speaking. _"I'm going to assume you can hear me. I'm also going to assume that if you haven't reached the Gate by now, you soon will, so I wanna save you some trouble. My men have secured the Gate. There's no way you're getting through. Come back and face me, Colonel - or I'll start killing your friends."_  
>Kolya, who is standing outside the jail, pulls his pistol out of its holster and aims it at the team. "Which one of them shall we kill first? I'm leaning toward Doctor McKay, myself. Colonel?"<br>_"Kolya, this is Sheppard. I'm comin' back."_  
>"Don't keep me waiting." He deactivates the radio.<br>"That's what this is all about? Killing Sheppard?" McKay asked.  
>"Absolutely, Doctor McKay. But don't feel left out. If I don't get those weapons from Queen Illyria, I fully intend to kill you as well."<br>҉  
><strong>PARK.<strong>

John and Lucius are heading back towards the town.  
>"I'm coming with you." Lucius said.<br>"You sure?"  
>"No. Um ... yeah, I am, I am. I'm coming with you...just..." He dithers.<br>"Yes or no?"  
>"I ... Don't pressure me like this! I'm gonna come with you..."<br>"Make up your mind!"

"... and I'll help you out, OK? Oh, boy - they'd better give me a parade for this one."  
>҉<br>**TOWN.**

The mercenary leader and some others come to the jail. The leader starts to unlock the door.  
>"What's going on?" McKay asked.<br>The leader pushes the door open as the guards aim their weapons. "Out." The team starts to leave the cell. "Let's go!"  
>The team is escorted towards the town square.<br>҉  
><strong>PARK.<strong>  
>"I'm just spit-balling here: what if we hugged each other and the device would ... would, uh, you know, help us, uh-"<br>"I don't like that idea ..." John trailed.  
>"No, I know, I don't think..."<p>

"... and it's not possible."  
>"Yeah, it doesn't work that way. OK, OK: what if I swung from a clock tower on a long rope right into town?"<br>"And?"

"...I dunno. That's all I have. I could set myself on fire."  
>"I like that."<p>

"...OK. Um, I could run naked. Oh, I know, I know! What if I got on your shoulders and we have a cloak that they ... it's some religious thing ... they could be afraid of giants. OK, what if we build a tunnel, OK? We could tunnel ... or a boulder - a huge boulder. I'm camouflaged, I'm protected, now the boulder protects you ... or, um ... a magnifying glass and some tape..."  
>"I have an idea, Lucius."<p>

"...some poisoned tape!"  
>҉<br>**TOWN**.

In one of the houses, the helpful village man, the barmaid and some others are nervously looking out into the town square through the windows. Lucius comes in through the back door.  
>"Lucius!"<br>"I knew you'd return to save us." The barmaid smiled.  
>"I've returned, but you people, you're gonna have to save yourselves."<br>"What?"  
>"You do not wish to help us?" The helpful village man asked.<br>"Oh, no, no, no, of course I wanna help, but it's just, uh ... Look, what if I wasn't here? What would you do then?"  
>"Wait for you to come back?"<br>"Alright, there's the problem. What if I didn't know that you were in trouble, or I couldn't get back in time? What would you do then? I mean, look, you're a great group of people, it's a lovely town, but there's a lot of horrible people out there, so you've gotta fend for yourselves, starting today."  
>"I understand what Lucius is saying." The barmaid said.<br>"You do?"  
>"By allowing him to assume the responsibility of protecting us, we're surrendering our independence."<br>"That's right."  
>"Right? So, in exchange for the convenience of having someone safeguard our town, we're giving up the very part of ourselves we seek to protect."<br>"Listen to her. She's smart."  
>"We need to regain our strength and our independence by taking responsibility for our lives, and the lives of our neighbors."<br>The townspeople start to understand, and nod in agreement.  
>"Yep." Lucius smiled.<br>"After today, we will no longer be dependent on one man." The barmaid continued.  
>"Well..." Lucius lost his smile.<br>"There will be no champion protector, for it will fall to us to protect..."  
>"OK, OK, hold on. Wait, wait, wait, wait. You're getting a little carried away here. OK, independence is a great thing, but so is the comfort of having somebody there to pick up the slack now and again, OK? You don't wanna be doing it all the time because you've all got jobs, or you have hobbies, right?" Lucius gestures to a man with a long black beard. "Beardo here, he likes to fish, right? You don't wanna be bothered by having to rise up and save the village every day, you know what I mean? But that's a thought for another day, OK? For today, you're gonna have to fight for yourselves, OK? So remember what you said about strength and integrity and responsibility, so you get out there and you fight for your town, go to the alleys, spread the word. Now, go! Get out, get out!"<br>Enthused by his speech and that of the barmaid, the townspeople chatter to each other encouragingly as they head out.  
>҉<br>**TOWN SQUARE.**  
>"Colonel Sheppard?" Kolya spoke into a radio.<br>"Maybe he changed his mind." The mercenary leader suggested.  
>"You're out of time, Colonel." He deactivates the radio and tosses it away. Drawing his pistol, he walks towards the team. "Doctor McKay."<br>Ronon steps in front of Rodney. "Me first."  
>Marissa stepped forward. "No, me."<br>Carson also stepped forward. "I'll do it."  
>"Um..." McKay mumbled.<br>"Well, how positively moving. I almost wish I could shoot you all at once." Kolya said. He raises his pistol and aims it.  
>"Kolya!"<br>Kolya turns to see John standing on the other side of the square. He holsters his pistol as John walks closer.  
>"I should have killed you when we first met, Colonel. It would have saved me a lot of trouble."<br>"The feeling's mutual."  
>"Goodbye, Sheppard."<br>All around John, Kolya's soldiers open fire on him. The bullets bounce harmlessly off a green glow which surrounds him. John smiles smugly as the soldiers continue to fire until they have all emptied their weapons.  
>"Well, now that you've got that out of your system..." John unzips his vest and reveals the shield device attached to his T-shirt. He laughs, but his smile fades as the device fritzes and its green light flickers. "Oh, crap!"<br>The device groans as it deactivates.  
>Kolya calls over his shoulder, "Reload!"<br>"Don't bother."  
>Kolya and his soldiers turn as Lucius walks into view, followed by some of the townspeople.<br>"You should have left town when you had the chance." Kolya said.  
>Lucius smiles as, all around the square, the townspeople burst out of their houses carrying various implements like shovels and pitchforks, together with some rifles. They surround the soldiers, forcing them to lower their weapons. Lucius smiles at Kolya.<br>"I'm sure you're thinking the same thing right about now." Lucia said.  
>John turned to Kolya, "If I gave you the opportunity to surrender, I don't suppose you'd take it?" Kolya smiles, then chuckles ironically. "I didn't think so."<br>Everyone goes quiet as John and Kolya face up to each other. They lock gazes as their respective hands hovering near their gun holsters. It's a classic Wild West shootout scene: all that's missing is the Ennio Morricone music. There's a long dramatic pause, then Kolya goes for his gun. John is quicker and fires a single shot. It hits Kolya right in the heart. With a grunt, he falls to the ground.  
>John spoke to the soldiers. "Put down your weapons."<br>The soldiers comply. Lucius claps his hands in delight and grins. John stares down at Kolya's body.

**LATER.**

The soldiers are gone. The townspeople are preparing a feast as Lucius walks with Team Sheppard. "You sure you guys can't stay for some schnitzel? I mean, this is a party for you guys as much as anybody, right?"  
>"You guys have a good time. We're overdue. Illyria pitches a fit if we're even a few hours late." John said.<br>"Well, thanks for everything."  
>"Just remember: stay out of trouble or we'll be back."<br>"Oh, Colonel Sheppard?" John turns to face him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"  
>"Oh, yeah! I did say I'd give that back to you, didn't I?" He takes the shield device out of his vest pocket.<br>"Yes, you did." John sticks the device onto Lucius' shirt. "You're a good man. You're an honest man, and you made me a better man myself, you know that, don't you?"  
>"Good. Bye, Lucius." Grinning smugly, he turns away. The rest of the team follows him.<br>"I thought you said that personal shield was depleted." McKay said.  
>"Oh, yeah." John said.<br>"Then it's worthless." Marissa said.  
>"Pretty much."<br>"You're not gonna tell Lucius?" Carson asked.  
>"No..." Behind him, Lucius turns to a young boy.<br>"Kick me as hard as you can." The boy aims a kick at Lucius' groin. "Ow!"

"... He'll figure it out."  
>As Lucius continues to cry out in pain, the team continues on without looking back.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**NIGHT**

**JOHN & ILLYRIA'S APARTMENT**

John forced himself to sit up but he couldn't. The Tavern explosion crack a few ribs. As soon as Illyria saw she dragged Carson over to bandage them up. His bandaged ribs were giving him more pain than usual. John groaned. After years of getting injuries on missions, he was irritated that the pain worsened each time. He depressingly wondered if he had gotten too old.  
>"What are you trying to do?" A nagging voice spoke up. John noticed that a tiny silhouette had appeared at his doorway.<br>"What does it look like?" The black-haired man replied crossly.

He ignored the pain of knives jabbing into his rib cage and forced himself upwards. Before he knew it, Illyria was at his side. She systematically took two large cushions and placed them behind the injured man. John resentfully leaned back into the soft support.  
>"There," Illyria said with a smile. The brunette then sat down on the bed next to her fiancé. She softly took out her medical set under the lamp desk. John made a disapproving sound as he knew what she was going to do. "If I don't do this, you'll heal slower." She understood his every mannerism, although she sometimes wished he was easier to handle.<br>"It would heal eventually. I don't need it." John scoffed. Illyria ignored him as she swiftly unwrapped a bandage to reveal the jagged gash that punctured deep into his left arm. Illyria routinely began to clean the open wound. "Illyria."  
>"Mm-hmm?"<br>"Is there a doctor that can do this?" John questioned. He was taken aback when Illyria suddenly flashed him with her eyes in fury.  
>"Why are you asking me that, John?" She asked, a bitterness began rising in her throat. She dabbed the ointment onto the deep laceration with more force than needed. John flinched at each jab.<br>"'Lyria." He said adamantly. He took one her hands and brought it down onto the bed. Illyria's hurtful eyes locked with his irked ones. John tried explaining: "I don't like you seeing this."  
>Illyria looked confused. "I've seen worse, and I've done worse. Now don't be difficult." John held Illyria's hand down with more strength. She just gave him a look before commanding: "What's this about, John?"<br>John covered his wound with a clean area of his previous bandage. He sat silently, as if choosing his words carefully. His eyes stared thoughtfully into her eyes and he simply said, "I should be the one taking care of you, Illyria. Not the other way around."  
>"Well, no one's better at that than you." Illyria said jokingly, hoping that the slight humor would lift his spirits up.<br>John didn't show any response. He sat stolidly, deep in his thoughts. Illyria understood that he needed more reassuring, but on his time too. She sighed at her incomplete work. Maybe she should just continue cleansing the wound tomorrow morning.

"Hey, let me wrap this up." She said and John removed his hand away. After making sure the new bandage was snug around his wound, Illyria turned to the stoic-looking John. "Sweetie, you're worrying too much again." She said gently, and touched his left palm. Almost by habit, John wrapped his fingers around hers.  
>"You stole my line." He smiled, wincing slightly. "I can't move without experiencing twice the pain." He spoke with a stern jaw, refusing to meet with her eyes.<br>"You sustained your injuries just this afternoon. Of course you'll be in a lot of pain."  
>"My threshold used to be higher."<br>"That's normal. Kids grew their pain out as they grow."  
>John didn't look satisfied. His concerned green eyes looked into her blue-gray orbs, and he asked "If I get weaker, who is going to protect you and the kids?"<br>"I am." Illyria said, in a determined voice. "You might not notice this over the past few months while you're busy fighting on missions, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."  
>John listened as he gently cast his eyes over Illyria. He took in her long sweeping brown hair that framed her frail figure and her soft eyes that had seen him through and through again. He didn't want to admit it, but despite Illyria's fragile exterior, she was someone that could stand on her own. She could stand tall without him too. The last thought gutted him in the stomach.<br>"You should be with someone who could give you more." John said seriously.  
>"I don't need more, idiot," Illyria rolled her eyes. "I just need you…<em>off<em> the pain medication."

To prove her point, Illyria shifted her body towards John and pressed her lips against his. The initial sensations numb their minds, but their hands quickly took hold of each other. John returned the kiss ardently and their lips continued to mold in frenzy. He began to forget his insecurities in their heat of intimacy, as his feelings were quickly replaced by a devoted longing he had long pushed aside. With each kiss, John felt his heart grew whole as it mended each worry and concern he had for their future together.  
>John was pleasantly surprised when Illyria moved carefully to sit on his lap. He immediately wrapped his long arms around the slim girl to feel the warmth of her body pressing against his. As the kisses grew fervent, John let Illyria's weight bring him lower onto the bed.<br>Almost suddenly, Illyria let go and distanced herself from his grasp. John was surprised but didn't show it. Instead, he looked up into the girl's face and noticed that she was blushing furiously.  
>"Are you okay?" he asked her gently, ignoring the throbbing desire inside of him.<br>Illyria nodded. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "We should not go further."  
>"Why not?" John didn't want to push her, but his insecurities were quickly returning.<br>"You're hurt. I don't want to hurt you more."  
>John touched her chin, and sought her tender eyes. Giving her a good-humored smile, he spoke, "You can be gentle if you'd liked."<br>Illyria broke into a delightful laughter at his response. "Very funny, John."  
>The bare-chested man smiled lovingly, and took one of her hands. Illyria shook her head embarrassingly as John pulled her to be on top of him again, making her cheeks a raging color of red. Ryan quickly understood her shyness, but urged her on by catching her lips. Absorbed in their moment of passion, Illyria slowly adjusted her pose as John maneuvered her every movement. They soon treaded gently and tenderly into their private deeper connection. Each kiss they shared was a healing touch, each passionate cling was a sign of unwavering loyalty, and the unity of their bodies was the symbol of their true destiny to belong to one another.<p> 


	41. Chapter 39

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year 5 months**

**ATLANTIS**.

Doctors McKay and Zelenka are investigating an area of the city which is still wet from recent flooding. The area is quite dark and they are carrying torches (flaslights). As they and a team of scientists walk into a dark corridor, some lights come on.  
>"She used to leave the lights on all over the house, every room. It drove my father nuts." McKay said.<br>Radek chuckles. "For me, it was my brother - only we hadn't lights. He used to leave candles burning everywhere."  
>"Yeah, well, you know what? No-one wants to hear any more stories about how poor you were as a child, alright?" McKay said sarcastically, "We already feel as sorry for you as is humanly possible."<br>Zelenka turned to one of the female scientists, "He burned the house down, you know?"  
>The team turns into another dark corridor.<br>"My sister was afraid of the dark, only used to blame me for leaving the lights on. Of course, my father believed her. He never sided with me." McKay said.  
>"We had to live in a tent, in the dead of winter for three months." Zelenka continued.<br>"You know, at least my stories relate to what we're doing."  
>"So do mine."<br>"You know, we're trekking all over the city shutting down everything the Ancients activated while they were oh-so-briefly in control so that we can stop the power from draining from our one precious ZedP.M. How does that relate to your idiot brother burning the house down?"  
>"Well, if we don't succeed..."<br>"We're not gonna have to live in a tent in the dead of winter!"  
>"It's a metaphor."<br>The woman who Radek spoke to earlier, Doctor Esposito, has walked ahead of the men while they were bickering and has now reached a closed door. She turns back to the others. "Doctor McKay."  
>"Hmm. Thank God."<br>He and Radek walk over to her as she tries the door panel. "The control panel. It's completely shot."  
>"Really? You think so?" McKay starts to attach a device to the panel, talking to Radek as he does so. "You know, I don't get these Ancients. They're supposed to be so smart, but why activate something that you don't need and you're not using, huh?"<br>"Well, maybe they didn't have time to get to it - you know, before the human-form Replicators that you reprogrammed attacked." Zelenka grins smugly at Esposito.  
>"Yes, yes, we all know what happened." McKay said, irritated. He throws Esposito a look as if to say, "Take no notice of him," then smiles at her, obviously attracted to her. He gets back to work on the panel and shortly afterwards the door opens. "Ah. Voila." He leads the team into what looks like a lab.<br>"You're just angry that you couldn't figure out how to override the Ancient protocols that kept us from shutting this place down remotely from the Control Room." Zelenka said.  
>"Hey, neither could you."<br>"Yes, but I didn't bet everyone a month's pay that I could do it."  
>Rodney points at him in irritation. "You ... OK, you know what? Look around, see if you can figure out how you can turn this place off, whatever it is." He steps onto a low podium which has a control panel on it. The panel is illuminated.<p>

Radek looks at him nervously. "Are you sure you should be going up there?"  
>"How else am I gonna find out what this room does, huh?" He starts to attach his computer tablet to the panel. "God forbid there should be anything in the Ancient database."<br>"Oh, there probably is. We just don't have the time to-"  
>Just then, the interface between the panel and the tablet activates.<br>"Ah, here we go." The wall screen opposite the panel lights up and Ancient writing appears. "Ah!"  
>Zelenka pointed at the control panel. "OK, there should be a main power switch..."<br>"Yes, I know that. What do you think I'm doing?" McKay said tetchily.  
>Radek pulls his hand back in exasperation. "Alright." Rodney starts to activate the controls on the panel. "Alright - double or nothing."<br>Rodney smiles and turns to him. "Oh, you're on."  
>"Alright!"<br>"Alright." McKay looks at the panel. "It's gotta be around here somewhere."  
>Before he can touch anything else, there's a surge of power and a large green light comes on above the podium. A green glow envelops Rodney. Instinctively Radek steps back. Rodney stares up into the light, startled. Moments later, a beam of light comes down and wraps itself around him. It swirls round him for a couple of seconds, then panels start to explode all around the room and the light around Rodney fades. The other scientists recoil as explosions go off all around them. Rodney cringes from the sparks. As the panels blow out, the room is plunged into near darkness, illuminated only by a few small windows and the torchlight of the scientists. Radek nervously steps closer to Rodney.<p>

"Rodney? What happened?"  
>Rodney turns around to face him, his eyes wide in horror. "I'm not sure ... but I think I just lost - big time."<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Rodney is sitting on the side of a bed. He looks up anxiously as Doctor Beckett comes over to him. Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard and Queen Illyria are standing beside the bed.  
>"As far as I can tell, he's fine." Carson said.<br>"I was hit by a mysterious energy pulse. How can that possibly be fine?" McKay asked.  
>"I've run every test I can: blood work, M., X-rays, the lot. I found no anomalies in any of the results."<br>"One more time: mysterious energy pulse from a device created by the Ancients. I mean, who knows what kind of long-term effects I could be in for? I mean, there's gross mutation, gigantism, invisibility..."  
>"That would be cool. I turned into a bug." John said.<br>Rodney narrows his eyes at him.  
>"Alright. Like I said, as far as I can tell, he's as healthy as a horse." Carson turned to Rodney. "I'm clearing you for active duty."<br>"Are you insane?" He turns to Illyria and John. "Look, I need to be put under guard. Who knows what I could become?"  
>John rolls his eyes. Illyria looks at Carson. "What are the chances it could make him more pleasant?"<br>"Oh, thank you!" McKay said.  
>"I'll keep an eye on him." John said.<br>"Thank you!" Illyria sighs and walks away.

Rodney looks at John and points at himself nervously. "Can you still see me?"  
>҉<br>**ANCIENT LAB**.

Emergency lights have been set up in the room. Radek is working on a panel which he has pulled out from the wall while Rodney is on the floor working underneath the control panel.  
>"What are you saying?" McKay said irritated.<br>"That you were showing off." Zelenka said. He chuckles and walks to another panel. John is sitting against a wall nearby, looking bored. "Normally, if Doctor Esposito weren't around, I doubt you would have been as reckless as you were."  
>"Are you insane?"<br>"Which one's Esposito?" John asked.  
>"Oh, the long dark hair." Zelenka said.<br>"Ah, right. The one with the perfect little, uh-"  
>"Do you mind? We're trying to work here." McKay snapped.<br>"For the record, I was gonna say "smile."" John said.  
>"Yeah, sure you were." McKay turned to Radek. "What've you got?"<br>"Nothing. Whatever you did fried all the power conduits leading into the room."

Rodney stands up. "Whatever I did? Look, up until very recently this lab was entirely under water, quite possibly for over ten thousand years. How is that my fault?"  
>"Well, that part of it isn't."<br>"OK, that's it. I'm going for lunch."  
>He walks away.<br>҉  
><strong>MESS HALL.<strong>

Rodney is sitting at a table with a tray of food in front of him. He has already eaten a sandwich, leaving the crusts, one or two tubs of what was probably jello, and a banana and is now picking at a bunch of grapes.  
>"How's he doing?" Marissa asked quietly.<br>"Same old Rodney." John whispered.  
>"You're sure? He looks a couple of pounds heavier to me." Ronon said quietly.<br>Rodney looks up at that comment.  
>"Ronon." Marissa said reprovingly.<br>"What? He eats all the time. It's not like he exercises." Ronon was still speaking quietly.  
>"He's feeding his unhappiness." John whispered.<br>"Hello? I'm right here. I can..." McKay turns to look at the others, who are sitting at a different table. The thing is, the table is several yards away. There's no way he should have been able to hear them. Marissa and Ronon look round at him. He looks away again, startled. He spoke quietly, to himself, "I can hear you." He blinks, surprised. "Huh!"  
>He stands up and turns towards the others. Automatically, and without looking, he reaches back towards his computer tablet which is lying on his table. It slides across the table to his fingers. Without realizing what he just did, he picks up the tablet and goes across to the others.<br>"For your information, I am exactly the same weight I have been since I got here. I need to eat regularly, otherwise I become hypoglycemic; and I am generally a very happy person."  
>A tech's voice came over the comms. <em>"Colonel Sheppard. Please have your team report to the Control Room immediately. Colonel Sheppard."<em>  
>The team stands up without commenting on what Rodney just said, and they all head off.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

The team walks over to Illyria. "We received this transmission six minutes ago from Major Lorne's team."  
>The Canadian technician activates the controls to replay the transmission: <em>"Atlantis base, repeat: we are under attack and cut off from the Gate. I counted at least twenty, maybe more. Request back-up immediately."<em>  
>"Where are they?" John asked.<br>"M72-656." Illyria said.  
>"Have a team of marines meet us in the Jumper Bay."<br>Shortly afterwards, a Puddle Jumper lowers down into the Gateroom and heads into the open Stargate.

**LATER. **

**ANCIENT LAB. **

Illyria walks in to find Radek working on the central control panel. He looks up as she comes in. "Queen Illyria. Any word?"  
>"Not yet." She tries not to sound worried. "It has only been an hour. You wanted to see me?"<br>"Yes. I could use your help. I managed to get power to part of the console to access the lab's research logs."  
>"Well, that's good news."<br>"Well, I'm not so sure. I could use a second opinion." He activates the controls and Ancient writing appears on the wall screen.

Illyria steps onto the podium to get a better look. "It seems much of this refers to different elements of human physiology." She works the controls and the next page of text appears. "It mentions the mutation of base genetic coding."  
>Zelenka nods in agreement. "I realize Doctor Beckett said that there were no evident effects from Rodney's exposure to the device. It seems-"<p>

"-meant to manipulate human D.N.A."  
>They look at each other in concern.<br>A tech's voice came over the comms. "Queen Illyria to the Jumper Bay. The rescue team has returned."  
>Illyria turned to Radek. "Let's go."<br>҉  
><strong>JUMPER BAY.<strong>

Illyria and Radek walk in just as the rear hatch of the Jumper lowers. John and Rodney are arguing as they come out.  
>"What else could it be?" McKay yelled.<br>Ronon groans in disbelief.  
>"You're losing your mind!" John yelled.<br>"I'm telling you, it's a bit of a coincidence!"  
>"Well, then, prove it!"<br>Illyria looks at them as they lead out Lorne and his team, together with Marissa and Ronon. "Colonel?"  
>"Everyone's present and accounted for." John said.<br>Carson and three medics run into the Bay wheeling two stretchers. "How bad is it and who's been hurt?"  
>"No-one, Doc. We're all fine ... thanks to McKay." Lorne gestures at Rodney while raising his eyebrows at Illyria in obvious sarcasm and disbelief.<br>"So he says." John said, equally as sarcastic and disbelieving.  
>"Rodney? "Illyria asked.<br>"Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't even sure it was me at first, but the correlation's impossible to ignore. I saw Lorne's team pinned down, the bad guys closing in - I just thought, you know, wouldn't it be great if all their weapons jammed at the same time?" McKay explained.  
>John's face is a picture of scorn. Even Rodney has realized how ludicrous he's sounding and his voice has got less convinced as he has been speaking. Marissa narrows her eyes at him. John looks at Illyria, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. Rodney looks at him and starts to sound more confident again. "Next thing I know, they're all running away, so-"<br>"So you think because you wanted it to happen, it just did." Illyria said cynically.  
>"It was a little more than that." Illyria nods sarcastically. "OK. You know what? Watch this. I'll, uh..."<br>He turns to Carson, who is standing with his arms folded as he listens cynically to the conversation. Rodney points at him and Carson gasps as he rises off the ground. "Rodney!"  
>He stares downwards in terror and amazement as he elevates several feet into the air while Rodney continues to point at him. The others run over to Carson and stare in shock.<br>Illyria was still gazing at Carson in amazement. "Rodney?"  
>"Believe me, I find this as disturbing as you do."<br>"Like bloody hell you do!" Carson yelled.  
>Illyria looks at Rodney and speaks quietly. "Put him down."<br>Rodney slowly lowers his hand and Carson floats gently down to the floor. He sighs in relief. "Oh, God!"  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Rodney is sitting on top of a bed as Illyria and John talk to him.  
>"Have there been any other instances of this power manifesting itself?" Illyria asked.<br>Rodney raises a finger. "Powers. Plural."  
>"What else can you do besides telekinesis?"<br>McKay was pointing to his ears with both hands. "Well, super-hearing for one, and I'm not sure but I think I may actually be getting smarter." He smiles. "It's hard to say for sure because I was pretty smart to start with but, um, recently I've been having some ideas that I don't think even I would have thought of before."  
>John frowns at him. "Does super-ego count as a power?"<br>Rodney looks past him as a female medic comes in. "Oh! Finally!" The woman is carrying a tray of food: a full plate of meat, potatoes and carrots, together with a sandwich in a plastic container, and two tubs of jello. "Look, keep it coming." He takes the tray and puts it on his lap.  
>John turned to Illyria. "We could also be dealing with a super-appetite, although it's hard to tell because he ate so much before."<br>McKay was picking up the cutlery and cutting into the carrots. "Very funny."  
>Carson walks over. "My God! He's eatin' again!"<br>McKay spoke through a mouthful of carrots. "I have a very active metabolism."  
>"Aye - among other things. The scans show a dramatic increase in synaptic interaction throughout all the sections of Rodney's brain - much higher than normal human levels."<br>Rodney stops cutting into his food briefly and frowns, then shovels a forkful of meat into his mouth.  
>"There was an incident at S.G.C. just over a year ago." Illyria recalled a report she read.<br>"I recall that file. I studied the data. Fascinating." Carson said.  
>Illyria turned to John. "SG-1 discovered a highly-evolved human being in stasis. It turned out he was a result of experimentation by a Goa'uld named Anubis. He was trying to create a means of artificially accelerating human physiology to the point of ascension."<br>"Look, that device I found must have been some kind of an accelerator. We know that you guys developed all kinds of powers as you evolve, so it's just a matter of bad luck that we didn't run into that lab earlier." McKay smiles happily. "Seriously - me a superhero. Who would have thought it?"  
>Still smiling, he gets back to his meal. The others don't look nearly as happy.<br>҉  
><strong>ANCIENT LAB.<strong>

John and Illyria are working on separate consoles next to each other while other scientists are working on various other parts of the lab.  
>"Look, we all agree your scientists were pretty screwed up." John said.<br>"_We_ do?" Illyria asked, eyebrow raised.  
>"All the ones I met, besides you, were arrogant, condescending - and not for good reason. They made giant mistakes and never fixed 'em."<br>"We're still human, John."  
>"But then there were all those crazy rules."<br>"Those only came after they ascended."  
>"Whatever, alright?" John walks over to her. "Maybe this thing doesn't work on everyone. Who knows? But we do know it works on McKay."<br>"It has only been a day."  
>"Assuming it's safe - well, to be honest, even if it's not - if we can get a significant advantage over the Wraith and Replicators-"<br>"John, I agree - this device may have great potential."  
>"And with great potential comes great responsibility - I know."<br>"Like a lot of other things you have found in this city, it is a very advanced piece of technology. For all we know, it could also be very dangerous."  
>"I'm just saying..."<br>"Yes, you can be next."  
>"Thank you!"<br>"Hmm!"  
>John walks away as Illyria shakes her head in irritation. Radek, who was working nearby, turns and leans nonchalantly on her console. "You know, if you're compiling a list, I'd-"<br>"Could we stay focused, please?"  
>"Right." He gets back to work.<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Rodney is sitting on the bed, watched by a couple of armed marines. "C'mon. You can't keep me cooped up in here forever."  
>"You might not be sick, Rodney, but I think we can both agree what's happening here is far from normal." Carson said. He walks over to a trolley and activates the laptop on it.<br>"Exactly, so let me go out and start using my powers to do some good." He spots something interesting on the trolley. "Ooh. Are you going to, uh, finish that?"  
>He points his fingers in a mystical way. A chocolate covered donut on the trolley rises up into the air. Carson grabs it. "I'm serious!"<br>Rodney looks disappointed.  
>Carson put the donut back down on the trolley. "We have no idea of the extent of your genetic mutation."<br>"Please. "Mutation" has such negative connotations. "Advancement" is more like it."  
>"Until we know exactly what's going on here-"<br>"Carson." McKay hops off the bed, smiling. "I'm still me. Anyway, it's not like you..." he gestures at the marines "...or these guys could stop me from leaving anyways."  
>"No, but I could." Ronon walks over to them.<p>

Rodney smiles and walks towards him. "Oh, you care to put that to a test?"  
>Ronon smiles and walks right over to him. "Do you?"<br>Rodney's smile fades. "Well ... no, not really."  
>Carson sighs. "Anyways, as I was saying, I think you're fine to go about your daily duties as long as you have someone with you..." he looks at Ronon, then looks back to Rodney "... and you -"<p>

"...check in every couple of hours. Yes, yes. Bye-bye!" He waves at Carson as he starts to walk away, then points his fingers at the donut again. It flies into his hand and he takes a big bite out of it as he carries on walking. Carson protests behind him. McKayto Ronon through a mouthful of donut, "You know, we could be a team. You could be my sidekick."  
>"<em>Sidekick."<em>  
>"Yeah - it'd be like Batman and Ronon. Has a nice ring to it."<br>"Yeah, you keep eating like that, it's more like Fatman."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Rodney has just finished off the donut and is licking his fingers as he and Ronon walk along.  
>"I'm warning you - you will probably be bored out of your mind unless you find incredibly advanced physics to be-" He trails off as Doctor Esposito walks past him. He turns and looks at her. "Really?"<br>Esposito turned to look at him. "What?"  
>"What, you think so?" He laughs. "Hey, she thinks I'm hot!"<br>Esposito was smiling and fiddling with her hair in an embarrassed way. "I didn't say anything."  
>"No-no-no, I'm sure that you, uh...Oh, of course not, I should have known." McKay turns to Ronon with a look of exasperation on his face. "She meant you."<br>Esposito gasps. "I don't know what you're talking about." Still fiddling with her hair, she turns and hurries away.  
>"McKay, she didn't say a word." Ronon said.<br>Rodney stares at him in shock. "Oh my God. I can read minds." He raises his hands to either side of his head and wiggles his fingers, smiling. "Oh, this is cool!" He hurries off.  
>Ronon turns to follow him. "No it isn't."<br>҉  
><strong>ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.<strong>

Illyria is sitting on the edge of her desk looking at a P.D.A. as Rodney comes in, followed by Ronon. She looks up at them.  
>"Oh, I'm fine. No; yes; and it doesn't." McKay said.<br>"What?" Illyria asked.  
>"I can read your mind - uh, everyone's, actually. That was very cool for the first, like, ten seconds there, but now I'm finding it a little disturbing, so I'm trying to tune it out as much as I possibly can ... well, sort of. Anyways, look, I wanted to get your permission to access the Control Chair. I've got some pretty interesting ideas for maximizing our ZedP.M. I reconfigured the city's power systems - it's too complicated to explain - but trust me when I say that you are going to be incredibly happy with the results. Look, Illyria, I know - you have every right not to trust me but I promise you, I'm gonna make things much, much better, OK?" He looks at her briefly. "Good." He looks at Ronon. "She wants you to shoot me if you think for even one second that I might be trying to take over the city for my own evil purposes."<br>Ronon looks at Illyria as she shakes her head in bewilderment. Rodney laughs.  
>"I'm kidding. That was a joke. Is your weapon set to, uh, stun? Wait - never mind." He closes his eyes briefly. Ronon's blaster beeps. "There - I did it myself. OK, to the Chair Room, Ronon."<br>He heads out of the room. Ronon walks closer to Illyria. "Can I shoot him now?"  
>McKay spoke loudly, from several yards away, "I can hear you! Look, she just wants you to keep a close eye on me! C'mon, let's go. Chop, chop - much to do."<br>He heads off again as Illyria pinches the bridge of her nose in exasperation. She looks up at Ronon. "I will send a science team down to supervise."  
>҉<br>**ANCIENT LAB.**

Radek makes some adjustments to a wall panel, then turns and steps onto the central podium. Just then, the lights go out and the room is plunged into darkness. A moment later the emergency lights come on.  
>"Not like that, this is crap."<br>҉  
><strong>CHAIR ROOM.<strong>

Rodney is lying in the Chair. It is reclined and active. Various scientists are standing around the Chair, staring up in amazement as different holographic images and Ancient writing appear in rapid succession in the air above the Chair. Radek walks in and stares.  
>"What the hell is he doing?"<br>Ronon is sitting on the floor near the Chair. "Don't ask me."  
>"Actually, I wasn't." Zelenka looks across at a female scientist, Doctor Coleman, who turns from the wallscreen she was watching.<br>"I have no idea."  
>Radek sighs and walks over to the Chair, where Rodney has his eyes closed and is smiling as his fingers make tiny movements on the arm controls.<br>"Rodney, you are affecting power all over the city."  
>"I know." He opens his eyes and looks upwards as he continues working the controls. "Awesome, isn't it?"<br>"No. I can't work."  
>"It's just temporary."<br>"Rodney, I'm trying to determine if that device did any permanent damage to you. Quite frankly, given your usually rampant hypochondria, I'm surprised you don't seem to care."  
>Rodney turns his head and looks at him. "You're jealous."<br>"That is ridiculous. You should be working with me trying to figure out what is happening to you. Instead, you're here burying your head in the sand."  
>"That is not true." McKay looks up above the Chair again. "My head - which happens to be housing my ever-evolving brain - is actually being better utilized here doing important things that will affect everybody."<br>Radek sighs and looks across at Ronon, who shrugs at him. Radek looks at Rodney again briefly, then throws his hands up in the air in exasperation and storms out. "I am not gonna work with him. I can [very rude word] at this. He is..."  
>As he moves out of earshot, Rodney rotates the Chair around so that he can look at Ronon. "He tries to hide it, but deep down, I'm the wind beneath his wings." Smiling smugly, he looks up into the air again.<br>҉  
><strong>ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.<strong>

Illyria is sitting behind her desk reading her laptop and rocking the Twins double bassinet with her toes. John walks in and goes over to stand behind her. He leans down to look at her screen.  
>"Well, how's it coming?"<br>"Actually, I think I'm just getting to the good bit." She said without looking up.  
>"Don't you hate it when people interrupt right when things are getting good?" Illyria looks up, then glances at him briefly. As she looks down at her laptop again, all the lights and wall panels flicker on and off several times. John looks annoyed. "I know McKay is some super-genius now, but I find the flickering lights incredibly unnerving."<br>He walks around the desk and sits down opposite Illyria. He picked up a baby toy and waved it in the air above the kids' heads.  
>"Doctor Coleman has - however reluctantly - admitted it does seem as if Rodney is significantly improving the city's power system." Illyria said.<br>"Whatever. Anyway, you were saying...?"  
>Illyria sighs. "Well, we know my people evolved physiologically to a certain point where they could transform into a state of pure energy."<br>"Ancient History 101."  
>"Yes. We also know that not <em>all<em> of us managed to get there." She said irritated.  
>"You're saying some of you needed a kick in the pants."<br>"So to speak. I think this machine was not meant to help us fight the war against the Wraith but rather to help us escape it."  
>John frowned. "An ascension machine?"<br>"Like the one the Goa'uld tried to create in the Milky Way."  
>John leans forward in his seat. "Are you saying McKay's going to ascend?"<br>"Unfortunately there's a whole lot more to ascension than just being physically evolved."  
>"Believe me, after spending six months with a bunch of pansy wannabes, I know! But what does this mean for McKay?"<br>Illyria glanced up from her laptop briefly. "Like I said, just getting to the good bit."  
>John took the hint, "I'll leave you to it." He stands up, grabbing Pat, and heads out of the room.<p>

Illyria suddenly raises her hand as she spots something on her screen. "John, wait." John stops and turns as she stands up, taking Jen with her. "We need to talk to Rodney right away."  
>As she starts to follow John, she stops and they both stare upwards as the lights go out. She and John hurry off.<br>҉  
><strong>CHAIR ROOM.<strong>

Rodney is still lying in the Chair with holographic images flashing above his head as John and Illyria walk in.  
>"You can all relax. I'll have us back online in two minutes." Rodney said.<br>"We need to talk to you." Illyria said.  
>Rodney deactivates the Chair, which rises into its upright position. He sits up and stares at her. "What do you mean, I'm gonna die?" Illyria and John stare at him as he stands up, still looking at her in shock. "I'm not even sick! I feel great - never better!"<br>"That Ancient device..."  
>McKay was reading John's mind, "...has accelerated my evolution." He looks at Illyria, reading her mind. "Eventually I'll reach a point where I'm physically capable of ascension, but ascension takes more than that - there's a ... there's a mental component." Illyria nods. "I need to know how to make it happen ... which I don't." He looks at Ronon, picking up his thoughts. "Yet! I'm getting smarter by the minute." He looks back to the other two. "It's a pretty good assumption I'll be able to figure it out on the way."<br>Illyria opens her mouth but Rodney starts talking again, speaking her mind for her. "OK, so it's not as easy as that. Well, even if I don't, so I stay a highly-evolved human. I mean, I don't have to ascend - it's, it's a choice, right?"  
>John grimaces slightly.<br>"No? What do you mean, no? Oh, that stupid Ancient device doesn't work properly, does it?" McKay reads Illyira's mind again. "It's set in motion a series of genetic mutations that will result in my death if I don't ascend?"  
>"There is something easier about this." John spoke quietly to Illyria.<br>Illyria nods in agreement.  
>"That's why the Ancients didn't put it into common use - it's just one more in a long line of abysmal, over-ambitious failures!" McKay stares at them in horror. "Oh God. I'm a dead man!"<br>Coleman turns around with a look of concern on her face about something she's just seen on her screen. "Doctor McKay."  
>McKay was still distracted by the news he's just had. "Yes, yes - it's because I stopped in the middle. I will fix it - just give me a second here."<p>

҉  
><strong>ANCIENT LAB.<strong>

Once again, the lab is plunged into darkness. As the emergency lights come on, Radek, standing on the podium, slams his notepad angrily down onto the console.  
>"That's it." He spoke in Czech as he starts to storm out of the lab, "I will kill him, he is nuts, complete idiot."<br>҉  
><strong>CHAIR ROOM.<strong>  
>"OK, there's still time left, right, so maybe there's a way to reverse the process. Zelenka! Where's Zelenka? What the hell has he been doing?" McKay asked.<br>"We have massive power surges throughout the grid. Shutdown protocols are not responding." Coleman reported.  
>"Dammit!" McKay yelled plaintively. He sits down and activates the Chair again.<br>҉  
><strong>CORRIDOR.<strong>

Radek is making his way back towards the Chair Room. A high-pitched electrical surge can be heard and behind him, electricity sparks. He starts to run away from it but suddenly a massive arc of electricity lances out in front of him and strikes him in the chest. He screams and crashes to the ground.  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

Carson and other medics race into the room wheeling a gurney with Radek lying on it. Carson is pumping air into his lungs.  
>"Come on, Radek, come on. He's not breathing - we need to intubate. Start an I.V., wide open. Get that monitor set up." They stop the gurney beside a bed. "Right - on my count. One, two, three."<br>The team pulls Radek across onto the bed. His shirt has been cut open and he has a huge and bloody burn on his chest. Rodney, John and Illyria hurry in.  
>"Radek!" McKay yells.<br>"Get the leads set up, please." Carson said. The medical team attaches leads to Radek's body. "He's in V-tach. Prepare to de-fib." He grabs the paddles and rubs them together as the defibrillator whines. "Clear."  
>"No!" McKay's eyes were wide, he steps forward to Radek's side.<br>"Rodney, the man is dying." Carson said.  
>"I know. Just give me a second. I know." He closes his eyes and puts his hands gently onto Radek's chest. He concentrates and a yellow glow appears on the wound, which slowly begins to heal. The others stare as the wound fades, leaving Radek's chest undamaged. As Rodney lifts his hands away, Radek draws in a deep breath. Rodney opens his eyes and stares down at Radek in surprise. The others gaze in amazement as Carson checks Radek over.<br>"Heart rate's good; breathing's steady." Carson said. Rodney backs away from the bed, overwhelmed by what he has just done. "Pulse is good."  
>Radek opens his eyes, looks at the medical team in surprise and props himself up onto his elbows.<br>"Radek, are you okay?" Illyria asked.  
>"What happened?" Radek asked.<br>Rodney turns and runs from the room.  
>҉<br>**RODNEY'S LAB. **

**NIGHT TIME. **

Illyria walks in and stares in amazement. There are whiteboards all around the room, all of them covered with complicated mathematical calculations. Rodney is writing on one of them.  
>Rodney is much quieter than the usual arrogant Rodney McKay that they know. This less belligerent Rodney continues throughout most of the rest of the chapter.<br>"Rodney." Illyria said.  
>"Hold on." He walks across to another board, a pen in each hand. He looks at the board, and then goes across to a laptop and types on it.<br>"I see you've been busy."  
>"Yeah, I invented a new math." McKay said, distracted.<br>"Really?"  
>"It's gonna change the human understanding of the universe as we know it." He walks across to another board, not really concentrating on Illyria. "How is Zelenka?"<br>"Uh, you need to ask?"  
>"I'm blocking out people's thoughts. It was becoming too overwhelming. I wasn't able to think." He bends and starts to type on another laptop. Illyria looks at him in concern.<br>"Rodney..."  
>McKay straightens up and looks at her. "I know what you're gonna say." Illyria raises her eyebrows at him. "Oh, no ... just intuition, I swear. I just ... I tried to fix the Ancient device but it wasn't meant to reverse the process. Once the mutation has started, it cannot be stopped. Your scientist they're…they were pretty smart." He walks back to the first laptop and looks at it again. Illyria turns and walks over to him.<br>"Actually, I was going to say, if you want any help in understanding ascension..."  
>Rodney turns and looks at her. "Oh. Uh, well, I've already re-read everything I could in the database."<br>"Well, it's not exactly a clear-cut set of instructions, is it?"  
>"No. And to be honest, you know, I've never been all that big on the whole idea of ascending in the first place. There's too many rules, you know? I mean, to me, life is about working towards achievement, you know? Discovering things..."<p>

"... getting credit for it ..."  
>"Exactly. I mean, once you know it all, what do you do then?"<br>"I don't know. I don't think that ascension necessarily means the end."  
>"Yeah, see? Never been big on leaps of faith, either. I mean, sure, there was a part of me that from the beginning knew that this was too good to be true. Nothing this great could ever happen to me without really, really bad consequences. Anyways, now I have come to terms with that and I just wanna get as much done in the time I have left and not waste my time on a bunch of mumbo jumbo I'm not gonna understand anyways." He walks over to a desk and picks up a memory stick. "Oh, I've come up with a way for increasing the Daedalus' shield power." He gives the stick to Illyria. "Tell Hermiod to give me a call if he needs any help understanding the base code."<br>"I'm sure Colonel Caldwell will be thrilled." She looks at Rodney as he gets back to typing on one of the laptops, then walks over to him. "Look, Rodney, I'm not going to try to convince you that ascension is right for you. I don't know. But I wonder if you have considered the fact that if you did somehow manage to ascend, you can always - theoretically - re-take human form."  
>Rodney, who was busy typing and writing while she spoke, suddenly stops and stares, then turns to her, his eyes wide. "Why didn't I think of that?"<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Rodney is wheeling a small device into the room, followed by Carson wheeling a monitor. They take the equipment over to a bed and start to set it up as they talk.  
>"I don't think it's gonna work." Carson said.<br>"I had this shipped from the S.G.C."  
>"Aye, I know. The Ancient device used to measure a person's synaptic activity."<br>"Ah, more than that - the brain's evolutionary level. Look, it's basically an ascendo-meter."  
>"I really don't think we're going about this the right way."<br>"If you're a highly-evolved super-genius, put up your hand." McKay looks around the Infirmary hopefully, then pretends to look surprised and raises his hand, smiling. "Oh!"  
>Carson was frowning at him. "From everything I read about the subject area..."<br>"Look, when you get down to it, even mental states are actually only physical states, are they not? I mean, the brain is just a chemical super-computer."  
>"Well, I suppose an incredibly complex..."<br>"'Yes' is all you need to say, my friend. Look, the universe may seem mystical to..." McKay gestures to Carson "... those without understanding ..." Carson snorts and turns away "... when in truth anything and everything can be quantified. Look, all the hocus pocus stuff is just a way of getting the brain into the proper electro-chemical state to allow the final physical evolution, at which point the matter that makes up this body will turn into pure energy." Carson looks skeptical. "Look, what mere mortals would refer to as the ..." he wiggles his fingers mysteriously either side of his head "... mystery of ascension is actually just a scientific process - it's just protons and electrons. Protons and electrons."  
>"If you say so." Carson finishes setting up his monitor and turns towards the bed, holding a headband in his hands.<br>McKay was finishing setting up his device. "Now, if you don't mind, can we, uh..." He points to his own forehead, indicating where the headband will go. "Yeah, that's it."  
>He jumps onto the bed, lies down on his back with his head at the foot of the bed and wriggles into a comfortable position. Carson stands at the foot of the bed and starts to attach the headband, which has several leads coming from it. As Rodney speaks, Carson wheels over the small device which Rodney brought in.<br>"Now, based on what I've extrapolated from the Ancient research, I have been able to set measurable parameters for achieving the proper mental state. Once I reach ninety six percent synaptic connection, as measured by this device..." he points to it as Carson switches the device on and lights come on the headband "... all I need to do is maintain an E.E.G. frequency of zero point one to zero point nine Hertz and presto." He clicks his fingers, then gestures skywards. "I arise to a higher plane of existence."  
>"OK, let's assume for one completely insane moment that you are right." Rodney smiles confidently. "Those frequencies are associated with near-comatose patients. No-one who's actually awake can just will themselves anywhere close to that, no matter how bloody relaxed they are."<br>Rodney points to his own head. "No uninvolved person."  
>Carson grimaces down at him. "Give it a rest, Rodney."<br>"Just turn it on!"  
>Carson frowns at him for a second, then turns and switches on the monitor. It's a double screen, half of it showing Rodney's synaptic activity - currently showing 62% - and half showing his E.E.G. frequency - 29 Hz. "Your synaptic activity's abnormally high. Over sixty percent."<br>"Yes! I don't have much time left. As I said, by my calculations, when I reach ninety six percent, I either ascend or die. Now, what's my E.E.G.?"  
>"Twenty nine Hertz, which is about average for someone in an extremely heightened wakeful state."<br>"OK, so I just need to, uh, clear my mind and, um, relax." McKay closes his eyes, breathes in deeply, then sighs the breath out again. The monitor beeps and the E.E.G. reading changes - upwards. Rodney instantly opens his eyes at the sound of the beep and looks around. "What's that now?"  
>"Thirty."<br>"What? Oh, come on, that's impossible! You must have me hooked up wrong."  
>"No I didn't, thank you very much. We're getting a clear reading." Rodney lowers his head back down onto the bed, looking concerned. "Rodney, the Ancients that eventually learned to ascend dedicated their entire lives preparing for this moment."<br>"Trust me, this will work. I just need some more time. Now stop talking so much. You're - you're rippling my pond."  
>As Carson stares at him in frustration, Rodney closes his eyes and settles down again, humming quietly to himself.<br>҉  
><strong>MESS HALL.<strong>

John and Illyria take a couple of trays of food over to a table and sit down.  
>"I think he's having a hard time accepting this can't be solved with science, no matter how brilliant he is."<br>"You know what he needs? He needs to..." John makes air quotes "...release his burden."  
>"Yeah, well, you know McKay."<br>"Maybe Doctor Heightmeyer can help."  
>"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of you."<br>"Me?"  
>"Mmm-hmm. You lived with the Ancients for six months on the brink of ascension. You helped them face their fears and finally ascend."<br>"I fought a scary monster - that's what I do best."  
>"And for Rodney, I'm sure this seems like a pretty scary monster."<p>

"Y-You've lived here all your life!"

"John, as the Queen I was never allowed to ascend. I have no clue where to begin!" John sighed and Illyria smiled. "The kids and I will be at Marissa's."

•  
><strong>LATER. <strong>

**JOHN'S QUARTERS. **

The blinds have been closed against the daylight and candles are burning all around the room. Rodney is sitting on the floor in as near to a cross-legged position as he can get. He is wearing the headband. John is sitting on the edge of a low cabinet looking at the monitor which shows Rodney's E.E.G. reading at 29.  
>"I don't think this is gonna work with you hooked up to the machine." John said.<br>"How else am I gonna know if it's working at all? Look, you're teaching me how to meditate. Not exactly good odds there to start with."  
>"I realize that." Rodney shifts uncomfortably on the floor, hugging his knees for a moment to relieve the tension in his muscles. "Truth is, I was never really very good at this myself."<br>"So why am I here?"  
>"Illyria made me."<br>"Oh. Yeah. Me too."  
>"I was with those Ancients for six months. Maybe I picked up something that might be able to help you." Rodney looks at him briefly, then looks away. John looks equally doubtful. "Yeah." He thinks for a moment, then stands up and walks round to face Rodney. "The first thing I think you need to come to terms with is, um, this is not a means to an end."<br>"What? Well, of course it is."  
>"No, no, no, you can't do that. You can't think that you're just gonna ascend and then re-take human form and be done with it all."<br>McKay was hugging his knees again. "That is exactly what I'm trying to do. Look, from what I understand, dishonesty's not gonna help the process."  
>"Good point."<br>"You know, while we're at it, my knees are killing me. How's anyone ever relax like this?"  
>"Find a position that works."<br>"Right. OK." McKay promptly lies down flat on his back, clasps his hands together and closes his eyes.  
>"Fine." John walks over and sits down on the side of his bed. "Now - I want you to become aware of your breaths, going in and out of your body."<br>"In ... and out." McKay repeated softly.  
>"Do it without talking."<br>Rodney opens his eyes and looks up at him. "Oh - right."  
>He closes his eyes and settles down again. John picks up a magazine and quietly turns the pages as he speaks softly to Rodney.<br>"Now - I want you to think about the things that you worry about the most."  
>McKay opens his eyes again. "You mean, like death?"<br>"There's no talking. Think of anything that makes you anxious."  
>"Oh, God, there's so many things." McKay props himself up onto his elbows and looks up at John. "Not talking happens to be one of them, by the way."<br>"Deal with it." John said sternly. Rodney lies down and shuts his eyes again. "Now." He puts the magazine down and gets into his stride. "Imagine yourself sitting on a Ferris wheel."  
>"What?"<br>"Look, I told you, I didn't pay much attention to what the Ancients were teaching me. I like Ferris wheels, so that's what I thought about ... and the fact that the woman teaching me how to meditate was ... very attractive."  
>McKay was looking up at him. "Why am I not surprised you didn't ascend, huh?" He sits up. "OK, look, I'm a busy man, you're a busy man. We're both busy men."<br>"Just ... relax, alright? I'm gonna try to remember what the woman taught me."  
>Rodney sighs in exasperation. "Alright." He lies down again.<br>"Now - there's a dark storm swirling around your head."  
>McKay was frowning. "How is that comforting?"<br>"I'm getting there." John opens his mouth to continue but Rodney suddenly lifts his head up again.  
>"I just thought of a brilliant adjunct to the Chaos Theory. Look, I should write this down-"<br>"McKay."  
>Rodney looks at him, then groans and lies down again. "Letting it go. Letting it go."<br>John spoke softly. "Now, the sky is clearing. All of your troubles are fading away."  
>McKay was smiling. "Bright blue sky. I am there."<br>The monitor shows Rodney's E.E.G. level at 24 Hz. It beeps as the level drops to 23. Rodney opens his eyes and looks at John. "How'm I doing?"  
>"Don't think that way!"<br>"Oh, forget it." McKay sits up. "Look, this is never gonna work."  
>"What's wrong now?"<br>"I just realized why light behaves as both particles and waves." He sighs in exasperation and takes his headband off.  
>"Rodney, if you don't try to do this..."<br>"I know. I don't have much time left." He gets up and leaves the room.  
>҉<br>**RODNEY'S LAB**.

Rodney has two laptops side by side on a table and, with a hand on each keyboard, is typing on both simultaneously. Illyria comes in.  
>"Hey."<br>"Hmm? Just a second." McKay picks up a computer tablet and takes it across the room as Illyira walks over. There are several other laptops on the tables. Also on the tables are various cups, empty wrappers and sandwich cartons, but Illyria only has eyes for the fact that all of the keyboards are typing without any help. The keys are depressing on their own, obviously being telekinetically operated by Rodney's mind.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"There are, like, fifty simulations I'd like to be running right now, but the computers can't keep up with me - the irony being that I've actually figured out how to make them run ten times faster but I haven't had time to actually stop and do it. Oh, I've uploaded the virtual prototype for a hyperspace generator for the Puddle Jumpers into the database."  
>"Well, that sounds great." She walks closer to him as he types something on his computer tablet. "Are you sure that this is how you want to-"<br>"-spend my last couple of days alive? Don't have a lot of choice, do I?"  
>"Rodney, I think it's very decent and noble of you to want to leave a scientific contribution behind - but I still believe there's a chance you can ascend if you put your mind to it."<br>"We both know that that is a waste of time. Maybe you could do it, but-"  
>"I don't know if I could, but you are certainly selling yourself short by not even trying."<br>"To be honest, I don't have the first clue where to start."  
>"Stop thinking."<br>"See, I don't understand that."  
>"One of the biggest things that holds people back is that somewhere deep down they believe they're not deserving. You have to ... release your burden."<br>McKay rolled his eyes, "Oh, please!"  
>"I know - spirituality to you is a load of mumbo jumbo, but it does help people find peace with themselves."<br>"But you have to believe."  
>"I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about shedding yourself of guilt, of anger, of ill-feeling, of anything that makes you feel shame. And then you can focus all of your energy on ascending."<br>"So what you're telling me is that I don't think I'm worthy."  
>"Rodney, I don't know what you truly believe about yourself. For all I know, you use your intelligence to compensate, to make yourself feel better for other things you think you may lack."<br>"Like what?" McKay said suspiciously.  
>"That, I can't tell you ... but maybe you could start reading your own mind?"<br>҉  
><strong>ANCIENT LAB.<strong>

Radek is on the floor underneath the central control panel, attaching crystal panels to a device. As he adds the last one, the central panel lights up. He stands up and turns to a laptop and types on it. Rodney comes in. Radek sees him and sighs.  
>"Rodney, I don't care what you're gonna say. I'm gonna keep working on this, OK?"<br>"Ah, well, I appreciate that." McKay said genuinely.  
>Zelenka didn't look at him. "You saved my life, so ... the least I can do is try to save yours, you know?"<br>"Radek?" He hesitates. Radek looks up at him. "I think it's safe to say that, uh, I am at times a petty, vindictive, even jealous man." Radek looks at him suspiciously. "I sublimate my own anxieties or feelings of inadequacy by creating a bubble of hostility around myself. I know that you, probably more than anyone else, have had to bear the brunt of that hostility."  
>"Rodney, you don't have to ..."<br>"Actually, I do." He walks closer. "Here's the thing: you're a brilliant scientist, and a decent human being, and you should not have had to endure the kind of abuse that you've taken from me in the past few years. I hope you can find a way to forgive me for all the things I've said and done to you. You deserve much better than that…" Radek looks at him, his mouth open in surprise, but he is genuinely touched. "... so I wanted you to know that." Radek can't think of anything to say. Rodney looks awkward. "Yes."  
>He turns and walks away. Radek gazes after him, looking emotional.<br>҉  
><strong>MARISSA'S QUARTERS.<strong>

Marissa's doorbell bleeps. She gets off the bed, goes to the door and passes her hand over the wall panel to open the door. Rodney is standing outside with a small tray containing cups, pots and a teapot.  
>"Rodney!"<br>"Hmm. Mind if I come in?" He walks in without waiting for a reply.  
>"Should you be...?"<br>"Hope you don't mind." The door closes as Marissa follows him into the room. Rodney walks to the other side of the room, then turns to face her. He looks at her for a moment, and then sighs. "I was talking with Lorne and he happened to mention that it was the anniversary of the death of your mother next week."  
>"He did?"<p>

"...OK, I might have asked a few pointed questions but, um, I just thought it would be nice if, uh..." He gestures down to the tray, then looks at her. "What I mean is, I would be honored if you would let me share the Athosian memorial tea ceremony with you. I don't know if it's wrong to do it early or anything, but, um, I may not be around next week and I know you're big into cultural. Anyway, I understand it's something you're not supposed to do alone."  
>Marissa smiles at him. "Thank you, Rodney."<br>She reaches for the tray but Rodney pulls it back. "No, no, no, no, no. I know exactly what to do. You are the one who's lost a loved one. I will serve you."

**LATER.**

Ronon is walking along a corridor. Rodney runs to catch up with him.  
>"Hey, buddy! Pal!" Ronon throws him a black look and carries on walking. "Been looking all over for you! Checked the gym, the Mess."<br>"Wasn't there."  
>"No, you weren't. Usually one of those is a good bet. So, where are you off to? Shooting range? A little target practice?"<br>"I don't need practice."  
>"Oh, no. No, no, of course you don't." He runs a few steps forward to get in front of Ronon, then turns and stops. Ronon has no choice but to stop too. "Look, I don't know how much time I have left, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase here - ask you a rather, uh, personal question. Hopefully you won't just hit me in the face." He laughs briefly. Ronon raises his eyebrows at him as if to say, 'No promises.' "Asking away." He looks down for a moment, summoning his courage, then looks up at Ronon. "Those scars on your back from your encounters with the Wraith - you know, with the tracking device?" Ronon nods. "Are those, like, a ... a badge of honor for you, or are they just a constant reminder of something you'd rather forget?" Ronon doesn't answer immediately. "I mean, I know it's none of my business. I just-"<br>"I try not to let things I can't change bother me."  
>Rodney nods in understanding. "That's very healthy."<br>Ronon shrugs. Rodney looks around the hallway. When he's sure that nobody else is around, he walks forward, wraps his arms round Ronon and hugs him, closing his eyes. Ronon cringes, but pats him on the back awkwardly. The hug continues. Ronon, still grimacing, pats his back again. Rodney opens his eyes and steps back, looking a little embarrassed.  
>"I hope you don't mind." McKay hesitates for a moment, then speaks quietly. "I just healed them."<br>He walks away. Ronon stares, then reaches over his shoulder and feels down his back.  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**

Rodney walks in to find Illyria working on a computer on a trolley.  
>"You're not still trying to find a way out of this for me, are you?" Rodney asked.<br>Illyria turned to face him. "You think I'm gonna give up?"  
>"Look, all your people that experimented with that device, they either ascended or died - most of them the latter, which is why it did not get put into common use."<br>"Like you said, there were exceptions."  
>"Huh. Yes, well, this will all be over soon and you can get back to some real work."<br>"Rodney ... don't." She turns away.  
>"No-no-no, I'm not fishing for sympathy. I just, uh ... Hey, I just wanted to give you that." He hands her a memory stick.<br>Illyria takes it. "What have you invented now?"  
>"Oh, nothing. It's a ... it's a book."<br>"About what?"  
>"You." Illyria looks at him in surprise. "Well, you've taken a lot of crap as the new leader of this expedition and I just thought someone should leave a record of all the good things you've done - everything you've done right."<br>"Everything I do is on record for review."  
>"Oh, yes, I know, I know. I just thought that I would have somewhat of a unique perspective that other people might benefit from. You know, I actually took the liberty of doing some research into your past and I included that as well." Illyria looks a little startled, but plugs the memory stick into the laptop on her desk. "Sorry if I'm not a very good writer. It might be a bit, uh, overly maudlin in places..."<br>Illyria stares at the screen as the book comes up onto it. "Rodney, this is five hundred pages long. When did you-"  
>"Anyway, that's all." He smiles at her and backs out of the room. "Right."<br>Illyria stares after him as he turns and walks away.  
>҉<br>**JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS.**

Rodney, wearing the headband again, is lying on the floor in the candlelit room. John sits on the floor near him, looking at the monitor as it beeps.  
>"What's it down to?" McKay asked quietly.<br>"It's not important."  
>"What?" Frustrated, he props himself up on one elbow. "Of course it is. It's gotta..." He looks over the top of the monitor and sees the reading. "What - seventeen Hertz? It's not even close!"<br>"It's closer than you've ever been."  
>"Oh, forget it." Discouraged, he takes the headband off.<br>"Look, if you have to keep asking, you're obviously not getting it. This is about letting go."  
>McKay was almost in tears. "I don't know how to do that, OK? I'm me - I don't know how not to be me. Look, thank you for all of your help. I think in the grand scheme of things, we're ... we're good, aren't we?"<br>"Of course."  
>"Right. Look, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to read my eulogy."<br>"I refuse to discuss that." John gets off the floor and sits on the bed. Rodney stands up.  
>"Just keep it simple. Um, make up a few nice things. I'd like my little sister to be there..." John refuses to meet his eyes, concentrating on folding up the cables he has taken out of the monitor "... and, oh, you should know that I told Beckett that he should most definitely do a full autopsy. He can use my body for any kind of experimentation that might prove helpful, and, uh ... Oh, and I'd like to be cremated, with my ashes to be, uh..." he grimaces as if in pain "... thrown out into space from the Jumper..."<br>John stands up and faces him. "Rodney ..." Rodney groans and clutches his head, doubling up in agony. John catches him and eases him down onto the bed. "Rodney!" Rodney groans again, then falls unconscious. John activates his headset radio. "Medical team to my quarters."  
>҉<br>**INFIRMARY.**

The monitor at Rodney's bedside shows his synaptic activity to be at 91%. Carson turns to him.  
>"The synaptic activity in your brain has reached over ninety percent." Marissa and Ronon are standing at Rodney's bedside. Marissa has her hands pressed together in front of her in a praying gesture. "I don't know why, but it seems the more pervasive evolved state of the cortex is causing lapses in the lower brain function. It's almost as if your body's losing its natural ability to keep itself alive."<br>Rodney looks up at him weakly. Illyria and John are standing at the other side of the bed.  
>"When ascension occurs naturally, the physical body's no longer necessary in the final stages." Illyria said.<br>"Rodney, I don't know how much more you can take." Carson said.  
>Rodney smiles faintly. "About six percent?"<br>"There must be something we can do." John said.  
>"It's OK. You know, I'm actually feeling a sense of peace ... interspersed with moments of sheer terror, of course." McKay said weakly.<br>"Rodney, as far as this ascension thing, I know you didn't have much success but at this point, what've you got to lose?"  
>"May as well go out fighting, huh?"<br>"Absolutely."  
>"Hook me up." Carson nods and picks up the headband. McKay looked up at him, "Carson? Thank you. Thank you for everything."<br>"I only wish I could have done more, my friend." Carson said softly. He attaches the headband to Rodney's head, then activates it. Rodney gazes upwards.  
>"Clear blue skies. All my troubles, just drifting away. OK..." He said quietly and closes his eyes "... stop talking now."<br>John smiles to himself.  
>"Rodney, you're a good person. Know that we love you." Illyria said gently.<br>McKay was smiling, his eyes still closed. "You love me? Really? All of you?"  
>"In a way a friend feels about another friend." John said awkwardly.<p>

Marissa bent down and kissed McKay on the cheek. "Of course we love you, Rodney."  
>"You're just saying that because I'm gonna die." He spoke quietly, plaintively. "Oh, God. I can't believe I'm gonna die."<br>John spoke quietly, after exchanging an alarmed look with Illyria. "Alright - just back to the blue skies. Let your thoughts go. Concentrate on your breathing."  
>Rodney lies with his eyes closed, concentrating. After a few seconds the monitor beeps and his E.E.G. reading shows 03 Hz. It goes down to 02, then 01. Carson, wracked with grief that his friend is about to die, turns his head away.<br>"Oh, my God." He said quietly.  
>Suddenly Rodney surges up in the bed and grabs Carson by the lapels of his medical coat. He stares frantically into Carson's eyes. As Carson gazes back in shock, the E.E.G. reading races up to 62, then plummets back downwards again. Rodney's eyes roll up into his head and he drops back down onto the bed. Behind Carson, the E.E.G. reading shows zero and the message "No reading" flashes.<br>"He's not breathing. Quick, bag him. We need to get him on a ventilator." Carson yelled to his assistant.  
>Illyria's eyes were watering. "Carson, he gave us strict orders..."<br>"You don't understand. He just told me how to save him."

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Carson, John, Ronon and some medics are racing through the corridors of Atlantis, wheeling Rodney on a gurney.  
>Carson spoke into his headset radio. "We're en route. His pulse is very weak. Are you ready?"<br>Illyria, Marissa, and Radek are in the Ancient lab.  
>"We will be." Illyria walks over to Radek, who is working frantically on the console. He glances at her briefly.<br>"Almost."  
>The medical team continues to hurry through the corridors towards the lab. Carson is pumping air into Rodney's lungs as they go. They reach the doorway and stop.<br>"Right." Ronon picks Rodney up in his arms and carries him inside. "Hurry. He can't breathe on his own."  
>Ronon runs over to the podium and lays Rodney down on it.<br>"OK, stand back." Zelenka said.  
>Everybody stands clear. Radek activates his computer tablet and the green glow envelops the podium. A moment later the green beam comes down and swirls around Rodney's body. After several seconds, it stops and Rodney jerks up and looks around, startled. Everybody rushes towards him.<br>"Rodney?" Carson asked.  
>"It worked!" McKay shouted.<br>"Did it?"  
>"Well, I'm alive, aren't I?" He said tetchily.<br>"Sounds like him." John said.  
>"Yes, yes." McKay looks around at everyone. "I can't hear one of your thoughts." He turns to Carson and points his fingers at him, trying to elevate him. Nothing happens. "The telekinesis has gone." He gets to his feet, thinking. "I'm still smart, I think ... Yes! Yes, I'm me! I'm my old self!"<br>"Are you certain?" Carson asked.  
>"Yeah, I'm alive! I feel great!" McKAy shouted, excited. "I feel, uh ... um ..." He wracks his brain for the right word. "... Hungry?"<br>John turned to Carson, grinning. "He's fine."  
>Carson smiles in delight.<br>Illyria turned to Rodney. "And you said it was impossible."  
>"Yeah, it just came to me. I was, I was, I was floating in this, this big black emptiness and then the answer just came out of nowhere. Look, the device was designed to manipulate your D.N.A. It couldn't reverse the evolutionary advancement process because everyone's D.N.A. was different. It makes certain changes that causes the D.N.A. to evolve in ways specific to your own unique physiology."<br>"Yeah. In order to manipulate the D.N.A. back to the previous state, the program required a precise reference point." Zelenka said.  
>"Fortunately I keep blood samples from all the Atlantis team members for baseline comparisons." Carson said.<br>"I don't understand what any of you are talking about." Ronon said. He walks towards Rodney and seizes hold of the neck of his medical top.  
>"What - what?" McKay asked nervously.<br>"It's good to have you back, buddy." He pulls Rodney into a hug and growls affectionately.  
>"Yes, well - it's good to be back."<br>"Yeah!" As he steps away, Rodney looks puzzled at Ronon's unexpected affectionate gesture, then looks at Carson and jerks his head towards Ronon as if to ask, "What was that all about?"

**SOME TIME LATER.**

Marissa walks into Rodney's lab to find him staring at a laptop screen in puzzlement.  
>"Hey, how are you feeling?"<br>"Terrible!"  
>"Should I get Carson?"<br>"No-no-no-no-no. Physically I am fine, but, but, but this doesn't make any sense. I can't figure out any of these, of these equations. I mean, the algorithms are complete gibberish. I mean, this is torture! I can clearly remember exactly how important this all is, but I cannot figure out why, or how."  
>"Well, I just dropped by to show you this." Marissa hands him a computer tablet. "Your E.E.G. readings from your last meditation."<br>Rodney takes the tablet with a look of distaste on his face. He looks at the screen disinterestedly, then does a double-take. "Oh, my God! It's point zero three Hertz. I did it! I mean, I was in the zone! I could have actually ascended!"  
>Marissa smiles at him. "You said you were floating in a big empty space when the idea of how to save yourself came to you."<br>"I may have momentarily thought about how hard it is to rid oneself of ego ... and that existence without the individuality of consciousness would be pointless but ... Ooh! Now I say that, that's probably what gave me the idea to reprogram the device with my old D.N.A."  
>"Yeah, I thought so."<br>"Yeah, well, you know what? I don't care if you don't think I was capable of ascension." Marissa looks at him as if to protest that she never thought that. "I never wanted to do it anyways. In fact, you know what? I am very happy with who I am." He types on his laptop. "And you love me."  
>"What? I never..."<br>"You so did! Yeah, I may not be able to understand this new math I created, but I distinctly remember that you said you love me." He smiles smugly at her. "And you kissed me."  
>"Actually, I said <em>we<em> love you and..."  
>"And, what? What, you were just saying that because you thought I was dying?"<br>"No - I said it because ..."  
>"See? You love me! It's true - you've said it, now I know. I always suspected it. In fact, you know what? I've always noticed that there's been a, um, indefinable and yet magical chemistry between us..." Marisa shakes her head ruefully.<br>"Hmm. Rodney-"  
>"You had lunch yet?"<br>"Yes."  
>"Mid-afternoon snack, then?"<br>Marissa smiles. "I'll keep you company."  
>"Ah." They start to walk out of the room. "Now, is Sheppard still bugging Illyria to let him use the ascension device to turn himself into some kind of a superhero?"<br>"Oh yeah."  
>"Despite the fact that the Ancient database states that its effects on people are wildly unpredictable and that I'm just lucky I wasn't instantly melted down into a pool of protoplasm."<br>"Yep."  
>"Yes. Well, maybe she should let him."<br>"I don't think so."

Rodney sighs and holds out his arms. Marissa looked at it, smiled, then wrapped her arms through it. "You know, I always had a thing for blondes."


	42. Chapter 40

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year 6 months and 2 week**

**ATLANTIS. **

**MESS HALL. **

Team Sheppard - Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, Captain Frio and Ronon Dex – are sitting at a table eating a meal.  
>"Let me ask you a question. Say there's a runaway train. It's hurtling out of control towards ten people standing in the middle of the tracks. The only way to save those people is to flip a switch - send the train down another set of tracks. The only problem is there is a baby in the middle of those tracks." McKay said.<br>"Why would anyone leave a baby on the tracks?" John asked.  
>"I don't know. That's not the point. Look, it's an ethical dilemma. Hey, look, Marissa brought it up over dinner the other night. The question is: is it appropriate to divert the train and kill the one baby to save the ten people?"<br>"Wouldn't the people just see the train coming and move?" Ronon asked.  
>"No. No, they wouldn't see it."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Well..." he sighs and looks over at Marissa for help. "...Look, I dunno - say they're blind."<br>"All of them?" Marissa asked.  
>"Yes, all of them."<br>"Then why don't you just call out and tell them to move out of the way?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, because they can't hear you."<br>"What, they're deaf too?" John asked. Rodney throws him a look. "How fast is the train going?"  
>"Look, the speed doesn't matter!"<br>"Well, sure it does. If it's goin' slow enough, you could outrun it and shove everyone to the side."  
>"Or better yet, go get the baby." Ronon said.<br>"For God's sake! I was just trying to-"  
>Queen Illyria's voice comes over his radio. "<em>Rodney<em>?"  
>"Yes. Go ahead."<br>_"Major Lorne just dialed in from M4D-058. He says he's got something you'll want to see."_  
>"Hmm." He stands up and looks at John. "Work it out." He heads off.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Major Lorne is reporting over a video link from M4D-058. He is hunkered down behind a low wall and talking quietly into a camera held by one of his team. In Atlantis' Control Room, Illyria, Rodney and John are watching the screen.  
><em> "We came through the space Gate and immediately noticed a bunch of small satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the planet."<em>  
>"An advanced civilization?" Illyria asked.<br>_"That's what we thought, then we picked up life signs directly below, so we flew down, saw several villages separated by a large river and decided to check one of them out, and as you can see ... Sergeant?"_ The person holding the camera stands up cautiously and aims the camera over the top of the wall to show a typically simple group of villagers. One of them is pushing a cart with a sack on it. "...these people don't exactly look like they're ready to be launching any satellites - at least not for the next five hundred years or so."  
>"The Ancients probably put 'em up there." John said.<br>"Mmm." McKay said.  
>Illyria turned to Rodney. "Send a science team to check it out."<br>Lorne grins as his sergeant aims the camera back at him as they duck down out of sight again. "_Uh, actually, I think Doctor McKay may wanna come check this one out for himself."_  
>"Why?" McKay asked.<br>Lorne was still grinning. _"Take a look."_  
>He and the sergeant look back over the wall. On the opposite side of the village square, a flag is flying. It has a vertical red stripe on each side and a central white area and looks eerily similar to the Canadian national flag. In the middle of the white area is a picture of a man who looks suspiciously familiar. Illyria, John and Rodney stare. The sergeant zooms the camera in on the flag. For a moment the image goes out of focus, then the image clears up and everyone's suspicions are confirmed. The face is that of Rodney McKay.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Illryia leads John and Rodney into her office, then turns to face them.  
>"How in the hell did your face get on that flag?" Illyria huffed.<br>"Uh, I don't know. Here's the thing, though: that flag's very similar to the one I designed in our game." McKay said.  
>"It's exactly like the one you designed in our game." John said.<br>"What game?" Illyria asked.  
>"The game Rodney and I have been playing."<br>McKay turned to Illyria. "We didn't tell you about the game?"  
>"We've been playing for a while now." John said.<br>"Yeah, off and on in our spare time, you know - at night, between missions, uh ... I could have sworn we told you about it?"  
>"What game?" Illyria said sternly.<br>"Well, it started a while ago..." McKay trailed off into a flashback:  
>John and Rodney and a team searching the city by torchlight (Flashlight).<p>

(McKay voiceover) _"... a few months after we arrived here. We were exploring the city, checking out some labs on the east pier when we discovered a room. There were several Ancient consoles and screens - it was quite an impressive layout. As usual, everything sprang to life as soon as we entered."_  
>In the flashback, the lights and consoles come on as they enter the room.<br>_"At first we thought it was some kind of a geological facility..."_ As Rodney approaches a console, the screen above it lights up and a map appears on it. _"There was a screen with a map that we assumed was of the Lantean mainland." _

End flashback.  
>"Yes, I remember you briefing me about that." Illyria said.<br>"Right! There you go! We did tell you!" McKay said.  
>"You mentioned nothing about a game, though."<br>"Because at first we didn't know what it was..." John trailed off going into another flashback: Rodney is now sitting at the console checking it over. _"... then Rodney studied it more closely. He realized it wasn't a geological lab at all."_  
><em>"No, it turns out it was, in fact, a kind of, uh, Ancient game room. The map was of a fictional civilization as part of a simulated world."<em> McKay voiced over.  
>Rodney has hooked up his laptop to the console and, once it has finished loading, the map appears on the laptop screen.<br>In the flashback, McKay yelled, "Sweet!"

End flashback.  
>John turned to Illyria, "Yeah, what you do is, you'd take these countries that are already in the database and you'd assume control of them."<br>"Two societies separated by a river straight down the middle. Sheppard took one country; I took the other."  
>"First thing Rodney did was started by renaming his country and putting his face all over the flag." John laughs, as does Rodney. John shakes his head at Illyria as if to say, "Typical!" Illyria looks back at them, not amused.<br>"I think you need to check this planet out."  
>The boys look embarrassed, nod and hurry out of the room.<br>҉  
><strong>M4D-058.<strong>

A Puddle Jumper flies through the space Gate, its engine pods deploying as it goes. Team Sheppard is on board.  
>"So the Ancients created this game?" Marissa asked.<br>"Yes, but this is no ordinary game. I mean, it is incredibly challenging, instructional ... I mean, the sheer number of options built into it? Staggering." McKay said.  
>"How do you play it?"<br>"You have to figure out the best way to run your country." John said.  
>"Yeah, you build roads, you establish laws molded to your own specific ideology..." McKay trailed into a flashback:<br>John and Rodney are sitting either side of a table in the 'game lab'. Both of them have a large computer screen opposite them and both are typing rapidly on their keyboard.  
><em>"You can control everything: proper sanitation systems with water delivery..." <em>McKay voiceover said.  
><em>"... transportation..."<em> John voiceover added.  
><em>"... I mean, every detail can be manipulated - I mean, right down to the women's hairstyles."<em>  
>On Rodney's screen in the flashback, a computer simulation of a woman in a long white shift dress appears on the screen. The image closes in on the woman's head and various hairstyles are offered. Rodney smiles in delight as he flicks through the options: long wavy brown hair; then long, curly and brown; then long, darker brown and straight; then bald except for a tuft of purple hair on the top of her head; then a bright red bob cut; then short and blonde. Rodney instantly selects that style, because his two favorite blondes wore it: Marissa Frio and Sam Carter.<br>McKay was smiling at the image in recognition. "Hello there!"

End flash back.  
>"So how do you win this game?" Ronon asked.<br>"It's not really about winning." John said and went into another flashback:  
>John and Rodney peer briefly over the top of their screens at each other, unable to see what the other one is doing with his country.<br>_"It's more about whose society outshines the other's. I mean, who creates a better infrastructure, who's better at trade."_ McKay voiceover said.

End flashback.  
>In the Jumper, he looks at John. John scowls back at him.<br>"What?" John continues to scowl at him. "Hey, don't start. I tried to negotiate with you."  
>"Making a list of demands and not giving anything in return is not negotiating."<br>"I offered you an entire crop of beans."  
>"I don't need beans. I need lumber."<br>"Oh, right - to build defensive fortifications for your army, which he doubled in size, by the way. Surprise, surprise."  
>Ronon grins approvingly at John.<br>"I only did that after you started cheating."  
>"I did not cheat."<br>John looks round at Ronon and Marissa. "He's giving his people way too much technology for their level of development." He points accusingly at Rodney. "I'm not the only one increasing my army, by the way."  
>"I had to do something to protect the people of Geldar from you."<br>"Geldar?" Ronon asked.  
>"The name of Rodney's country. He named it after a girl he stalked in college." John said.<br>"I did not stalk her." Ronon and Marissa grin at each other. "We dated twice. Teresa Geldar - a very cute blonde." John grimaces briefly. "I always used to think her name reminded me of some kind of a mythological land." He smiles. "The Kingdom of Geldar."  
>John grins round at the other two. Marissa reaches forward and touches his arm. "What did you call your country?"<br>"Well, I just kept the name it already had." Rodney gives him a look as if to suggest that he isn't very imaginative. Just then, the heads-up display comes up on the windshield. They look at the display as a square grid of a hundred dots appears. "Well, there are the satellites."  
>"Dozens of them." Marissa said.<br>"Positioned directly above the continent. A perfect grid - ten by ten. Should have a visual on one of them." McKay said.  
>The H.U.D. fades out as the Jumper approaches the closest of the satellites. The team looks out at it.<br>"Definitely looks Ancient." Ronon said.  
>"Huh. And active. It's transmitting a tremendous amount of data." McKay said, agreeing with him.<br>"Alright - let's check it out." John said. He sends the Jumper down towards the planet.  
>҉<br>**VILLAGE.**

The team walks into the village's main street where the people are going about their everyday lives. Although their dress appears to be that of a typical Pegasus civilization, what technology can be seen does appear to be a little more advanced than usual. A couple stands in front of what - to us - would be an old-fashioned camera on a tripod. The man operating it ignites a magnesium flash as he takes their photograph. Nearby, a woman appears to be demonstrating what looks like an early form of telescope or microscope. Many of the women are wearing dresses similar in style to the one worn by the woman in Rodney's simulation. A lot of the women in the street have short hair, and several of them are blonde and strongly resemble Marissa.  
>"This is amazing!" McKay said.<br>"If you say so." Ronon mumbled.  
>A man rides through the street on a penny-farthing bicycle.<br>"Oh yeah! That's something you see in a medieval village!" John whispered fiercely to McKay.  
>"Yes, well, the Renaissance obviously came early to these folks." McKay countered.<br>"A couple of hundred years early?"  
>The villagers start to notice the newcomers and begin to stare and gather around the team.<br>"Um, Rodney?" Marissa asked.  
>John, Rodney and Marissa look at the villagers as they stare back at them. Ronon is more interested in a crossbow which he has picked up from a table. Rodney becomes aware that the people are staring at him in particular. What he doesn't know is that high up on the wall behind him is a portrait of himself with a halo-like glow behind his head. As the villagers murmur in excitement, John looks behind Rodney and spots the portrait. He grimaces and turns away in disgust. Just then, a young woman with short blonde hair approaches the team.<br>John whispers to Rodney, "Say something."  
>"Like what?"<br>"I don't know!"  
>The young woman addresses them. "Hello. I am Nola."<br>"Yes, well, uh, this is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Captain Marissa Frio, Ronon Dex, and I'm McKay." He smiles at her. "Doctor Rodney McKay."  
>Nola walks closer to him and stares at him closely for a few seconds, glancing up at the portrait behind him briefly.<br>"The resemblance is uncanny." John said.  
>Rodney turns and sees the portrait for the first time. As he turns back to Nola, she gazes at him in awe.<br>"You are the Oracle." She said.  
>"The Oracle?" McKay asks.<br>Nola backs away several paces respectfully, then bows to him. All the other villagers follow suit. After a few seconds, Nola straightens up again. "Welcome to Geldar."  
>John scowls at Rodney as Rodney looks embarrassed.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Nola is leading the team through the corridors of a building. "Please forgive my nervousness. I never thought you'd appear to us in the flesh."  
>"Why do you refer to him as the Oracle?" Marissa asked.<br>"The Oracle is a wise and omnipotent deity."  
>John turned to Ronon. "Boy, she's in for a rude awakening."<br>"Thousands of years ago he gave our ancestors life. He instructed them how to build their society, how to live their lives. His guidance was revered by all. Then one day without warning, the Oracle ceased all communications." Nola said.  
>Ronon turned to John. "War with the Wraith."<br>"Our people were puzzled by this but they continued to adhere to his instructions, living their lives according to his teachings which they passed down from generation to generation." Nola continued.  
>The team stares at another portrait of Rodney on the wall as they pass it.<br>"You haven't had any trouble with the Wraith?" Marissa asked.  
>Nola stops by yet another portrait. "Yes. They've come periodically - culled our people, destroyed our villages. Those who survived rebuilt, but only to the level at which the Oracle had instructed before he left. We found ourselves stalled in our development, unwilling to push forward without the Oracle's guidance, hoping one day he would return to us." John rolls his eyes. Rodney smiles at him smugly. "And two years ago, he did. The Oracle resumed communicating with us, teaching us many new things." She starts to walk again, leading them past another portrait. Rodney points it out to the team. 'He challenged us to think - to push the limit of our scientific endeavors. He changed the name of our country and even revealed his likeness to us."<br>"Enough with the pictures!" John said.  
>Nola leads them onto a balcony overlooking a room below.<br>"Ah. And you communicate through that." McKay pointed out.  
>In the room below is a large table with an illuminated screen on the top of it. The screen shows the same map that John and Rodney have been working with back at Atlantis.<br>"The portal, yes." Nola and the team head downstairs. "It's through this that we receive our instructions."  
>"And the Oracle knows when you have carried them out?" Marissa asked.<br>"Yes."  
>"It's the satellites. They must be tracking everything that's going on and then relaying it via subspace back to Atlantis. It's remarkable." McKay said.<br>"So, not a game after all." Ronon said.  
>"No, it's obviously some kind of Ancient experiment - um, social development, try out different ways to create civilizations."<br>John taps the area on the map that he controlled. "This country here."  
>"Illyriana." Nola said and John smiles smugly. "A persistent thorn in our side." John's smile fades. Nola smiles at Rodney. "Now that you've come to us, you can help us remove it."<br>Rodney and John look at each other in alarm.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

'**GAME' LAB. **

Doctor Zelenka is showing the console and screen to Illyria and Lorne.  
>"So this is it?" Illyria asked.<br>"Yes, yes. It is an amazing piece of technology. It appears to be a sociological experiment designed by the Ancients to help them as they were seeding various civilizations throughout Pegasus.

"I remember _denying_ a project grant for something like this." Illyria gritted her teeth.

Zelenka continued hesitantly. "I've had a chance to look at it further and it's interesting: there are many more civilizations in the game's database."  
>"Really? I thought Rodney said there were only two."<br>Zelenka was smiling. "That's what he thought. The actual countries that he and Colonel Sheppard are controlling are on this specific planet but I've been able to access the codes to unlock additional levels to the game…" Illyria gives him a look "... I mean, to the experiment. I discovered countries on planets throughout the galaxy. Some have been idle for the past ten thousand years - I guess awaiting instructions from the Ancients - but some have managed to develop on their own, even flourish." He sighs sadly. "Some have been destroyed by war, and others have been completely wiped out."

Illyria, who had turned away lost in thought, now turns back to him, looking concerned. Radek quickly tries to reassure her. "Not that Rodney's and Colonel Sheppard's societies are on this path."  
>Illyria gazes at the wallscreen with a serious look on her face. "So much power at one's fingertips. Exactly why I ban projects like these."<br>Radek also gazes at the screen, but he is smiling and looking rather wistful. "It's amazing the attraction of this ... game."  
>҉<br>**M4D-058.**

In Geldar, Rodney and Nola are sitting at a table. Standing beside Nola, a man called Garth unrolls a diagram of a dirigible - a very old-fashioned (in our terms) airship with a large basket suspended beneath it.  
>"We've managed to achieve propulsion through hand-powered propellers, but now we're undertaking tests of steam-powered propulsion." Nola said.<br>"Only this morning I completed a test that proved quite promising." Garth said.  
>"Really? That's great." McKay smiles, not entirely convincingly.<br>"You're pleased?" Nola asks.  
>"Yes, yes. I mean, this is quite an achievement."<br>Nola looks up as the rest of Team Sheppard approach. With them is a man in his late thirties. He has a shaved head and has the appearance of a warlord, dressed as he is in a black leather jerkin covered in studs, together with black boots and black gauntlets. Nola stands and looks at John angrily.  
>"What's he doing here?"<br>"It wasn't my idea." The man said (his accent British to us).  
>"Doctor Rodney McKay, meet Baden." John said.<br>"Oh. _Your_ guy."  
>"<em>My<em> guy."  
>"Yeah, it figures."<br>Nola turns to Baden. "I should have you arrested for trespassing."  
>"Go ahead and try." Baden said.<br>"Easy now. I brought him here because we need to have a little discussion." Jon said.  
>"I have nothing to say to him." Nola said.<br>"Fine with me." Baden said, turning to leave.  
>"Yeah, maybe not..." John said. Ronon casually strolls into Baden's path to stop him walking away. "...but we definitely have something to say to you."<p>

**LATER**.

Everyone is sitting at the table.  
>"So his story's pretty much the same as Nola's. His ancestors received instructions from their Oracle who disappeared for thousands of years, only to suddenly resume communicating a few years ago." John said.<br>"Let me guess: he told you to double the size of your army." McKay said.  
>"Yes, he has a capable army. And some nice villages. No people riding bicycles or hot air balloons, because we weren't cheating."<br>"I didn't cheat!"  
>Nola turned to Baden. "Have you come to agree to our trade proposals?"<br>"You mean demands? Neva."  
>Nola stands up. "Then I refuse to sit at the same table-"<br>"Look, please, just - just sit." McKay said. Reluctantly, Nola sits down again. "Thank you."  
>"This hostility between you - have your people lived like this for thousands of years?" Marissa asked.<br>"No. There was once peace between our lands." Nola said.  
>McKay looked away in dread. "Oh no."<br>"So this hostility - um, did it start a few years ago?" John said awkwardly.  
>"Yes - shortly after the Oracle resumed communicating with us." Nola said.<br>John and Rodney look at each other uncomfortably. Marissa and Ronon look resigned.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

'**GAME' LAB. **

Radek and Lorne are standing looking at the screen. Radek has called up information on another planet in the database.  
>"So, what, they're starving?" Lorne asked.<br>"Well, not as of yet, but if they don't change their approach to agriculture, it won't be too long before many of their people go hungry. The frustrating thing is that there is a large piece of fertile soil in the south of the country that would be ideal for tuber cultivation, you know?"  
>"Sorry, tuber?"<br>"Tuber, yeah, tuber. It is indigenous to the planet. It's a ... it's like a potato."  
>"So why didn't you say potato?"<br>"Because it's not a potato. It's - it's - it's larger. It has the same texture and nutrients as a potato but it's a…" he struggles for the right words "... like a cantaloupe."  
>"That's a pretty big potato."<br>"Yeah, it is a big potato."  
>"So if they plant this thing there, it'll grow?"<br>"Yeah, oh yes, whole fields of it. I mean, they could sustain an entire village - but they're oblivious to it."  
>"Tell 'em. Anonymously." Radek looks at him doubtfully. "Oh, c'mon, Doc, you can either stand here and let the people die, or you can help 'em out. Sounds like a no-brainer to me."<br>Radek looks at the screen thoughtfully, then starts to smile.  
>҉<br>**M4D-058. **

**GELDAR. **

The team has brought Nola and Baden to the communications console and Rodney is explaining what he and John have been unwittingly doing.  
>"As soon as we input the instructions into our console, they are relayed back to this device by a number of satellites in orbit over your planet. Once you've carried out the instructions, the satellites transmit their real-time results back to us on our home world." McKay said.<br>"So you're saying this is a game?" Nola said.  
>"Uh, no, no ... I mean, we thought it was a game, but, uh-"<br>"We didn't know there were real people on the other end." John cut in.  
>Baden looks at him. "You are the Oracle?"<br>"I'm your Oracle, yes." He grimaces. "That doesn't sound right."  
>"I know this is difficult to absorb, but it's all true." Marissa said.<br>Ronon turned to Baden. "You flew in the Puddle Jumper. You know they have the technology."  
>"I'm not listening to this." Baden said.<br>"Just hold on here a sec. We can prove it to you." John said.  
>"How?"<br>"Let's go for a ride."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

Illyria turns as Team Sheppard comes down the stairs from the Jumper Bay, bringing Baden and Nola with them.  
>"Baden, Nola, this is Queen Illyria, leader of our-" Before John could get another word out, Baden and Nola were kneeling before Illyria. Illyria raised her eyebrow at John and Rodney and they both just shrugged.<br>"Welcome to Atlantis..." Illyria said. Baden and Nola hesitantly rose. "If you don't mind me asking-"

"What's with the bowing?" McKay asked and Marissa lightly stomps on his foot.

"She is God." Baden said as if it was the most obvious thing. "That's why our country is named after her as a holy site. Every home and building has a painting of her, our God. The Oracles are messengers from God; she's the only reason we listen to them."

Nola nods in agreement. "As is in Geldar."

"Is that so…" John smiled at Illyria who did not look the slightest bit amused.

Illyria turned to their guests and smiled pleasantly. "If these two gentlemen haven't done so already, let me please offer you our sincerest apologies for this intrusion into your lives."  
>"Intrusion?" John said indignantly.<br>An imposition, maybe, and a benevolent one at that. I mean, if you could have seen the villages now compared to the way they were when we started-"  
>"Rodney." Illyria said sternly. Baden and Nola have walked over to the balcony and are gazing into the Gateroom. "Now, why don't you take them to your game room - show them what you two have been up to?"<br>"Right." Rodney gestures to the two offworlders. "Shall we?"  
>He and John lead the two of them away but not before they bowed again, never showing Illyria their backs.<br>҉  
><strong>'GAME' LAB.<strong>

Rodney has called the 'game' up onto the screen.  
>"So, this is Geldar and this is Illyriana." McKay turned to Nola. "Look, two weeks ago I instructed you to start digging a well for the new settlement on the eastern slope and on here..."<br>He types and the screen zooms in on an area of the map. A pop-up screen reads, "Action: Building Well." Underneath are statistics: Targeted Depth: 60 ft ; Completed: 74% ; Water Table: 46 ; Aquifer Composition: Sedimentary G4. There is also a diagram of the progress of the well towards the water below it. "There. See? Construction's already begun."  
>"Yes. I gave the order myself." She stares at the screen for a moment, then looks at Rodney painfully. "Our lives are just a game."<br>"Well, now, no. They're not games to you and, in our defense; we were trying to improve your lives." John said.  
>"It's like he said: everything we did, every instruction we gave was to better conditions for your people." McKay said.<br>"And if that meant cheating..."  
>"OK, you know, enough with that already!"<br>John grimaces as if to say, "But it's true!"  
>҉<br>**NIGHT TIME.**

Rodney has brought Nola to some guest quarters. She is sitting on the side of the bed, looking down at the floor, lost in thought.  
>"Is the room OK?"<br>"It's fine."  
>"Well, then, if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask, OK? You hungry? 'Cause we could walk across to the Mess Hall. They've got, um, I think it's, uh, Salisbury steak today. It's very good. They have a gravy that they put on the ... on the ... steak part and, uh…"<br>He trails off as Nola looks away again, still chewed up by what she has learned.  
>"The Oracle was a god to us. I believed in his teachings, so much so that my people elected me leader because of my passion for scientific advancement."<br>"Well, they obviously made the right choice."  
>"Now I must resolve myself to the fact that the Oracle is only a man."<br>"Yeah. Sorry about that. It's like I said, though - I did what I did with the best of intentions."  
>"To win a game."<br>"No. No, no." McKay walks over and sits on the bed beside her. "It is not about winning or losing. Look, the information I gave you and your people is very real, very useful. I've set you on a course that will allow you to develop into a modern society. I mean, what were you two years ago? You were a primitive, disparate cluster of villages stalled in development. Now you're making dirigibles. Do you have any idea how momentous that is?"  
>"The Oracle once said, 'Ask not what Geldar can do for you, but what you can do for Geldar.' Those were your words."<br>"Um, give or take."  
>"They are very wise."<br>"Yes. Yes, they are." He looks away, embarrassed.  
>҉<br>**MESS HALL.**

John is sitting with Baden.  
>"Well, now that you know the truth, you can go back to living your own lives. We won't bother you anymore."<br>"No. You must still help us."  
>"You don't need our help. You'll be fine."<br>"We need more weapons." John rolls his eyes. "The flying machine you brought us here in - you called it a Puddle Jumper. Our army could use it."  
>"No. Can't do that."<br>"But you encouraged me to increase the military."  
>"In response to McKay - the other Oracle - doing things that I thought were, uh ..."<p>

"... aggressive? Arrogant? Demeaning to me and my people?"  
>"I will give you arrogant and demeaning but-"<br>"The people of Geldar have started digging a mine beneath our borders to exploit coal resources on our land."  
>John leans forward, interested. "Really?"<br>"It was only confirmed yesterday. This after several diplomatic attempts to reach a compromise."  
>"Yeah, we couldn't come to an agreement but I didn't think he would start digging."<br>"I'm curious to know what response you would have to such an incursion." John stares at him. "I believe your next command would be to launch an attack on the mine, prevent them from digging further." John tries to look innocent but fails. "I'm right, aren't I?"  
>҉<br>**CORRIDOR.**

Illyria, John and Rodney are walking along.  
>"Did they believe you?" Illyria asked.<br>"Yes. They are fully aware of the situation. Not too thrilled, obviously." McKay said.  
>"We've got a big problem, though." John said.<br>"What is it?" Illyria asked.  
>"Game or no game, the fact remains we've started something these people don't seem to wanna stop. They hate each other and may be headed for a very real war."<br>Illyria stops and stares at the men. "Great! Great - and this is thanks to your "benevolent imposition"?"  
>She walks away. John and Rodney exchange guilty glances before McKay smiles, "Looks like you're sleeping on the couch."<br>҉  
><strong>DAY TIME. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM. **

Illyria is seated at the table with Nola and Baden.  
>"I have asked you both here this morning so we can have a face to face talk. Now, hopefully, I can help you reach an understanding." Illyria said.<br>"Where's Doctor McKay?" Nola asked.  
>"I have asked that neither he nor Colonel Sheppard participate in this. I think they have already done enough in fostering the current tension between you. Now, I have had experience brokering peace treaties. I am sure we can find some common ground." Nola and Baden refuse to look at each other. "OK. Why don't we start by going back a few years, to the time when your two peoples lived in peace?"<br>"We were naïve back then - ignorant to our potential. Once we began to challenge ourselves intellectually, we began to see how the people of Illyriana had been abusing thousands of years of kindness from us." Nora said.  
>"I've done everything I could to achieve peace with you." Baden said.<br>"Really? Such as?"  
>"I sent gifts of goodwill."<br>"You sent crates of citrus fruit! Citrus! Do you have any idea what an insult that is to my people?"  
>"It didn't used to be."<br>"All right, see, I think I know where that comes from. Did M... the Oracle tell you that citrus fruit was bad?" Illyria asked.  
>"He made us aware of its toxic properties, yes."<br>"Everything is toxic to you!" Bade turned to Illyria. "If they're not busy insulting us, they're complaining about contaminated food, improper hygiene. Even the sunlight is dangerous to them!"  
>"The only insult has been your unwillingness to compromise in any trade negotiation. Instead, you choose to increase the size of your army." Nola said.<br>Illyria sits back in her chair, sighing.  
>"You built an army too!" Baden yelled.<br>"Only in response to your aggression."  
>"My aggression? You dig a mine beneath our border to steal our coal and you have the nerve to talk about aggression!"<br>"We're not stealing your coal."  
>"You crossed into our land!"<br>"What do you need it for anyway? It's not like you know the first thing about what to do with it."  
>Baden turned to Illyria, "You see how she insults us?"<br>"By stating a fact." Nola said.  
>"Please. If we can discuss this reasonably, I am sure we can come to some sort of -"<br>Nola interrupted. "We've tried. They agree to nothing. And until Doctor McKay is brought into this discussion, I have nothing further to say."

She stands up and leaves the room. Baden throws up his hands in irritation and also storms out. Illyria watches them go and drums her fingernails on the table briefly in frustration.  
>"That went swell."<br>҉  
><strong>CORRIDOR.<strong>

Illyria is walking with John and Rodney again.  
>"Talk to them. Get them back to the table and hammer out a truce. I have run into a…roadblock."<br>"Really? Nola seemed very agreeable." McKay said.  
>"To you." John muttered.<br>"Yeah, well, more agreeable than Richard the Lionheart."  
>"They are both refusing to compromise. You seem to have convinced them that they cannot make any decisions without your guidance." Illyria said.<br>"That's not true." John said.  
>"Tell them that."<br>҉  
><strong>MESS HALL.<strong>

Rodney has introduced Nola to the delights of blue jello.  
>"This is delicious!" She said.<br>"Listen, you need to make peace with the people of Illyriana. If tensions keep rising like this, it could lead to war."  
>"I'm aware of that."<br>"Well, then, you're also aware that people will get hurt."  
>"I know the danger to my people. I also know you've taught us things Baden's band of knuckle-draggers won't learn for hundreds of years." Rodney can't help but smile at that. "Under your leadership, we hope to remain many steps ahead of any kind of aggression from them."<br>"Nola, you and your people need to start thinking for yourselves. Look, I'm not gonna be there for you anymore. You need to take control of your own lives, start making your own decisions about your future. And there can be no future without peace."  
>"I agree."<br>"Good."  
>"And as soon as the people of Illyriana either concede or get out of our way, peace will be restored. What you told me before - I do realize how monumental our progress has been, and I refuse to let Baden destroy that. 'Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds.' Those are the words of the Oracle. Your words."<br>"Einstein's, actually, but, um-"  
>"If we yield one bit to Illyirana, it will be equal to taking a giant step back in our development. I owe it to my people to make sure that does not happen."<br>Rodney grimaces, lost as to what to say to persuade her.  
>҉<br>**'GAME' LAB.**

The screen shows the progress of Geldar's mine as it tunnels under the river and into Illyriana.  
>"They're digging further. Every hour they intrude deeper into our land." Baden said.<br>"To get them to stop, you have to provide an incentive." John said.  
>"Like attacking the mine?"<br>"That'll cause a whole 'nother set of problems."  
>"The only problems will be with the people of Geldar."<br>"Not necessarily. They can fight back."  
>"What are you saying - we should capitulate, let them do whatever they want?"<br>"No. You make a deal, trade - say, you decide to share some of your weaponry and they in turn give you some of their technology."  
>Illyria's voice comes over his radio. "<em>John?"<em>  
>John walks a little way away from Baden as he activates his headset. "Go ahead."<br>_"How's it going?"_  
>"Well, he's being a little, uh..."<p>

_"...stubborn?"_  
>"I was gonna use a different word."<br>_"Hmm."_  
>Behind him, Baden bends down to the console and types onto it. The console beeps to acknowledge receipt. John turns and frowns at the sound, but Baden has already straightened up and is looking at the screen innocently.<br>_"I'd like you to come to my office. We need to talk."_  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**

Illyria, John and Rodney are there.  
>"They're not open to any kind of deal?" Illyria asked.<br>"Not yet. Maybe we should stick 'em in a room, force 'em to come to an agreement." John said.  
>"Don't worry about it. They'll work it out. Look, we just happened to catch them at a particularly bad time. Sheppard's guy's been doing a lot of aggressive posturing of late." McKay said.<br>"The only aggression is coming from the people of Gelding." John said.  
>"Geldar."<br>"Whatever." John looks at Illyria. "His people are digging a mine across the border into Ilyriana."  
>Illyria looks at Rodney, waiting for an explanation.<br>"The coal resources straddle the border between my country and his." McKay explained.  
>"Barely! They go three miles into my country - which your people are happily tunneling into."<br>"It has been a point of contention between us, OK, but it is just a difference in cartographic interpretation. 'Tomato.' 'Tomahto.'"  
>"No, no, it's pretty clear cut. You entered illegally into my country."<br>"Gentlemen." Illyria sighed.  
>McKay turned tto John. "You gave me no choice! You refused to negotiate!"<br>"You mean give in."  
>"What do you care anyway? It's not like your people were gonna use the coal!"<br>"Oh, yeah, that's right. You need it to power your medieval steam engines."  
>Illyria stood up angrily. "Stop it. These are <em>not<em> your lands. This '_game_' is over, so you had better set aside your differences, because if the two of you cannot figure out how to forge a truce, how the hell are these people going to?"  
>John and Rodney look suitably chastised. Just then, Radek's voice comes over the radio.<br>_"Rodney?"_  
>"What?"<br>_"You'd better come to the Game Room."_  
>҉<br>**'GAME' LAB.**

Rodney, John and Illyria walk in. Radek is sitting at one of the consoles.  
>"What happened?" Illyria asked.<br>"We've just received a data stream from the planet."  
>He relinquishes his seat to John. The screen shows the area around the river and the mine entrance. A number of red dots depicting Geldar troops are near the mine, with two more groups approaching from the south and west. A number of blue dots depicting Illyriana troops has crossed the river to the north and is approaching the mine. John zooms in on the mine. The greater detail shows that the Illyriana troops vastly outnumber the Geldar troops protecting the mine and are moving to attack from the north, east and west.<br>"Colonel Sheppard's army has launched an attack." Zelenka reported.

Rodney straightens up from the other console and glares at John accusingly.  
>"Don't look at me. I didn't order it."<br>Rodney looks down at his own screen again. The pop-up information read "Geldar troops in retreat." The screen shows the red dots moving southwards away from the mine. The blue dots move to surround the mine entrance. "They're going after the mine!"  
>"Well, looks like your war just started." Illyria said.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Nola and Baden have been brought to the room.  
>"Who ordered this?" John asked.<br>"I did." Baden confessed.  
>"He entered the command on your game console." McKay said.<br>"I only did it because I know it's something you would have told me to do."  
>"I wanted you to make peace with these people!" John said.<br>"This attack will not go unpunished." Nola said.  
>"No one is doing any punishing. There will be no further escalation to this conflict." Illyria said.<br>"There's no casualties reported. Looks like the mine was surrendered without a fight." McKay can't help but look at Nola rather accusingly.  
>"I told my army to minimize collateral damage." Baden said.<br>Illyria looks at John and Rodney. "You need to get back there. Take Ronon and Marissa with you. Go to your respective countries and make sure this does not get any further out of hand." She looks at Nola and Baden. "No one has been hurt yet. Let us keep it that way."  
><strong>WORMHOLE TRAVEL.<br>M4D-058.**

In Geldar, Nola hurries down the stairs into the console room, followed by Rodney and Ronon. A young man turns to greet her.  
>"You're back. We were beginning to worry."<br>"What's the status?"  
>"I've ordered three army units to re-take the mine. They're on their way."<br>"Oh no. No-no-no. You need to put a stop to that." McKay said.  
>"Why?" Nola asked.<br>"Look, we just need to step back and re-assess the situation here, OK? We should be thinking about easing tensions, not inflaming them."  
>Nola was looking at the screen. "Oh no." The screen shows the blue dots moving away from the mine and heading in a north-westerly direction towards a smaller group of red dots. A second group of red dots approaches from the south-west. "They're continuing to advance."<br>"What?"  
>Nola turned to Helkin, the man who greeted her. "Divert the units away from the mine. Have them gather in the village, prepare to defend it."<br>Ronon turned to Rodney. "Isn't this what she's supposed to be stopping?"  
>"Yes." He turned to Nola. "Look, listen to me. You cannot engage them."<br>"We must protect our people."  
>"Look, I agree, but you've gotta give Sheppard some time. He'll call off the army."<br>"Will he?"  
>Rodney turns away to activate his headset radio. In Illyriana, John is standing at the door to their console room watching people hurrying about outside. Rodney's voice comes over his radio.<br>_"Sheppard. Come in."_  
>"Go ahead."<br>_ "Are you watching what's going on here?"_  
>"We just got here." He walks inside the room to join Marissa. The room looks similar to the Geldar console room, but is only lit by candles. "Pretty much the same set-up as yours. We don't have electricity, but I'm not gonna get into that right now."<br>_"Your army is still on the march."_  
>"What?" John walks over to the console where Baden and a female aide are watching the screen.<br>_"They're headed for one of my villages. You need to call them off before they-"_  
>"The attack has begun." Marissa reported.<br>The screen zooms in on the blue dots approaching the Geldar village. It is poorly defended by half a dozen very small groups of red dots. The red dots retreat before the approach of the Illyrianan army.  
>҉<br>**GELDAR.**

Rodney, Ronon and Nola watch the screen which shows the village surrounded by blue dots. The red dots have moved to the west of the village and are now moving away westwards. A second group of red dots south of the village is moving to join them.  
>"Looks like you guys are giving up." Ronon said.<br>"What? No-no-no-no, that can't be right." McKay said.  
>John spoke over the radio from Illyriana. <em>"That was fast, Rodney."<em>  
>"They retreated without any kind of a fight. What kind of an army is that?"<br>"Well, at least there's no casualties." Ronon said.  
>"It's alright. I have another plan." Nola said. She walks away from the table.<p>

Rodney looks nervously at Ronon. "What other plan?"  
>"Why are you asking me?"<br>Rodney turns and hurries after Nola. He catches up to her in the corridor upstairs where she has met with Garth, the man who earlier showed Rodney the drawing of the dirigible. "Uh, what are you doing?"  
>"Preparing our counter-attack."<br>"What counter-attack?"  
>"From information you gave us about high-temperature and energetic materials technology, I have constructed a tactical explosive device." Garth said.<br>"A bomb? You actually built a bomb?"  
>"I told you we'd always be several steps ahead of Baden." Nola said,<br>"How come I didn't know about this?"  
>"We have yet to test it, so it still appears to not exist."<br>"We will target one of Illyriana's outlying villages." Garth said.  
>"How are you even gonna deliver it? I mean, the catapult couldn't possibly reach that far." McKay said.<br>"I will deliver it."  
>"Using one of the airships you taught us to build." Nola turns to Garth. "Go."<br>Garth hurries away.  
>"Oh, no. No-no-no-no-no. Come back!" McKay calls after him.<br>Garth takes no notice.  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIANA.**

John and Marissa walk out of the console room as John gets the news from Rodney. He whispers angrily into his radio.  
>"You taught them how to build a bomb?"<br>_"No! Well, not specifically. Look, OK, maybe I provided them with a list of ingredients but-"_  
>"I don't believe this!" John said furiously.<br>"How much damage can it cause?" Marissa asked.  
><em>"Enough to take out an entire village."<em>  
>"Well, then, you have tell them to stop."<br>_ "I tried that, but it's already on the way!"_  
>"How are they delivering it?" John asked.<br>Rodney hesitates for a moment, unwilling to admit what he has taught his people, but he has no choice but to confess. _"Dirigible."_  
>"You just had to cheat, didn't you?"<br>_ "I did not cheat. Look, nowhere in the rules did it specifically outlaw the development of flying machines - only the degree and speed of technological advancement."_  
>"Well, they advanced pretty damned fast, didn't they?" John said furiously.<br>"Do we still have time to shoot it down?" Marissa asked.  
><em>"Yes. Yes, I think so."<em>  
>Marissa turned to John. "Then we'd better get moving."<br>They hurry off.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

'**GAME' LAB. **

Illyria opens the doors and hears Radek and Lorne arguing inside. They are unaware of her arrival.  
>"Absurd!" Zelenka yelled.<br>"What are you talking about? It's a perfectly reasonable request!"  
>"Oh yeah. Perfectly reasonable! I give you all of my food and my people starve."<br>Illyria walks deeper into the room and sees the two of them on either side of the 'games' console. Radek is already on his feet and now Lorne stands up to shout at him over the top of the screens.  
>"I am not asking you for all of your food! Plus I did say that we would make a deal."<br>"A deal. Oh yeah. Baskets."  
>"Big baskets! Two dozen of 'em, hand-woven and very nice."<br>"Oh, very nice. What am I gonna put in them, huh? Certainly not food!"

Illyria, still unnoticed by the two men, folds her arms and looks at them angrily.  
>"You know what? I think you're holding out on me. I think you have plenty of food."<br>"Are you calling me a liar?"  
>"No, I think you're trying to squeeze me for a better deal, that's what I think."<br>"I have got nothing to hide! Now, if you're-"  
>"OK, OK, so maybe I'll send some of my army troops down and we'll have a look!"<br>"What the _hell_ are you two doing?" The men look at her, then look down, embarrassed. "I thought I gave specific orders to _stay away_ from this device."  
>"Yes, yes, you did." Zelenka said quietly, ashamed.<br>"We just saw that there were some people in trouble and we thought that maybe that we could ... um ... help."  
>"No! No more help. Clearly you are not qualified. Now turn this thing off, disconnect the power and seal the room." Illyria ordered leaving no room for negotiation.<br>"But, OK, we..."  
>"Now." She said firmly.<br>"Mmm. Yes." Zelenka and Lorne start to shut the equipment down. Illyria turns and leaves the room, calling over her shoulder,

"You're worse than infants! You are lucky you aren't _dismissed_."  
>҉<br>**M4D-058. **

**GELDAR. **

Rodney, Ronon, Nola and Helkin are watching the screen. Nola turns to Rodney.  
>"I hoped you would be proud of our accomplishments."<br>"I am, really. I just ... I wish it didn't lead to this."  
>Above them, the Jumper flies low over the planet's surface. The screen shows the dirigible which has crossed the river and is approaching a village in Illyriana. Helkin points as a new blip appears on the screen heading towards the dirigible.<br>"What's that?"  
>Nola looks at Rodney accusingly.<br>҉  
><strong>PUDDLE JUMPER.<strong>

John and Marissa look through the windshield.  
>"There it is."<br>They can see the dirigible up ahead.  
>"Good. Now all you have to do is puncture the balloon." Marissa smiled.<br>"Already on it."  
>A drone deploys from the Jumper and heads towards the dirigible.<br>҉  
><strong>GELDAR<strong>.

The screen has zoomed in on the dirigible and the Jumper. It shows the drone flying out from the Jumper and impacting the dirigible. The latter's image blinks and disappears.  
>"Colonel Sheppard! He shot down our airship with the Puddle Jumper!" Nola shrieked.<br>"Well, don't worry. No-one was hurt." Ronon said.  
>"He just ... he punctured it. It sank harmlessly to the ground." McKay said.<br>Nola gazes at the screen for a moment, then turns to Helkin. "Prepare the other bombs for delivery."  
>Helkin heads off.<br>"Other bombs?" Ronon asked.  
>"What, you have more?"<br>Nola looks at him without speaking, then turns her head away.  
>"Great!" Ronon sighed.<br>҉  
><strong>ILLYRIANA<strong>.

John and Marissa walk back into the console room. Baden nods to them approvingly. "Thank you for your help. You saved the lives of everyone in that village."  
>"We won't be doing that again." John said.<br>"I had no idea they were capable of delivering such a device."  
>"Tell me about it!"<br>"I've issued orders to make certain they don't try again."  
>"What kind of orders?"<br>"A full-scale attack has been launched. It's time to finish this war."  
>The screen shows many groups of blue dots heading across the river into Geldar. John and Marissa stare at it in horror.<br>҉  
><strong>GELDAR.<strong>

As Nola discusses tactics down in the console room, Rodney and Ronon talk on the upper balcony.  
>"I've seen this before. If two sides are dead set on fighting, nothing's gonna stop them."<br>"So I've gotta get Nola to call off the attack."  
>"You couldn't do it before. What makes you think you can now?"<br>"How about a little encouragement, huh? You know, "Go get 'em, Rodney. I have faith in you"?" Ronon looks at him. "OK, whatever. Look, I am not giving up on these people, which means until we get them to call this war off, then we are staying put right here."  
>Before he can even finish his sentence, an Asgard transporter beam envelops the pair of them and whisks them away.<br>҉  
><strong>DAEDALUS.<strong>

The ship is in orbit above the planet. As Rodney and Ronon are beamed in, John and Marissa walk over to join them.  
>"We could use your help. Come on." John said. As he walks away, Ronon and Marissa follow him but Rodney doesn't move.<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, what's going on?"  
>John turns to face him. "Illyria diverted the Daedalus on its way back to Earth to check up on us."<br>"Colonel Caldwell believed that the situation has blown up in our face. He was afraid that we would become casualties of war and so beamed us out." Marissa said.  
>"Yeah, but I talked him into beaming us back, but we've gotta do something first, so come on." John walks back towards Rodney, grabs his vest and pulls him into motion.<br>"Do what?"  
>"I've got a plan."<br>"Oh, what plan?"  
>"Oh, come on, already."<br>Marissa turned to Ronon, as they follow the other two. "How's the situation on your end?"  
>"All-out war. You?"<br>҉  
><strong>GELDAR.<strong>

The console screen shows several more dirigibles heading into Illyriana. Rodney and Ronon walk down the stairs to meet Nola.  
>"Where did you go? What happened?" Nola asked.<br>"Uh, nowhere, nowhere. We were just upstairs." McKay said.  
>"Someone said you vanished into thin air."<br>"What? No, that's ridiculous. How could we vanish?"  
>"The airships have passed the southern forest. They're nearing their targets." Helkin reported.<br>"Let's hope we strike first before Baden's army reaches our villages. We'll destroy their will to fight."  
>"OK." McKay takes Nola by the shoulders and turns her towards him. "Listen to me. For two years now I have been the Oracle to your people. I have given you much wisdom and guidance and bestowed much of my knowledge. Look, it's like you said: I was a god."<br>"Easy." Ronon warned.  
>McKay was raising a finger in acknowledgement to him as he continues to talk to Nola. "And yes, yes, I may just be a man, but that wisdom still remains. And now, more than ever, you need to heed my guidance and call back those ships."<br>"You told me it was time to start thinking on my own." Nola said.  
>"Right." McKay said nervously.<br>"So now I am. My people are looking to me. This is my decision - and we will be victorious."  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIANA.**

The console screen shows six dirigibles heading towards villages in Illyriana. On the Geldar side of the river, several groups of blue dots are heading towards villages. Baden looks up at John and Marissa.  
>"Why won't you help us?"<br>"I'm not shooting down any more ships. We're done helping you wage this war." John said.  
>"Then we'll shoot them down ourselves."<br>"How?" Marissa asked.  
>Baden turns to his aide and nods. She walks away. "Our weapons are not as primitive as Nola believes."<br>"Many people will die on both sides."  
>"If you want to leave, then leave. We'll continue this fight even if you've lost the will."<br>"You're making a big mistake." John warned.  
>"The only mistake was not doing this sooner. You'll see. This is the right path for my people."<br>҉  
><strong>GELDAR.<strong>  
>"They've reached our villages." Nola said.<br>"Two have already fallen." Helkin reported.  
>"The airships are almost in position. We should..." She trails off as one of the dots depicting a dirigible beeps and disappears. "What happened?"<br>"They shot down one of your ships." McKay said. Nola glances at him. "It wasn't the Puddle Jumper."  
>"Maybe one of the catapults hit it." Ronon suggested.<br>"No, impossible!" Nola said.

On the screen, another dirigible disappears. The screen zooms across to one of the Geldar villages and shows it surrounded by troops from Illyriana.  
>"Two more villages have fallen. It appears many are dead." Helkin reported.<br>Rodney activates his headset. "Sheppard. ... Come in. ... Sheppard! The radio's dead."  
>A huge explosion can be heard not far away. The building shakes.<br>"They're coming here." Nola said.

Everyone runs outside. The daylight sky is very dark. All around, the villagers run for safety. Another explosion goes off outside the village and a dust cloud rises into view.  
>"What, they have bombs too?" McKay yelled.<br>Ronon turned to Nola. "We need to get your people out of here now."  
>"Help them." McKay ordered.<br>Ronon runs off to help the villagers while Rodney and Nola race back to the console room. The screen shows the villages surrounded by blue dots, and explosions going off everywhere.  
>"Their army has surrounded us." Helkin reported.<br>Ronon runs in. "The road out of the village is blocked. People are being slaughtered as they try to leave."  
>"We're trapped." Rodney said.<br>Another explosion goes off nearby. The console screen fritzes and goes blank. Helkin looks at Nola and Rodney. "What shall we do?"  
>Nola gazes at the blank screen in despair. "It's over."<br>҉  
><strong>ILLYRIANA.<strong>

The console room is rocked as a huge explosion goes off nearby. The screen shows a huge number of dirigibles approaching villages all around the country, and explosions going off underneath them. John activates his headset.  
>"Rodney, where the hell are you?"<br>There's no response. Another explosion goes off nearby.  
>"They've dropped another bomb. Hundreds are dying! How can you stand by and let this happen?" Baden yelled.<br>Marissa runs in. "Nola's army has surrounded the village."  
>"We'll get to the Jumper." John instructed.<br>"They just destroyed it."  
>More explosions go off. Baden stares at the screen, which shows the dirigibles approaching the villages, and a huge army of red dots following. More explosions are depicted on the screen.<br>"We're being overwhelmed." Baden said.  
>"What should we do?" Marissa asked.<br>A bomb explodes very close by and the console screen goes blank. Baden stares at it in despair. He turns and looks out towards his village for a while, then turns back towards John. John stares at him pointedly.  
>"Game over."<br>҉  
><strong>GELDAR.<strong>

The explosions have stopped. John's voice comes over Rodney's headset.  
><em>"Rodney, you there?"<em>  
>Rodney activates his headset. "Yeah. We hear you. We'll give you a call when we're ready to be picked up."<br>_"Got it."_ John deactivates the comms.  
>"I don't understand. What's going on?" Nola asked.<br>In Illyriana, John puts his rifle down on the dead console and faces Baden. "What you just witnessed is what I would call another level to the game."  
>McKay, in Geldar, turns to Nola and Helkin. "See, we were beamed up earlier to our ship, the Daedalus, in orbit over your planet."<br>John, in Illyriana, spoke to Baden. "While we were there, I had Doctor McKay hack into the two devices, upload doomsday scenarios for each of your countries into the game."  
>"Everything you saw just now was transmitted from the Daedalus." Marissa said.<br>"You mean none of this was real?" Baden asked.  
>McKay, in Geldar, spoke to Nola. "No-one was hurt. No-one was killed. All just part of the simulation."<br>"In reality, your two armies are standing down, awaiting further instructions." Ronon said.  
>"But we heard explosions. We felt them." Nola said.<br>John, in Illyriana, spoke to Baden. "Thanks to some pinpoint shots from our friends in the Daedalus. It really added to the realism, didn't it?"

In Geldar, Rodney sighs. "I'm sorry that we had to do that, but you needed to see how this could end."  
>"Feel what a real war is like." Ronon said.<br>Nola lowers her head, finally understanding. In Illyriana, Baden does the same.  
>"You still think it was the right path for your people?"<br>Baden looks at John. His answer is obvious.  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

Illyria walks into the Mess Hall, goes over to the food table and picks up a bottle of water. She spots John and Rodney sitting either side of a table nearby.  
>"Gentlemen."<br>"How's it going?" John asked.  
>Illyria walks over to their table. They are in the middle of a game of chess. "Ah, it's still going. We're just taking a break. There's a lot of animosity to be unraveled but I think they are finally willing to at least try to make it work." Illyria chuckled darkly. "After all, I am their God."<br>"Well, it's about time they worked it out." McKay said.  
>"Yeah. And you two? Called a truce yet or is that couch looking permanent?"<br>"Yeah, sure. We're good." John said.  
>"Yeah, don't worry. We're gonna stick to chess from now on."<br>John was making a move on the board. "As long as Rodney doesn't cheat."  
>"Oh, please, like I need to cheat playing you?"<br>"OK, I'll leave you to it, then. Don't forget, rehearsal dinner tonight. _No one_ is to be late." She walks away with a kiss from John.

Rodney makes a move on the board. "Ha!"  
>John makes a move and takes one of Rodney's pieces. "Ha. Checkmate."<br>"What?" He looks at the board. John shrugs. "Oh, no-no-no-no-no. What happened there?"  
>"What happened there is I just kicked your ass."<br>"No, no, I was distracted. She was, uh ... OK, we're going again. Best of ten."

Rodney starts to set up the board again and John chuckles.


	43. Chapter 41

**AN:/ Twins are 1 year 7 months and 2 weeks. **

Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard is wearing a spacesuit and is sitting at the controls of a vessel that is shaking violently.  
>"Initiating separation maneuver in three, two, one, mark." He flicks a switch. Alarms beep. "Separation is negative. Switching to back-up." He swivels around in his seat to another control panel. "Disengage. Come on!" Alarms beep again. "Dammit! The bolts will not work. I repeat: the explosive bolts will not fire. Unable to separate ship. I don't know if you can hear me but it looks like I'm gonna have to ride this one down. Tell….Tell Illyria that I-"<br>John's radio cuts off.  
>҉<p>

**EIGHT HOURS EARLIER.**

A small moon is floating in space. A large cavern has been hollowed out inside a crater. The cavern is obviously man-made. John's voice can be heard over radio.  
><em>"Well, you wanted to take a look. Now you have."<em>  
><em>"What? We just got here."<em> McKay said.  
>John and Doctor McKay, both wearing spacesuits, are walking through a base built inside the moon. The equipment in the base does not look Ancient. There are computer monitors and databanks all around, and various storage containers are lying around. There is minimal power and so the area is quite dark. The men are looking around using flashlights.<br>_"We've been here long enough. There's nothin' here of any use to us."_  
><em> "We can't know that until we've explored deeper into the station."<em>  
><em>"I guarantee you you're gonna see pretty much the same technology that you're looking at here, which I call vintage 1967."<em>  
><em>"Oh, yeah, yeah. You know, we hollowed out a lot of moons back in the sixties."<em> McKay said sarcastically.  
><em> "Well, if we did, this is what it would look like."<em>  
><em>"What about that shuttle, huh? You know, that we saw when we docked?"<em>  
><em>"That was very double-oh-seven."<em>  
><em>"Ah, see? Even you were intrigued."<br>_ _ "A little bit. Illyria gave us the go-ahead to explore this station if - and I underline the "if" there - we find anything we can use against our many and sundry bad guys. This technology's antiquated at best. These containers are just full of supplies."_  
><em> "Building a place like this inside a moon must have taken tremendous resources. Whoever built it must have had a damned good reason, and if we wanna find out what that reason is, we need to look further inside."<em>  
><em> "Marissa, Ronon - are you listening to this?"<em>  
>Back at the cavern that forms the base's hangar, the Puddle Jumper has docked near to a large space shuttle. Captain Frio and Ronon Dex are inside the Jumper. Marissa answers John, sounding a little fed up. It seems likely that they've been there a long time.<br>"Yes. Yes we are, Colonel Sheppard."  
><em>"You guys care what's inside this place?"<em>  
>"No." Ronon said, sounding bored.<br>"Maybe it would be more _appropriate_ for a team of scientists to return."  
><em>"Good idea. We're out of here."<em>  
>As John and Rodney reach a T-junction inside the base, John turns to the left, apparently heading back towards the Jumper. Rodney spots a closed hatch to the right and heads that way.<br>_"Oh, wait-wait-wait-wait. I need to find out what's inside. I'm the same way with Christmas presents and piñatas. One more compartment, other side of this door."_  
>John turned to follow him. <em>"OK. Just <em>one_ more."_  
>All the pressure hatches in the base have a large wheel in the center of them, like you'd see on a submarine. Rodney turns the wheel, pushes the hatch open and they go inside, shining their flashlights around the room.<br>_"Looks like some kind of control room."_  
>They look around, then go over to a window which overlooks the shuttle.<br>_"Look at that."_ John said admiringly.  
>Rodney chuckles. <em>"Intrigued?"<em>  
><em>"Looks like it was built for re-entry.<em>  
>Rodney looks at the control panel below the window. <em>"Looks like some kind of rudimentary computer system but it's locked up. Let's see if I can reboot it and get power online."<em>  
>He starts to walk around the room, looking at the various control panels around the walls.<br>_"D'you think that's such a good idea? Didn't you say this station's probably powered by a nuclear reactor?"_  
>McKay was flicking switches. <em>"Well, it's definitely powered by a reactor..."<em> he continues flicking switches _"...and I just increased its power output."_  
>The lights in the room come on.<br>_"Rodney!"_ John said angrily.  
>McKay was chuckling happily. <em>"You said you wanted to take a closer look at that shuttle."<em>  
><em>"I did not!"<em>  
><em>"Ah, well, you were thinkin' it. Besides, I'll have life support online in no time."<em> He reaches down to a small panel. _"Closing outer doors."_  
><em>"Why?"<em>  
>There's a rumbling sound as the hangar doors close.<br>_ "So we can re-pressurize the hangar so we can get out of these suits."_  
><em>"It's not our job to satisfy your curiosity."<em>  
>Air starts to hiss into the room.<br>_"Hey, we can't stop now. We just cracked open the piñata."_ McKay grins happily. Just then one of the consoles beeps warningly.  
><em>"Hey, what's that?"<em>  
><em>"Picking up an energy spike from one of the other compartments."<em> McKay looks at the screen, puzzled. _"Now it's gone."_  
><em>"Good."<em>  
><em>"Not good. There's something frighteningly familiar about that energy signature. Check your life signs detector again."<em>  
>John looks down at the detector which is strapped to the sleeve of his spacesuit. It beeps. <em>"We've got company."<em>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

John pushes open a pressure hatch and walks cautiously into the compartment, aiming his rifle. Rodney follows him. The room has more consoles around the walls, and there are two large metal cradles in the room. One of them is empty but the other has a large device on it. It's about six feet long and shoulder height and is lit with glowing green panels. Lying unconscious on the floor on the other side of the device is a man in his mid-thirties, dressed only in a sort of boiler suit which is brown in color.  
><em>"Alright. Who the hell is <em>this_ guy?"_  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS.**

The Stargate is open. John is reporting over the radio from the moon base to his fiancé, Queen Illyria.  
><em>"You reported that there were no life signs. How did he get there?"<em>  
>"We don't know yet." John and Rodney have brought the man back to the Puddle Jumper and have laid him on one of the benches in the rear of the ship. Marissa and Ronon are checking the man over. John has removed his spacesuit. Rodney is still in his, although he has taken the helmet off. "Some kind of a energy spike right when his life signs popped up."<br>"I recognized the energy signature as very similar - virtually identical - to Wraith beaming technology. I think he was automatically reintegrated when life support systems started up." McKay said.  
><em>"Beaming technology? A minute ago you said the station was antiquated."<em>  
>"Other than the one upgrade." John said.<br>"And the artificial gravity." McKay added.  
>"Say early Apollo program."<br>"Well, I'd need to take a closer look but I am pretty sure that that device is modified Wraith technology - probably from a crashed Dart. If you think about it, it's actually a brilliant fusion of-"  
>Illyria deliberately interrupted him. <em>"And what do you intend to do with this person we have now assumed responsibility for?"<em>  
>"Oh, I dunno. I didn't think that far ahead."<br>_"Yes, obviously not. But if one person beamed out of nowhere…"_

"…there may be others where he came from. I was thinking the same thing." John finished.  
>"He's regaining consciousness." Marissa said.<br>John spoke into radio. "Alright, we'll find out in a minute. Our boy's waking up. Call you in one hour."  
><em>"One hour it is."<em>  
>The team gathers around the man as he slowly sits up on the bench.)<br>"It is alright. You are among friends." Marissa said carefully.  
>The man looks around at the team in confusion. "The war is over?"<br>"We're not from here. I'm Sheppard; this is McKay, Marissa, Ronon."  
>"Herick."<br>"I am sorry, Herick, but we have scanned the surface of your planet. If your world was at war with the Wraith, the war was lost many years ago." Marissa said gently.  
>"More like centuries." McKay said. Marissa lowers her head in irritation. "I mean, there is nothing down there but ruins and plant life."<br>"Dial up the sensitivity a notch, alright?" John said.  
>Rodney looks embarrassed.<br>"Defeat was expected, but the computer was supposed to extract me automatically in order to restore the others." Herick said.  
>"Unfortunately the computer froze. It was completely locked up. Probably should have used a Mac." Rodney said.<br>"What - what others?" John asked.  
>"The others in storage."<br>"You used Wraith beaming technology for long-term storage? That's crazy. Well, the energy patterns couldn't possibly stay stable that long." McKay said.  
>"Our engineers found a way." Herick said.<br>"Back up a sec. How many others?" John asked.  
>"Each module was to store over a thousand."<br>"Then this place was ...?" Marissa trailed.  
>"Created to save the last of my people. Once the Wraith were gone, and the planet was once again habitable, I was to fly one of the two shuttles back to the surface, but obviously something went wrong."<br>"On that subject, there's only one shuttle out there." John told Herick.  
>"That's impossible." Herick stands up and starts to leave the Jumper but John steps into his path and Ronon puts his hand onto Herick's chest to stop him proceeding further. "Please - I must get to the pattern storage room." He looks between John and Ronon as he speaks. "The second pattern storage module was to be stored on the other shuttle. Half those chosen for this were to be on board ... including my wife and son."<br>John turned to Ronon. "Let him go." He steps aside and looks at Rodney and Marissa as Herick hurries out. "You two stay here."  
>He and Ronon follow Herick.<p>

Herick races through the corridors, John and Ronon running after him. He runs into the Pattern Storage Room - the room where John and Rodney had found him. He stops and stares in anguish for a moment at the empty cradle, then hurries over to the other one and starts to type on a panel on the device.  
>"They were to launch within hours of us. Jamus gave me his word."<br>"Maybe the Wraith got to 'em before they could get to it." Ronon said.  
>"No. They were ready. I spoke to the pilot myself. They were just hours behind us."<br>McKay spoke over radio. _"Sheppard, I'm getting another power spike. What's going on?"_  
>John turned to Herick. "What are you doing?"<br>"Getting answers."  
>Herick presses a button and a beam similar to a Wraith transporter beam shoots out of the device. It deposits an older man into the room. He is wearing a similar boiler suit to Herick, although his is blue. Instantly John and Ronon raise their pistol and blaster and aim them at him. Herick rushes across to the man and grabs him, shouting into his face in anguish.<br>"They were to be here when I awoke! You gave me your word!"  
>"Herick!"<br>John pulls Herick off and shoves him back. "Alright, take it easy. Let the man have a breath."  
>Jamus sits down, catching his breath and looking confused. "I don't understand."<br>"Where is the second storage device?" Herick points accusingly at the empty cradle.  
>"They waited too long to launch the second shuttle. Herick, I'm sorry."<br>"I worked every day of my life to complete this place with the promise that when it was done, my wife and son would be among the ones saved. You made me that promise when you stored my pattern in the device."  
>"Shortly after you were stored in the device, word came from the planet that the last group had not yet made it to the second shuttle. With the launch of the first just hours before, the secret was out. There were riots on the street. Much of our leadership was in that last group."<br>"You delayed the launch. How long did you wait?"  
>"A day, but in that day the Wraith came, Herick, through the Portal. We knew it was the beginning - we knew it was an advance scout. It had happened far too many times in our history. We knew."<br>"Why didn't you order them to launch?"  
>"Because the second shuttle would have led the Wraith straight here." Herick gazes at him, grief-stricken. "It was the only way. You must understand that."<br>"Sounds to me like you did it to save yourself." Ronon said.  
>"No..." Jamus gestures to the storage device "...to preserve the others who were already in storage." John, who had casually put his foot up on the edge of the device, now gingerly removes his foot. "If the Wraith had followed the second shuttle, if they'd discovered what we had done, they would have blasted this moon from the sky." He stands up and walks closer to Herick. "It was the hardest decision I have ever made, but if I had not made it, your life's work would have meant nothing."<br>Rodney comes in. "Another life sign just appeared on the shuttle's H.U.D." He notices Jamus. "Oh. Hi." He walks towards him, holding out his hand. "McKay. Doctor Rodney McKay. I was the one who powered up your station." Jamus stares at his outstretched hand, obviously not knowing what he's meant to do about it. Instead, he nods briefly to Rodney. "... And you're welcome." He said awkwardly and lowers his hand.  
>"My people are grateful for your assistance."<br>"We don't need them." Herick said.  
>"We do have a ship." John said.<br>"One that - no offence - is better than that shuttle you've got there. We can get you back down to the planet and restoring your civilization in no time." McKay smiles smugly.  
>Herick spoke quietly, despondently. "Does your ship have an internal power supply attuned to the storage device?"<br>Rodney's smile fades.  
>"Herick wishes to finish the task that will complete his life's work." Jamus walks closer to Herick. "And when you have flown our people back to the surface, then the new era we have dreamed of will begin - free of the Wraith for all time."<br>Herick spoke quietly. "For all time." Jamus nods. "Forgive me." Jamus claps him on the shoulder. "I must prepare the shuttle for launch."  
>"Of course."<br>"Look, if you want a hand with the control room, I could, um..." Herick walks away without looking back. Rodney turns back to the others, making a popping noise with his mouth a couple of times. "Or maybe not."  
>John turned to Jamus. "We'll leave you folks to it."<br>Jamus nods. The other three start to leave the room.  
>"Look, Sheppard. I wouldn't leave this guy with that guy right now - not unless you want this guy dead." Ronon said.<br>"You really think he would, uh ...?"  
>"I would."<br>The three of them stop in the doorway and look back at Jamus, who is now working on the transfer device. John thinks about it for a moment. "Jamus, we're gonna stick around for a while - make sure everyone gets safely back to the planet. Happy to give you a ride if you need one."  
>"Thank you. I'm most grateful."<br>John turned to Rodney. "Why don't you head up to the Control Room?" He activates his headset radio. "Marissa, we're gonna stay a little longer."  
>҉<br>**CONTROL ROOM.**

Herick, his face full of grief, walks over to the control panel by the window overlooking the shuttle. He presses some buttons and lights come on around the shuttle. He turns and leaves the room, then breaks into a run. He races through the base, leaving all the pressure hatches open behind him.

Marissa, making her way from the Jumper to the Pattern Storage Room, meets Herick on the way. She comes up to him, her face full of sympathy.  
>"Herick. I understand how difficult this must be for you. I've also lost many friends and loved ones to the Wraith."<br>"What I feel was not caused by the Wraith."  
>"Still, if there is anything we can-"<br>Herick interrupts, "You've done enough."  
>"I don't understand."<br>"If you had never come, if I had never awoken, my last thoughts would have been of hope for the future, and the love I have for my family. I never would have to feel what I feel now. Gather your team and leave this place."  
>He turns and walks away.<br>"Herick." She starts to follow him. "Herick."  
>Rodney comes around the corner and watches as Herick walks past. "Ooh. He's not doing so good, is he?" He said unsympathetically.<br>Marissa turns and glares at him as he walks off in the direction of the Control Room. "No."  
>She turns back and watches Herick as he continues along the corridor, then she heads off towards the Pattern Storage Room.<br>҉  
><strong>PATTERN STORAGE ROOM.<strong>

John walks over to Jamus as he continues to work on the transfer device.  
>"Is everyone still in there?"<br>"It appears we spent far longer in the device than was ever intended but, yes, it seems our engineers did very well."  
>Marissa comes in. "Colonel Sheppard? I'm concerned about Herick."<br>"There's nothing we can do for him." Ronon told her.  
>"He just <em>warned<em> us to leave."  
>"He's understandably distraught. He'll be fine when he gets to the planet." Jamus said.<br>"Just the same, I'm gonna go and see what he's up to." John turned to Marissa "You stay here."  
>He and Ronon head off.<p>

In the corridors, Herick pushes more pressure hatches open as he continues on his way. In the Control Room, an alarm beeps. Rodney looks up in confusion.  
>"What is he doing?" He walks over to the window to look down at the shuttle. Herick has reached the shuttle and has opened the rear hatch. He looks out for a moment, then turns and runs back into the shuttle, switching on his comms. "Herick, what are you doing?"<br>Herick runs up a ladder into the control module of the shuttle. He sits down into the pilot's seat and starts activating controls. Rodney stares in horror.  
>"Sheppard, you need to get Herick out of that shuttle now!"<br>"We're on our way." As he and Ronon race through the corridors, Herick continues activating controls.

"Herick, if you're doing what I think you're do..."  
>Herick deactivates the comms and presses another button. The engines start to fire up. Herick gazes upwards in despair briefly, then gets out of the chair and climbs back down the ladder.<br>McKay spoke from the Control Room. "He's fired up the engines! Hang on!"  
>His face full of grief, Herick walks to the open hatch of the shuttle and stands in the doorway. The entire base starts to shake. In the Pattern Storage Room, Marissa and Jamus look round in confusion.<br>"What's happening?" Jamus asked.  
>In the Control Room, Rodney watches helplessly as the shuttle's engines build up to full power. He activated his radio.<br>"The outer doors won't hold! You need to shut the hatches to your compartments! All of them!"  
>He stumbles over to the hatch of the Control Room, shuts it and spins the wheel. In the Pattern Storage Room, Marissa does likewise. In the open hatch of the shuttle, Herick closes his eyes as the blast from the engines hammers against the outer doors of the hangar. Eventually they can take the pressure no longer and burst. The Puddle Jumper is pulled free from the dock and is blown out into space.<br>In the corridors, John and Ronon struggle against the air rushing out into space. Ronon uses all his strength to try and push a pressure hatch closed but an explosion blasts the hatch open, throwing Ronon through the air and sending him crashing into the opposite wall. In the Control Room, Rodney is thrown to the floor. In the Pattern Storage Room, Marissa and Jamus are hurled across the room and storage containers crash down on top of them. In the corridor, John continues trying to haul himself to the pressure hatch as Ronon drags himself to his feet.  
>From a viewpoint in space, the shuttle engines continue to burn through the open hangar doors as debris flies out into space.<br>In the corridor, John has finally reached the pressure hatch. As he tries to push it shut, Ronon drags himself one-handed to the rear of the hatch, puts his back against it and helps John push the hatch shut.  
>In the Control Room, Rodney has got back to his feet and walks back to the window just in time to see the shuttle's engines finally burn out.<br>In the corridor, having finally got the hatch shut, John - by now suffering from oxygen deprivation - forces himself to walk across to the hatch at the other end of that section. He pushes that one shut and seals it, then slowly crumples to the floor.  
>From a viewpoint in space, lots of bits of debris - and the Puddle Jumper - are spiraling away from the moon. The moon itself appears to be slowly descending towards the planet's surface.<br>**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

**CORRIDOR.**  
>McKay spoke over a radio. <em>"Sheppard, Ronon, come in."<em> John slowly regains consciousness. "Sheppard, Ronon, come in."  
>John wearily activates his headset. On the other side of the compartment, Ronon is slumped against the other hatch, apparently still unconscious. "Still here. Barely."<br>_"I was pretty sure you were dead!"_ McKay sounded relieved.  
>"Yeah, well, same here." He starts to drag himself to his feet.<p>

_"Accordingly to the readings in here, your compartment was almost completely vented. It took almost a minute to re-pressurize."_  
>John walks across to Ronon, kneels down and puts his fingers against his neck. Ronon starts to rouse. John puts his hand on his right shoulder, and Ronon promptly screams in agony.<p>

"Don't move." He sits down on the floor beside him. "Marissa? Captain Frio."  
>In the Pattern Storage Room, Marissa is hauling storage containers off Jamus. <em>"I'm fine, but Jamus is injured. He'll need medical attention."<em>  
>"He's gonna have to wait. McKay, what the hell just happened?" John asked.<br>_"Herick just killed himself and tried to take us with him. Chances are, he's succeeded too. I watched him open the rear hatch of the shuttle before he fired the main engines."_  
>"Why would he do that?"<br>McKay sighs sarcastically. _"You know, I never really got to know him, so, uh-"_  
>"OK, OK. What do you know?"<br>_"The compartments between us are in vacuum, possibly damaged by the explosion. We're cut off from each other."_  
>"What else?"<br>_"Look, just give me a second to figure out how screwed we are and I'll get back to you."_  
>John gets up again and wanders away from Ronon.<br>҉  
><strong>PATTERN STORAGE ROOM.<strong>

Marissa supports Jamus' head as he regains consciousness. His nose is bleeding.  
>"Herick?" Jamus asked.<br>"We think he took his own life, and tried to kill us."  
>"Why would he ...?"<br>"It's best that you don't move until we know the full extent of your injuries."  
>"And the device?"<br>"It appears to be intact."  
>Jamus attempts to sit up. Marissa assists him.<br>҉  
><strong>CORRIDOR.<strong>

John is sitting a little distance away from Ronon. Groaning, Ronon sits up. His right arm drags behind him as he hauls himself to his feet.  
>"I told you, don't move. Your shoulder's dislocated. Just wait for Beckett to get here, alright? Illyria will send a team as soon as she doesn't hear from us, which should be any minute now."<br>He hasn't been looking at Ronon while he was talking, so hasn't noticed that Ronon has forced his right arm behind the wheel of the hatch. Now Ronon spins his body viciously to the left, screaming in pain as he wrenches his shoulder back into position with a loud crack. John stares in shock as Ronon, groaning, pulls his arm out from behind the wheel and stumbles over to the wall, slumping down to the floor as he catches his breath.  
>"That's disturbing."<br>"I don't like to wait."  
><em>"OK, time for the How Screwed We Are report."<em> McKay's voice came over the radio.  
>"Alright, go ahead." John said.<br>_"There's no way to seal the compartments between us from here, and there's too many hatches left open. Herick was obviously trying to vent the station to space. Look, I'm gonna need to suit up, see what I can do."_  
>"Doesn't sound too screwed."<br>McKay laughed ironically. _"But I'm not finished yet. Because the shuttle was attached and exhausted all of its fuel during the burn, the moon has been knocked out of its orbit."_  
>"How much time do we have?"<br>_"Before we burn up, or before we suffocate? Because the reactor scrammed and shut down during all this, so we're down to emergency power, most of which is being channeled into the people storage device."_  
>"Well, I don't know! Pick one!"<br>_ "Not done yet! 'Cause there's still the fact that the Jumper was blasted out of the docking port, so there is no way off this rock in either case."_  
>"Well, Illyria will send a rescue team."<br>_ "We don't have much time left. The moon was already in a low orbit to start with. We're beginning to skim the outer atmosphere. We're gonna slow down exponentially."_  
>"Think of a brilliant plan, Rodney! That's what you do best. Using as little oxygen as possible."<br>The base shakes. Ronon groans as the vibration hurts his shoulder.  
><em> "Should I just repeat everything I just told you?"<em>  
>"We don't leave our people behind - did you forget that?"<br>_"No."_  
><em>"Good! They'll show up, and they'll get us out of here. Clear?"<br>_ _"Yes. That's clear. McKay out."_ He said not totally convinced.  
>҉<br>**PATTERN STORAGE ROOM.**

Jamus coughs as he sits up against a storage container. Marissa has a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
>"I am sorry for this." Jamus said.<br>"You blame yourself?"  
>"I gave the order that ended the lives of Herick's family."<br>"You made a difficult decision."  
>Jamus was looking at the device. "If these thousand souls can yet be saved, it will have been the right one."<br>He coughs painfully.  
>҉<br>**CORRIDOR.**

Ronon is back on his feet and is pacing up and down the compartment.  
>"I'm not good at this."<br>"What?"  
>"Waiting to die."<br>"Don't think about it."  
>"I don't like small spaces."<br>"Could be worse."  
>"Personally, I'd rather die fighting."<br>"I'd rather not die."  
>"I'm just sayin'..."<br>"OK, look. If this rock burns up in the atmosphere, I'll fight you to the death myself. Deal?"  
>Ronon smiles. "You're on." He sits down, calmer.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Rodney has made his way to another control room and is wandering around checking out the systems.  
>"Right."<br>Seeing something out of the corner of his eye, he raises his head and looks out of a window which looks out into space, then stares in shock as he sees a large chunk of metal debris spiraling slowly towards the window.  
>"Oh no. No." He spoke into the radio. "I've got a problem here!"<br>_"What's happening?" _John asked.  
>Rodney recoils back from the window, grabbing for his helmet but it's too late for him to put it on before the debris crashes into the window...<p>

and bounces off, leaving just a small scratch on the outside of the glass. Rodney's eyes widen as the debris floats away, then he smiles in delight.  
>"I'm alive!"<br>Suddenly the small scratch starts to fracture and lines run out from it.  
>"I'm dead! I'm so dead!"<br>He stumbles away from the window, quickly pulling his helmet on.  
><em>"Rodney? What's happening?"<em>  
>McKay was still struggling to get his helmet on. "The Control Room window's just been hit by a piece of debris from the explosion. It's about to breach!"<br>_"McKay?"_  
>"Can't talk now!"<br>Having got his helmet in place, he grabs onto the hatch with both hands as the glass in the window behind him shatters and the air is sucked out of the room. Once all the air has gone and everything has gone quiet again, he turns the wheel on the hatch, opens it, goes through and closes the hatch again.  
>"We just lost the Control Room."<br>_"Didn't seem like it controlled much anyway."_  
>"True. Alright. I'm gonna take a look around - see if I can figure out a way to seal the compartments between us. I figure it would be nice if we were all together as we burn up."<br>_"McKay."_ John said reprovingly.  
>"I'm sorry. I mean, as we get rescued. I always get those two confused." He looks around as he works out which way to go. "Alright."<br>He heads off.

**LATER.**

Rodney is working his way through the base, checking hatches as he goes. He reaches one that has a storage container wedged in it, obviously sucked there during the explosion. He removes the case and tries to push the hatch closed. Just then the base shakes violently. Rodney stares upwards for a moment as the base settles, then tries to push the hatch closed again but can't manage it. He reports over the radio.  
>"If anyone's counting, we have another problem. I can't seal the compartments between us because one of the hatches won't shut."<br>_"What's wrong with it?"_ John asked.  
>"Looks like the entire bulkhead was twisted when Sammy Suicide decided to fire up his rocket ship."<br>_"We're gonna need that hatch, McKay."_  
>"Yes, I know that. I am the one who told you. I'll try."<br>҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS.<strong>

Illyria walks out of her office, which had been changed into a fitting room, and goes over to the Canadian technician.  
>"It's been over an hour?" Illyria asked.<br>The tech looks up and is shocked and slightly aroused by what he saw. Illyria was wearing a white satin corset with matching shorts that rode up. As she leaned over the console, her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulder, reminding him of a Victoria secrets model from a catalog he keeps under his bed.

"Y-Yes, ma'am." He said, flustered.  
>"Alright, then. Dial them up."<br>҉  
><strong>MOONBASE CORRIDOR.<strong>

Illyria's voice comes over the radio.  
><em>"Colonel Sheppard, do you read me?"<em>  
>"Loud and clear, and your timing's perfect. Now, you need to get Beckett here with a rescue team and some cutting equipment as soon as possible."<br>Illyria spoke to the technician._ "Do it."_ The moonbase shakes violently. _"What's happened?"_  
>"We've got ourselves in a damaged moonbase in a decaying orbit, cut off from each other, and we lost the Jumper. That happened. Well, there's more to it than that, but you get the idea."<br>_ "Help is on its way. What else can we do?"_  
>"Hurry!" Ronon said.<br>҉  
><strong>SPACE GATE.<strong>

A Puddle Jumper comes through the Gate, its engines deploying as it exits the Gate.  
>"Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne." Inside the Jumper, Major Lorne and Doctor Beckett are already in spacesuits. The Jumper is being piloted by a captain from the Daedalus. "We are en route, and on afterburners. We should have you out of there in no time."<br>John and Ronon exchange a relieved glance. "Understood. You're gonna have to convert the Jumper's cloak into a shield and extend it to the station to create a seal."  
><em> "We're already on it, sir."<em>  
><em>"How are my patients doin'?"<em>  
>"Jamus could use your help." John said.<br>_"Tell 'em we'll be there in a jiff."_  
>"You guys hear that?"<br>McKay spoke over radio. _"Yay! Faint hope!"_  
>"We did, John. We're glad to hear it." Marissa said from the Patterns Room.<br>The base shakes violently again.  
>Jamus turned to Marissa. "Your friends are coming for us?"<br>"Yes. And Doctor Beckett as well. He'll take good care of you."  
>"And my people?"<br>"I'm sure that if it is at all possible-"  
>"It must be! There are over a thousand souls in this device. An entire people will be gone forever if we don't find a way."<br>҉  
><strong>CORRIDORS.<strong>

Rodney is struggling to fix the damaged hatch. As he strains to straighten out one of its hinges, Marissa's voice comes over the radio.  
><em>"Rodney."<em>  
>He grunted with effort. "Busy working right now. Call back later."<br>"_It's important to Jamus."_  
>"Yeah, well, what is it?"<br>Marissa has stood up and walked a few feet away from Jamus and is talking to Rodney with her back to Jamus. Obviously Jamus cannot hear Rodney as his voice comes into her headset.  
>"Could it be possible to take the people stored in the device along with us?"<br>_ "No. No, there's not a chance. Look, the internal batteries would run out in half the time it would take me to patch in a compatible power source. Look, maybe, maybe if I could keep it in the compartment, but we're not sticking around that long. We're in a decaying orbit, remember?"  
><em> Marissa was smiling falsely. "Then there's an excellent chance that we'll be able to save them."  
><em>"What? No-no-no-no-no-no-no - I said no."<br>_ "Jamus will be very happy to hear this."  
><em>"What are you ...?"<em> He realizes what she is doing. _"Oh, OK. Yeah, tell him no problem. The more the merrier."_  
>He gets back to work on the hatch's hinge. Marissa turns to face Jamus, still smiling falsely. "Doctor McKay assures me that it will be possible."<br>҉  
><strong>HANGAR.<strong>

The Jumper backs into the hangar, retracts its engines and docks.  
>"OK, we're in." Lorne said. He opens the first pressure hatch and enters the base, carrying a large case with him. Carson follows, carrying his medical kit.<br>At the damaged pressure hatch, Rodney is straining to push the hatch shut. "Come on! Oh!" He almost weeps with effort and frustration. Behind him, Lorne walks up and knocks three times on his helmet. "What the ...?" He spins round.  
>"I thought I'd take over, Doc."<br>"Oh, thank God! I can't get the hatch shut. I can't get Sheppard, Ronon or Marissa out of the compartments until I get the hatch shut."  
>Lorne was laying his case down and starting to open it. "Not a problem. Just head on back to the Jumper."<br>"No. No, we don't leave our people behind."  
>The base shakes violently again.<br>"You're not goin' anywhere, Doc. You're just headin' back to the Jumper to figure out how much time we have before this moon starts breakin' up in the atmosphere."  
>"Right. Right."<br>He heads off. Lorne lowers the sun visor over his helmet and fires up a cutting device.  
>҉<br>**PATTERN STORAGE ROOM.**

Outside the room, Carson reaches the hatch and thumps on it.  
>"Marissa, love, can you hear me?"<br>"Yes, Carson. It's good to hear your voice."  
>"Aye, you too. We should be able to re-pressurize and have you out in no time." The base shakes again. "Just hang on a wee bit longer."<br>Marissa hurries back to Jamus. "Our rescuers have arrived. We'll be able to get out of here soon."  
>"And the device?"<br>"I'm sure we'll do everything in our power."  
>Jamus was gazing at the device. "Hayden Thorton is our people's greatest living poet. He is among those stored in this device. Our greatest scientists, Torrell and Barnum, are stored in here as well, along with two hundred children. You <em>must<em> promise me."  
>"I wish I could, but I cannot promise what is beyond my control, Jamus."<br>Outside the room, Lorne comes to join Carson. "We've got a good seal on the damaged hatch. The station is re-pressurizing." He checks a device strapped to his wrist. "OK, we're good to go."  
>He cracks his helmet visor open. Carson follows suit and they push their visors all the way up.<br>"Colonel, Marissa, you're safe to open your hatches."  
>"Great!" John and Ronon run towards the hatch. "McKay, how much time do we have?"<br>"_Not much. We're getting dangerously close to the planet's atmosphere. The moon won't survive another orbit."_  
>John gets the hatch open and he and Ronon hurry off.<br>҉  
><strong>PATTERN STORAGE ROOM.<strong>  
>"It's time to leave." Marissa helps Jamus to his feet. As she helps him towards the hatch, the base shakes again. Marissa loses her footing and stumbles a few steps away from Jamus, then turns to find him pointing a pistol at her. She looks down and realizes that he has just taken it from her holster. "Jamus, what are you doing?"<br>"I cannot allow you to leave. Not until you ensure the safety of my people."  
>Outside, Carson is trying to turn the wheel on the hatch. "Marissa, you can open the hatch. It's safe."<br>John and Ronon run in. Ronon is holding his right arm to his side with his left hand. "Hey, Doc."  
>"Colonel. Ronon, you OK?"<br>"Yeah, I'm good, Doc."  
>"What's the problem?" John asked.<br>"Marissa's hatch is locked from the inside."  
>John activates his headset. "Captain Frio? Open up the door - we've gotta get out of here. That's an order."<br>_"I can't do that, Colonel. Jamus has my sidearm and will not let me leave until we find a way to preserve the storage device."_  
>"Alright. Tell him we'll try."<br>_"I've already done so. He does not believe me."  
><em> "Put him on the radio." Marissa opens a pocket in her vest, takes out her radio, switches it on and holds it out towards Jamus. "_Jamus, can you hear me?"_  
>"I can."<br>_"I want you to listen carefully. If there was time to save the storage device, we would, you know that. We got into this mess by offering to stick around and help you in the first place. But we can save you - this is your life we're talkin' about, alright? So just open up the door."_  
>"I have her weapon."<br>The base shakes again.  
><em>"This rock is gonna burn up in the atmosphere."<em>  
><em>"Meaning if you don't open this door, you'll die."<em> Carson said.  
>"Then I will die with my people."<br>_"OK. Open up the door and let Marissa out and you can __die__ with your people_." John said. Jamus doesn't reply. John looks round at Lorne. "Get the torch." Lorne moves to fetch it. "Jamus, we're gonna open up this door one way or the other." He puts on some dark protective glasses that Lorne has handed him, then starts to put on some heavy gloves. "And if we have to do it the hard way, my offer to take you with us is off the table."  
><em>"There is nothing more to say."<em>  
>Lorne hands the torch up to John, who ignites it.<br>"Sacrificing your own life won't save them." Marissa said.  
>"My life does not matter." He and Marissa look at the hatch briefly as John begins cutting into it.<br>"If you live, their memory will be preserved."  
>"You still do not grasp what is at stake - just how many have sacrificed so that our people could have a future. It took the resources of five generations to build this station. We fought a war we knew we could not win so that there could be a future."<br>"You knew you couldn't win the war?"  
>"We came to realize that if there were no more survivors, the Wraith would not return. We built weapons to ensure that when the war was over, there would be no more survivors."<br>"You killed your own people?" Marissa said, horrified, her eyes widening.  
>"We killed Wraith. Every ship that landed was struck by our atomic weapons. We knew that the radioactive cloud would spread over every continent. We knew the planet would be uninhabitable for many years."<br>"So you built this place."  
>"That we could rebuild without fear of the Wraith ever returning. So, you see, these souls must survive. If they do not, the many hundreds of thousands lost in the war will have died for nothing." Marissa, whose face has been stern and angry up until now, looks a little more sympathetic as she steps towards him. "Don't. Don't." Marissa stops. "Your life is all I have to bargain with. I do not wish to take it."<br>The base shakes again. From a viewpoint in space, the leading edge of the moon touches the outer edge of the atmosphere and begins to glow. Outside the Pattern Storage Room, Carson struggles to keep his footing.  
>"This is taking too bloody long." Carson said.<br>"I'm goin' as fast as I can." John said.  
>(Inside)<br>"Any moment now, Colonel Sheppard will cut through that door. If you shoot me, they'll certainly kill you." Keeping the pistol trained on her, Jamus backs up to the storage device and starts pressing buttons. "Perhaps the only way to preserve your people now is to preserve their memory. If you die, they will be forgotten. Their deaths will go unrecorded, and the Wraith _will_ have won." Jamus glances at the hatch, where John is still cutting. "_Or_…leave here with us now and keep the spirit of your people alive inside you. Document their achievements, their struggles and triumphs. _Tell_ their story to anyone who will listen. The choice is yours."  
>The base shakes even more violently. Jamus keeps his footing and begins to press buttons on the storage device again.<br>"I never intended to take your life. My only hope is that Colonel Sheppard is sincere in his statement that he will leave no-one behind."  
>Outside, John has almost finished cutting. A few moments later, Jamus runs to the hatch and shouts through it. "Colonel! Colonel. You can stop what you're doing now. I'm ready to open the door."<br>He presses some buttons beside the hatch. John stops cutting and spoke with irritation. "Now he's ready!" He puts the torch down and takes off the glasses and gloves. "Alright. We're gonna open up the door. I wanna see your weapon on the ground and your hands in the air."  
>As the wheel on the hatch starts to turn, he aims his pistol. Lorne aims his rifle and Ronon his blaster.<br>_ "Sheppard, what's going on? I'm picking up another power surge."_ McKay reported.  
>John frowns and glances round at Lorne for a moment, then turns back to the hatch, puts his boot against it and shoves the hatch open. As he and the others run in, the last trace of a transporter beam disappears inside the storage device. There's no sign of Marissa or Jamus. John stares at the device in horror.<br>҉  
><strong>SPACE.<strong>

The moon sinks deeper into the edge of the atmosphere.  
>҉<br>**PATTERN STORAGE ROOM.**

Rodney is working on the storage device. John is with him, while Ronon sits nearby.  
>"Are you gonna be able to get her out of there or not?" John asked.<br>"I have no idea how to determine who's who in this thing. Look, maybe if I had a few hours-"  
>"Well, you don't."<br>"Yes, I know, but short of randomly beaming people out one by one-"  
>"There's a thousand people in this thing."<br>"I am aware of that."  
>The base shakes violently. Lorne comes to the door. "It's time to go, sir."<br>"Just give us a minute."  
>"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have a minute. As soon as this rock hits the atmosphere, it's gonna start to break up. We've gotta go now."<br>"Alright." John turned to Rodney. "Can you get this thing disconnected?"  
>"Yes, but I've already told you - there's no way I can rig up a compatible power source for the Jumper."<br>"I'm not talking about the Jumper."  
>"What?"<br>"I always wanted to fly a space shuttle. Now's my chance."  
>"Oh, no-no-no-no-no."<br>John is already heading out of the room. Rodney follows him. "Just get this thing disconnected and help these guys get to the Jumper while I suit up."  
>"Look, I know how much you love to think you can fly anything but it is not-"<br>"Just get this thing disconnected. That's an order." John said sternly. He storms off. Rodney stops and watches him for a moment, then heads back into the room.  
>҉<br>**SPACE.**

The leading edge of the moon is slowly disintegrating in the heat.  
>Inside the base, Rodney has got the device disconnected and he, Lorne and Ronon (one-handed) are pushing it towards the shuttle.<br>"I think he's crazy. The thing's how many hundred years old? And it's out of fuel." Lorne said.  
>"He said he could fly it."<br>Behind them, Carson is helping John to get into his spacesuit. "You do realize you're out of your bloody mind, right?"  
>"Yeah, probably."<br>The base shakes. Rodney turns back towards John. "Alright, you're all set. Once you're inside the shuttle, it should be fairly easy to get the device into the receptacle."  
>"Alright, let's do it." He starts to walk past him.<br>"Just - can I say one more thing?" McKay asked. The base shakes again as John turns back to him.  
>"As long as you say it as fast as you can."<br>"Don't do this. It's impossible."  
>"Willing to bet a week's wages on that?"<br>"Yeah, how're you gonna pay up if I win, huh?"  
>"Thanks for caring!"<br>"Yeah." McKay said sheepishly.  
>"Alright. Radio Atlantis as soon as you're clear. Keep a safe distance with the Jumper. I'll try to maintain radio contact." He turns to leave but Ronon stops him.<br>"Hey. Remember - you still owe me a fight to the death."  
>John lowers his helmet visor and clamps it down. "I look forward to that."<br>He slaps Ronon on the shoulder as he walks past him. Ronon grimaces in pain, turns and glares at John's departing back, then leaves.  
>҉<br>**PUDDLE JUMPER.**

Rodney, Ronon, Carson and Lorne run into the Jumper to join the pilot.  
>"Get us out of here, Captain."<br>҉  
><strong>SHUTTLE.<strong>

John connects the storage device to its power source.  
>"Alright. I've got the device locked in place. Looks like internal power switched on automatically. Closing rear hatch now."<br>He looks out of the hatch for a moment. Debris is streaming past the hole in the moon where the outer doors once were. The Jumper is just pulling away from the dock.  
>"See you guys on the ground." He closes the hatch.<br>_"Will do, sir. Good luck."_ Lorne said.  
>John goes to the ladder leading up the control module and starts to climb. The Jumper heads towards the exit of the hangar.<br>_"We're clear, sir."_  
>John settles into the pilot's seat.<br>_"The moon's decelerating in the upper atmosphere. You've only got a few minutes to familiarize yourself with those controls."_ McKay said.  
>"Pretty straightforward."<br>_"We're gonna lose radio contact as you pass through the atmosphere."_  
>"I know, Rodney."<br>_"I'm saying that if you have anything that you'd like to say, a message you want us to give Illyria, now would be a good time to say-"_  
>"No, not really." The shuttle shakes violently. "Gettin' some chop."<br>_"Now would probably be a good time to disengage."_ In the Jumper, Rodney calls up the H.U.D. on the windshield. "Hopefully the explosive bolts will throw him clear of the moon."  
>"Initiating separation maneuver in three, two, one, mark." He flicks a switch. Alarms beep. "Separation is negative. Switching to back-up." He swivels around in his seat to another control panel. "Disengage. Come on!" Alarms beep again. "Dammit! The bolts will not work. I repeat: the explosive bolts will not fire. Unable to separate ship. I don't know if you can hear me but it looks like I'm gonna have to ride this one down. Tell…Tell Illyria that I-"<p>

In the Jumper, everyone looks concerned.  
>"What's happening?" Ronon asked.<br>"His radio cut off and he can't separate the ship. He's gonna burn up inside the moon." McKay said.  
>John grips the control column fiercely as the shuttle continues to shake violently. Outside, more and more chunks of the moon are breaking off as it descends deeper into the atmosphere. The hangar starts to fall apart. Large chunks of debris crash down onto the shuttle. John looks up in concern through the bubble of glass over the top of the module.<br>The moon continues its descent through the atmosphere, blazing as it goes. Finally it can withstand the strain no longer and disintegrates. Debris flies off in all directions.  
>For a few agonizing moments, the crew in the Jumper stare and wait. Finally the H.U.D. beeps and flashes up an image of the shuttle. Rodney points.<br>"There it is!" McKay yelled.

Carson sighs quietly.  
>In the atmosphere, the shuttle, now free of the debris around it, is burning brightly as it plunges downwards. Inside, alarms beep constantly as John struggles to gain control of the ship.<br>In the Puddle Jumper, the crew watch the H.U.D. anxiously. The shuttle reaches the lower atmosphere and plummets towards the ground, trailing a tail of smoke behind it. John desperately tries to bring the nose of the craft up. Whether or not he is successful is open to debate but the shuttle finally reaches the ground in at least a semi-controlled glide. It crashes down in what appears to be a desert, then skids along the ground without breaking up. As it jerks to a halt, John is thrown forward violently and his helmet thumps hard into the console. His arm drops to his side as he loses consciousness.  
>"Get as close to the crash site as possible." Lorne said.<br>"Yes, sir."  
>"Can you tell if he's alive?" Carson asked Rodney.<br>"Not yet. Wait." The team waits anxiously. A moment later the H.U.D. beeps. "I'm detecting one life sign."  
>In the shuttle, John wearily raises his head. The glass on his helmet hasn't even broken. He sits up and looks around groggily.<br>In the Jumper, John's exhausted voice comes over the radio. _"That's one week's pay you owe me, Rodney."_  
>The crew all grin in relief.<br>McKay was smiling. "Well, technically, I didn't take that bet."  
>"Hang tight, sir. We're on our way." Lorne said.<br>_ "Take your time, Major."_ He opens his visor and pushes it up. "Take your time."  
>҉<br>**ATLANTIS. **

**INFIRMARY. **

John walks in to find Marissa sitting up in bed with Carson checking her over and Illyria sitting on the edge of the bed, still in her outfit from earlier but with a medical coat Carson draped over her shoulders.  
>"So, I have the hard landing and she gets the bed rest." John said.<br>"Well, I tried to tell Carson that I was perfectly fine but he insisted." Marissa smiled.  
>"A number of people reintegrated from the storage device experienced a small amount of memory loss. I just want to make certain that you're...all there." Carson smiled. "Can't have my favorite Marine forgetting how to eat."<br>"She does look a little thin."  
>Carson smiles as Marissa shoots John an indignant look. "Just until the morning."<br>"Thank you."  
>Illyria gets off the bed and faces John. "I want your head examined."<br>"Hey, I pulled it off, didn't I?"  
>"Yes, you did." Marissa said.<br>"I'm gonna head back to my office to finish my fitting." She looks down at herself. "Major Lorne is about to return to drop off supplies to Jamus' people."  
>"Hey, what are you gonna do with him, anyway?" John asked.<br>"His injuries were such that he didn't survive the reintegration." She said softly and leaves.  
>John turned to Marissa. "It doesn't break my heart."<br>"He only did what you or I would've done."  
>"Are you kidding? He held you hostage and almost got both of us killed."<br>"He tried to save his people - and he succeeded, through you."  
>"That's not the reason I did it."<br>Marissa smiles at him. "I know."  
>"Don't go feelin' special." Marissa grins. "I'd have done it for any one of you."<br>He turns away as Marissa grins again. "Of course."  
>John was walking away. "Except for maybe McKay."<br>"Yes - I think even for Rodney."  
>"Maybe." He smiled over his shoulder. "Time to put on my monkey suit."<p>

**AN:/ WEDDING NEXT CHAPTER!**

** Anyone else excited?**


	44. Chapter 42 The Wedding

**AN:/ 1 year 8 months and 2 weeks old**

**ATLANTIS.**

In the Control Room, Queen Illyria and Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard listen to Colonel Caldwell as he reports over comms.  
><em> "Scans are clear. Nothing left in the city except you folks."<em>  
>"Thank you, Colonel. Illyria out." She shuts off her radio.<br>"That all?" John asked, wrapping his arms around Illyria's waist, snuggling his face into the crook of her neck. "No more reports?"  
>She smiled. "Yep. No more."<br>"And since there's no more…"  
>"I'm sure you can find something for you to do." Illyria said, teasingly.<br>Doctor Zelenka rushes over and interrupts apologetically. "Queen Illyria. Queen - I'm sorry, it's important."  
>John growls and releases Illyria, glaring at Zelenka. Illyria sighs and walks over to the wall screen with Radek, John following.<br>"The long range scanner." Zelenka reported.  
>Illyria stares at the screen. "A hive ship…"<br>"Yes - headed towards Atlantis."

Illyria closed her eyes briefly. "How far out?"  
>"A few days at the most."<br>"Just the one?"  
>"So far."<br>"So far…" John trialed.

҉  
><strong>ATLANTIS. <strong>

**CONFERENCE ROOM.**  
>Captain Frio, Doctors McKay, Beckett, and Zelenka, Colonels Sheppard and Caldwell, and Illyria sat around the table. Ronon Dex was pacing by the doors.<p>

"Why are we hearing about this now?" Ronon growled.  
>"After we blew up Stargate Command, the Replicators had to rebuild." McKay said.<p>

"Obviously." Caldwell sighed.

"Yes, well, the missed a few key systems in their rush to try to locate us. The reason we're just now sensing them is because the long range scanners _finally_ kicked in." McKay glanced accusingly at Zelenka.

"And this is my fault?"

"Enough, gentlemen." Illyria said. "What are our options?"  
>"We found a planet that suitable for an Alpha Site." Marissa reported. "We've already started relocating people there."<p>

Illyria looks at John. "I'd like you and your team to assist, just to make sure the relocation goes smoothly."  
>"I'll take a repair team back to the Daedalus - get the engines fixed." McKay said. "I'll alson send one out to the Throne chair."<br>"Well, as quickly as you can, Rodney." Illyria smiled.  
>"I assume there's still only <em>one<em> hive ship on the way?" Caldwell asked.  
>"Yes." Zelenka said. "Only one."<br>"Why only one ship?" Carson asked.  
>"We don't know. Maybe they're just coming to prove the Ancients are still here, but if they manage to do that..."<br>"Well, at least we've got the Daedalus, and the city's supply of drones has been replenished." Caldwell interrupted Zelenka.  
>"It's enough to put up a hell of a fight." John said.<br>"Let's not fool ourselves. If they come in full force - and there is no reason to believe that they won't this time - then, I'm sorry, but ..."  
>"... it's not going be enough." Illyria finished for McKay. Everyone looks at each other as they realize how bad this is going to get. "It's all we've got."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS **

**CONTROL ROOM. **

A screen shows a countdown. It is at 00:01:55 and counting. Mairssa and Ronon hurry into the room to meet with Illyria.  
>"All of our people have been safely relocated to the city." Marissa reported.<br>"Did everything go smoothly?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yeah - they're pretty used to it, back and forth, by now. Have you picked up any of their contacts?" Ronon asked.<br>Illyria turns to the Canadian technician sitting at his desk. "Sergeant?"  
>"Negative, ma'am. Scans are still clear. It looks like it's just the one hive ship."<br>"And our cloak?"  
>"Up and running. All readings are in the green."<br>"Good." Illyria activates her headset radio. "Colonel Caldwell, are you in position?"  
><strong>(On board Daedalus)<strong>

Out in space a long way from Atlantis, Colonel Caldwell replies, "Affirmative. We're out of scanning range and ready to jump into position on your go-ahead."  
><em>"Excellent."<em>  
>"Just for the record, I still think that we should be in orbit around Atlantis, ready to open up on that hive ship the second it comes out of hyperspace."<br>_ "It's one hive, Colonel. Just stand by."_  
>"Standing by."<br>_"Colonel Sheppard - how goes it on your end?"_

**(Atlantis Chair Room)**  
>John sat in the chair while McKay was wandering around the room, overseeing the controls being manned by crew from the Daedalus.<br>"Whether or not we're ready to fight is a whole another story." John said.  
>"Getting this chair up and running in under a month is a miracle." McKay said.<br>"Do we start the beatification now or later?" John asked.  
><em>"Rodney, if the hive opens up on us, I want the chair's drones."<em> Illyria told him.  
>"Which means we're gonna need the power to get in position." John translated.<br>"You want everything!" McKay yelled.  
>"I like everything! Can we do it or not?"<br>Sarcastically, McKay said, "Well, don't get up!" He clicks his fingers at one of the crew. "Shields!" The crew member runs over to him and shows him the computer tablet she is holding. He looks at the screen, and then turns to John. "Yes." He turns to another crew member. "Jump into position." The crew member shows him his computer tablet. Rodney looks at it, and then throws a black look at John's back. "Mmmmaybe." He turns to another crew member. "Release the drones." The crew member shakes her head. "Probably not."  
>"Well, it's pointless to drain power if we can't fire." John said.<br>"Y'know, let's talk about it for a really long time - that'll help for sure."  
>John turned on his radio. "Rodney's doing everything inhumanly possible to be ready."<br>**(In Atlantis' Control Room)**

The technician reports, "I have a contact."

In space, the hive ship comes out of hyperspace and heads towards the planet.  
><em>"Atlantis, report?"<em> Caldwell said over the radio.  
>"It's going into geosynchronous orbit. Hasn't armed any of its weapons." The Tech reported.<br>"If they do, I want you to switch from cloak to shield as quickly as possible. Do not wait for my order." Illyria ordered, coming out of her office and into the Control room.  
>"Yes, ma'am."<p>

John waits nervously for news in the chair room, turning on his radio. _"You could be a little more chatty, Illyria."_  
>"I'm sorry – we are just waiting for them to make the next move."<p>

"Transmitting a signal, audio only." The tech announced, looking up at Illyria. "It's addressed to you…"  
>"Put it on speaker." Illyria ordered.<br>A male Wraith voice comes over the speaker.

"There was a girl in our town,  
>Silk an' satin was her gown,<br>Silk an' satin, gold an' velvet,  
>Guess her name, three times I've telled it."<p>

Marissa spoke into her radio. "John, are you hearing this?"  
>"It's repeating again." The tech announced.<br>The voice came over the speaker,

"There was a girl in our town,  
>Silk an' satin was her gown,<br>Silk an' satin, gold an' velvet,  
>Guess her name, three times I've telled it."<p>

_"Illyria, who is that?" _John asked.  
>Illyria activated her radio, slowly, activated a comms link between the hive. When she spoke, her voice was a numb whisper. "Ann…The girl's name was Ann."<br>Marissa quickly cut off the link as Caldwell's voice cam over the radio from the Daedalus. "_You responded?"_  
>"Why not?" Illyria asked softly. Her gaze seemed far away as was her mind.<br>_"Where d'you want me to start?"_  
>"I think we can safely say our cover is blown." Marissa said.<br>_"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. Who the hell is this anyway?"_  
>"They know we're here." Ronon said. "The cloaks useless."<br>_"But they don't know exactly where we are_." Caldwell said.  
>John spoke from the chair. <em>"He's right. Answer them again and we guarantee the first shot won't miss."<em>  
>Marissa looks at Illyria. "Illyria?"<br>Illyria thought for a while. "I am answering one way or another even if that means I have to fly a jumper out there myself."  
>McKay spoke from the chair room. <em>"I recommend you open a secure channel to the hive via the Daedalus this time. That way they won't be able to pinpoint Atlantis' position."<em>  
>"And we can always turn the shield on." Marissa said.<br>_"I believe we have enough combined firepower to take out a single hive if we need to."_ John said.  
>Carson walked over to Ronon and whispered, "Have ya ever heard of a Wraith behaving this way?"<br>"No." Ronon said.  
>"Open the goddamn channel." Illyria ordered. She turned to Zelenka, a determined look on her face. "Patch it into my office and my office alone."<p>

"Queen Illyria-"

"Now!"

Everyone in the room, even John and Rodney in the chair room, looked at each other in shock. What does all this mean to Illyria? What isn't she telling them?

•

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Zelenka has come into the Control Room and is working on a laptop computer. "Rodney and I have set up the subspace relay to go through the Daedalus and I've been able to configure our systems to handle both the radio and video frequencies, so ... we should be able to see and hear them live."  
>The technician turns around from his console with a really quirky expression on his face. "They wanna know what's taking so long."<br>"Open the channel." Illyria commanded, again, more slowly.

The technician operates some controls. Radek hits a key on his own laptop and the message "PATCH COMPLETE" appears on the screen.

Illyria walked into her office and locked the door behind her. For good messure, Zelenka secretly copied the feed to his laptop. Carson, Marissa, and Ronon gathered around it to watch. On the wall screen inside the office, a male Wraith appears. He was slightly far from the camera and his face was darkened out. He looks like every other Wraith they've ever seen, except that this one's white hair was staright and came down to his waist, dreads crowning his head. Illyria walks closer to the screen. Radek, on the other hand, starts to back away from the screen nervously.  
>"Yes?"<br>_"Why the long delay?"_ He asked.  
>"We needed to take a few precautions before contacting you. I am sure you understand why."<br>_"You know I will not harm you."_  
>"Speak, Wraith."<br>Hetilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing. _"Do you not recognize my voice?"_

Illyria shifted uncomfortably. "Wraith sound the same. How should you be any different?"

He nods and stepped closer. He didn't look like the other Wraith Atlantis was used too. He was instead in an older version: a black leather duster jacket with stingray shoulder pads, long leather vest with a reptile pattern, leather belt, leather gauntlets, and leather boots. He unzipped his jacket and pulled out the rune Algiz craved into wood and tied to a leather string.

_"Algiz, used as p__rotection, a shield. The protective urge to shelter oneself or others. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian.__" _He walked back to the camera and held up the necklace. _"Remember me now…Bird."_

He breaks off communications.

Illyria gasped and stumbled back, covering her mouth. She stared wide eyed at the screen for a moment before sitting down slowly.

It was him…he was _back_.

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM.**

Caldwell has returned to base and all the usual suspects are in the room, including Doctor Beckett.  
>"Well, I think it's safe to say that if they were going to attack us, they would have done it by now. They let the Daedalus land without incident." Caldwell said.<br>"More to the point," McKay said, turning his chair to face Illyria. "What the hell was that?"

"What do you mean?"

John covered her hand with his. "You locked yourself in your office to speak with him privately-"

"We tapped into the feed." Ronon said and John glared at him.

"You did what?" Illyria said, yanking her hand from John's as if it burnt her. "That was a private conversation! You had no right."

"Yes, they did." John said. "If it meant the security of this base-"

"Samuel wouldn't have harmed them! He wouldn't have harmed _any_ of us!"

The room was silent as everyone exchanged looks. Illyria sighed and sat back in her chair, rubbing her eyes wearily.

"'Lyria…who's Samuel? The Wraith?" Marissa asked gently.

"Yes," she sighed. "Samuel is the name gave to the Wraith over Ten thousand years ago."

"You knew it?" Carson asked.

Illyria chuckled, smiling softly. "Oh, yes. I knew him. I knew him quite well."

John shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. "How?"

"Excuses me?"

"How well?"

"Well enough to know he should be dead." She looked around the room at everyone's confused looks. "And I intend to find out why he isn't."

She got up and left. McKay looked back and forth between Illyria's deoarting figure and the rest of the group. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Means she's bringing the Wraith – Samuel- here." Marissa sighed, got up, and walked after her.

҉

**OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM.**

As the meeting breaks up, Marissa runs to catch up with Illyria as she was walks away.  
>"Queen."<br>Illyria stops and turns to face her. "Captain."  
>"I don't think this is such a good idea."<br>"I don't have a choice."  
>"But a good idea isn't always a good idea."<br>"It is not like I am bringing a hive full of Wraith to the city to feed upon everyone."  
>"No – you're keeping secrets and bringing a Wraith you believed dead into the city with his hive looming above us. If that's their plan..." She trails off.<p>

Illyria frowns at her. "What do you mean?"  
>Marissa smiles at her ironically. "They <em>are<em> Wraith." She turns and walks away.

҉

**ABOVE THE PLANET.**

As the Wraith hive ship circles the planet, a small ship drops out of the hive and heads for the planet's surface. A man's voice comes over the radio in the Atlantis Control Room.  
><em>"This is Escort Two - we have a visual on the Wraith scout ship and are entering formation with Escort Five."<em>  
><strong>(In the Control Room)<strong>

The crew watches the images on the wallscreen as two vessels form up either side of the scout ship. Above Atlantis, the scout heads down towards the city. Two F-302s from Daedalus take position either side of it.  
>"I gotta tell you - when I woke up this morning, I honestly didn't think this would be happening." John said.<br>"God, I hope she's doing the right thing." McKay whispered.  
>The scout ship and its escort head towards the central towers of the city, then bank left and turn towards one of the piers. The scout comes in for a landing on the pier. The F-302s scream over the top of it and head off. In the Control Room, the crew watches the screen as the scout lands.<br>"Touchdown." The Tech called.

҉

**ATLANTIS CORRIDORS.**

A military escort leads the arrival through the corridors. The Wraith being escorted is wearing black trousers and a long brown coat and black shoes. The corridors are lined by marines, all holding weapons. As the Wraith passes a room, Rodney and Radek stand in the doorway watching as the Wraith and his escort walk past.  
>The group reaches the Gateroom. Illyria, John, Caldwell, Marissa and Ronon come down the stairs from the Control Room to meet them. The Wraith approaches them, bowing his head.<p>

"My Queen." He lifted his head, a smile breaking out over his face. Illyria bowed her head, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"My Samuel."

He held out his hand and Illyria laughed, taking it. He swiftly pulled her into a tight embrace, nuzzling his face into her hair. Marines snapped their guns into place, looking towards John for the order. Everyone else watched, looking upon them with a mix of shock and disgust.

҉

**LATER. **

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE. **

Illyria sits at her desk while John stands beside her. Samuel sits opposite and the rest of the team (plus Carson and Caldwell) are spread around the room. Two armed marines stand behind the closed door.

"Should we be aware of any humans aboard your ship?" John asked.

"John!" Illyria raised her voice but Sam chuckled.

"It's alright, Bird." He turned to face John. "There are neither humans nor Wraith aboard my ship. I don't need to…_feed_ that way."

"What do you mean?" Carson asked.

"I've developed a synthetic form of sustenance. Diluted, but it will keep me alive." He smiled eerily. "Not as if taking from the source."

"So, how do you too…" Rodney waved his hand, breaking the tension.

"Know one another?" Samuel asked smiling. "I was the Royal Families' adviser, an ambassador if you will."

"A _close_ family friend." Illyria simplified.

"Really?" Caldwell asked. "And that didn't change with the War?"

"The opposite; I was needed then more than ever-"

"To help with negations for peace, trade for P. and technology…" Illyria trailed, looking around at everyone, realizing she was speaking fast. She looked down, flustered, "Sorry."

Samuel laughed. "Even as a child, you would always speak swiftly."

"As a child?" Marissa asked.

"I have known Illyria since she was a baby. Her father before, his father, and so on."

"Some advisor." John muttered.

"You're like an heirloom." McKay smiled. When Sam looked over at him, his smile faltered. "Not-not that you are. I mean- I meant that-"  
>"It knows what you mean" Ronon said, not to kindly.<p>

"Ronon…" Illyria said.

Sam held his hand up. "It's quite alright." He turned to McKay. "Yes, I am like an….heirloom."

"Why would you…"

"Stay?" Sam finished for John. John nodded. "I was indebted to the family. Tobias, the first king, saved my life…and the lives of my children." Everybody looked at each other, stunned. "For the protection of the Atlantians, I would serve them until released."

"Were you released?" Carson asked.

"No." Illyria said. "He was killed." She looked over to Sam. "Weren't you?"

҉

"Why did you think Sam was dead?" John asked as he and Illyria walked back to their room.

"When the War was declared, Samuel did everything in his power to stop it, but he could not keep it from coming to Atlantis. Under cover of darkness, he came to Atlantis to try and convince me to go into hiding. After Breen's death, I agreed. When I went to the meeting site, myself and my guard were attacked by the Wraith. Later, I had found out the Wraith had _'killed'_ Samuel for trying to protect me."

They continued their walk in silence, each in their own world. Illyria was thinking about her childhood, when she had given Sam the necklace, when John bumped her with his shoulder.

"You hear me?" She shook her head and he smiled down at her. "Thought so."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That you're thinking about Sam."

"Of course I am. An old friend I thought was dead re-entered my life." She looked up at him. "I thought you would be happy for me, John."

"I am, it's just that-"

"That what? That Sam is a Wraith? That I let me within the city, free to walk around without a guard?" Illyria waved her hand over their door panel. She stormed through as the doors opened. "Or is it that I invited him to the wedding?"

"Illyria, it's not-"

She whirled around to face him, her eyes shining. "It's not _what_, John! Tell me, then, what is it!"

"It's a goddamn security risk, Illyria!" John yelled back.

"John, this is none of your concern."

"When it comes to the security of this base it is." He stepped in closer. "You're acting like a child, Illyria."

"Oh, _I'm_ the child?" John nodded. "_I'm_ the child?"

"Yeah!"

She picked up a vase and threw it at a wall. "Oh, is that childish? What about this," She hit the alarm clock off his nightstand table, "is this childish?"

"Illyria!" He ran over to her and grabbed her arms as she continued to fight him. "Illyria! Calm down, goddamn it, calm down!"

"Get _off_ me!" She growled, clawing at his face to free herself. When she turned around, she saw that her nail had nicked him under the eye and on his neck. Each bleeding lightly.

Dead silence filled the room.

John's face ran a range of emotions, starting at shock, then hurt, finally setting on a deadly glare. He stalked over to Illyria and stopped within inches from her. John would never hurt her, she knew that, but his posture was intimidating. Still, Illyria was stubborn and set her jaw as John forcefully grabbed her shoulders and squeezed. His grip was rough and the battle for self-control on his face was painfully visible. For a split second, Illyria thought that if he got too rough, she could send her knee into his balls and get out of the room.

It was at that moment that Illyria realized just how tense the room had become. Sexually tense. John looked powerful and intimidating and she didn't know whether it was all the yelling or what, but she wanted him bad. And even after that horrible and completely untrue comment, he couldn't bring himself to call her the unpleasant words that raced through his head.

John slammed her up against the wall, kissing her roughly. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her white skirt riding up to her thighs. Illyria's hands went to the belt buckle, working quickly to unbuckle it. She unbuttoned his pants as fast as she unbuckled his belt, tugging them to his legs. He moaned as Illyria tugged his pants over his hard, clothed erection. She looked at him as she pulled down his boxers, freeing him from his restraint.

It was easy to shove the elastic of her undergarment to find her opening. She sucked in a breath, her eyes widening, as he firmly slid into her. Illyria was hot and wet, so easy to enter. She arched against him, her nipples rubbing him through her thin blue, button down shirt.

His adrenaline was still pumping from the fight. He needed this. John's heart rocketed, his blood hot. Illyria clenched him, her body and his fitting together perfectly. His mind went blank. All he felt was Illyria, all he smelled was her body, her breath, her hair. He kissed her face. Tasted her neck. He thrust into her, his blood pumping.

"John. _Yes_."

John squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his forehead against the wall. He shoved himself into her, hard and needing. His shoulders hunched; his breath burning in his lungs. Illyria shuddered in climax, her feet tightened around his buttock. The heels of her sandals grated his skin, and he didn't care.

Still holding her with one arm between her and the wall, John pounded his fist into it. Another wave crashed into the city, and John came. Sweat poured from him, his body on fire. Illyria was screaming and John heard his own voice ring through the room. He was falling.

He stumbled backwards towards the bed, he landed flat on his back, Illyria's soft body on top of his. The movement slid him out of her, and he groaned with loss.

Illyria smiled down at him. "Holy shit. That was…"

"Amazing!" John gasped for breath. "Thank God for angry sex."

Illyria closed her hand around him and he groaned again. "You're still hard. I thought you came."

John grinned wolfishly. "I did." Gritting his teeth, he turned her over to put her underneath him and entered her once more.

Sex had never been like this before. Not free-for-all, no-holding-back, wet and messy sex. Illyria laughed with it. Not to mention having it with a half-naked, half-crazed, hard-bodied Air Force pilot while the tides raged outside.

"I love you, John." Illyria shouted. She would be afraid later, right now she was as crazed as he was.

John pumped into her for a few more minutes, then dragged in a breath and filled her with his hot seed. He collapsed onto on top of her, breathing heard, his body roasting. He lingered on her, kissing her face and hair, then rolled off onto his back, still breathing as though he'd run the city twice with Ronon.

They lay still for a long time, John's breathing hoarse, and Illyria too tried to move. Gradually the tides slackened, the time between waves increased. John didn't move, and Illyria wondered if he had dropped off to sleep. She propped her aching body up on one arm.

"Are you alright?"

John chuckled, closing his eyes, rubbing her leg. "Do you have to ask? Although my ears…"

"Oh my," Illyria flopped back onto her back, covering her mouth. "Do you think anyone heard?"

"No." John opened his eyes and turned his head, smiling. "The walls are sound proof."

"Ugh! Thank God." She buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

John chuckled lightly, his smile fading. The room was silent as they listened to the Nanny bring in the children and place them in their room before leaving just as quietly. He sighed and rubbed her arm. Illyria looked up, her chin resting on his chest.

"What's wrong?" He shook his head. She smiled and poked his sides making his jump. "Tell me."

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair, brushing his face in it.

"John-"

"Shhh," he kissed her hair. "I shouldn't have call you childish. You know what you're doing. And I'm _sorry_."

"Don't be." She kissed his neck. "You were right."

He chuckled. "How about we agree to disagree and take a nap?"  
>҉<p>

**NIGHT**

**ATLANITS**

**JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S APPARTMENT**

"I miss you already."  
>"I don't need to leave. I can stay…"<br>"Mmm."  
>It was quiet for a long moment, just the thump of their hearts, the broken rhythm of their ragged breathing, and the whisper of their lips moving in synchronization.<br>Sometimes it was so easy for John to forget that he was kissing the Queen. Not because she seemed ordinary—he could never for a second forget that he was holding someone more angel than woman in his arms—but because she made it seem like nothing at all to have her lips against his lips, his face, his throat.  
>Illyria opened her eyes and found John's open, too, staring at her face. He looked at her like she was the prize rather than the winner.<br>Their gazes locked for a moment; his green eyes were so deep that she could see every emotion that passed over his face. He had the most beautiful eyes, more attractive than his brilliant mind or his face or his magnificent body.  
>He pulled her face to his again. Murmuring a moment later, "Definitely staying."<br>"No, no. It's your bachelor party. You have to go."  
>She said the words, but the fingers of her right hand locked into his black hair, her left pressed tighter against the small of his back. His cool hands stroked her face.<br>"There's really no point."  
>"True." Illyria breathed against his throat.<br>This was their happy place.

The Twins slept obliviously in their nursery in the next room, which was almost as good as being alone. The couple was curled up in the middle of their large bed, intertwined as much as it was possible. John knocked the rest of Illyria's clothing off the edge of the bed with his toes. He could never get over how perfect her body was even after having the Twins—white, cool, and polished as porcelain. She ran her hand down his chest, tracing across the flat planes of his stomach. A light shudder rippled through him, and his mouth found hers again. Carefully, she let the tip of her tongue press against his lip, and he sighed.  
>He started to pull away, knowing if they went any farther, there would be no chance of his leaving.<p>

"Wait," she said, gripping his shoulders and hugging herself close to him. She kicked one leg free of the blankets and wrapped it around his waist.  
>He chuckled. "Have you forgotten this afternoon?"<br>Illyria giggled. "No."

"'Lyria…"  
>"Shh!" She pressed her lips to his to stop him from arguing. The kiss continued for a moment, but she could tell he wasn't as into it as before.<p>

"How are your feet?"  
>"Toasty."<p>

"Really? No second thoughts? It's not too late to change-"  
>"Are you trying to leave me?"<br>He laughed. "Just making sure. I don't want you to do anything you're…not _sure_ about."  
>"I'm sure about you. The rest, <em>you<em> can shoot our way through."  
>"What about the twins or even <em>our<em> future kids…if we have any?"  
>Illyria hesitated, pulling back a little. "What do you mean?"<br>"With you running Atlantis and me always on the front lines-"

"You want a desk job?" She smiled in the darkness.  
>He growled. "Let me finish, okay?" He paused for a moment. "What if something happened to us, one or both of us? What would happen to the twins? Will they live on Earth or Atlantis? Who would look after them-"<p>

She put a finger over his lips. "We'll be _okay_, John. Now, stop the moping or I'll call Ronon to come get you. Maybe you _do_ need this this bachelor party."

"I'm moping?"

Illyria laughed at his seriousness. "Are _your_ feet cold?"  
>"Marrying you is the one thing I can't wait—" He broke off mid-thought, glaring at the buzzing door panel. "Oh, for the love of GOD!"<br>"What's wrong?"  
>He gritted his teeth. "You don't have to call Ronon. Apparently Ronon and Carson aren't letting me out of this."<br>She clutched him closer for one second and then released him. She didn't have a prayer of winning a tug-of-war with Ronon. "Have fun."  
>There was a squeal against the door—someone scraping the steel butt of their gun across the frame to make a horrible noise. Illyria shuddered.<br>"If you don't send Sheppard out," Ronon growled menacingly, "we're coming in after him!"  
>"Go," I laughed. "<em>Before<em> they break down the door."  
>John rolled his eyes, but he got to his feet and had his Polo shirt and black slacks back on in a few seconds. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.<br>"Get some sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."  
>"That doesn't help."<br>"See you at the altar."  
>"I'll be the one in white." He chuckled and suddenly was out the door, the light form the corridor spilling into the dark room. "You'd better not make him late," She called out.<br>And then Carson's face was peering in the doorway, leaning against it's frame, his brown hair glowing in the artificial light.  
>"Don't worry, 'Llyria. We'll get him home in plenty of time."<br>She sat up awkwardly, still tangled in the blankets. "Carson? What do you do on Earth for bachelor parties? I heard 'strip-clubs' were involved?"  
>"Don't tell her anything!" Ronon growled from the corridor. There was a thud and John laughed quietly.<br>"Relax," Carson told her. "We earthlings do things simply. Now_ Satedan's_…I can't speak for them."  
>"Thanks, Carson."<br>He winked and walked out of sight.  
>It was completely silent outside. Pat's muffled snores drifted through the walls. She lay back against her pillow, sleepy now. She stared at the walls of the room, bleached pale in the moonlight, from under heavy lids.<p>

Her last night as simply Illyria. Tomorrow night, she would be Queen Illyria _Sheppard_.

It was going to be a very long day tomorrow.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**MORNING**

**WEDDING DAY**

Illyria laid shivering and gasping in her warm bed for several minutes, trying to break free of the dream. The sky outside her window turned light blue and then pale yellow while she waited for her heart to slow.  
>She got dressed in grey sweats, a blue tank-top, and a green zip hoodie, and headed to the kids room to see if they were awake. When she saw they were, she placed them into their double stroller and headed to the mess hall long before she needed to.<p>

As she walked into the mess, she was greeted by Rodney who waved from their usual table. She placed the stroller by him and left to heat up their food. She was walking back when she noticed Rodney playing with the lamb he gave Jen's. She smiled, sat, and was about to feed them when the nanny came over, a gin stretching her face, and took the foo dand spoon away from her.

"Eat something."

Illyria shook her head, too keyed up to have any interest in eating breakfast—she sat bouncing in her seat while she watched McKay eat.  
>"You'll be waiting at the gate for our Earth guests to arrive at three o'clock," she reminded him.<br>"That's what groomsmen are for." McKay had taken the entire day off for the wedding, and he was definitely at loose ends. Now and then, his eyes flickered cautiously at the tablet in his bag.

"Make sure you're dressed and presentable or else Marissa will have your head." He scowled into his cereal bowl and muttered the words "monkey suit" under his breath. Behind them, Illyria heard the brisk tapping of heels coming towards them. "You think you have it bad, she'll be working on me all day long."  
>Rodney nodded thankfully, understanding that he did have the lesser ordeal. Illyria ducked in to kiss the top of his head as she passed—he blushed—and then continued on to get the door for her best friendsister.  
>Marissa's short blonde hair was not in its usual spiky do—it was smoothed into sleek pin curls around her pixie face, which recently wore a businesslike expression. She dragged Illyria from the house with barely a "Hey, Rodney" called over her shoulder.<br>Marissa appraised her as they got into the transporter. "Oh, hell, look at your eyes!" She tsked in reproach. "What did you do? Stay up all night?"  
>"Almost." Illyria smiled.<br>She glowered. "I've only selected so much time to make you stunning, Illyria—not that you need it."  
>"No one expects me to be stunning. I think the bigger problem is that I might fall asleep during the ceremony and not be able to say 'I do' at the right part."<br>She laughed. "I'll throw my bouquet at you when it gets close."  
>"Thanks."<br>"At least you'll have plenty of time to sleep tomorrow." She smiled. "Or not."  
>Illyria glowered groggily at the unusually slow transporter until they were almost to the dressing room. "Is he back yet?"<br>"Don't worry, he'll be there before the music starts. But you don't get to see him, no matter when he gets back. We're doing this the traditional way."  
>She snorted. "Traditional!"<br>"Okay, aside from the bride and a few of the guests."  
>"You know he's already peeked."<br>"Oh no—that's why I'm the only one who's seen you in the dress. I've been very careful about locking doors when he's around."  
>"Well," Illyria said as the doors opened and they turned into the corridor. Three miles of hallway was wrapped in hundreds of thousands of light violet satin bows, twinkling lights shown near them.<br>"Enjoy this, because you don't get to see the _actual_ decorations until it's time."  
>"Since when is the bride not allowed to see the decorations?" Illyria protested.<br>"Since she put me in charge. I want you to get the full impact walking up the stairs." She clapped her hand over Illyria's eyes before she lead her down the corridor near the gate room where the wedding was being held. She was immediately assailed by the scent.  
>"What is that?" She wondered as Marissa guided her through the hall.<br>"Is it too much?" Marissa's voice grew worried. "You're the first one down here."  
>"It smells wonderful!" She assured her—almost intoxicating, but not at all overwhelming, the balance of the different fragrances was subtle and flawless.<br>"Orange blossoms… juniper… and something else—am I right?"  
>Marissa nodded. "You only missed the rose oil."<br>Marissa didn't uncover her eyes until they were in the oversized laboratory that had been converted into a dressing room. Illyria stared at the long counter, covered in all the equipment of a beauty salon, and began to feel her sleepless night.  
>"By the time I'm done with you, he'll look plain next to you no matter what." Marissa pushed her down into a low white chair. "No one will dare to call you anything but angelic when I'm through with you."<br>"Only because they're afraid you'll shoot them," Illyria murmured affectionately. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, hoping she'd be able to nap through it. She did drift in and out a little bit while Marissa masked, buffed, and polished every surface of Illyria's body.  
>It was after lunchtime when Teyla slipped past the dressing room door in a strapless full length dress with black lace overlay and black matte satin inset waistband with her brown hair piled up in a soft crown on top of her head.<br>"They're back," Teyla said, and instantly Illyria's childish fit of despair passed.

John was home.  
>"Keep him out of here!" Marissa hissed.<br>"He will not cross you today," Teyla reassured her. "He values his life too much. Elizabeth's got them finishing things up in the gate room. Do you want some help? I could do her hair."

"Sure," Marissa said easily. "You can start braiding. I want it intricate. The veil goes here, underneath." Her hands started combing through Illyria's hair, hefting it, twisting it, illustrating in detail what she wanted. When she was done, Teyla's hands replaced hers, shaping Illyria's hair with a feather-light touch. Marissa moved back to Illyria's face.  
>Once Teyla received Marissa's commendation on Illyira's hair, she was sent off to retrieve her dress and then to locate Carson, who had been dispatched to round up the rest of the selective number of guests. Outside, Illyria could faintly hear doors opening and closing over and over. Voices began to float near them.<br>Marissa made Illyria stand so that she could ease her into the dress. The dress was a strappless sweetheart full A-line gown with asymmetrically draped drop-waistband bodice and blossom skirt; a dress fit for a Queen. Marissa quickly tied a black bow around the waist. Illyira's knees shook so badly as Marissa fastened the long line of pearl buttons up her back that the satin quivered in little wavelets down to the floor.  
>"Deep breaths." Marissa said. "It's not like you haven't done this before."<br>She gave her the best sarcastic expression she could manage. "I'll get right on that."  
>"I have to get dressed now. Can you hold yourself together for two minutes?"<br>"Yes, go." Illyira waved her off. Marissa just rolled her eyes and darted out the door.  
>Illyria concentrated on her breathing, counting each movement of her lungs, and stared at the patterns that the light made on the shiny fabric of her skirt.<p>

Marissa was back before Illyria had taken two hundred breaths, in the bridesmaid dress Teyla was wearing, but hers flowed down her slender body like a violet waterfall.  
>"Marissa—wow."<br>"It's nothing. No one will be looking at me today. Not while you're in the room. Now, are you in control of yourself, or do I have to bring Rodney in here to bore you with math?"  
>"He's back from Earth?"<br>"Just walked in the gate. Elizabeth's on her way-"  
>"Oh, Illyria!" she squealed before she was all the way through the door. "Oh, you're so beautiful! Marissa, you're amazing! Where did you find this dress? It's gorgeous! So graceful, so elegant." Elizabeth's voice sounded a little distance away, and everything in the room was slightly blurry. "Such a creative idea, designing the theme around the ring. So romantic!"<br>There was a loud, gruff throat-clearing in the doorway. "Elizabeth, Teyla said it's time you got settled down there," Ronon said.  
>"Well, Ronon, don't you look…dashing!" Elizabeth said almost shocked. That might have explained the crustiness of Ronon's answer.<br>"Marissa got to me."  
>"Is it really time already?" Elizabeth said to herself. "This has all gone so fast. Give me a hug before I go up. Carefully now, don't tear anything." She squeezed Illyria gently around the waist, then wheeled for the door, only to complete the spin and face her again. "Something's missing…"<br>Marissa took a few steps back to admire Illyria. "You're right…" She smiled wickedly and flicked something at her, "here—" Illyria held her hands out automatically, and the filmy white garter landed in her palms. "That's mine and I want it back. That's all you needed. You are officially perfect." With a little self-congratulatory smile, she turned to Elizabeth. "Renée, you need to get upstairs, ready and waiting with Teyla, Carson, and Rodney."  
>"Yes, ma'am." Elizabeth kissed Illyria on the cheek and hurried out the door.<br>"Ronon, would you grab the flowers, please?"  
>While Ronon was out of the room, Marissa hooked the garter out of Illyira's hands and then ducked under her skirt. She gasped and tottered as Marissa's hand caught her ankle; she yanked the garter into place. She was back on her feet before Ronon returned with a mix of white and lilac sweet peas with deeper crimson French tulips.<br>A piano began playing in the gateroom. "Cannon in D" by Pachelbel's Canon. Illyria began hyperventilating.  
>"Easy," Ronon said. He turned to Marissa nervously. "She looks a little sick. Do you think she's going to make it?"<br>"She's strong." A misty voice drifted into the room. Ronon stiffened and turned swiftly, drawing his gun on Sam. Marissa made a move to step in front of Illyria, but she swatted her away gently.

Illyria held out her hand. "Sam."

Sam looked at Ronon who hasn't lowered his gun. Illyria looked at him too and hit him with her bouquet. He glanced over his shoulder, slowly lowering his gun and stepping aside. Sam nodded and took hold of Illyria's hand.

"Focus, Bird. John is waiting for you up those stairs." Sam said, staring her in the eye and rubbing her palm. Illyria took a deep breath and nodded. Sam spoke over his shoulder, "Ronon, is it? You need to take you place now, the ceremony is about to begin."

Ronon lingered, looking at Marissa, before leaving. A few moments later, the music slowly morphed into a new song. Sam nudged Illyria. "Bird, you and I are up... that is if you would do me the honor of walking you down the aisle one last time?"

Illyria nodded, faintly aware of what he had said.  
>"Illyria?" Marissa asked.<br>"Okay," She sighed and let Marissa pull her from the room, with Sam tagging along at her elbow.  
>The music was louder in the hall. It floated down the stairs along with the fragrance of a million flowers. Illyria concentrated on the idea of John waiting above on the steps leading to the control room to get her feet to move forward.<br>The music was familiar, Wagner's traditional march surrounded by a flood of embellishments.  
>"It's my turn," Marissa chimed. "Count to five and follow me." She began a slow, graceful dance up the small steps and worked her way towards the staircase. A sudden fanfare vibrated through the spiraling music. Illyria recognized her cue.<br>"Don't let me fall, Sam," she whispered. Sam pulled her hand through his arm and then grasped it tightly.  
>One step at a time, Illyria told herself as they began to ascend to the slow tempo of the march. Illyria didn't lift her eyes until her feet were safely on the flat ground, though she could hear the murmurs and rustling of the audience as she came into view.<br>As soon as her feet were past the first set of stairs, she was looking for him. For a brief second, she was distracted by the abundance of white and purple blossoms that hung in garlands from everything in the room that wasn't alive, dripping with long lines of delicate ribbons. But she tore her eyes from the canopy and searched across the rows of satin-draped chairs until I found him at last, standing at the top of the large staircase.  
>She was barely conscious that Ronon stood by his side, and Dr. Daniel Jackson behind them both. Illyria didn't see her children where they and the Nanny must have been sitting in the front row, or her new family, or any of the guests—they would have to wait till later.<br>All she really saw was John's face.  
>His eyes were a burning green; his face was almost severe with the depth of his emotion. And then, as he met her awed gaze, he broke into a magnificent smile bringing back his light-hearted nature.<br>Suddenly, it was only the pressure of Sam's hand on her that kept her from sprinting headlong down the aisle.  
>The march was too slow as she struggled to pace her steps to its rhythm. Mercifully, the aisle was very short; it was the staircase that killed her. And then, at last, she was there. John held out his hand. Sam took her hand and, in a symbol as old as all the worlds, placed it in John's.<p>

She was home  
>҉<br>"You, John, and you, Illyria, having come to me signifying your desire to be formally united in marriage, and being assured that no legal, moral, or religious barriers hinder this proper union, please join your hands and give heed to the questions now asked you." Daniel Jackson said, turning to John, "John, will you take Illyria to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you be a constant friend, faithful partner, and her love from this day forward? In the presence of your family and friends, do you offer your solemn vow to be her faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as sorrow? Do you promise to love her unconditionally, to support her in her goals, to honor and respect her, to laugh and cry with her, and to cherish her for as long as you both shall live? Do you so promise?"

"I do." John's grin stretched from ear to ear, his eyes dancing. Daniel turned to Illyria.

"Illyria, will you take John to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you be a constant friend, faithful partner, and his love from this day forward? In the presence of your family and friends, do you offer your solemn vow to be his faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as sorrow? Do you promise to love him unconditionally, to support him in his goals, to honor and respect him, to laugh and cry with him, and to cherish him for as long as you both shall live? Do you so promise?"

Illyria sighed, the same smiled breaking across her face. "I do."

Patrick walked up, the Nanny behind him, carrying a velvet cushion with two rings laying on top of it. One was a plan silver band, the other slender with white diamond insets. Daniel smiled at Pat, rubbing his head before taking the rings.

"Then, with this ring to wear with love and loyalty," he hands them their respective rings to put on one another. As they do so, he announces with a grin, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

With those words, John's hands reached up to cradle his wife's face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above their heads. He bent his head toward hers, and she stretched up on the tips of her toes, throwing her arms— bouquet and all—around his neck.  
>He kissed her adoringly; they forgot the crowd, the place, the time, the reason…<br>He began the kiss, and he had to end it; Illyria clung to him, ignoring the titters and the throat-clearing in the audience. Finally, his hands restrained her face and he pulled back—too soon—to look at her. On the surface his sudden smile was amused, almost a smirk. But underneath his momentary entertainment at her public exhibition was a deep joy that echoed her own.  
>The crowd erupted into applause and whistles, and he turned their bodies to face their friends and family.<p>

҉

Out of all the wedding gifts: A Perfect Pair deck of cards with their names on them (McKay); a canvas painting of their world coming out of Hyperspace (Caldwell and Daedalus crew); wind chimes with their picture on it (Cadman); a decorative wine box with Sud de France wine (Elizabeth); a large dogwood ruffle bowl (Marissa); a hand carved First Dance statue (Daniel); Hand crafted picture frame (Gen. Landry); Mr. Right & Mrs. Always Right coffee mugs (Colonel Carter); Satedan gem necklace with tree of life for Illyira and a matching twisted wire wrist-band for John (Ronon); Wedding album with Claddugh on the side (Carson), ect. The most distinctive gift was General O'Neil's: a fluffy white Scottish terrier puppy that he had named Atticus.

_"Every kid has _got_ to have a dog."_


	45. Chapter 43

**Twins = 1 year 8 months 4 weeks**

**ATLANTIS. **

Captain Frio and a young female scientist, Doctor Hewston, are strolling through the city. They are wearing sweatpants and tops and both have a small backpack.  
>"I could never just say that to him!" Marissa said.<br>"Why not? You like him, don't you?"  
>"That's not the point."<br>"I think that's exactly the point, actually."  
>"Where I came from its different. I would never-"<br>"He's not gonna make the first move." Hewston interrupted.  
>"We'll see."<br>"Look - you know him better than I do."  
>"I would hope so!" Marissa laughed.<br>"But I wouldn't be surprised if he was oblivious to the whole situation."  
>"Can we not talk about this?"<br>"Alright! I'm just saying, if you want me to have somebody drop some hints..."  
>"Do you remember the last time so many people had the day off?" Marissa interrupted.<br>"Yeah, it's all Heightmeyer's doing. She insisted that the brass order some sort of mandatory rest day; kind of like a wedding gift to the new _Shepard's_. I guess downtime here doesn't really happen organically. Hey, and don't think I haven't realized you've changed the subject."  
>"The Athosians have a day of rest every four nights."<br>"Ooh, now that _is_ civilized!"  
>"Yes."<br>"Hey, wanna grab a late lunch?"  
>"Totally." Marissa stops and hesitates. "I forgot my bantos rods at the gym."<br>"Oh."  
>"Can I meet you there?"<br>"Sure."

She grins as Marissa turns and heads back in the direction they just came from. Marissa walks away smiling. A couple of seconds later, a massive explosion goes off just behind her. The blast wave throws her forward as a fireball engulfs the corridor. People scream. Alarms start to go off. Marissa, dazed by her fall, raises her head groggily. As secondary explosions go off, a man enveloped in fire runs towards her screaming. As he stumbles around the corridor burning, Marissa tries to get up to help him but gasps in pain and looks down her body. A large sharp chunk of metal has hit her and is buried deep in her side. She lays back down in shock, then passes out.  
><strong> THREE HOURS EARLIER.<strong>

**ILLYRIA'S ****OFFICE****. **

Queen _Sheppard_ is sitting at her desk working on her laptop, catching up on all the stacks of paperwork she neglected for the past week since she's been on her honeymoon. A good looking casually-dressed young man with dark hair and a beard comes to the door.  
>"Hi."<br>"Hi."  
>He walked into the office. "What are you, uh, what are you doing here?"<br>"I work here." She smiles at him.  
>"But it's our day off."<br>"Well, should you not be enjoying your leisure time, then?"  
>"I got a little behind on my research this week." He jerks his head towards the Control Room to indicate where he has just been. "Just wanted to drop off some results for the next Earth transmission."<br>"Great. Good." Smiling, she starts to type again.  
>"I was thinking about grabbing some food. Care to join?"<br>"I can't. I've..." She gestures at her laptop.  
>"You're not capable of having lunch?"<br>Illyria laughs. "Yes, I'm capable."  
>"Are you planning on eating today?"<br>"Of course."  
>"Great. Eat with me." He smiles down at her.<br>"Look, it's nothing personal-"  
>"I don't work for you." Branton smiled.<br>"I'm married _and_ your boss."  
>"Well, you're my boss' boss, actually. You think I'm asking you out on a date. No-no-no-no, this isn't a date. This is..." he sits down opposite her "...this is lunch. This is the mandatory refueling of our bodies. This is putting food in your mouth and chewing it and having something more engaging than a wall sitting across from you. That's all it is." Illyria can't help but smile. "I mean, come on, you've gotta admit, I am much more appealing than a wall, no?" Illyria looks at him. "Well, you don't have to admit it, but it'd be a massive blow to my ego if you thought otherwise."<br>"You are more appealing than a wall."  
>"Great. Now what say we go grab some grub?" He stands up.<br>"Oh, I still have an hour of work to do, and then..."  
>"An hour, then. I'll see you in the Mess Hall."<br>He turns and leaves the office. Illyria looks confused.  
>҉<br>**MARISSA'S QUARTERS.**

Marissa's doorbell beeps. She goes to the door, passes her hand over the wall panel and the door opens. Illyria is standing on the other side.  
>"Illyria! You're early. Just give me a moment." She turns to go back into the room.<br>Illyria steps in. "Um, how set on lunch were you today?"  
>"Why?"<br>"Well, something has come up."  
>"Illyria, surely whatever work you need to get done can wait."<br>"I was invited to lunch by Mike Branton."  
>Marissa grins. "Oh, really? And aren't you married?"<br>"You and I, we had plans."  
>"My friend, Doctor Hewston, just radioed me. She wants me to teach her some bantos fighting this afternoon. So don't worry – I'll have something to occupy my time."<br>Illyria smiles a little nervously. "OK." She starts to walk towards the door, then turns back again. "Are you sure?"  
>"Yes!" Marissa said firmly. "Just be sure to tell John."<br>She smiles encouragingly at Illyria, who smiles back, still looking a little nervous. "OK."  
>She passes her hand over the wall panel. As the door opens she smiles nervously back at Marissa. Marissa waves to her, then giggles.<p>

**LATER.**

Illyria has changed into casual clothes-jeans and a pale green top-and is walking along the corridor. Doctor Beckett, also dressed casually, comes along the corridor from another direction.  
>"Hullo." He said to someone passing by. He spots Illyria and stops her. "Oh! Don't you look lovely!"<br>"Thank you, Carson."  
>She looks a little embarrassed as she starts to walk again. Carson walks with her. "That's the first time I've seen you out of your base uniform in quite some time now."<br>"I don't know about that."  
>"Off somewhere special?"<br>"No, just getting some lunch."  
>"Ah. Rodney and I are going fishing on the mainland this afternoon."<br>"I know - I cleared the use for the Jumper."  
>"Care to join us? Who knows what kind of wonderful fish we'll find."<br>"That's very kind, but some other time, maybe."  
>Carson takes her arm and stops her. "Oh! What, do you have a hot date?"<br>"It's not a date! It's just lunch with another co-worker."  
>"I was joking. Who's it with?" Illyria hesitates. Carson smiles. "None of my business." He gestures for her to continue on. "Have a lovely afternoon, Illyria. Don't forget to tell John."<br>"He already knows." She starts to hurry away.  
>Carson called to her departing back, "You smell like baby powder!"<br>"Shut up!" She yelled back over her shoulder.  
>Carson chuckles.<p>

҉  
><strong>MESS HALL.<strong>

Illyria and Mike are sitting opposite each other at a table eating a sandwich lunch.  
>"And you believe that?"<br>"Yes."  
>"Truly and in your heart you believe that?"<br>"I do." Mike shakes his head in disbelief. "What?"  
>"I just don't know that I can ever respect you again."<br>"Come on."  
>"You think "When Harry Met Sally" is better than "Annie Hall"? You're a crazy person."<br>"It is."  
>""When Harry Met Sally" is essentially a re-make, a cheap imitation, a bad cover song version of "Annie Hall." You realize that, right?"<br>"I disagree."  
>"I know you do, but that's what makes you crazy."<br>"Well, I guess this'll never work out, then."  
>"This?"<br>"Lunch."  
>"Ah. Does that mean you don't believe that men and women can be friends?"<br>"I never said that."  
>"Hmm. You didn't have to say it. Any lady that likes "When Harry Met Sally" that much thinks men and women can't be friends."<br>"Fine. Maybe I do."  
>"So where's that leave me?"<br>"I guess that leaves you at lunch!"  
>Mike smiles, then gestures to her. "<br>"Come on." He stands up.  
>"Where?"<br>"If lunch is all I get, I'm gonna get as much bang for my buck as possible." He grins at her and jerks his head for her to come with him. Illyria cautiously followed him.

**LATER.**

Mike has brought Illyria to a small area open to the ocean. They're sitting on a bench gazing out at the sea - although Mike is looking more at her than at the water.  
>"It really is beautiful here, isn't it?" Illyria said.<br>"Yeah." Illyria has brought a bottle of water with her and now opens it and drinks. Mike watches her as she finishes the last of the water. "All done?"  
>"All done."<br>"I guess lunch is over."  
>"I guess it is." She puts the lid back on the bottle and puts it down.<br>"Should have brought dessert - would've lasted longer."  
>Illyria looks at him for a moment, then turns away. "I should really get back anyway."<br>"What are you doing tomorrow?"  
>Illyria turned to look at him. "Mike..."<br>"Look, I like you, and I'm extremely charming." He laughs "I'd like to see you spin those into negatives."  
>"I'm married-"<br>Mike interrupted. "It's probably best you don't think."  
>"Would you stop interrupting me? You have a tendency to do that."<br>"I do not!"  
>"Yes, you do. I hate it when people interrupt me."<br>"Well, if I hadn't interrupted you, we would never have had lunch. Life needs a little interrupting every now and again."  
>"Alright, I don't completely disagree."<br>Mike leans towards her and kisses her softly. Illyria pulls back and slaps him. He looks shocked. "Was that way out of line?"  
>Illyria gazes at him for a moment, then stands up and looks down at him sickened. "W-Was that out of line?"<br>"Just because we work together?"  
>"Because I'm married!"<br>"Give it a chance—"  
>"You're fired."<br>The Canadian technician's voice comes over the comms. _"Queen Sheppard. Please report to the Control Room immediately."_  
>Illyria leaves without a look back.<br>҉  
><strong>CONTROL ROOM.<strong>

Illyria comes in. "What's going on?"  
>"There's been an explosion at the base of the tower near the gym. Early reports have at least three dead and there's about a dozen or so that are severely injured."<br>"An explosion? Was there some sort of equipment malfunction?"  
>"We're still going over the data logs. We're pretty sure it wasn't a malfunction."<br>"So it could have been a bomb."  
>The technician nods.<p>

**FIVE HOURS EARLIER.**  
>Marissa is walking along a corridor when Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard and Ronon Dex meet her. John is holding a new golf club that his brother had given him as a wedding gift. Illyria had told Marissa that John felt guilty about not having the wedding on Earth so that his family could attend.<br>"Oh, hey, there y'are. Been lookin' all over for you." Behind John, Ronon waves to her in a sort of 'Look out, here comes trouble' kind of way.  
>"Oh?"<br>"What, did you forget?"  
>"Uh, no."<br>"You forgot!"  
>Ronon smiles at her ruefully. Marissa, finally remembering, looks at John. "You were going to teach me and Ronon how to play golf."<br>"That's the plan."  
>"I have made other plans."<br>"What other plans?"  
>"Having lunch with your wife."<br>"Well, you've still got time."

"... Yes, true. However, I am afraid I have been quite delinquent in filing my mission reports. I had hoped to get caught up before I met with Illyria."  
>John smiles cynically at her, obviously not believing a word. "Okay."<br>"If you want, I could cancel-"  
>"No, no, no, no. She could use a little time out of the office even though she just got back. If she heard you were playing golf with me and not eating with her, I'd be on the couch. Some other time then."<br>"Some other time."  
>She smiles at him, then turns to Ronon, whereupon her smile becomes a little triumphant. Ronon smiles bitterly back at her obviously peeved that she has found a way to get out of this. Marissa pats his arm sympathetically as she walks away.<br>"You know, uh, John, I've got mission reports too." Ronon tried.  
>"Nice try. It's gonna be fun."<br>He turns and leads Ronon away.  
>"Fun! Uh-huh." Resigned to his fate, he trudges after John.<br>҉  
><strong>GOLF DRIVING RANGE.<strong>

In the area where John has set up a driving range on the edge of the city, a golf ball soars out and splashes into the ocean. Two small pieces of Astroturf have now been laid out on the floor of the range. John is standing on one and Doctor Watson is on the other. Both have a bucket of balls nearby and their golf bags are behind them. Ronon is leaning on John's bag, looking bored. John has just struck his ball out into the ocean.  
>"Nice shot." Watson said.<br>"Thank you, Jim. It was pretty nice, though, huh?"  
>Jim tees up his shot and hits his ball out into the ocean.<br>"So that's the sport? You just hit a little ball as far as you can?" Ronon asks.  
>"First, it's a game; and no, it's a little more complicated than that." John told him. As Jim hands his golf club to Ronon, John belts another ball out into the ocean. "See, there are eighteen holes all made of varying lengths and dimensions. The first goal is to hit the ball through a series of water and sand hazards 'til you land on the green. Then you putt the ball into the hole."<br>Ronon looks out at the ocean. "So this is a water hazard."  
>"Well, we don't have a course yet. All we have for now is a driving range where you-"<br>"-just hit a little ball."  
>John hesitates for a moment. "Pretty much, yeah."<br>"What's so hard about that?"  
>John hits another ball out into the ocean as Ronon takes a ball out of his bucket and puts it onto his tee. "Well, I make it look easy but I've been playing since I was six."<br>"Uh-huh."  
>"So, although it seems simple, developing a sweet swing like mine takes years..."<br>Ronon flexes his golf club and then, single-handed, casually swings at the ball and hammers it out into the ocean. John gazes in shock as the ball disappears into the distance. They wait for the splash but the ball goes so far that they can't tell when it finally drops into the sea. Behind them, Jim stares in amazement.  
>"Woah!"<br>Ronon smiles smugly at John. "Like that?"  
>John was trying to sound casual. "That was OK."<br>"OK? You can't even see where it landed!" Watson said.  
>"Well, it's not a distance game - it's an accuracy one."<br>"Well, pick a spot. I'll hit it there." Ronon said.  
>"First off, your grip - it's all wrong." John commented.<br>Carson comes in. "Oh, yes, of course. There y'are."  
>"Hey, Doc. I want to come see you." Watson gestures to his midriff. "I've been having this weird pain right-"<br>"Hold on, sorry. Let me stop you right there. This is the first day I've had off in over a month." Carson puts his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Doctor Cole is in the Infirmary and will be more than glad to help you out."  
>"OK, fair enough."<br>"Right." He pats his shoulder as Jim leaves. John does a practice swing with his club.  
>"What's up, Carson?"<br>"Fishing."  
>"What?" Ronon asked.<br>"Rodney and I are heading to the mainland to catch a fish that seems to be just like a trout. Care to join us? Sport of kings."  
>"I thought horse racing was the sport of kings?" John asked.<br>"For the boring kings, maybe."  
>"Carson, you're Scottish. This is your game - wouldn't you rather be on the driving range?"<br>"Ach, it was never my thing. Come on - last chance."  
>John and Ronon exchange a glance. "I think we're gonna pass."<br>"Alright - but don't be jealous when I return with a record-breaking space trout." He holds his hands out in front of him to indicate the size of the fish he's going to catch, then widens the gap between his hands before clicking his fingers and looking triumphant. "Thank you!"  
>John was teeing up another shot. "We'll try to contain ourselves."<br>"Oh, aye!"  
>Carson grins and leaves. Ronon nonchalantly hammers another ball out into the ocean single-handedly, then drops the club to the ground. "Time for a real sport. Come on."<br>He turns and leaves. John frowns and tries to hit his ball single-handed. He does make contact but the ball splashes into the water just a few yards away. Looking grumpy, he turns and follows Ronon.  
>҉<br>**GYM.**

John is standing holding something similar to an Athosian fighting stick except that it's a little shorter and has a hand guard partway up it. He frowns as Ronon, holding a similar rod, brings him a blue piece of rag.  
>"Grab the other guy's flag, huh, that's it?" John asked.<br>"That's it." Ronon tucks the end of his own 'flag' into the back of his trousers as John does likewise.  
>"No penalties and stuff?"<br>"What?"  
>"Well, if the other guy pulls your hair or tries to bite you..."<br>"Bite back."  
>"Right."<br>"You ready?"  
>"Ready as I'll ever be." John said unenthusiastically.<br>Ronon attacks him. They exchange three or four blows with their sticks, then Ronon spins around John and pushes him forward, grabbing his flag as he goes.)  
>"That's one for me."<br>John sighs. "Two out of three." He snatches his flag from Ronon and walks back into position, tucking his flag back into his trousers.  
>"Round two - one-handed." Ronon puts his left hand behind his back.<br>"What?"  
>"After every round, the level of difficulty's increased. It's to simulate battle. After every encounter there's the possibility of injury. Round two - one-handed."<br>"Why don't you let me get better at round one before we move onto the harder part?" Ronon just looks at him. "OK - round two."  
>He puts his left hand behind his back. The two men square up to each other for a moment, then start to fight. John holds his own for a few seconds, then Ronon brings his knee up into John's midriff. As John doubles up, Ronon reaches over the top of him and grabs his flag. John stumbles forward, groaning.<br>"Oh. That's two for me."  
>John was still doubled up and winded when he said, "Three out of five."<br>"You know, I could do this all day. Haven't even broken a sweat yet."  
>John straightens up and snatches his flag off Ronon in irritation. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."<br>"Round three." Putting his left arm behind his back again, Ronon lifts his right leg and puts his foot against the side of his left knee.  
>"Oh, come on! Oh, you are making this stuff up! This is not a traditional Satedan sport - this is an excuse to make me look dumb and kick my ass."<br>Ronon shrugs. "If you wanna quit..."  
>John sighs, puts his left arm behind his back, then bends his left leg behind him. They hop towards each other and exchange a few blows with their sticks. Ronon aims a blow at John's head. John ducks underneath it and Ronon hops in, spins around and rams his shoulder into John's face as John is still trying to straighten up. The blow sends John crashing backwards to the floor.<br>"Um, sorry."  
>John lies on his back on the floor and glares up at him. "This game sucks!"<br>"Well, you need to focus."  
>"I don't know if that's gonna be possible yet." He looks up at Ronon a little cross-eyed. "Here, help me up. I've got an idea."<br>Ronon reaches down and hauls John to his feet. Once up, John whacks Ronon's arm with his stick. "Ow!"  
>"Hurts, doesn't it?"<p>

**LATER. **

**THE SHEPPARDS' QUARTERS. **

Groaning partly with effort and partly with pain, Ronon slams the end of an empty beer can into his forehead to flatten the can. He looks at John with tears in his eyes.  
>"That?"<br>John is sitting on his sofa with his feet up while Ronon is sitting on the end of the bed. He has a half-drunk glass of beer beside him and is holding a magazine. Music is playing quietly in the background.  
>"Yeah, you've gotta hit it, ungh..." John demonstrates with his empty hand how it should be done "...straight on, hard as you can."<br>"OK."  
>He puts the flattened can down. John reaches forward to a plate of nibbles and takes one. Ronon also takes and eats one.<br>"You know, this is what I'm talkin' about. This is how you spend a day off. Kick back, eat some junk food, listen to some tunes."  
>"You like this music?"<br>"What, you don't?" John picks up an ice pack and puts it on his cheek to soothe the spot where Ronon clunked him earlier.  
>"It's fine."<br>"I'm gonna stick to golf. Your game's a little too much like my day job." John eats another snack while Ronon takes a drink from his beer.  
>"So how long have you been here now? A year?"<br>"Year and a half."  
>"Year and a half? You ever hang out with anyone else besides me and Marissa? I'm not saying we're sick of you or anything. I dunno - are you datin' anyone?"<br>"You mean like a woman?"  
>"Or a man." John shrugs.<br>"No. I'm not ready yet."  
>John looks up from his magazine. "Not ready yet? Did you leave somebody behind on Sateda?" Ronon nods. "Wife?"<br>"Close enough."  
>"Sorry."<p>

Ronon takes another drink from his beer, grimacing slightly at the taste. A distant explosion can be heard and the room shakes slightly. The men jump to their feet and hurry out as alarms start to sound.  
>҉<br>**EXPLOSION SITE.**

Carson is supervising the removal of injured people. He goes over to two men carrying someone on a stretcher.  
>"Right, lads, go, go. Move it."<br>"Alright, let's get these two to the O.R. right away." Man 1 said.  
>John and Ronon hurry in.<br>"What happened here?" Ronon asked.  
>"Some sort of explosion. At least three dead; maybe a dozen or so severely injured." Carson reported.<br>"Doc?" Man 2 asked.

Carson turns, and he and the other two hurry over to another stretcher being brought out of the damaged area. Marissa is lying on the stretcher, her midriff bandaged. "Marissa…"  
>"She gonna be OK, Doc?" John asked.<br>"She's lost a great deal of blood. We're gonna need to get her to the Infirmary stat."  
>"Is she gonna be alright?"<br>Carson looks at him but doesn't answer. "Let's go. Let's move!"  
>He and the stretcher bearers hurry away. John stares after them for a moment, then turns to see Doctor Zelenka nearby, removing a breathing mask from his face. He is standing in front of the area where the explosion happened. John and Ronon stare in shock at the state of the wall which, being metal, is warped, twisted and ripped open.<br>"What the hell happened here, Radek?" John asked.  
>"There was an explosion."<br>"I get that, but why?"  
>"Well, I'm not sure yet. I wasn't allowed on the scene until the emergency crews cleared the floor. What took you so long?"<br>"The transporters are down and there's a lot of stairs."  
>"McKay is in his lab. He thinks he might have a lead."<br>"What kind of lead?"  
>"He didn't say. The good news is, though, the structure is intact, so there's no danger of the tower falling down. There is, however, something very odd."<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, the few eye witness reports that we have say that Doctor Hewston just ... blew up."<br>"What the hell does that mean?" John asked.  
>"It's not even possible." Ronon said.<br>"Yeah, normally I would agree with you but from what we can tell, she was standing right in the middle of the hall here and just exploded."  
>"So, what, a suicide bomb?"<br>"Well, see, no. That's what I thought too originally, but I've scanned the area with my equipment and there isn't even the slightest trace of explosive residue. We have no idea what we're dealing with here."  
><strong> FOURTEEN HOURS EARLIER.<br>NIGHT TIME.**

In the Infirmary, Carson is checking monitors. Doctor McKay, wearing a bathrobe, is pacing up and down in front of Doctors Hewston and Watson, both of whom are looking guilty.  
>"You know, I think I am a pretty easy guy to work for." McKay said. Behind him, Carson turns and throws him a disbelieving glance. McKay turned to Watson and Hewston. "I am usually too busy doing all the really important stuff to micro-manage all the little things I need you people to be doing. Now, because of that, you have a fair amount of freedom. That does not, however, mean you can do whatever the hell you please. There are rules; there are protocols in place not only to protect this city but you're sorry little existences."<br>"Look, if I could just say-"  
>McKay interrupted Hewston. "Oh, no you cannot. You cannot interrupt me, OK? I was having a perfectly wonderful dream before I got this call, so you can just stand there and listen. You were sent on a routine cataloguing of one of the abandoned Ancient labs, and you activate some alien device without having the first clue what it was?"<br>"We thought it was-"  
>McKay interrupts Watson. "Yes, well you thought wrong."<br>"Yeah, but just the other week you did the exact same thing, so I don't-"  
>McKay, again, interrupts Hewston. "Well I am me. If I make a mistake, I can fix it. You are you, and when you make mistakes, you don't have to fix them. I do."<br>"The second we realized it was emitting radiation, we turned it off."  
>"So what? What, you want a medal? Look, my four year old niece could figure out to turn something off if it was emitting radiation. That does not make you smart - that just makes you a little less stupid."<br>"Rodney, be nice." Carson said.  
>"So, are they gonna live? More importantly, can I go back to bed?"<br>"Well, according to their body scan and blood tests, they'll be alright, yes..." Carson looks at them "...although you should check back in the next twenty-four hours and we'll run some more tests, just to be certain."  
>McKay was wagging his finger at the two of them sternly. "Well, you were lucky, because we are in a place where something as simple as flipping a switch can domino out into thousands of people dying. You need to be more careful." Hewston and Jim look at each other in a guilty way. McKay relents a little. "OK, just ... take tomorrow off, alright?"<br>"We already have tomorrow off. It's the mandatory rest day."  
>"It is?" Jim nods. "Already?"<br>Carson backs behind a column so that the other two can't see him. Clearing his throat to attract Rodney's attention, he mimes casting out a fishing line and then reeling it in. Smiling, he points at Rodney, then walks away. Rodney turns away, obviously not happy.  
>"Oh, great!<br>҉  
><strong>DAY TIME.<strong>

Rodney, dressed in casual clothes, is standing outside a closed door. He holds his hand to his mouth and breathes out to check his breath, then passes his hand over the door panel and goes inside. The room is full of plants, so it's presumably a botany lab.  
>"Katie? Hello, Katie?"<br>Katie Brown calls out from deeper in the lab. "Rodney!"  
>Rodney follows the sound of her voice. "There you are."<br>"What are you doing here?"  
>"Hey, it's your day off. What are you doing here?"<br>"Well, I'm nursing these little baby ferns we found on M4L-279. At this nascent stage they're very fragile and if I leave them for too long, they'll die."  
>"Ah, so what? They're ferns." Katie looks at him. "Oh, which is to say, you know, you need time off just like everyone else does."<br>"I know. It's just, they produce this special enzyme that we think might cure leukemia."  
>McKay points at the ferns. "What, these guys? Really?"<br>"Yeah. So what are you doing with your day off? I thought you had plans."  
>"Oh, I do, with Beckett. That's, um ... that's kind of why I'm here."<br>"Oh?"  
>"Yeah. I need an excuse to break those plans."<br>"Why's that?"  
>"Well, because we're going fishing. And to be honest, I cannot think of a more torturous way of spending a day than, you know, up to my ... hips in water trying to get worms on hooks and having all the time in the world to listen to Carson's many views on what I'm sure are a vast number of impossibly boring subjects. I mean, it is unappealing in every way."<br>"Then why did you say yes in the first place?"  
>"Oh, because he said, "D'you wanna go fishing next month?" It sounded so far away, I figured something'd come up, I'd be able to get out of it, but here we are a month later and..."<p>

"... nothing's come up!" She laughs.  
>"Exactly! So I figured if I told him we finally had an afternoon where I could take you out to lunch or something, then he'd have no choice but to let me out of it."<br>"I can't. I need to babysit the ferns."  
>"Right. Well. If I had a nickel for every time a girl used that line!" Katie giggles. Rodney gets inspired and clicks his fingers several times. "You know what? Let me bring lunch to you. We can eat here."<br>"Rodney, you wanna babysit ferns with me?"  
>"Hey, in the battle between ferns versus fish, ferns continuously win a decisive victory."<br>"That would be lovely."  
>"Great! OK, I'll be right back."<br>"OK."  
>Rodney hurries out. Katie watches him go, smiling fondly.<br>҉  
><strong>MESS HALL.<strong>

Rodney, carrying a couple of trays of sandwiches, sees Illyria and Mike sitting at a table talking. He looks thoughtful.  
>"Hmm!" He puts the trays down on the food table to collect a few more items just as Carson walks in.<br>Carson smiles. "Would you look at that! Great minds think alike. I thought I'd pick us up some snacks as well."  
>"Yes. Umm, about that."<br>Carson's smile fades. "Rodney."  
>"Look, here's the thing. You know I would love to go with you."<br>"No, I don't."  
>"Ah, I would, I do. I just, um ... I ran into Katie Brown..." Carson rolls his eyes and sighs "…and she started to lay the guilt on, you know, how I never get to see her and how the one day I get off, I'm jet-setting off to the coast to sport fish with my best buddy. I mean, she and I see so little of each other, I'm not sure we even count as a couple. Anyways, look, long story short-"<br>"Too late."

"-I told Katie I would spend the day with her."  
>Carson laughs ruefully. "Alright."<br>"You know, if it was anybody else..."  
>"No, no. I understand."<br>"Yeah, next week, I'm one hundred percent there."  
>"You promise?"<br>McKay was unable to look him in the eyes when he said, "Absolutely."  
>"OK."<br>"Yeah, and it's still early, so I'm sure you'll find someone else to go with you."  
>"Oh, you can bet on that." He takes a few items of food and a bottle of water from the table. "Well, tell Katie I said hullo."<br>"Mmm, will do."  
>"Enjoy. I will." Carson leaves. Rodney clenches his fists triumphantly.<br>"Yes!  
>He looks across to Illyria and Mike again, then turns back to the food table with his eyebrows raised and a concerned look on his face.<br>"Hmm!"

**LATER. **

**BOTANY LAB. **

Rodney and Katie are sitting at a table eating lunch.  
>"Oh, this is lovely."<br>"It is, yes."  
>"I've gotta say, after all the Cadman craziness last year, I figured there was no chance for us."<br>"Oh, why's that?" McKay said awkwardly.  
>"Well, you had another consciousness in your body - one that took over during our first date and made you kiss me. It was ... awkward. And so you ignored me for a few months then went out with Captain Frio-"<br>"I did not!"  
>"Yes, you did. I mean, it's OK, I guess. I can't imagine going through something like that, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't wanna be reminded of it either."<br>"Yes, well, it was a little weird there for a bit."  
>"For the last little while, you've really made an effort to make time for me, and it has been lovely." She smiles at him.<br>"It's funny, you know? I mean, much as I hate to admit it, seeing my little sister so happy with her family, I just ... Well, it kind of made me realize that, uh ... well, I'd like to get married."  
>"You would?"<br>Rodney's eyes widen in horror as he realizes what he just said."  
>"Oh, no, not to you."<br>"Oh."  
>"Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no. No-no-no, not-not to you ..."<br>"No, I..."  
>"Look, I was just..." They both stutter at the same time for a few seconds. "No, that was not a proposal - I was just ... I was just talking, you know?"<br>"Right."  
>"I just don't want you to get the wrong ... It's not that I wouldn't be interested in-in-in getting married to someone, I mean, someone like you, I mean someone just like you - you even, maybe one day - I just, uh..."<br>"I know, I know. It's OK."  
>"I like you a lot. I mean, I do."<br>"I know you do, and I like you a lot too."  
>"I know. And to be honest, I find that just baffling."<br>"Come on, now..."  
>"No-no-no-no-no, it's other people too - they find it baffling too."<br>"I guess they just don't know you like I know you."  
>"Yeah, but, you see, that's what scares me. I mean, at some point, you're gonna know me the way they know me and then ..."<br>"Rodney, I think I know you pretty well. There's not a lot of subtext with you."  
>Rodney looks at her for a moment, then stands up and walks close to her. "I am really sorry that I ignored you all that time."<p>

Katie smiles up at him, speaking softly, "I bet you are." Rodney smiles down at her. Just then a huge explosion goes off in the distance and the lab shakes. "What was that?"  
>"I don't know. Look, I've gotta go."<br>He hurries away as alarms begin to sound.  
>҉<p>

**EXPLOSION SITE.**  
>"So, what, a suicide bomb?" John asked Zelenka.<br>"Well, see, no. I thought so too originally, but I've scanned the area with my equipment now - there isn't even the slightest trace of explosive residue. We have no idea what we're dealing with here."  
><em>"Zelenka, do you read?"<em> McKay asked over the radio.  
>"Yes, McKay, I'm here with Sheppard and Ronon. What have you got?"<br>_ "You're all gonna wanna see this."_  
>The three of them hurry off.<br>҉  
><strong>RODNEY'S LAB.<strong>  
>"Alright, I am digesting this as I go, so forgive the rough edges." McKay apologized.<br>"What've you got?" John asked.  
>"Last night, Doctor Hewston and her partner Doctor Watson were cataloguing a new Ancient lab we uncovered. They inadvertently activated this machine." He pulls up an image of the machine on his computer screen. "It started to emit a very odd type of radiation, but they were able to turn it off right away. Now, Doctor Beckett examined them that night and gave them a clean bill of health, so with no immediate apparent danger, we decided to figure out what the device was, well, whenever we had time. That was a mistake."<br>"What is it?"  
>"Well, the science of it is ... well, it's spectacularly complicated, but it appears to be a weapon - one created by the Ancients to battle the Wraith and one that was abandoned fairly early on as it affected everyone in proximity, including Ancients and humans."<br>"Affected them how?" Zelenka asked.  
>"Ah. Well, long story short, it creates explosive tumors."<br>"Explosive tumours?" Ronon asked.  
>"What?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Are you kidding me?" Ronon asked, looking over to John.  
>"Yeah, I wish. Look, it's actually quite ingenious. The device emits millions of irradiated particles that have been genetically programmed to enter into our systems and gather behind the lungs. Now, as they go, they collect trace elements from our body that they need to complete an explosive compound which, once in place, the tumor reaches critical mass and explodes."<br>"So, wait, this guy Watson..." John trailed.  
>"...has almost definitely been exposed, yes. Look, we need to find him before that tumour ignites, which could be any minute now."<br>҉  
><strong>OPERATING ROOM.<strong>

Carson and a medical team are wheeling a patient into surgery. Carson is examining the man's leg which was apparently injured in the explosion.  
>"Well, it's not good but it's not awful. We need to start right away. What's his name?"<br>A nurse looks at her computer pad. "Um, James. James Watson."  
>The camera pans up to show that it is indeed Doctor Watson lying unconscious on the gurney.<br>**TWO HOURS EARLIER.  
>MESS HALL.<strong>

As Illyria and Mike eat their lunch, Rodney and Carson are talking at the food table.  
>"Next week, I am one hundred percent there." McKay said.<br>"You promise?"  
>"Absolutely."<br>"OK."  
>"And besides, it's still early. I'm sure you'll find someone else to go with you."<br>"Oh, you can bet on that." Carson takes a few items of food and a bottle of water from the table. "Well, tell Katie I said hullo."  
>"Yeah, will do."<br>"Enjoy. I will." Carson leaves the room.

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

Carson walks into a room in which a chess club has been set up. Several pairs of people are playing games of chess. Carson walks along the row of tables until he reaches Radek playing against a man.  
>"Son of a bitch! Stop that!" The man yelled.<br>"Stop what? Winning?" Zelenka smiled.  
>"You haven't won yet."<br>Radek jumps up to greet Carson. "Carson! You've come to join the chess club."  
>"Uh, not quite."<br>"You've come to watch?"  
>"Well, uh, no. Actually, Radek, I'm looking for someone to come fishing with me. Rodney bailed at the last minute."<br>"Surprise, surprise."  
>"I know. Any interest?"<p>

ZELENKA: I would, but we're playing for trades today, you know? And no-one can really beat me so ... I've already won a desk fan, Doctor Mallozzi's animé D.V.D. collection..." he lowers his voice and looks at Carson suggestively "...and I got a coupon for a free Swedish massage from Doctor Ambrose."  
>"Ouch!" Carson said admiringly.<br>Radek nods and clicks his tongue. "Perhaps we can go fishing next week?"  
>"OK, alright. Well, uh, best of luck to you." He turns and walks away.<br>"Oh, I don't need luck." He looks down at the board and makes his move. "Checkmate."  
>"Son of a bitch!" Angrily, the man lays his king down in defeat.<p>

On a pier some distance away from the central area of Atlantis, Major Lorne is painting a picture of the central towers. Carson comes over to him.  
>"You paint!"<br>"Hey, Doc. Yeah, I paint."  
>Carson was looking at the painting. "And you're good, too."<br>"My mom was an art teacher. It's what we did on weekends. Stopped for a while - didn't really have time for it during basic training, first couple of years on duty - but I'm picking it up again. Hard not to with views like that, huh?"  
>"Aye. Um, I don't suppose there's any chance you'd like to come fishing with me on the mainland, is there?"<br>"If you'd got to me earlier, maybe, but I kinda wanna finish this up."  
>"Och, it looks done to me."<br>"That is why I am the painter and you a doctor."  
>"Very good point. Enjoy the rest of your day, Major."<br>"You can count on it."  
>Carson leaves.<br>҉  
><strong>DOCTOR BIRO'S QUARTERS.<strong>

Doctor Biro is sitting on her bed reading something. Carson comes to the open door and coughs. She looks up.  
>"Oh, hey there, sir."<br>"Hullo, I was just -"  
>"You know what's crazy? I was just thinking about you." She giggles and stands up. "Has that ever happened to you? You know, you're thinking about something and then, boom! There it is!" She giggles again. Carson laughs falsely, already realizing that this is someone he does not want to take fishing with him. "It's not like I'm psychic or anything but, who knows?"<br>"Well, actually, I-"  
>"You know what? I am sorry. You were trying to say something and I interrupted you."<br>"Enjoy your day off, Doctor Biro."  
>"Absolutely."<br>"Bye-bye."  
>He turns and leaves, sighing.<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Carson walks in and finds Doctor Cole sitting at her desk.  
>"Slow day?"<br>"Carson. What the hell are you doing here? It's supposed to be your day off."  
>"Well, my fishing trip is officially a bust, so I figured I'd come in here and actually catch up on some paperwork for the first time in over a year."<br>"That's a shame."  
>"Aye, it is." Cole shakes her head as if in pain and gets back to her computer. "You alright?"<br>"A migraine. It's a bad one, actually. I took some stuff, but I can't take any more, with me being on call and everything."  
>"You should have radioed me."<br>"Are you kidding? There's no way in hell I was gonna let you miss that fishing trip. It's all you've been talking about for two weeks!"  
>"Well, I'm not going now, so off you go. I'll cover your shift."<br>"You sure?"  
>"Aye. There's nothing happening here anyway. You go - take a horse pill and rest."<br>"Oh, you're a life saver."  
>Carson smiled. "I know."<br>"Thanks, Carson." She stands up and hugs him. "Thanks."  
>Carson hugged her back. "You're welcome."<p>

**LATER.**

Carson is bandaging the ankle of a female marine. "If you're going to play volleyball, you're going to need proper gym shoes."  
>"I know. I've put an order in for a pair but it takes forever to get things from Earth that aren't vital to the success of the missions."<br>"Well, you, young lady, are vital to the success of the missions, so don't play sports in sandals, OK?"  
>She smiles. "OK, Doc."<br>"Alright. We're all done here. We'll fix you up some crutches and-" A distant explosion can be heard and the Infirmary shakes. Carson jumps to his feet and turns to one of his staff. "Myers, call in every available nurse and doctor immediately." He turns to two other staff members. "You and you, grab two field kits and a couple of stretchers and follow me." He runs to a desk, picks up his headset radio and puts it on. "This is Beckett. What happened and where are we needed?"  
>Without waiting for the reply, he grabs a field kit and starts to run out of the Infirmary.<br>**EXPLOSION SITE.**

John and Ronon run in and go over to Carson.  
>"What happened here?" Ronon asked.<br>"Some sort of explosion. At least three dead; maybe a dozen or so severely injured."  
>"Doc?" Man 2 asked.<br>Carson turns, and he and the other two hurry over to another stretcher being brought out of the damaged area. Marissa is lying on the stretcher, her midriff bandaged. "Marissa…."  
>Marissa looks up at him weakly and lifts her hand towards him. "Carson."<br>He takes her hand. "I'm here. You've been in an explosion, Marissa, and a piece of debris has impacted your side. We're headed to the Infirmary to take it out and patch you up. Easy-peasy - I can do this one in my sleep."  
>Marissa closes her eyes.<p>

**LATER. **

**OPERATING ROOM. **

Carson is just finishing surgery on Marissa. He holds a suture taut for a nurse. "Alright? All set?" The nurse cuts the suture. "Thank you."  
>"Can't believe you got the artery cleaned up."<br>"Well, they typically don't make you head surgeon if you're all thumbs." He smiles.  
>"You have another patient waiting for you. He got his leg cut up pretty bad in the blast."<br>"Alright. We're all done here. Let's get her down to the recovery level and we'll get him in here."  
>"OK."<br>҉  
><strong>RODNEY'S LAB<strong>  
>"Long story short, it creates explosive tumors." McKay said.<br>"Explosive tumors? Are you kidding me?" Ronon asked.  
>"I wish I was."<br>"So, wait, this guy Watson..." John trailed.  
>"...has almost definitely been exposed, yes. Look, we need to find him before that tumor ignites, which could be any minute now."<br>҉  
><strong>OPERATING ROOM.<strong>

Jim is just being wheeled in while Carson looks at his leg.  
>"Well, it's not good but it's not awful. We need to start right away. What's his name?"<br>The nurse looks at her computer pad. "Uh, James. James Watson."  
>"Watson? Poor lad was in here last night. Looks like he's had a run of bad luck."<br>McKay spoke over the comms. "Doctor Watson. Doctor James Watson. Report your whereabouts immediately."  
>"Well, aren't you popular?" Carson said then turned to the nurse. "Go see what that's about, please."<br>The nurse heads off.  
>҉<br>**RODNEY'S LAB.**

Rodney is talking with the nurse over the radio.  
>"He's in the O.R. right now? I need you to get Beckett back on his radio."<br>҉  
><strong>OPERATING ROOM.<strong>

Carson has already started surgery on Jim's leg. The nurse attaches Carson's radio headset to his ear.  
>"It's Doctor McKay."<br>"What is it, Rodney? I'm a little busy right now."  
><em>"Carson, the man you are working on right now has been infected with an explosive tumor. We think it's what killed Hewston and caused the explosion."<em>  
>"What are you talkin' about? That's not-"<br>_ "It is possible, Carson. Look, you need to get you and your team out of there. Sheppard has an ordnance disposal crew on the way."_  
>"Well, he's too fragile to move right now."<br>_"He doesn't have to move. You do."_  
>Carson sighs and thinks for a moment, then addresses his team. "Alright, listen up. I need everyone to clear the floor right now. I'm enacting a Protocol Seven for this entire level." The team stares at him in surprise. "Move it, people!" As the team starts to leave, he takes hold of the nurse's arms and starts to steer her away from the bed. "Right, he stays, you go."<br>"What about you?" She asked.  
>"I'm staying put."<br>"Then so am I."  
>"Look, I don't have time to fight about it right now."<br>"Then don't. You can't do this on your own."  
>Carson looks at her for a brief moment, wishing he could persuade her to go but knowing that he doesn't have the time to argue with her. He hurries over to a computer and types on it. The screen shows "ACTIVE LOCKDOWN. PROTOCOL SEVEN." He types in his password and the computer shows a demarcation line about two thirds of the way up the central tower of the city. He turns and goes back to the operating table, takes the nurse by the shoulders and turns her to face him.<p>

"Thank you." The lockdown alarms start to sound. "Alright, let's get the scanner in place. We have a tumor to remove."  
>҉<br>**RODNEY'S LAB.**

John is looking at a computer screen which shows what Carson has done. "He's used his authorization code to seal off the whole level. We can't get to him."  
>"Carson, you cannot seriously be considering operating on this guy." McKay spoke into his radio.<br>_"Exactly how much time do we think I have?"_  
>"There is no way to know for sure. Look, Hewston was infected at the same time that Watson was and her tumor's already exploded."<br>In the Operating Room, Carson nods to the nurse, who hands him a scalpel. "No time to waste, then. Making first incision."  
><em>"OK, look, this is all very brave and all, but..." <em>

"_... what if the explosion causes structural damage? What if the tower comes down with everyone in it?" _John asked.  
><em>"Exactly."<em>  
>"Sending him to the other side of the city and just leaving him there is tantamount to murder, Colonel."<br>_"The man is already dead!"_ McKay frantically said.  
>"Like hell he is."<br>_"Carson, I can't order you to stand down, but-"_  
>"That's right, you can't, John. Have your men standing by. I'll open access to the floor once I've extracted the tumor. Beckett out."<br>He and the nurse exchange a glance as he continues surgery.  
>҉<br>**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE.**

As soon as John saw Illyira, he rushed over and embraced her, burying his face in her hair. "Thank god, you're alright! And the kids?"

"They're alright. Nanny is caring for them on the other side of the city, far away from this mess." She kissed his neck and back away, hugging McKay. Surprised, he patted her back. She stepped back, tucking hair behind her ear. "How long has he been at it?"  
>"About ten minutes. I've got an emergency crew standing by. Either way, we're cut off." John said.<br>Illyria turned to McKay. "Can't you bypass his access code?"  
>"Yeah, but it'll take half an hour. Look, if he's not done removing it by then, then..."<br>"This is crazy!" She yelled, exasperated.  
>҉<br>**OPERATING ROOM.**

Carson gently extracts the tumor with a pair of forceps and slowly turns around to take it to an organ transplant transportation box. He very slowly lowers the tumor into the box, sighing softly as he gently pulls the forceps out again. Putting the forceps down, he lightly takes hold of the lid of the box and begins to slide it shut.  
>Carson spoke quietly into radio. "Colonel Sheppard. I've extracted the tumor..." Once the lid is shut, he takes off the protective plastic shield that was covering his face and removes his surgical hat. "... and I'm opening up the O.R. level."<br>Stripping off his medical gloves, he goes over to the computer, selects "OPEN O.R. LEVEL" and types in his password. Some distance away, a door slides open in front of the waiting ordnance disposal crew. A marine dressed in heavy protective gear and helmet wheels in a large container on a trolley. He starts to run towards the O.R., pulling the trolley behind him.  
><em>"He's on his way. Sit tight."<em>  
>In the O.R., Carson has sat down on a stool. He thinks for a few seconds, then makes a decision. He stands up, taking off his medical gown. "Dammit. Tell him I'll meet him halfway."<br>_ "Just stay put, Doc."_  
>"The sooner I get this thing out of my sight, the better." He walks over to the organ transportation box and puts his fingers gently on either side. Carson turned to his nurse. "If you'll finish in closing him up, please." He looks across to see her confirmatory nod. "I'll be right back."<br>Swallowing nervously, he gently lifts the box and carries it slowly out of the room. He walks carefully along the corridor. He spoke quietly, reminding himself to take his time. "Easy. Easy."  
>The marine wheels the trolley towards him, stops and holds up his hand to Carson. Moving the trolley into position, he slowly reaches out towards Carson and gently takes the box from him.<br>"Thank you." He said quietly. He turns and activates his radio as he starts to walk back towards the O.R. "We just made the hand-off."  
>Behind him, the box explodes. A massive fireball erupts from the box and engulfs the trolley, the marine and Carson.<br>**[AN:/ I took a break for five minutes for a bloody good cry, then get back to writing.]  
><strong> ҉  
><strong>CARSON'S QUARTERS.<strong>

Rodney, dressed in black trousers, a pale blue plain shirt and a black tie, is packing the last of Carson's belongings into crates. He sadly picks up a framed photograph of himself and Carson in their off-world gear walking along together and smiling. As he continues to gaze at the photograph, his face full of grief, the door opens and Ronon walks in.  
>"Hey." Ronon said quietly.<br>McKay turns to face him. "Hey."  
>"You OK?"<br>Rodney nods. "Mmm. ... Uh, not really."  
>"You need some help?"<br>"No. No, I'm almost done. He didn't have a lot of stuff here."  
>"You sending it all back home to his family?"<br>"Yeah. I mean, we will. They don't know yet. We're going to send, uh..." he trails off for a long moment "...the body back to Earth and, um, I'm gonna tell his mother." He looks at Ronon for a moment. "I should have just gone fishing with him."  
>"Don't." Ronon said, his voice almost breaking.<br>"No. If I'd gone fishing...if I'd checked the machine...if I hadn't assigned two junior guys to catalogue the lab..."  
>"Rodney. What's done is done." Ronon said gently.<br>Rodney's eyes fill with tears. "I know. And that's why it's killing me."  
>He gets back to packing Carson's belongings. Ronon, helpless to do anything to comfort him, leaves the room.<br>҉  
><strong>INFIRMARY.<strong>

Marissa is in one bed while, in the bed next to her, Jim Watson is lying either asleep or still unconscious. Marissa sits up in bed and tries to get out. John, wearing his dress blues, walks in.  
>"Where do you think you're going?" He asks.<br>"I'd like to go to the memorial."  
>"I don't think you should be going anywhere."<br>"I'm fine." She tries to stand but grimaces with pain.  
>"Alright. I'll get a wheelchair."<br>"No. I'd like to stand as a-a….testament to him." She looks into John's eyes. "How are you doing?"  
>"Me? I'm fine ... but I didn't get major surgery two days ago."<br>"That's not what I meant."  
>"Well, it hasn't hit me yet. I'm not looking forward to it when it does." He said quietly.<br>"I feel a great sadness. He..." She trails off and looks away, unable to complete what she was going to say. "I feel super sad."  
>She sighs. John steps towards her. "Here. I got you."<br>He puts his arm around her waist and helps her to her feet. They slowly walk off.  
>҉<br>**GATEROOM.**

On a trestle in front of the Gate is a coffin draped in the saltire - the Scottish national flag. At the bottom of steps facing the Gate is John, Illyria- wearing a traditional white Atlantian dress, Marissa - wearing her dress blues, Ronon - who is wearing dark clothes and a jacket with long sleeves, Radek - wearing a black suit, Lorne - in his dress blues, and Doctor Cole in a black skirt and jacket and white blouse. All around the room, up the stairs and on the Control Room balcony are members of the Atlantis team, either wearing military uniform or their expedition uniforms. Rodney, now wearing a black jacket over his shirt, walks back from the side of the coffin. As he joins John and the others, Illyria walks over to the coffin, then turns to face the gathering, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
>"We have said goodbye to a lot of friends today. Your mission is a dangerous one. We lose people - a fact we are all painfully aware of. But Carson was..." She trails off for several seconds, temporarily lost for words. "I cannot remember anyone coming to me with a complaint against him - ever. He was a kind soul. He was...he was a healer. And he will be very deeply missed. George Fabricius said, "Death comes to us all, but great achievements, they build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold." Her voice begins to break. "Every single life Carson saved is a monument to him. And that gives me great comfort."<br>She stands silent for a moment, then nods up to the Control Room balcony. The technician turns to go to the control console. On the opposite balcony, bagpipes begin to warm up. Ilyria puts her hand gently onto the coffin for a moment as, on the balcony, a Scots piper in full regalia begins to play a lament while the Gate dials.  
>The Gate activates. John, Rodney, Ronon, Cole, Lorne and Radek walk towards the coffin. Illyria walks over to Marissa, whose eyes are full of tears, and they share a sad smile. John and Rodney take up position at the front of either side of the coffin. Cole and Ronon line up behind Rodney; Lorne and Radek behind John. John and Rodney look at each other for a moment, then the six pallbearers lift the coffin and slowly walk forward towards the Gate. As the piper plays on, the team carries Carson Beckett home.<p>

Some days later, Rodney stands on the end of a pier at the edge of Atlantis, gazing out over the ocean. Carson walks over to stand by his side.  
>"How'd it go back on Earth?" Carson asked.<br>Rodney smiles softly. "It was, um, it was awful." He turns to Carson and smiles at him. "Your family was amazing, though."  
>Carson smiles. "Aye, they are. Good turnout?"<br>McKay was looking out over the ocean again. "Oh, packed the church."  
>"Oh, that's good to hear!"<br>"It's not gonna be the same round here without you."  
>"Oh, you're tellin' me!"<br>"You know, the universe is a big place." McKay looks at Carson. "Who knows, maybe we'll bump into each other again."  
>"Aye, who knows?"<br>Rodney looks away, on the verge of tears. "You were the closest thing to a best friend I ever had. I'm really, really sorry." He looks at Carson wistfully. "I should have just…"  
>"Hey. This isn't your fault."<br>"You're just tellin' me what I wanna hear."  
>"Well, that's what best friends do sometimes. And in this case it also happens to be true." He smiles at him. "Take care of yourself, Rodney."<br>Rodney raises his hand to him, speaking softly, "Goodbye, Carson."  
>Carson smiles at him one last time, then fades out of existence. Rodney stands alone at the end of the pier.<p>

҉

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN**

**NIGHT**

**SGC GATE ROOM**

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Dr. Rodney McKay heads down the ramp as the wormhole shuts off. Woolsey is waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp.

"Doctor McKay."

"Mister Woolsey, how are you?"

"Very well, thank you for asking." Woolsey sounded a bit shocked.

"So, is this whole 'evaluation process' going to take very long? I mean, there's a lot of work to be done on Atlantis since we discovered an Ancient drilling station deep beneath the surface of the ocean and I'm anxious to get back." McKay said hopefully.

"I'm sure you are." Woolsey continued awkwardly, "However, the IOA has decided that perhaps someone with a different skill set would be more suited to lead the scientific portion of the Atlantis expedition now."

"Excuse me?" McKay said, nonplussed.

"I'm here to inform you that, effective immediately, you are being…suspended from the expedition."

"Why?" He said shocked.

"The IOA has read Dr. Heightmeyer's physiological evaluations that were given after Dr. Becket's death." Woolsey didn't notice when McKay lowered his gaze. "The IOA and General Landry are concerned about your current and future performance in Atlantis and are _recommending _you take a leave of absence. Do you understand, Doctor?"

"Yes, yes. Um…who-who's replacing me?"

"As a matter of fact-"

"I am." McKay turns around and sees a figure standing in the door way. The man steps forward into the light, nodding to Woolsey and McKay. "Doctor McKay. It is good to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same…Commander."


	46. Chapter 44

**AN:/ APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE! It was SUPER late/early when I was typing this up so DON'T JUDGE on the crappy introduction to Commander Barrett. **

**Twins= 1 year 9 months**

**ATLANTIS **

**DAY**

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

"They're doing what?" John yelled, ejecting himself from his chair. "They can't do this!"

"I'm afraid they can, John." Illyria sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"They can?" Ronon asked.

"Yeah, the IOA did the same thing to my last unit leader after he witnessed the Goul'd exterminate a village back in the Milky Way." Marissa spoke up. "Said the psych evaluation was…questionable."

"Maybe this is a good thing." McKay whispered. Everyone looked over at him.

"Rodney…" John trailed.

"No, I'm serious." He looked around at everyone. "I haven't slept since…since Carson…"

"None of us have, Rodney." Illyria whispered. "His death was hard on all of us."

"He wouldn't have been here if I'd had gone fishing…"

"You can't think like that, man." Ronon said. "We all turned him down."

McKay sighed and stood up. "Heightmeyer was right to tag my evaluation."

"No, she wasn't." John said and turned to Illyria. "We can fight this."

"Sheppard-"

"He's right." Marissa cut across McKay. "I've got some Marine buddies who are great with computers. McKay's transfer would be lost-"

"Stop!" McKay yelled and everyone looked over at him. "Guys, I-I appreciate this. I do, really, but…a day after tomorrow, I'll be back on Earth and my replacement would be here."

"They're only trying to help, Rodney." Illyria said.

"I know." Rodney smiled. "Hey, it's just a suspension. In a few weeks, a month tops, I'll be back."

"Vacation?" Ronon asked.

"It's better to think of it that way than a sacking." Marissa mumbled. "Besides, who is this guy? The one replacing you?"

Illyria looked down at her desk and picked up the file in front of her. She opened it up and read it out loud, "Commander Julian Barrett."

"He's the equivalent to a Lt. Colonel." John said.

"Whoa, wait. Will Sheppard still be in charge?" Ronon asked.

"Yes, even though he's the same rank, John'll still be in charge." Illyria confirmed.

"Small relief." John sighed.

Illyria continued reading the file. "Gender: Male; Species: Roman. It says here that he was born and grew up on an alien planet, named Rome, in the Milky Way that strongly resembled the actual Earth Rome in the 2nd century [140 AD]. He was born in 109 AD (1980 on Earth). Mother is Penelope, father is Cassius. Two siblings: Marcus, seven, and Melina, fifteen. Blood type: O+. Plus, he's 6'1" and has the muscles to fill it out. I bet if he and Ronon go into a fight, they'd go for days and end in a tie. That or beat each other to death."

"He's an alien?" Marissa asked. Ronon made a noise and Marissa smiled apologetically. "You said 140 AD time frame, how is that a good replacement for McKay?"

"Colonel Carter and I gave Barrett his first lessons in computers." McKay said. "Learns _very_ fast, and is very smart. Not as smart as me, though…no one is."

"This set him on the path of a scientific/medical career with the Earth military. Like Rodney said, he is a very quick study. It only took him three years to get the rank of Commander." John whistled under his breath and Illyria continued. "And for the alien part, I read SG-1's mission report. They came through the 'Ring of God's' and into Rome. They were treated like Gods and Commander Barrett was appointed their ambassador/guard.

Commander Barrett became interested in their way of life and asked Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson to teach him more, knowing they weren't Gods. While out in the forests that surrounded Rome, the city was attacked. Against SG-1's wishes, Commander Barrett ran off back to Rome in search for his family and to fight. While running, it's reported that he saw 'a projection of a ghost running past'. When he got back, everything was destroyed. He searched for hours for his family, before finding them all gone; no bodies, no survivors, just…gone. All accept his baby brother Marcus. Commander Barrett carried Marcus in his arms as they made their way to the gate." Illyria sighed and closed the file. "Marcus died shortly after they stepped through the SG-1 gate.

Since then, Commander Barrett has pledged his allegiance against to Earth and the SGC in the search for whomever attacked his world. Jack pulled strings to get him into the military and quickly surpassed every expectation. Like I said, just inside three years he became an officer.

When the Goul'd threat was no longer the biggest problem, Gen. Landry and the IOA recommended him for Atlantis. When he was being briefed about the dangers he'd face with the Wraith, he recalled the projection when he was running towards Rome. He told this to Jack and Jack wanted to pull him off, but Julian told him it would be his motivation and that one way or another, he'd be on this mission."

"Man with a vendetta against the Wraith? Comes from a different planet? Was a soldier…? Sound familiars?" John asked, looking over to Ronon.

"At least this one has a brain." McKay mumbled and Ronon slapped him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Ronon, McKay, knock it off." Illyria sighed.

"What does this guy look like?" Marissa asked.

"Don't know, there's no picture."

Ronon slid Barrett's file off the desk to look at. "When did you say he was going to be here?"

"In a few days; late at night, early in the morning. In the meantime…" She looked over towards Rodney.

"I have to pack." He smiled pathetically.

"Want any help?" Marissa asked.

"No, I've-"

"Too bad." Ronon said. He slung his arm over Rodney's shoulder and steered him out of the office, Marissa not far behind.

"You know," John said, sitting on the edge of his wife's desk. "I-"

Illyria laughed. "Nice try, John." She rubbed John's leg and patted his knee. "Go help, Rodney. I'll have a buffet set up once you're done."

"McKay'll love that." John said, getting up and rolling his eyes.

"Hey!" Illyria called after John. He looked back from the door. "He'll come back."

"Tell that to the IOA."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**MID-AFTERNOON**

**2-3 DAYS LATER**

Atlantis was alive with talk about Commander Barrett's arrival that morning. So far only a hand full of people have seen him since he arrived in the wee hours of the morning and has been in the conference room ever since. It was mostly the women and a few curious scientists that roamed the base for a scrap of detail about him. Illyria had given strict orders to everyone to steer clear of the room unless instructed otherwise by Illyria herself. That went for John and his team as well.

Currently the team was sitting around the mess hall. Ronon was eating, Marissa was reading, and John hung his head over a steaming cup of coffee to wake him up. John jolted upright, spilling his coffee everywhere, when Illyria's voice came over the radio,

_ "Colonel Sheppard and his team, please report to the Control Room."_

Ronon chuckled at John's accident while Marissa rolled her eyes and left. John shook his head and waved over a staff member before he left.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**CONTROL ROOM**

Team Sheppard walked up the staircase and stopped by the doors of the conference room where Illyria stood.

"Would you like an update?"

"Beats listening to silly rumors." Ronon said.

Illyria smiled. "As you know Commander Barrett got in early this morning. He's been inside the conference room since then so I had marines have placed his luggage in his quarters, down the hall from Marissa. He's pretty much finished with catching up on mission reports so I thought it would be a nice time for you to meet your newest team member." She waved her hand over the panel to open the door. "Shall we?"

"This is gonna be fun." Marissa smiled. A trickle of sweat rolled between her shoulder blades as walked happily into the room.

A man leaned back in a chair behind a messy table, a sheaf of papers in his hands. His booted feet were propped on the table, his long legs a feast of blue jeans over muscle. He was a soldier all right – thin tanned scars against his throat leading down; hard, honed body; light chocolate brown hair. His hair was clipper cut on the back and sides and blended up to his textured layers through the top to add height to his style. Definite air of menace. When Marissa entered, he stood, setting the papers aside.

_Damn_, Marissa thought. He rose to a height of a few inches over six feet and gazed down at Marissa with expressive ivy green eyes. He had thick, curly lashes; thin lips with a defined cupid's bow; stumble. **  
><strong>His body wasn't only honed: it was hot – big chest, wide shoulders, tight abs, and firm biceps against a form fitting white t-shirt.

"Captain Frio?"

"Yes, sir." He stuck his hand out and she shook it. "You're Commander Barrett?"

"Call me Julian."

The lilt in his voice was unmistakable. If he was from Earth, Marissa would have thought he was British.

"Well, Julian, I'm Colonel John Sheppard." John said, stepping into the room and shaking Julian's hand. "The big guy behind me is-"

"Specialist Ronon Dex from the planet Sateda." Julian smiled and nodded his head. "Forgive me for being blunt, but I've wanted to fight you for some time."

Ronon smiled. "Same here."

"Now that we're all friendly," Illyria said, stepping into the room, "can we get started?"

Everyone nodded and with old fashioned courtesy, he placed a chair near Marissa and motioned her to it. Marissa felt the heat of his hand near the small of her back as she seated herself, smelled the scent of soap and male musk.

"So," John said.

"So," Julian repeated with a smirk. "What will I be expecting, taking up Doctor McKay's role. Until he returns, of course."

"Well, you would be in charge of the scientists that were under him; keep his spot warm on SGA-1; consulting and maintaining McKay's projects. Things like that." Illyria said.

Julian nodded. "Doctor McKay has briefed me."

"Cool." John said, leaning back in his chair. "What's your favorite sport?"

"Sport?" Julian raised his eyebrow. "Earth sport?"

"American." John nodded.

"Hmm," Julian smiled. "Marine Corps rugby."

"Oorah." Marissa said, smiling.

Illyria chuckled. "Any questions, Commander Barrett?"

"Yes. When can I get started?"

҉

**ATLANTIS. **

Some distance from the city, a Puddle Jumper is 'flying' under the ocean. On board, Illyria is sitting beside her husband, John, as he pilots the ship towards the ocean floor. Behind Illyira, Ronon sits and yawns in boredom. Marissa comes forward from the rear compartment, where several Atlantis crewmembers are sitting, and walks over to Julian Barrett who is sitting behind John. She glances back at the team in the rear, obviously bored with having had nothing to look at for ages, then looks at Julian.  
>"Shotgun."<br>Marissa smiles at him. Without saying a word, he picks up his computer tablet, nods, and stands up. He walks into the rear compartment and sits down on one of the side benches. There are seven other people back there, including Doctor Zelenka. All of them look really bored. Marissa takes Julian's seat in the front compartment. Julian looks down at his computer tablet for a moment, then looks up at Radek and the other people opposite him.  
>"What?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Nobody said anything." Julian said.  
>"You don't have to. It is not my fault things are hard to find on the bottom of the ocean."<br>"Rodney said he knew where it was."  
>"He said he knew its last known location. It is a <em>mobile<em> drilling station. Obviously that's going take a few hours."  
>"If we don't find it soon, this is gonna be your last known location." Ronon said.<br>"Oh, zing!" Marissa smiled.  
>"OK, kids. Do I have to pull this thing over? It's hard enough being in this damned thing for hours without listening to you guys." John said.<br>"Actually, Doctor McKay has managed to narrow the search field to a remarkably small area." A man said.  
>"Thank you, Doctor ... um ..." Zelenka said<br>"Graydon."  
>"Yes, of course." He smiles insincerely at Graydon. "Welcome to the team."<br>Graydon's smile fades. "Uh, I've been here almost eight months."  
>"Really?" Graydon nods. "It's been that long, has it? Time certainly flies."<br>"Of course, not sitting in a Jumper looking for a needle in a haystack." Julian commented.  
>Zelenka raised his voice at him. "You know what-"<br>"You know what? You shut up, OK?" Ronon yelled back.

John smiled over at Illyria. "Well, still glad you came? Then again, the Twins know how to talk now…not that well, but…"

Illyria, who had been lost in thought until now, jerks out of her reverie. "What? Oh, sorry. I was preoccupied thinking about the geothermal drilling platform. If I knew the exact location, believe me, we would be there sooner." She said sarcastically.  
>"Shouldn't take us much longer. We just passed the thermal layer and I'm getting some readings a couple of hundred feet ahead."<br>"Once we manage to find an alternate and potentially limitless power supply that would make even this insufferably long search seem worthwhile."  
>The heads-up display comes up on the windshield.<br>"OK, kids, we're here." John said. Julian and Radek come into the front compartment. The other scientists also stand up and come forward to take a look at the display. "Well, hopefully it won't take too much longer to power up the station."  
>The Jumper flies towards the drilling platform sitting on the ocean floor. As the Jumper approaches, lights on the outside of the platform come on automatically. Illyria smiles at John. "That wasn't so hard."<br>"Now all I've gotta do is dock this thing and we can find out what this place is all about."  
>Somewhere nearby, a Wraith Queen opens her eyes as she becomes aware of something approaching.<p>

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.**

The Jumper has backed into the platform's docking port, leaving its nose sticking out into the ocean. The crew is in a Control Room of the platform and they are hooking up their laptops to various consoles. Julian reports to Illyria.  
>"All systems are online and functioning at full capacity."<br>"You mean we are generating power already?"  
>"No, but we probably could if we wanted to."<br>"No, slow down. My scientists, however secretive they were, abandoned this project for a reason. Let's try to find out what that reason might be before we start drilling into the planet's crust."  
>"Fair enough."<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR. **

John, Ronon and Marissa are walking around the base checking the place out.  
>"Haven't we been down this hallway before?" Marissa asked.<br>"Every corridor looks the same." Ronon said.  
>"Don't worry. I have an uncanny sense of direction." John said.<br>"I think she's right. We've been down this way before."  
>"That's impossible. We took a left, and a left, and then a right."<br>"Hey, look, all I'm saying is..." Suddenly Marissa stops and sharply raises her gun. Ronon turns back to her. "What?"  
>"I saw a Wraith shadow."<br>"Are you sure? We're pretty deep underwater." John asked.  
>"I can't be certain," Marissa looks over at John, "I think there's a Wraith onboard the drilling platform."<br>John looks around nervously, then activates his headset radio. "This is Sheppard. Everyone drop what you're doing; get back to the Control Room immediately."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"We did a complete life signs scan. It's the first thing we did when we stepped aboard this station." Julian reported. "The reports read that there is nobody here but us."<br>"I know, Commander, but I saw a Wraith phantom." Marissa said.  
>"Maybe it is the pressure. It has been known to do things to the mind."<br>"Just humor me and check again." John said.  
>Julian nodded in irritation and turned to his computer and activated the life signs scanner. It showed twelve life signs.<br>"There. All of these life signs have been accounted for." He turned and raised his eyebrow at John. "Humored?"  
>"Wraith do not show up on life signs detectors if they are hibernating." Illyria said.<br>"I know what I am saw." Marissa said, adamantly.  
>"There is no Wraith here. I am positive." Julian said. He turned to Marissa. "Are you <em>sure<em> you saw a Wraith projection and not just a shadow the flashlight cast?"  
>"I'm <em>positive<em>. I cannot shake that image."  
>"I trust her." Ronon said.<br>Zelenka pointed to Julian's computer. "As opposed to unquestionable fact?"  
>"Your machines don't know everything." Julian said after a beat and turned back to Marissa. "I apologize for questioning you."<p>

Marissa nodded in thanks. Zelenka mumbled, "I never said that they did."  
>"There is a way for me to be sure…." She looked around at everyone. "Teyla has been teaching me how to reach out with my mind. If I can establish a link-"<br>"Whoa. That's a little reckless, don't you think?" John asked.  
>"If there's no Wraith, then there'll be no mind for me to link with, and therefore no risk. But if there is a Wraith nearby..."<p>

"...we need to know." Illyria finished.

҉

**CREW QUARTERS. **

John, Marissa, Ronon and Illyria have gone to a room which has bunks around the wall. Marissa is sitting cross-legged on a bench in the middle of the room with her hands upturned on her knees.  
>"I'm ready."<br>"You sure?" John asked.  
>"The briefest contact will determine whether or not I'm right."<br>"That's all we need, so don't stick around any longer."  
>Marissa nods.<br>"And we will bring you out of it at the first sign of trouble." Illyria assured her.  
>Marissa nods again and closes her eyes. John turns and whispers quietly to Ronon. "Just to be sure..."<br>"It's already set to stun."  
>Marissa opens her eyes and rolls them at the boys, more at the distraction than what they've said.<br>"Sorry." John smiled.  
>Marissa exhales deeply and closes her eyes again. Ronon puts his hand onto his blaster. Marissa concentrates for several long seconds, turning her hands over to place them flat on her knees. She continues to concentrate as Ronon fidgets nervously. John puts his hand on his pistol. After a while, Marissa opens her eyes. Illyria steps closer to her.<br>"Marissa?"  
>As Marissa looks up at the others, looking a little bewildered, John and Ronon also take a step closer to her.<br>"I was wrong. There's nothing there."  
>"Well, that's good." John said.<br>Marissa stands up. "I'm sorry."  
>"No reason to be sorry."<br>"Maybe it was the effect of the pressure this deep."  
>"Well, if you've ever seen "The Abyss," pressure can make you nuts." Marissa frowns at him. "Not that I think you're nuts."<br>"It's alright, John." She smiles. "I'm relieved."  
>"So am I. Well, we have a lot of exploring to do." Illyria smiled and patted Marissa's arm.<br>"'We'?" John repeated.  
>"Until Commander Barrett delivers the preliminary status report, I am all yours. Put me to work, Colonel." Illyria smiled wickedly at her husband.<br>"Alright, let's make up some time. Break into teams. Ronon, you're with Marissa. 'Lyria, you're with me - or I'm with you, however you wanna put it."  
>Ronon hands John a rifle and he walks off, Illyria following him.<br>"Either [ee-ther] way...or either [eye-ther] way." She told him and he rolled his eyes at her.  
>Ronon hands Marissa a pistol and they too head off.<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR.**  
>"That was weird." John said.<br>"Well, we _are_ at the very bottom of the ocean. Maybe you are right. Marissa's just experiencing the effects of the pressure." Illyria told him.  
>"Hopefully not as bad as that guy in "The Abyss.""<p>

Illyria looked at him confused.

҉

**ANOTHER CORRIDOR.**  
>"This place is big, huh?" Ronon asked Marissa. Marissa doesn't answer him. He looks round at her. "What's wrong?"<br>"Nothing. Why?"  
>"You just haven't said a word."<br>"Haven't I?"  
>"No."<br>Marissa stopped. "Did I make you uncomfortable?"  
>Ronon stops and turns to face her. "No."<br>Marissa walks closer to him. "Your friendship's very important to me. I would hate to do anything that made you..." she puts her hand on his shoulder "...uncomfortable."  
>"OK. Well..." he looks at her hand on his shoulder "...good."<br>Marissa knees him hard in the groin. As Ronon groans and starts to double up, she punches him hard in the face twice. The second blow slams his head into the wall and he falls to the floor. Marissa kicks him brutally three times, knocking him unconscious. She looks around for a moment, and then heads off.

She finds another Control Room, looks at the control panel for a while, then activates some crystals. In John and Illyria's area, the lights go out. John switches on the light on top of his rifle.  
>"Barrett. What's going on?" John asked over the radio.<br>In the main Control Room, the lights are still on.  
>"What do you mean?"<br>_"We just lost the lights."_  
>"What?" He goes over to a control panel and looks at it. It shows that several areas of the base are in darkness. "You are right."<br>_"Yes, we can see that!"_  
>"We just lost power to forty percent of the station. Sensors are currently offline. Dr. Zelenka, what are you doing?"<br>Zelenka, from another Control Room, said, "Uh, what do you mean, what am I doing?"  
><em>"Have you lost power where you are?"<em>  
>"No. Have you?"<br>_"No."_  
>"We have. I wanna know what's going on." John said.<br>_"This station _has_ been lying idle for a few millennia. We are bound to blow a few fuses. I will have power back online in a minute."_  
>"Ronon, Marissa? Report your position." John said. There's no reply. Ronon is still unconscious. "Ronon, Marissa? Come in."<br>Again there's no reply. John looks suspiciously at Illyria.  
>In her Control Room, Marissa is still activating controls. In the corridor, Illyria looks back down the dark corridor nervously.<br>"Ronon. Marissa. Barrett, we've lost contact with Ronon and Marissa. You know their position?"  
><em>"Negative. Internal sensors are out, but I have determined the location where the power went down. It is an auxiliary control area, search grid six. It is the deck that Specialist Dex and Captain Frio were exploring."<em>  
>"We'll meet you there."<br>"Yes, sir." Julian looks at one of the scientists. "Davidson."  
>"It's, uh, Dickenson, sir."<br>"My apologies. Get back to the Jumper - see if you can use its sensors to determine the location of our people within the drilling platform."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>"Graydon go with him."  
>Out in the ocean, a figure is swimming towards the platform.<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR. **

Julian walks cautiously along a dark corridor, shining his flashlight around. A light flickers behind him and he turns quickly towards it, gun aimed. He straightened when he saw John and Illyria walking towards him.  
>"There you are." John said.<br>The three of them continue on. In the Auxiliary Control Room, Marissa activates a control that opens a panel containing some crystals. Stepping back, she draws her pistol and fires repeatedly into the panel, destroying the crystals. Nearby, John and the others hear the shooting.  
>"Weapons fire." Illyria said.<br>"Nine mil. This way." John and Julian run towards the noise. Illyria hesitates.  
>"Yes. Race towards the gunfire!" Nevertheless, she follows the other two.<br>In another part of the platform is a room with a moon pool - a round opening in the floor which allows instant access to the ocean. The Wraith Queen surfaces and snarls.

҉

**CORRIDOR. **

John, Illyria and Julian are still making their way towards the area where they heard gunshots.  
>"Ronon, Marissa, come in." John said into his radio.<br>As they turn a corner, Ronon groans. John and the others run towards him as he tries to sit up.  
>"Are you alright?" Illyria asked.<br>"No!" Ronon groaned in pain.  
>"Did you see who attacked you?"<br>"Yeah, it was Marissa."  
>"Why?" Julian asked.<br>"Until we know what is going on, I would like everyone in one place." Illyria said.

҉

**AUXILIARY CONTROL ROOM. **

Marissa continues activating controls.

҉

**CORRIDOR. **

Graydon and Dickenson are walking along. Suddenly a forcefield activates in front of them. All around the base, forcefields activate, blocking corridors. Back at John's position, Ronon is on his feet and the four of them are walking along.  
><em>"This is Zelenka. Someone has just activated emergency forcefields throughout the station."<em>  
>"Can you make it back to the Control Room?" John asked.<br>_"Yes, I think so."_  
>"Do it."<br>"That doesn't make any sense. What's she doing?" Julian asked.  
>"Ronon, you and Illyria go back to the Control Room. Barrett and I are gonna check up on Marissa."<br>"Be careful." Illyria said, kissing John's cheek lightly.  
>"No kidding!" Ronon mumbled. Drawing his blaster, he followed Illyria as John and Julian headed off.<p>

҉

**AUXILIARY CONTROL ROOM. **

Marissa gasps and slumps over the control panel. Standing up again, she looks around the room in confusion. She notices her pistol lying on top of the panel and picks it up. She backs away from the panel, still looking around bewildered. Suddenly she senses something behind her and turns, aiming her pistol, only to find John and Julian both aiming their weapons at her.  
>"Drop it." John said.<br>Marissa drops her pistol to the floor. "John." She slumps against the control panel again.  
>"What the hell is going on?" Julian asked.<br>"I don't know." Marissa said, anguished.

҉

**MAIN CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"Radek, what's the status?" Illyria asked.<br>"Captain Frio didn't just shut down several key systems; she scrambled the existing operating codes. This is going to take a while."  
>"Can we contact Atlantis?" Ronon asked.<br>"The station's communication system is just gone. I can't even patch it. She's blown the control crystals - and shut down half the power to the station and set up a series of emergency forcefields."  
>"To what purpose?" Illyria asked.<br>_"This is Sheppard. We've got Marissa."_  
>"And?"<br>_"And nothin'. She has no memory of anything that happened the last hour. We're on our way to Crew Quarters. I'm sending Barrett to help out with Damage Control."_  
>" Ronon and I'll meet you there." She turned to Zelenka. "OK, Commander Barrett will be her soon. Forget about restoring the station to its former glory. Concentrate your efforts on internal sensors and disabling the forcefields that are cutting us off from the Jumper."<p>

҉

**CREW QUARTERS. **

Marissa is sitting on the bench with John standing nearby and watching her closely. Illyria and Ronon come in. Marissa stands up.  
>"Illyria, Ronon, I'm so sorry."<br>"Don't worry about that. How are you feeling now?" Illyria asked.  
>"I'm fine, but hearing the damage I caused and have no memory of my actions-"<br>"Just tell us what you do remember."  
>"I was trying to seek out the Wraith presence with my head, and then..." She trails off.<br>"There is a Wraith?"  
>"With the most powerful mind." She sits down again. "I don't know how Teyla did it….I tried to shut her out-"<br>"Her?" John asked sharply.  
>"Yes. I <em>think<em> it's a Wraith Queen."  
>"I hate Queens." John grimaced. Illyria punched his arm, a hurt look on her face. "Ow! <em>Wraith Queens!<em> I hate _Wraith Queens!"_  
>Marissa and Ronon smiled. "In that short moment, I sensed great power; the experiences of many centuries; hunger ... and then nothing. My next memory is of Colonel Sheppard and Commander Barrett aiming their weapons at me."<br>"So there is a Wraith aboard the drilling platform." Illyria sighed.  
>"If that were the case, why'd she use Marissa to do all that damage, and why didn't the life signs detector pick up a signal?" John asked.<br>"Doesn't matter. If she's here, I'll find her." Ronon said.  
>"We'll find her." John corrected.<br>"I'd like to help." Marissa said.  
>The other three look at her awkwardly.<br>"I'm sorry, Marissa, but until we can determine exactly what..."  
>Marissa lowers her head, realizing that her team can't trust her yet. "Yeah, of course. I understand."<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR. **

Dickenson and Graydon are kneeling by a panel near the floor of the corridor. Dickenson presses some symbols on the cover and the panel slides open.  
><em>"Dickenson. Any progress on disabling those forcefields?"<em> Julian's voice comes over their radios. "I am getting indications that some of them are going up and down. We could really use the Jumper's sensors."  
>"I'm doing my best, sir." Dickenson said.<br>"Well, he's better than Doctor McCoy." Graydon told Dickenson.

"Who?"

"Doctor McKay."

"I'd love to be there when you tell McKay that!"  
>"Well, the next time he calls me Grayson..."<br>Dickenson, getting to work on the panel, said, "Actually, I know a Grayson."  
>"There really is a Grayson?"<br>"Yeah. He's a damned good scientist, too. I'm surprised McKay didn't hire him."  
>Graydon looks hurt. Just then, a sound comes from around the corner, as if a forcefield has just lowered. "Did you do that?"<br>"I don't know - but I'm happy to take credit for it. Check it out."  
>"Yeah." He heads off around the corner as Dickenson gets back to work on the panel.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

At the docking port, Graydon frowns as he spots a small puddle of water on the floor. He walks over to the Jumper and stops again at the sight of another small puddle on the ramp. He bends down to touch it, then stands up and looks around the area. Seeing nothing, he turns to go into the Jumper only to find himself face to face with the Wraith Queen.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"I don't understand. What could the Wraith possibly want with an Ancient drilling platform? For that matter, how did they even get here?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Perhaps on a ship nearby." Julian said.  
>"Underwater?"<br>"Who knows? I have heard this Teyla's senses could works for miles. Who know about Captain Frio. Are the external sensors up and running?"  
>"Uh, yes, they're operational, but they're designed to scan the ocean floor."<br>"Doesn't matter. Coleman, take a look at the drilling platform's external sensors - see what you turn up."  
>"What am I looking for?"<br>"Anything."

҉

**CREW QUARTERS. **

Marissa is now sitting on one of the bunks while Illyria wanders around the room.  
>"How are you feeling?" Illyria asked.<br>"I've never been more ashamed."  
>"You cannot blame yourself."<br>"I should have been more careful."  
>"A Wraith Queen's mind is extremely powerful, Marissa. Teyla must have told you."<br>"Still, if my actions while under her control result in people getting hurt..." She trails off, shaking her head.  
>"If you had not done what you did, who knows what could have happened? At least now we know what we are dealing with. If anything, I should thank you. I certainly do not blame you."<br>"I'd like to help them find her."  
>"Marissa…" Illyria said awkwardly.<br>"There's no risk."  
>"I do not know that."<br>"Unless you suspect I'm still under her control."  
>Illyria deliberately sat down opposite her. "Would John let me be alone with you if we did?"<br>"Then you think I'm somehow defenseless to her."  
>"I think it is best to keep you away from her for the moment, yes. I don't fully understand this <em>learned<em> capability you have of linking with a Wraith mind, but if it's even remotely possible that..."  
>Marissa interrupted. "She was only able to control me because I opened my mind to her." She stands up. "If I choose to do so again, I'll be ready."<br>"Marissa, I know you want to help."  
>"I do."<br>"The best way for you to do that is allow Ronon and Colonel Sheppard to find her."  
>"As you wish." Marissa reluctantly said.<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR. **

John and Ronon, their weapons aimed, walk cautiously along a corridor. A Wraith "ghost" flits past the end of the corridor. Ronon hangs back, covering the corridor with his blaster, as John proceeds forward carefully. He gestures to Ronon to head off down another corridor.

҉

**ANOTHER CORRIDOR.**

Dickenson is still working on the panel but raises his head briefly as he hears footsteps approaching behind him.  
>"It's about time." He gets back to work on the panel. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost. Listen, did you manage to, uh..."<br>He turns around to see the Queen standing behind him. As she snarls, he scrambles to his feet and runs off but crashes into a forcefield just a few yards down the corridor. He falls to the floor and drags himself into the corner, terrified.  
>"Oh no! Oh!" He activates his headset. "Colonel Sheppard!"<br>The Queen walks towards him and bends down to him.  
>"If you can hear me, please..."<br>The Queen slams her hand around his throat. In another corridor, John hears the voice over the radio.  
><em>"Help me!"<em>  
>"Who am I talking to?" There's no reply. "What's your location?" Still no reply. "Barrett. Do you have any men unaccounted for?"<br>Barrett from the Control Room said, "Two guys I just sent back to the Jumper."  
><em> "I think they're in trouble. Can you get those forcefields down?"<em>  
>Near Julian, Radek looks across at him and raises his hands in despair.<br>"We are working on it." Julian said into the radio. He clicks his fingers at Radek to indicate that he needs to work faster.

҉

**CREW QUARTERS. **

Marissa is pacing, with her fingers to her head as if in pain.  
>"The Wraith presence is even stronger than before. She's aboard this station. You have to warn them."<br>"John. Marissa's certain the Wraith is aboard the station."  
>"Understood." He starts to race back down the corridor. "Ronon, I'm headin' back to the Jumper. Meet me there."<br>Ronon was running down another corridor. "I'm on my way."  
>John screeches to a halt as he reaches glowing panels on the walls that indicate that the forcefield is active.<br>_"Sheppard! Help me! Please!"_ Dickenson pleaded over the radio.  
>"Barrett!" John yelled into the radio.<p>

Nearby, Ronon runs around a corner so fast that he can't stop from running into another forcefield. He cries out in pain and recoils backwards.  
>"Barrett!" Ronon angrily yelled into the radio.<br>"Yeah-yeah-yeah. Almost there." Zelenka looks up at Rodney. "I can only do one at a time."  
>He and Julian continue working. A few moments later the forcefield in front of John drops and he races off.<br>_ "The Jumper's sensors should be able to locate them."  
><em> John slowly approaches the Jumper. Noticing the puddles on the floor, he checks around the area carefully, then quickly swings around and aims his rifle inside before going in. Graydon is sitting in the pilot's seat facing the front of the ship.  
>"Graydon?"<br>He walks to the front of the ship as Graydon doesn't respond. John swings the seat around and sees that Graydon is skeletal, having been fed on by the Queen. Startled, John jumps back. After looking at him for a few seconds, he activates his headset.  
>"Graydon's dead. Fed upon."<br>_"What about Dickenson?"_ Illyria asked,  
>"No sign of him yet. Let's see if we can find him using the, uh..." He trails off, looking around vaguely.<br>_"John?"_ There's no reply. _"John, come in."_  
>In the corridors, Ronon makes his way cautiously towards the docking port. In the Jumper, John spins round and sees the Queen standing in the doorway of the ship. He raises his rifle and tries to shoot her but the Queen exerts her mental powers and John is unable to pull the trigger. He groans with effort as the Queen forces him to drop his rifle.<br>"You are Sheppard. The one who can fly this ship." John continues to groan as he tries to break her mental hold on him. The Queen walks towards him. "You will return me to the surface." She points at him. "Kneel."  
>Struggling to resist her, John falls to his knees. The Queen grins in delight.<br>_"Sheppard, this is Barrett. What do you have?"_ Julian's voice came over the radio. John tries his hardest to speak but can't. "_Sheppard, can you hear me?"_  
>In the Control Room, Radek rises to his feet in consternation. Julian continues trying to contact John. "Is something wrong?"<br>In the Jumper, the Queen runs a finger down the side of John's face as he gazes up at her helplessly.  
>"You will fly me to the Stargate and return me to my people."<br>Ronon races around the corner of the Jumper and aims his blaster at the Queen with both hands. John can't help but look at him. The Queen sees his gaze shift and, snarling, turns around just as Ronon fires. The blast goes past her, over John's head and smashes the windshield. Instantly the ocean starts to rush in. John and the Queen are knocked over by the water as it races through the ship and heads towards Ronon.

҉

**SOME TIME LATER. **

John recovers consciousness lying on a corridor floor. He and the floor are soaked with water. Julian's voice comes over his radio. From the urgency in his voice, he has been calling for some time.  
><em>"Sheppard, this is Barrett. Please respond. Sheppard, come in!"<em>  
>John raises his head. "I'm here."<br>In the Control Room, Radek sighs in relief. _"We had to throw the emergency forcefields up. The section you were in was flooding."_  
>"I noticed!"<br>_ "See, you were thrown by the force of the water clear of the forcefield bulkhead."_  
>John looks over to Ronon who is just regaining consciousness. "Ronon."<br>Groaning, Ronon lifts his head. He hauls himself to his feet and walks over to the forcefield. The field is holding back the ocean on the other side. He puts his fingers against the field and it sparks. He looks round to John.  
>"I missed."<br>"I noticed that too!" John said tetchily.  
><em>"Everyone else is accounted for. Any sign of Dickenson<em>?" Julian asked.  
>"Stand by, Barrett."<br>John looks around the area, then his eyes widen and he draws his pistol and points it at the Queen as he sees her lying some yards away. She doesn't move.  
><em> "I do not know what just happened, but we are now cut off from the Jumper<em>." Julian reported.  
>Ronon walks over to the unconscious Queen and aims his blaster down at her head. "I won't miss now."<br>"Wait!" Having finally got to his feet, John comes over to join Ronon, aiming his pistol down at the Queen.  
>"What for?"<br>"Well, we lost the Jumper, we lost communications with Atlantis. Maybe she can help us get out of this place."

҉

**LATER. **

The Queen has been taken to a room and strapped by the wrists and ankles onto a table. She is now conscious and struggling to pull her hands free. Illyria walks over to her.  
>"Welcome back. I trust you are comfortable."<br>"That groggy sensation you're feeling are the sedatives we're pumping you full of." John said to the Queen. "Just a precaution. As for the other precautions..."  
>Ronon lifts his blaster up so that the Queen can see it and pointedly switches the setting from stun to kill. Illyria walks closer to the table.<br>"Now, you are gonna tell us everything we want to know."  
>"In exchange for...?"<br>"This is not a negotiation."  
>The Queen grins. "I disagree."<br>"Let me get this over with." Ronon said.  
>He charges his blaster and aims it at the Queen. She surges up into a sitting position and snarls into Illyria's face. As Illyria steps back, Ronon rushes over, grabs the Queen by the throat and shoves her back down onto the table, aiming his blaster at her head with his other hand. John also aims his pistol at her. Illyria catches her breath, then nods to Ronon who releases the Queen and steps back, he and John still aiming their weapons at her head. Illyria steps closer to the table again.<br>"How did you get aboard this station?" Illyria asked. The Queen smiles but doesn't respond. "Are there any more of you?"  
>"You are all about to die." The Queen responded.<br>"Really?" She smiles disbelievingly.  
>"You care to elaborate on that at all?" John asked.<br>Deliberately, the Queen turns her head away from them.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM.**  
>"We should be able to keep the forcefields up until Atlantis sends a rescue Jumper, but station communications are still down, so-"<br>Julian interrupted Zelenka. "I should have listened more to Captain Frio. This would not have happened."  
>"Don't worry about it, Commander. It's not your fault."<br>"I am the one who sent those men back to the Jumper."  
>"Well, the sensors indicated that there was nobody here, so-"<br>"I don't think there was, sir. I think the Wraith arrived hereafter we did the initial scans." Coleman said.  
>"What?" Julian asked.<br>"You asked me to do a search with the remote sensors. I found something." Coleman activates the control panel. The wall panel shows an overhead image of the drilling platform, then pulls back to show the ocean surrounding the area. A familiar shape can be seen some distance away from the platform. "We didn't notice it on the way down because it's radiating very little E.M."  
>Julian activates his headset. "Everyone head back here. I think I have a few answers."<p>

҉

**LATER. **

John is looking at the image. "A Wraith cruiser."  
>"It is almost completely buried in silt." Julian said.<br>"Which means it's been here a very, very, very long time." Zelenka said.  
>"Give or take a "very."" Julian smiled to Zelenka.<br>"That doesn't explain how she got here." John said.  
>"She swam over." Illyria said.<br>"No, no. The pressure at that depth is-"  
>Julian interrupted John. "-is deadly to humans, but she's not human, remember?"<br>"Yes, it's difficult to imagine, but with the Wraith's ability to heal itself..." Zelenka and Illyria look at each other.

҉

**CREW QUARTERS. **

John and Illyria are telling Marissa what's been happening.  
>"And there're no other Wraith on board?" Marissa asked.<br>"No way to know for sure. Our prisoner isn't talking, other than "You're all about to die."" John said.  
>"Which may or may not be an empty threat." Illyria said.<br>"Then you've no way of knowing?" Marissa asked.  
>"Well, she said it with a lot of confidence." John said.<br>"There's a way to find out."  
>"We have already been down that road." Illyria said.<br>"And what's to stop her exerting control over you again?" John asked.  
>"She's heavily sedated. And this time I know exactly what I'm dealing with."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**.

Illyria and John bring Marissa into the room where the Queen is lying. Marissa walks over to the Queen's side. The Queen's eyes widen as she realizes who Marissa is.  
>"You."<br>"I was caught off-guard the first time. That will not happen again."  
>"It does not matter." The Queen grinned.<br>"Well, we think it does." John said.  
>"Your fate is sealed."<br>Marissa looks at Ronon. "If you've any reason to suspect that I'm not myself, don't hesitate to use that." She nods towards his holstered blaster.  
>"I won't."<br>Marissa turns back to the table and takes a preparatory breath. Breathing out, she closes her eyes and concentrates for a few seconds. The Queen snarls as she tries to keep Marissa out of her mind.  
>"I see her..." In her mind she sees the Queen as she looks out the windshield of her ship. Several Wraith hive ships fly past. "...leading the first wave of ships that attacked Atlantis during the war. Queen of a great alliance. Her ship was damaged during the battle." She gasps with the effort. "It crashed into the ocean."<br>On the table, the Queen writhes as if disturbed by the memories.  
>"She fed upon her own crew to survive. Too deep to ever swim to the surface ... waking between centuries ... waiting for rescue that never came ... until finally she was alone. She sensed our presence during our descent. She sensed ...Illyria, and saw us as her one chance of freedom from her prison."<br>In Marissa's mind, she sees the Queen walk along the corridors of her cruiser, then she sees an image of the ocean.  
>"The water was ... crushing ... but she was determined. Finally, after all these millennia, a ship!" In Marissa's mind, the Queen tries to activate the controls of the Puddle Jumper. "But she did not possess the gene to fly it."<br>In the Puddle Jumper, the Queen snarls in frustration.  
>"She used Dickenson to call for me." John said.<br>On the table, the Queen writhes as she tries to keep Marissa out of her mind, but Marissa sees her activate some controls on her own cruiser. Marissa gasps and slumps onto the edge of the table.  
>"Marissa..." Illyria called.<br>Marissa raises her head, her eyes still closed. "You are all about to die."  
>"That does not sound like Marissa." John said. He raises his pistol.<br>"You are all about to die." Marissa repeated. Ronon activates his blaster and aims it. "You are all about to die."  
>"Marissa, snap out of it!" John yelled.<br>"Wait!" Marissa yelled. She forces herself to continue her probe of the Queen's mind, and sees a red light begin to pulse on the control panel of the cruiser. Marissa raises her head, her eyes open. "She has activated the self-destruct device of the Wraith cruiser. It is set to detonate within two hours."  
>The Queen looks round at John and grins.<br>"So - not an empty threat."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM. **

John and Illyria walk in.  
>"How's Captain Frio?" Julian asked.<br>"She's resting. I think it took a lot more out of her than she's willing to admit." Illyria said.  
>"What's the news?" John asked.<br>"It looks like the Ancients chose this section of the ocean floor because the planet's crust is remarkably thin right below us, allowing them to drill directly into the magma and maximize the geothermal power output." Zelenka reported.  
>"OK...<br>"Which means there's a great deal of potential energy directly beneath this station." Julian dumbed down.  
>"That's the news? That this place works as advertised?" John asked.<br>"No, the news is that if they were to detonate, say, the self-destruct of a Wraith cruiser on just such a wafer-thin crust..."  
>"Oh my God." Illyria interrupted Julian.<br>"... all that thermal energy directly beneath us will be released all at once."  
>"So, bad news." John said.<br>"Yes. The initial explosion will be magnified a thousand times. We're talking catastrophic."  
>"So it won't just be us that's affected."<br>"No. Atlantis will be affected as well. It's well within the blast radius." Zelenka said.  
>"And we have no way to warn them?" Illyria asked.<br>"They would never even see it coming." Julian said.  
>"So we disarm the self-destruct." John said.<br>"That's brilliant, but we still need to get there." Julian said.  
>"And how do we do that without the Jumper?" Illyria asked.<br>"We're way behind schedule. They're gonna send a rescue Jumper any minute now." John said.  
>"Even if they've left already –even the moment we were overdue..." Zelneka trailed.<br>"No, they won't make it in time." Julian finished.  
>"How far is the cruiser?" John asked.<br>"Um, less than a kilometre." Zelenka said.  
>"She swam that far? What is she?"<br>"A formidable enemy." Julian said then smiled. "I have an idea."

҉

**MOON POOL ROOM**.

Julian leads John and Illyria over to a couple of bulky diving suits.  
>"I found these in the database when we first got here. They were used primarily to make repairs to the exterior of the station."<br>"Very cool!" John smiled.  
>"We should be able to traverse the distance between here and the cruiser."<br>Illyria walks across to the edge of the moon pool. "This must be how she got in."  
>"Probably. Alright. Let's get suited up." John said.<br>Marissa stares down into the water in dread. "Hate water."

҉

**LATER. **

John and Julian are walking slowly across the ocean floor. Julian is breathing rapidly.  
>"You're breathing too hard." John said.<br>"Forgive me for being aware of exactly how much pressure is being exerted on this suit right now."  
>"Just think of it as a walk on the beach - a beach that's about to explode."<br>"That's supposed to make me feel better?"  
>"No, it's supposed to make you walk faster. We're on the clock here."<br>_"This is Illyria. How close are you?"_  
>"Almost there, but we're runnin' out of time. We may need Marissa to do her Kreskin act again." John said.<br>_"I do not know what that means, but I'd rather not have to. I think it could be much too dangerous for her."_  
>"So is exploding magma."<br>"I am walking as fast as I can." Julian said, sighing irritably.

҉

**DRILLING PLATFORM. **

Illyria walks back to the Queen.  
>"How do we disarm the self-destruct? You will not survive the blast any more than we will."<br>The Queen grins and turns her head away.  
>"I can get the information we need." Marissa said.<br>"If you are strong enough, you would have done so already." The Queen looks at Marissa. "I can feel how weak you are."  
>"We'll see who's stronger."<br>Marissa prepares herself, then closes her eyes and reinitiates mental contact with the Queen, who gasps as she struggles to keep her out.

҉

**WRAITH CRUISER. **

John and Julian are inside the ship and have taken their suits off.  
>"Hey, that took too long." John said.<br>"The ship is remarkably preserved." Julian mumbled.  
>"You'd think after ten thousand years, she'd want to redecorate."<br>"I'm serious. The hull damage is minimal. They probably just lost their main drive."  
>"You're saying this thing is salvageable?"<br>"I'd have to assess damage to primary systems but it's not completely out of the question."  
>"Tick, tick, tick."<br>Julian sighs and looks at an Ancient device he's holding. He points. "This way."

҉

**DRILLING PLATFORM. **

Marissa's eyes are closed in concentration. The Queen writhes gently as she struggles to keep her out.  
>"Marissa?"<br>Marissa gasps and clutches her head, crying out in pain.  
>"You are weakening." The Queen said triumphantly.<br>"Marissa, I think you should stop." Illyria said.  
>"My concentration slipped for just a moment." Marissa said.<br>"And in that moment, I could have crushed you with a single thought." The Queen looks at Marissa pointedly. "Perhaps next time, I will."  
>"There is not going be a next time." Illyria said as she pulled Marissa away from the Queen.<br>"Illyria, I'm fine."  
>"No, you are not. I can see what this is doing to you. Let's just give Julian a chance."<p>

҉

**WRAITH CRUISER. **

John and Rodney walk onto the Bridge and see the console that Marissa saw in the Queen's mind. The red light is flashing ominously.  
>"There it is."<br>Julian walks over and looks at the controls. "Huh."  
>"What?"<br>"I'm pretty sure this is the device, and I'm pretty sure it says we have less than half an hour."  
>"So turn it off."<br>Julian takes hold of a control device and pushes it forward. He pulls it back again and pushes a button but nothing happens. "Huh!"  
>"What does that mean?"<br>"It's not accepting commands of any kind. There must be some kind of a command code that needs to be entered first." He experimentally pushes a few buttons.  
>"Can you figure it out?"<br>"No. Not if I stood here and tried for a million years, and we have..." he looks at his watch "...just under a million years less than that."  
>John turns away and activates his radio. "Illyria, you there?"<br>Back at the platform, Illyria walks out of the room and activates her headset. "Any luck?"  
><em>"Negative. If we don't get the command code in less than thirty minutes, we're dead."<em>

҉

**DRILLING PLATFORM. **

Illyria and Marissa are just outside the Queen's prison room. The Queen can hear them as they talk.  
>"This is the only way." Marissa said.<br>"I told you, Julian has another idea."  
>"That may or may not succeed. There's only one way to be certain."<br>"She said she would kill you next time."  
>"I won't let that happen."<br>Illyria considers it for a moment, then makes a decision. "No. We're gonna give them more time." She walks away. Marissa watches her go, then turns and goes back into the room.  
>"Ronon. There's been an emergency in the Control Room. Queen Sheppard needs your help."<br>"What about her?" Ronon said, gesturing to the Queen.  
>Marissa draws her pistol and aims it at the Queen's head. "I'll watch the prisoner. Hurry."<br>"Watch yourself."

He leaves the room. Once he has gone, Marissa lowers her pistol and holsters it.  
>"Are you fool enough to try again?" The Queen asked.<br>"I have very little to lose."  
>The Queen grins as Marissa closes her eyes and concentrates. Another mental struggle ensues between the two of them. After several seconds the Queen gasps and her eyes snap open. Marissa opens her own eyes and stares at her in horror. The Queen grins triumphantly and stares at Marissa, who reaches down and pulls out the I.V. in her arm, then goes to the foot of the bed and undoes the tethers around her ankles before returning to the other end of the bed and undoing the tethers around her wrists. The Queen sits up and raises her right hand ready to strike at Marissa and feed on her, then she hesitates and looks at her closely.<br>"You're trying to hide something from me."  
>Marissa stares at her wide-eyed, trying to keep her out of her mind, but the Queen gets through her defenses and sees a flashback of an earlier conversation.<br>**FLASHBACK.**

Marissa meets with Illyria and John.  
>"There's been a development." Illyria said.<br>"Were you able to disarm the self-destruct device?" Marissa asked.  
>"No, but Barrett thinks if we can tie in a naqahdah generator he can still get the Wraith cruiser to fly."<br>"After all these years?"  
>"Yeah. The damage is superficial. The problem was the engines. Barrett's already restored power and I think I can fly the ship to a safe distance."<br>"That's a suicide mission."  
>"Well, if I can ditch the ship on the mainland, maybe I can get far enough away from the explosion. I gotta go now." John turns to leave.<br>"Wait. Let me try again. If I can get her to give up her command code, you won't have to risk it."  
>"You're in no condition to do that." John and Illyria exchange a glance for a moment. "Sorry." He turns and leaves.<br>The flashback ends. As the Queen grins, Marissa drops to the floor, unconscious. The Queen leaves the room and heads for the moon pool. Shortly afterwards, she is swimming through the ocean towards her cruiser.

҉

**WRAITH CRUISER. **

The self-destruct light continues to pulse. John stands watching it with concern, then turns as the Queen enters the Bridge.  
>"Well, you're a hell of a swimmer, I'll give you that."<br>"You have restored power?"  
>John was backing away from the console. "It'll fly."<br>Hissing in delight, the Queen walks across to the console and punches her code into it. The red light goes off.  
>"You shall be rewarded ... with a quick death."<br>Behind her, Julian raises a P90 and fires a hail of bullets into her back. The Queen convulses, then turns to face him, snarling.  
>"She's not dying according to plan here!" Julian yelled.<br>He slowly backs away, reloading his mag. as the Queen walks toward him. John draws his pistol and fires eight more bullets into her back. She finally drops to the floor. John walks toward her, still aiming his pistol cautiously.  
>"I thought you'd forgotten about me!" John said, a little hurt.<br>"Of course not! I just had to wait for her to disable the device. Hey, just be thankful she didn't feed on you before she entered the command code."  
>"Oh, that's why you didn't wanna be bait!"<br>"You had to be bait because she was expecting you to be the one trying to fly the ship."  
>John narrows his eyes at him. Julian looks down at the Queen. "She is dead, right?"<br>"Let's get outta here."

҉

**CREW QUARTERS. **

Ronon goes over to one of the bunks and puts his blaster down. John walks across the room, looking at Marissa who is sitting on the side of another bunk with Illyria.  
>"How're you feelin'?" John asked.<br>"Much better now that I don't feel the constant presence of a Wraith."  
>John sits down on another bunk. "That was no ordinary Wraith. It took a lot of bullets to take her down."<br>"I wish I was there." Ronon said, unstrapping his holster.  
>"He's right, you know. I mean, deceiving a Wraith Queen - that's no small feat." Illyria said.<br>"Well, when there're so many lives at stake, it's easy to summon the strength." Marissa said.  
>Ronon sits down on the edge of his bunk. Julian comes in just as Ronon lies down.<br>"Zelenka's finally got communications back up. Turns out Atlantis had sent another Jumper. Should be here within the hour."  
>"That's good news!" Illyria said.<br>"Yeah, no kiddin'. I can't wait to see the sun." Ronon said, lying face down on his bunk.  
>"What? We haven't finished what we came here for. The Wraith is gone and we have got a ton of research to do."<br>Illyria picked up her jacket and stood up. "Yes, we do."  
>"In fact, I'm pretty sure we should be able to come up with a way to get auxiliary power online in a couple of days."<br>As she follows Juliann out of the room, Illyria throws a rueful smile back at Marissa, who grins.  
>"Is he serious?" Ronon asks.<br>"Yeah. He is." John said.

"So…"

"So…" Ronon mimics Marissa.

"So how do you like Commander Barrett?"

"He's okay." Ronon said, shrugging his shoulders.

"McKay, Ronon, and politeness all rolled into one." John said. Ronon growled and threw a sheathed knife at John. "Ow!"  
>Marissa giggled. "Well, I for one intend to spend the next little while resting." She bundles up her jacket and puts it at the head of the bunk to use as a pillow.<br>"Same here." Ronon said.  
>"Yeah," John said, rubbing where the knife hit him "Same here."<p>

He lies down on his bunk and settles down.

҉

**AN:/ VIEWER'S CHOICE! **

**Rules: Answer given questions in the form of a review. If you want, explain.**

**Question 1) Who's to be knocked up next? **[I know, I'm rubbish *smile*]

Marissa

Illyria (again)

Person of your choosing

**Question 2) Who be the baby-daddy?**

Ronon

Person of your choosing

Julian

John

**Question 3) Who to kill? ***Evil laughter*

**Question 4) Ask me a question.**


	47. Chapter 45

**AN:/ How's Commander Julian Barrett? Twins= 1 year 9 months and 3 weeks**

**Q&A Responses:**

**To **Shadows-of-Realm:

Q-Why's McKay gone? And when is he coming back?

A- He went a bit unstable after Carson's death so he took leave. He'll be back soon.

Ted94:

Q: What's going to happen next?

A: Keep reading and find out : )

**WARNING! MAY CRY NEAR THE END!**

**ATLANTIS. **

**GYM**

"Eyes straight ahead. Focus on me." Ronon Dex's voice sounds very stern and very purposeful. He glares at the other person sternly. "Never ever look away from your enemy. It shows weakness. Are you weak?" Commander Julian Barrett was wearing a red Legion tunic the stopped just above his knees. Both the men are holding a single bantos stick in front of them with both hands, ready for combat.  
>"No."<br>"Good. Then you're ready?"  
>"Yes."<br>He shifts his feet slightly to get into a better stance. Immediately Ronon screams ferociously and rapidly raises his stick over his head. Instinctively Rodney does the same, never taking his eyes off Ronon. Ronon immediately brings his stick around to the side and lightning fast hammers him hard across the stomach. Julian slightly doubles up.  
>"Barrett, what did I say? Don't take your eyes off me. You've gotta anticipate the next move." Julian straightened up, pain fleeted across his face. "You alright?"<br>"Continue."  
>"Alright, well, I'll try to ease up so I don't hurt you." He pats Julian's shoulder.<p>

"Thanks." Julian chuckled. "Out of practice, that's all."

Ronon shook his head. "Romans have an odd way of fighting."

Julian grinned. "True, but we won all our wars. One way or another."  
>The doors to the gym open and Queen Illyria Sheppard and Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard come in. Julian glances round at them, then looks quickly back at Ronon, raising his stick in front of him in preparation.<br>"How are the ninja lessons going, Jet Li?" John asked.  
>"What do you want?" Julian said, still watching Ronon.<br>"We lost contact with the Taranans."  
>Ronon was locking eyes with Julian as the two of them square up to each other. "You mean the volcano people?"<br>"Supervolcano people." John corrected.  
>"What happened to them?" Julian asked.<br>"Well, we don't know." Illyria said sarcastically.  
>"Seeing how we lost contact with them." John said, equally as sarcastic.<p>

"That's cute," Julian slightly waved his stick towards the couple.  
>"They usually check in from time to time from their new settlement." Illyria said. "We've been sending them food, medical supplies."<br>"It's the least we could do since getting the Orion blown up." John said.  
>"But we haven't heard from them for a few months. I tried to contact them by radio but no response."<br>"So send a M.A.L.P." Julian said, still concentrating on Ronon.  
>"We just did. Everything looks OK but the settlement's a couple of kilometers from the Gate, so we don't know anything yet." John said.<br>"We're check it out." Illyria said.  
>"We?" Julian lowers his stick and turns towards her. Ronon promptly brings his stick around and thumps him hard across the stomach again. As Julian doubles up, John winces sympathetically.<br>"Ooh!" Breathless, he points at his own eyes and then points at Ronon. "Eyes."  
>"Eyes. Yes." Ronon said.<br>"You may wanna change first." John suggested.  
>Julian straightens up painfully, nodding. He puts his hand on his stomach, turning slightly, then Ronon pats him on the shoulder and leaves the gym.<p>

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL.  
>TARANAN SETTLEMENT.<strong>

Team Sheppard, now joined by Illyria, have arrived through the Stargate and are looking across a wide valley to a collection of buildings some distance away.

"So, why are you joining us on this mission?" Julian asked Illyria.

"I just want to make sure this one is done right. These people are important trade partners."

"Politions…" John shook his head and smiled at his wife.

"So, if you're with us then who is incharge of Atlantis?" Julian asked.

"Doctor Weir has kindly agreed to fill in in my absence. That way she can get her reports done unhindered….mostly."

"They've got a lot done in the short time they've been here." Marissa said.  
>"They are hard-working people. Teyla has made several trips to assist them in getting settled." Illyria said.<br>John activates his headset radio. "This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard from Atlantis calling anyone in the Taranan settlement. Please respond." He waits a few seconds but there's no reply, and no sign of movement from the settlement.

"I thought I'd give it a shot. Alright, let's go." He puts his sunglasses on and the team heads off towards the settlement. Sometime later they reach the village and go inside one of the buildings, aiming their weapons cautiously. "Anybody home?"  
>"It looks like they abandoned the place." Julian said.<br>"Well, maybe they found somewhere better to live." Ronon said.  
>"But they left everything behind. Why would they do that?" Marissa asked.<br>John switches on a computer on one of the tables. "Let's get these work stations powered up. Maybe we can figure out where these people went."  
>Julian activates his life signs detector which begins to beep. "I got something. A single life sign."<br>"Where is it?" Marissa asked.  
>"It's below us." He adjusts the setting on the detector to show a vertical rather than horizontal perspective. "Quite a way below us."<br>"They built underground?" John asked.  
>"No. One of the previous civilizations that lived here was similar to the Genii, living below the surface to avoid detection by the Wraith. They left behind several underground passages but the Taranans didn't utilize them." Illyria said.<br>"Someone is." Julian said.  
>John turns to Illyria. "How do we get there?"<br>Illyria points and then leads the team away.

҉

**LATER. **

Ronon slides down a rope into the tunnels, the last of the team to do so. Julian is already checking his life signs detector.  
>"Julian?" John asked.<br>Julian points straight ahead. John leads the team in that direction. They progress down the tunnels - some of which are obscured by steam coming from pipes above their heads - checking all around them as they go. Ronon kicks down a metal grating to get a better view of a small room on the other side. There is something that could be dried blood on the walls. He checks the area out carefully but there's nothing else there and so he follows the others. They move on. Illyria pulls open a metal door and looks inside a dark room.  
>"Wait!" Illyria yelled.<br>Ronon pulls the door open wider to get a better look. "Woah!"  
>John goes inside to look at what's hanging from the ceiling. It's almost like skin in appearance, though it's a dark red color, with veins running through it.<br>"What is that?" Ronon asked.  
>"Looks like a cocoon of some sort." Marissa said.<br>"What's inside it?" Ronon asked.  
>John cautiously walks closer, shining the light from his rifle at the cocoon. It has been ripped open and there's nothing inside. "Well, whatever it is, it's not inside anymore."<br>Outside the door, Marissa and Ronon look down the tunnel anxiously. Julian checks the life signs detector again. It still shows one life sign not far away. He and John look at each other nervously.

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM. **

Doctor Elizabeth Wier walks over to the Canadian technician.  
>"Has Colonel Sheppard's team dialed in with a status report yet?"<br>"Not yet, but they haven't been gone that long."  
>"Go ahead and dial them."<br>The technician nods and begins to dial.

҉

**TARANAN TUNNELS. **

Weir's voice comes over the radio as the team progresses along the tunnels.  
><em>"How's it going there?"<em>  
>"I think I know why we lost contact with the Taranans." John said.<br>_"Why?"_  
>"They're gone."<br>_"What? All of them?"_  
>The team reaches a junction. Julian indicates to John to turn left.<br>"Looks like it. The entire settlement is deserted. Julian's picked up a life sign underneath the tunnel. We're tracking it, but we don't think it's human, though."  
><em>"Why not?"<em>  
>"We discovered a large cocoon in one of the rooms under the settlement and we think whatever hatched from it is what we're detecting." Illyria said.<br>_"Did you just say "cocoon"?"_  
>"Yeah, it's like a big slimy-"<br>"It's a pod." Julian interrupted John.  
>"Well, I was gonna say "egg", but who knows what the hell it is?"<br>_"I'm sending in back-up."_  
>"We can handle it, Doc." Ronon said.<br>_"I know you can handle it, Big Guy, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'll send in a team of marines to assist you."_  
>"Alright. If you feel the need." John rolled his eyes.<br>_"I feel the need. Weir out."_  
>The team continues on, turning yet another corner.<br>"It's a hell of a complex down here." John said.  
>"It's like a maze." Ronon nodded.<br>"We're closer." Julian said, looking at his detector.  
>"How far?" Marissa asked.<br>"Forty meters. It's stopped moving, so we're gaining ground on it."  
>"Alright, good." John swings around briefly to look at the others. "Look, if it makes any sudden moves..." he swings back around and continues walking forward "...I want you to make sure that..." He stops, frowning. "Where's Ronon?"<br>The four of them turn back around to see that Ronon is no longer with them. Marissa aims her rifle back down the tunnel.  
>"Ronon!" John yells.<br>Ronon has gone into a room off the tunnel. He coughs and covers his mouth and nose with his hand. "In here."  
>The others hurry back along the tunnel and go into the room that Ronon has found. They stare in shock at the sight that greets them. There are many dead people lying on the floor. They are piled up on top of each other as if they've been dumped there. Some of them have looks of horror on their faces as if they died in terror or agony.<br>"Oh meus Deus!" Julian choked in Latin, covering his nose and mouth.  
>Marissa gasps in horror. "Taranans!"<br>Illyria and John squat down to look at the bodies more closely. Each of them has a bloody injury in the same place.  
>"Wounds on their neck - all of them. Does this look familiar?" John asked.<br>"Yeah, disturbingly familiar." Illyria said.  
>"You don't think, uh..." He and Illyira stare at each other in shock for a moment, then John looks up as he realizes that Julian is missing this time. "Barrett? Oh, for God's sakes!"<br>"Julain!" Marissa called out, looking around wildly. She was standing right next to him!  
>"In here." Julian called from another room.<br>The team hurries into the next room to join him.  
>"You can't wander off like that. You gotta..."<br>John trails off as he sees what Julian has found this time. The room looks like a laboratory. In the middle of the room is a table with a large container on it. Suspended in a green liquid inside is a very familiar sight. John stares at it in dread.  
>"Oh, no."<br>"Iratus bug!" Marissa said.  
>"I<em> hate<em> those things." John growled.  
>"That explains why the wounds looked so familiar." Illyria said.<br>"What is it doing here? Iratus bugs are not indigenous to this planet." Julian said.  
>"Well, somebody brought it here." Ronon said.<br>"Let's hope it's the only bug they brought." Julain said.  
>"So, some kind of a Wraith experiment?" John asked.<br>"Well, I doubt the Taranans did this to themselves." Ronon said.  
>Julian checks his life signs detector. It shows the single life sign moving quickly towards the four dots that indicate him and his team. "Our little friend is on the move. It's headed right for us."<br>"How fast?" John asked.  
>"Very fast."<br>"It knows we're here." Ronon starts to head out of the room.  
>"Ronon, stun." John said.<br>Ronon turned back angrily. "Why?"  
>"Stun." John repeated, firmly.<br>Annoyed, Ronon tosses his blaster up into the air, catches it and adjusts the setting. The team goes to the doorway and peers cautiously through to the room with all the dead bodies in it. Julian's detector begins to beep faster. Suddenly John jumps as a man's voice comes through his earpiece.  
><em> "Colonel Sheppard, come in."<em> At the Gate, Lieutenant Negley and his team of marines begin to walk towards the settlement. _"Colonel Sheppard, this is Lieutenant Negley. Do you copy?"  
><em> "Yes, Lieutenant."  
><em>"Sir, my team has just come through the Gate and we're proceeding to the settlement in order-"<em>  
>"Great. Terrific. We'll meet you there. Right now I need radio silence. Sheppard out." John said quietly.<br>Julian looks at his detector and frowns. "It's stopped."  
>"Why?"<br>"How am I supposed to know?"  
>"Well, where is it?"<br>"I think it's out in the tunnel."  
>John and Ronon look at each other for a moment, then John leads the team through the room of bodies to the doorway before proceeding warily out into the tunnel.<br>"It's close." Julian whispered.  
>John and Ronon cautiously start to walk down the tunnel. Marissa looks at Julian, who jerks his head at her to follow them. Reluctantly, she does so and he follows her, placing Illyria in the middle. The team continues onwards.<br>Suddenly something roars and surges out of a side door, seizing Ronon and slamming him against the wall. John spins around and sees a large black creature - at least as tall as Ronon and standing on two legs - grappling with Ronon. The tunnel is too dark to see the creature properly but it has large pincers coming from its face. The other three open fire and the monster screams and recoils away from Ronon, turning towards John and swiping him to the ground. As it turns to run, Ronon draws his sword from its scabbard on his back and slashes at the beast. Screaming, it runs off down the corridor. John grabs his rifle off the floor and fires after it as Julian, Marissa, and Illyria also fire at it. Ronon grabs his blaster and sends a blast down the corridor. The monster continues running and disappears from view in the smoke coming from the ceiling. Illyria helps John climb to his feet as Marissa looks at Ronon in concern.  
>"Are you alright?"<br>"Yeah, I'm good."  
>"What the hell was that thing?" Julian said, reloading his mag.<br>Illyria looked down at the floor. "What is that?"  
>Ronon bends down and picks up what she is looking at. It's the beast's arm which he severed with his sword. "Ugh. It's a piece of an arm it looks like."<br>He holds it up. The arm has two long narrow claws and a shorter third claw.  
>"Let's hope that slows him down." John said.<br>"Well, maybe it'll bleed to death." Marissa smiled.  
>"Or just grow another arm." Ronon drops the arm to the floor. It lands with an unpleasant splat.<p>

҉

**PLANET'S SURFACE. **

As the team of marines heads for the settlement, the Gate begins to dial behind them. Negley turns, frowning, then yells out as the Gate activates and a familiar sound can be heard.  
>"Dart!"<br>The team opens fire on the Wraith Dart as it flies out of the Gate and heads towards them. It activates its transporter beam and sweeps them all up as it flies overhead.

҉

**TUNNELS. **

Team Sheppard proceeds down a tunnel as Julian checks his life signs detector.  
>"It's still moving away from us."<br>"Let's hope losing a chunk of his arm slows him down." John said.  
>"We need to finish it off to make sure." Ronon said.<br>"I couldn't agree with you more." Marissa said. "But how're we gonna do that? Our bullets had no effect on it."  
>"It appears to have a hardened shell on its back." Illyria said.<br>"Right, set that thing to kill again." John told Ronon while he activates his headset. "Lieutenant Negley, this is Sheppard. How far away from the settlement are you?"  
>There's no reply.<br>"Negley, this is Sheppard, come in?"  
>"You did say radio silence." Julian said.<br>"Negley? Respond!" Still no reply. "Great!"  
>Looking at his detector, Julian pats John's arm to get his attention and then points to the right. "It's through that doorway."<br>As Ronon adjusts his blaster to its kill setting, John walks to the door that Julian indicated. He takes up position, aiming his rifle, as Julian takes hold of the door handle. Marissa and Ronon stay further back and aim their weapons. Illyria nods to Julian that they're ready. Julian glances at John, then quickly pulls the door open. They make their way carefully inside, then stop and stare in horror at the sight of many cocoons hanging from the ceiling. These aren't empty.  
>"This is not good."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS. **

The technician walks into Illyria's office.  
>"Doctor weir? We just received a data transmission from the Taranan settlement. Lieutenant Negley checking in."<br>"How are they doing?"  
>"Well, they've contacted Colonel Sheppard's team. They're about ten kilometres further inland from the settlement. Negley and his team are on their way to meet up with them."<br>"Ten kilometres inland? What are they doing there?"  
>"Well, they found the Taranans." Weir sighs in relief. "Apparently they've abandoned their settlement for a better location inland."<br>"What about the cocoon and the life sign they were tracking?"  
>"There was no mention about it. It was a brief transmission - they were almost out of range."<br>"OK. Good. Keep me posted."

҉

**TARANAN TUNNELS. **

John and Ronon come out of the cocoon room and join Illyria, Marissa and Julian who have been keeping an eye on the tunnel.  
>"We've searched the whole room. That thing ain't in there. Just a bunch of unhatched eggs." John said.<br>"Is there another way out?" Marissa asked.  
>"No. It's the only door to the room." Ronon said.<br>"He must have found another way out, because it is still on the move." Julian said, lifting his detector.  
>John is staring up at the ceiling. "Alien." Julian glances up at the ceiling nervously. "The movie, "Alien." They used the air shafts when they over-ran the ship."<br>"And then they systematically killed the entire crew one by one." Julian nodded, getting a weird look from John. "Sam and I had a movie night. Don't tell McKay."  
>"What do we do now?" Illyria asked.<br>"Track this thing down and kill it." Ronon said.  
>"Agreed. But first things first." John said.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. **

John attaches a block of C4 to one of the cocoons and primes it. Illyria is looking at another cocoon. "The structure is very peculiar."  
>"Yeah? I believe the word is "disgusting."" John said as he attached another block of C4 somewhere in the room and it beeps as he primes it.<p>

Outside in the tunnel, Ronon draws his sword from its scabbard again and looks each way down the tunnel. Inside the room, Illyria has walked over to another cocoon and is looking at it. Suddenly a black insect-like arm bursts out of the cocoon and grabs for her and Julian.  
>"Go, go, go! Sheppard! They're hatching!" Julian yelled.<br>John, attaching another block of C4 nearby, said, "We're good. Let's go!"  
>In the tunnel, Ronon turns at the sound of roaring from the room behind him. Marissa grabs the handle of the door as the other three race out.<br>"Shut the door!" Julian yelled.

Marissa starts to shove the door closed but two clawed hands push through the gap and try to force it open. John moves to the gap and fires his rifle point blank at the beast. It screams and backs off and they shove the door closed, then the team races off around the corner. John takes out his detonator.  
>"Fire in the hole." John called. A massive explosion goes off, blowing the door off its hinges. "Everyone OK?"<br>"Yes." Illyria said and Marissa nodded.  
>"I'm good." Ronon said, brushing debris off his jacket.<br>"D'you think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?" Julian said.  
>Carefully, the team heads back to the open doorway. John walks inside, looking around at the burned cocoons.<br>"Barrett?" John asked.  
>Julian checks his detector. "I think we got 'em all."<br>"Well, that's good."  
>"Except for our armless friend - he's still on the move."<br>"Let's go get him."

҉

**LATER. **

The team is continuing its search. John activates his radio.  
>"Lieutenant Negley, this is Sheppard, do you read? ... Negley, respond. ... Dammit!"<br>"Perhaps they encountered the creature." Marissa said.  
>"And what? Killed all four of them?" Ronon asked.<br>"No way. No creature is gonna take out four marines." John said. "Hell, I can't even take down Marissa."  
>"It almost killed <em>all<em> of us." Julian said.  
>"But it didn't." Illyira countered.<br>"We need to find 'em." John said.  
>"If they were alive, we would see them on the life signs detector." Illyria said.<br>"Not if they didn't make it to the settlement. This thing only has a range of a hundred metres." Julian said.  
>"Where's the creature now?" John asked.<br>Julian looks at the detector, then looks bewildered. "Wait a minute." He turns to face the way they have just come. "It's back that way."  
>"Behind us?"<br>"You just said it was that way." Ronon nods in the direction they were going.  
>"It was, but it must have ... it must have doubled back." Julian said.<br>John gazes up at the ceiling. "Damned air shafts."  
>"Well, obviously it knows its way around this place better than we do. Perhaps we should consider returning to the Gate." Marissa said.<br>"What, you mean give up?" Ronon asked.  
>"No, not give up. We can find out what happened to the marines and request additional back-up so that we may do a proper search of the settlement."<br>Ronon turns and looks at John pointedly. "Sounds like giving up to me."  
>"Marissa's right. We're better off doing a full-scale sweep of this area." Illyria said.<br>"Including the air shafts." Julian added.  
>John turned to Illyria. "Alright. How do we get out of here?"<br>"This way."

Illyria leads them away. John and Julian behind her, Ronon and Marissa behind them.

҉

**LATER. **

The team has returned to the surface and is walking back towards the Stargate.  
>"On all the worlds I've been to, I have never encountered anything like it." Illyria said.<br>"Did anybody get a good look at that thing?" John asked.  
>"Aside from its severed appendage, no. That thing moved incredibly fast." Marissa said.<br>"In some ways, it looked almost like a human." Ronon said.  
>"Clad in a grotesquely proportioned exoskeleton - very human." Julian said.<br>"I meant it looked like it had two arms and two legs."  
>"It looked like a giant bug to me. I hate those things." John said, shivering a bit.<br>"If it was indeed a Wraith experiment, perhaps it was created by combining the genetic elements of the iratus bug with the Taranans." Illyria said.  
>"Which is exactly how the Wraith evolved. Iratus bug bites human, human D.N.A. mixes with theirs, a thousand years go by and what are you left with? Wraith." Julian said.<br>"So, what? They're tryin' to create more Wraith?" Ronon asked.  
>"That doesn't make any more sense." Marissa said.<p>

"If they wanted to create more Wraith, wouldn't it be easier to get a male and female to, you know, get a room?" John asked.  
>"It doesn't work that way with the Wraith." Illyria smiled.<br>"It's probably less likely that they were trying to create another Wraith than they were actually trying to create some kind of a hybrid creature - probably to be used as a weapon." Julian said.  
>"Super-Wraith? That's all we need!" John said. They reach the M.A.L.P. which is near the D.H.D. "Well, that's the whole distance from the settlement. I don't see any sign of the marines yet."<br>"Maybe they went back to Atlantis." Julian said.  
>"No, they would have radioed us." Marissa said.<br>"They must have encountered the creature. There's no other explanation for why they are not responding to us." Illyria said.  
>"If that thing took them all out, then that is one nasty bug ... person." Julian said.<br>"Dial us out." John ordered.  
>"Right." Marissa said.<br>She presses the first button on the D.H.D. but instead of its usual "clunk" it just makes a dull "thunk" sound and the symbol doesn't light up. Marissa lifts her hand and presses the button again. It makes the same sound.  
>"No." Julian sighed.<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no." Julian kneeled down, took off the cover of the control panel underneath the D.H.D and looked inside.<br>"Julian?" John asked.  
>Julian looks up at the others, his eyes wide. "Control crystal's missing."<br>"Missing?" Illyria asked.  
>"We can't dial out?" Ronon asks.<br>"Well, fix it." John said.  
>Julian straightens up. "It is not a matter of fixing. The crystal is just gone. Someone has removed it to prevent anyone else from dialling out."<p>

҉

**TUNNELS. **

A figure wearing a black floor-length coat walks along a tunnel. It pauses for a moment as it sees the twisted and mangled door that blew off the cocoon room. It hesitates, then walks into the room. The camera pans up to show the face of this person. It's Michael. He stares around at the destruction, breathing rapidly and furiously.

҉

**STARGATE.**  
>"Stay here?" Ronon asked.<br>"Hey, Elizabeth will wonder why we haven't checked in - she'll dial up to get our status; we can request back-up, also a Puddle Jumper to come and get us." Marissa said.  
>"We don't know how long that'll be. That could be hours." John said.<br>"We'll be safe here. The life signs detector will alert us if the creature is nearby." Illyria said.  
>"She's right: we can set up a - what do you call it - a perimeter, wait it out." Julian said.<br>"We're not leaving without those marines." Marissa said.

"Let's go back to the settlement." John said. He starts to head back in the direction they just came from. Unhappily, Julain starts to follow as Ronon grins at him smugly.

҉

**TUNNELS. **

The team is back in the tunnels and walking along when Illyria slows down and then stops, her gaze distant. Marissa touches her arm in concern as John turns to her.  
>"What?" John asked.<br>"I am sensing something."  
>"Wraith?" Marissa asked.<br>"I cannot be certain."  
>"Julain?" John asked.<br>Julian looks at his life signs detector. It shows a dot not far from their four dots. "No, I've still just got the one reading. Still on the move, heading..." He stares at the detector in surprise. "I'm picking up another life sign." He holds the detector towards John. It now shows another dot further away. "It's popped up out of nowhere."  
>"How is that possible?" Ronon asked.<br>"Maybe one of those eggs hatched." John said.  
>"Maybe. That, or part of the settlement is shielded." Julian said.<br>"Maybe it's one of the marines." Marissa suggested.  
>"Well, if it is one of those marines, that something Illyria's sensing is heading right toward him." John said.<br>The team gets moving again. They head down some stairs as the beeping on the detector quickens.  
>"They're close." Julian said.<br>The team continues on, John and Ronon in the lead. Marissa notices a large opening high up on the wall and aims her rifle towards it as she passes. Illyria follows suit as she passes the opening. They move on. Illyria notices a door partially open and goes inside, shining her rifle's light around. As she gets inside the room, the door slams shut loudly behind her.  
>In the tunnel, the men (and Marissa) stop at the sound.<br>"What was that?" Ronon asked.  
>Julian and Marissa turn around.<br>"Illyria." Marissa said.  
>"Illyria!" John called out.<br>They run back to the door. As John starts to tug on the door's handle, steam begins to blast down on them from a vent above the door. They duck out of the way as the steam fills the tunnel. Suddenly the Super-Wraith appears in their midst, roaring.  
>Inside the room, Illyria slams her hand repeatedly against the door. "Ronon!"<br>Outside, Ronon tries to aim his blaster at the creature but can't get a clear shot through all the steam and daren't fire randomly for fear of hitting the others. Inside the room, Illyria continues beating on the door, frantic with worry as the sound of the beast roaring continues.  
>"John!"<br>She stops beating the door as she senses something behind her. She turns around and finds herself face to face with Michael.  
>Out in the tunnel, the men and Marissa are trying to avoid the Super-Wraith. Marissa opens fire with his rifle as it approaches him. It screams. Ronon finally gets a clear shot and fires his blaster at it repeatedly point-blank. After several blasts, it drops to the floor. At the same time the steam stops venting and the tunnel begins to clear. Gasping with fear and exertion, Julain straightens up as he and Ronon aims his blaster down at the beast. Once they're sure it's definitely staying down, John takes out his knife and sticks it in between the door and the wall. As Ronon aims his blaster in readiness, John pries the door open. They go inside but although there's no other exit, there is no sign of Illyria.<br>"Where'd she go?" Julian asked. He lowers his rifle and looks at the life signs detector. "I'm reading two life signs moving away from us, but one floor up. That, or more air shafts."  
>"Let's go." John ordered. He and Ronon head off. Marissa pulls Julian after them, still looking at his detector.<br>"Wait! They disappeared."  
>'What?" John asked.<br>"The life signs - they just vanished. I was right. Part of this settlement must be shielded."  
>John, Marissa, and Ronon start to run down the corridor.<br>"Wait! We won't be able to track 'em." Julian called out, hurrying after them.

҉

**LAB. **

Illyria regains consciousness as a light is switched on in the room. She is lying on a table or narrow metal bed. She tries to sit up but finds that her hands and ankles are bound to the sides of the table. Illyria looks around the room, bewildered.  
>"What?"<br>Michael walks over to her. "This will proceed much more quickly if you don't resist."  
>"Michael."<br>"Hello, Illyria."

҉

**TUNNELS. **

The team is still hurrying along.  
>"You need to aim for the stomach area." Julian told Ronon. "It seems to be more vulnerable - it's the soft under-belly. You were able to kill it when you hit it there before."<p>

"Thanks." He said a little sarcastically, as he has probably already figured it out for himself.  
>They catch up with John and Marissa who have reached a junction.<br>"Which way?" Marissa asked.  
>"I don't know." Julian glances at his detector. "It's not showing me anything. It's useless."<br>John grunts angrily.  
>Ronon picked a direction at random. "This way."<br>The other three follow him.

҉

**LAB.**  
>"You are the one who's done all this?" Illyria asked.<br>"All this"?" Michael quoted.  
>"This ... experiment. You murdered those people. You allowed those bugs to feed on them."<br>"A necessary step in the process."  
>"To create these creatures? Why are you doing this?"<br>"Do you not recall our last encounter? How you left me to die on that desolate planet? The hive that finally rescued me - they could tell something was different. They sensed the human in me. To them, I was unclean. I barely escaped that hive with my life." He walks over to a table on which are all sorts of nasty-looking surgical implements. "So now I find myself hunted by both humans and Wraith." Having picked up one of the implements, he turns back towards Illyria. "So you can understand my need to protect myself - to survive." He turns back to the table and starts sorting through the implements.  
>"It did not have to be like this. You could have lived with us."<br>"As a human? My consciousness erased by your retrovirus?" He turns back to her. "No. I will live the rest of my life as I choose. But I can't do it alone. So, having taken my cue from the experiment your people performed on me, I figured out how to reverse the process - to create a being even more formidable than a Wraith. It began with the feeding."

҉

**FLASHBACK. **

In the lab, a Taranan male is strapped to the bed. He screams as an iratus bug latches onto his throat and feeds. Michael stands nearby, watching impassively.  
><em>"I allowed the bug to gorge itself, to absorb as much human D.N.A. as possible. This, of course, led to the death of the subject."<em>  
>Michael carries the man's body into the room next to the lab and dumps it onto several other bodies already there, then returns to the lab.<br>_"The timing of the feeding was critical - ensuring that the bug laid its next egg quickly, before the genetic material could filter out of its body."_  
>Several large white soft eggs are on the table. Michael puts a syringe into a vial and siphons up some liquid. Tapping the syringe and then squirting some liquid out to remove any air, he injects the rest of the liquid into one of the eggs.<br>_"The embryo then contained enough human D.N.A. for me to manipulate."_ Sometime later, he goes into the cocoon room and inspects the cocoons. "I accelerated the development, augmenting the complexity of its physiology. There were several adjustments, several mistakes..." He looks in satisfaction as he sees that one of the cocoons is beginning to hatch. "...until I finally found the perfect balance between strength, agility and resilience."  
>The flashback ends.<br>"A perfect animal to do my bidding."  
>He gazes towards the door to the lab, from where a growling can be heard. Illyria turns her head slowly and sees the Super-Wraith standing in the dark doorway. It is silhouetted against a limited amount of light coming from behind it, so it's still hard to tell its complete shape, but it's enough to give you nightmare.<p>

҉

**TUNNELS. **

The team comes to the end of a corridor. There's a door in the end wall. John tries the handle but can't open it.  
>"Must be some kind of security lockdown. Whoever took Illyria no doubt triggered it." Julian said.<br>"Figure how to open this up." John growled.  
>"Stand back." Ronon said.<br>Without waiting, he fires at it. John and Marissa recoil from the blast.  
>"Jeez! You mind giving us a little more heads-up before you start blasting everything?" Marissa punched Ronon in the arm.<br>Ronon walks closer to the door, realizing that his blaster isn't going to open it, then looks at John. "You got any more C4?"

҉

**LAB. **

Illyria struggles to get free of her bonds as the Super-Wraith continues to growl from the doorway.  
>"I saw how you and your team destroyed the incubation room, but don't think that's the only one in this complex - and don't think that this is the only planet from which I'm conducting this experiment." Michael said as Illyria stares at him in horror. "That's right. Soon hundreds of these creatures will be at my disposal, and their numbers will continue to grow so long as I have human subjects in supply. And now that you're here, I do."<p>

҉

**TUNNEL. **

Ronon and Marissa have retreated around the corner from the door. John and Julian trot 'round to join them.  
>"Alright, that's the last of the C4. Let's hope it's enough." John raises the detonator. "Ready?" He presses the button. Nothing happens.<br>"What happened?" Julain asked.

John frowns and looks around the corner. The C4 promptly blows. He ducks back around the corner, cursing, as Marissa cringes from the noise. John looks back around the corner again.  
>"Alright, let's go."<br>They run to the door, which has been mostly demolished by the blast, and make their way through. Julian takes out his life signs detector, which beeps rapidly several times. "Woah! Serious energy spike."  
>"What does that mean?" Ronon asked.<br>"We probably just entered the shielded section of the settlement." Julian said.  
>They continue on, oblivious to a red light flashing on the ceiling nearby.<p>

҉

**LAB. **

A similar red light flashes above Michael's head. He turns to Illyria.  
>"Your friends are coming for you." He looks at the Super-Wraith and jerks his head. Growling, it turns and leaves. He walks over to Illyria. "They'll meet the same fate as you, one by one."<br>"Others will come for us. Doctor Weir will send-"  
>Michael interrupted. "Don't concern yourself with Doctor Weir. She thinks your team has met up with the Taranan people and all is well. One of the marines she sent to help you was ... kind enough to assist me in transmitting a message back to Atlantis."<br>Illyria closes her eyes briefly and sighs. "Michael, please don't do this."  
>"After what you did to me - twice - how could you expect anything less?"<br>"What happened back on the planet-"  
>"No more excuses." He fetches a large box and puts it on the foot of the bed. "Your experiment failed. You decided to kill us."<br>"We believed we were left with no choice."  
>"And now I am in the same position." He opens the side of the box. "You drove me to this."<br>An iratus bug crawls out of the box and starts to make its way up Illyria's body. Illyria stares at it in dread.

҉

**TUNNELS. **

The team walks down some stairs, Marissa staring in horror at what's at the bottom.

"Oh my God."  
>One of the marines is lying on the floor, dead, with a bloody wound in his throat. John and Rodney bend down to him.<br>"Where are the others?" Ronon asked. He heads off down the tunnel. Further down, two more of the marines are lying on the floor with similar wounds on their throats. "Sheppard. Over here."  
>John runs over as Ronon checks one of them for a pulse. John bends down to the other one and pulls his dog tags from around his neck. A chittering sound can be heard in the walls. It's very reminiscent of the sound made by the iratus bugs.<br>"You hear that?" Julian asked.  
>Marissa aims her rifle towards the ceiling, her face full of disgust. "Oh, it sounds like bugs!"<br>"C'mon." John said, standing up.  
>He continues down the corridor, Ronon and Julian following. Marissa pauses to take the dog tags from the other marine, then reaches down and closes the man's eyes before following the other three. Julian consults his life signs detector again as it beeps.<br>"Put that thing away. I thought you said it didn't work in this area anyway." John said.  
>"It is - I thought I could recalibrate it to take into effect-"<br>The Super-Wraith leaps out of the darkness and grabs him, slamming him up against the wall. As Julian tries to hold it off him, John spins around and opens fire, Ronon's blaster jamming.  
>In the lab, Michael lifts his head at the sound of the beast screaming some distance away.<br>As John continues to fire, Marissa arrives, taking Ronon's gun, smacks it, and fires a blast at it. It recoils away from Julian and Marissa homes in on it, firing again at its stomach.  
>In the lab, Michael continues to listen as the creature screams again. He puts down what he was holding and leaves the room.<br>In the tunnel, John and Ronon stand over the creature.  
>"It's dead." John said.<br>Julian sighs in relief, trying to catch his breath, as Marissa rubs his back.  
>In the lab, Ilyria stares down at the iratus bug as it slowly makes its way up her body. As it climbs up onto her chest, she turns her head and yells towards the door.<br>"John!"  
>The bug reaches her neck.<br>"John!"  
>The bug recoils slightly from the sound, then hisses and crawls forward, lifting its pincers ready to strike. Just then, a blast from Ronon's weapon hits it and blows it to bits. Illyira gasps with relief as John runs past Ronon into the room.<br>"Nice shot!" He cupped his wife's face in his hands. "You OK?"  
>She nodded and he starts to undo her tethers. "Yes. It's Michael. He's the one doing this."<br>"Michael? Our Michael?"  
>"He's alive?" Ronon asked.<p>

Julian looks around at the team confused. Marissa looked over at him and said, "I'll explain later."  
>"Yes. He created the creatures and he is attempting to build an army of them." Illyria said.<br>"Where is he?" Ronon asked.  
>"I don't know. He ran off as soon as he heard the gunfire."<br>"Alright. We need to come up with the best plan here." John said.  
>"The best plan is to kill him." Ronon heads for the door.<br>"Hey, just hang on a second." John said.  
>"Maybe I should check out these work stations. There might be some intel." Julian suggested.<br>"We don't have any time." Marissa said, undoing the rest of the straps binding Illyria.  
>"Such as how many of these creatures he created and if they have any weaknesses that we might be able to exploit." Julian's voice grew louder.<br>"Alright. Illyria, you stay with Julian. Ronon, Marissa and I are going after Michael. We'll stay in touch on the radio."  
>"You can't. Shielded, remember? The energy spike - it fouls the radio communications as well." Julian said.<br>"Well, then, unshield it." John said and turned to the other two. "Let's go."  
>They race out of the room. Julian, who has a large scratch on his face from his run-in with the Super-Wraith, wipes the trickling blood off as he turns back to the work stations.<p>

҉

**TUNNELS **

John, Marissa, and Ronon run along the tunnel and come to a T-junction.  
>"You go that way, Marissa and I'll go the other."<br>Ronon turns and starts to head off to the left when Marissa turns back to him. "Wait! Set your gun to stun."  
>"What?"<br>"Yeah." John nodded. "We're gonna need to question him."  
>"No. No more talking, no more questioning. I'm gonna do what we should have done the first time we captured him." Ronon growled.<br>"Ronon, listen to him." Marissa said.  
>"No, you listen to me, both of you. This whole retrovirus thing was a mistake. I said it then - no-one listened to me. It was a bad idea." Ronon yelled.<br>"We had to try. If it worked, we wouldn't-"  
>Ronon interrupted John. "But it didn't work. Admit it. It just made things worse. How long do you wanna keep paying for it?"<p>

҉

**LAB **

As Illyria keeps watch at the door, Julian is looking through Michael's research. She was finished filling him on the Michael situation and he had questions.  
>"It is amazing how much work he's been able to get done in such a short amount of time. He's quite the industrious little...Wraith...or...whatever. What does he looks like now? I mean, is he - is he full-on Wraith again?"<br>"Not quite. There are still human characteristics present in him. No doubt it's why I was confused when I first saw him."  
>"You'd think that the human side of him would temper his aggression a bit."<br>"Yes - because you humans aren't aggressive at all."  
>Julian looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "My Queen, Roman first, human second." Illyria laughed and shook her head. Julian got back to work. "Nice sarcasm by the way."<br>"What Michael is doing right now must be stopped. He cannot be allowed to escape. He's far too dangerous." Illyria said.  
>"How do they say it…You're preaching to the choir?"<br>Illyria nodded and spoke softly. "But I understand his anger. His life has been destroyed. He no longer has a home or a family."  
>"He had a family?"<br>"I don't know, but I've often wondered what he left behind when he was captured by us. We know nothing of his past other than that he was a Wraith."  
>Julian has linked his computer table to another console and has called up some more data. "A very smart Wraith."<br>"Perhaps he was a scientist."  
>"Sure. Why not? One of their very best, I'd wager." Julian said a little distracted.<br>"Like you."  
>Julian lifts his head briefly, not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not. "Thanks?" He spots something on the screen. "Wait a minute."<br>"What is it?"  
>"I think I've just figured out how to disable the E.M. interference that is causing the shielding." He types on the screen, then activates his headset radio. "Sheppard, the shield is disabled. You should be hearing me."<br>_"So I see."_  
>"Any luck finding Michael?"<br>_"No sign of him yet. Is that life signs detector working yet?"_  
>"Ooh, of course." Julian stammered, having completely forgotten about it.<br>He pats his pockets until he finds the one that has the detector in it, takes it out and looks at it. It shows two dots in the center of the screen, depicting himself and Illyria, three single dots some distance away to the south west and north east of his location ... and a massive clump of dots to the north.  
>"I am reading a ton of life signs near you!" Julian said.<br>_"Well, define 'ton' ... and define 'near.'"_  
>"Uh, a few dozen. I mean, they are all bunched together."<br>"Prisoners in a holding cell, maybe?" Illyria said hopefully.  
><em>"Or worse."<em> John said.  
>Out in the tunnels to the north, Michael walks to a door and opens it. His Super-Wraiths growl and begin to leave the room.<br>Julian was looking at his detector. "Whatever they are, someone just released them and they're headed your way."  
><em>"Oh, crap!"<em>  
>John's eyes widen as he hears the creatures growling in the distance. John turns and he and Marissa aim their rifles back the way they came, uncertain which direction they're coming from.<p>

҉

**TUNNELS **

Ronon progresses onwards, aiming his blaster cautiously. As he swings around a corner, a Super-Wraith is waiting for him. It grabs him, roaring, and slams him against the wall, its facial pincers reaching for him. He pulls a knife out and stabs it. As it screams and recoils a little, he aims his blaster straight into its mouth and fires. Blood and gore spatters against the opposite wall as the creature drops to the floor. Ronon looks back around the corner and sees another creature running down the corridor towards him, growling. He draws his sword and goes out to meet it.

҉

**LAB**

Julian is looking at his life signs detector, directing John and Marissa over the radio.  
><em>"Keep going, straight up the tunnel. Ronon should be coming around the corner towards you...now."<br>_ Someone does indeed come around the corner at that moment, but it's not Ronon. It's Michael, aiming a Wraith stunner at John and another at Marissa. They snatch out their pistol and aim them at him.  
>"It's not Ronon." Marissa said.<br>_"It's one of the bugs?"_  
>"Michael." John said, smiling humorlessly.<br>"Colonel Sheppard." He glances at Marissa. "Captain Frio."  
>"No offence, but I was kinda hoping never to see you again." John said.<br>"I had hoped just the opposite." Michael said.  
>"Well, then, you've seen me. Now, say your goodbyes. But first, give me the control crystals to the D.H.D."<br>"I don't think so."  
>"Or we can just kill you. Two against one."<br>"Unless I stun you both first." He glances up as movement can be heard in the air shafts above his head. John also glances up nervously, but Marissa keeps her eyes steady.  
>"As much as I'd like to sit around chatting..." Marissa trailed on.<br>"Extraordinary, aren't they?" Michael sighed.  
>"Your army of bug people?" John asked.<br>"I thought you'd be impressed." Michael said, sounding hurt.  
>"Not so much."<br>"After all, I'm merely continuing the experiment your people began."  
>"What then? Take over the entire galaxy?"<p>

"That's a little too Doctor Evil if you ask me." Marissa said.  
><em>"Sheppard, the creatures are closing in on you fast. You'd better get moving<em>." Julian reported over the radio.  
>"You and Illyria go to the Gate. We'll meet you there."<br>_"Alright."_  
>John continues to stare at Michael as the noises in the air shafts get louder. "Give me the control crystal."<br>"I can't do that, Colonel."  
>"Just so we're clear, we have no problem killing you."<br>Michael stares at him a moment longer, then slowly lowers his stunner and deliberately walks closer to John's pistol, never breaking eye contact. Marissa raises her gun and noisily cocks it.  
>"And I have no problem with dying, because even if you kill me right now, I'll die knowing that you and your team did not get off this planet alive." He smiles at John. "Although your wife…it saddens me to think I won't be seeing her again."<br>Behind Marissa, a Super-Wraith rises up as if out of nowhere, grabs her and throws her down the corridor. AS John fires at it, it races after her and jumps on top of her. As it struggles with her, Ronon comes charging down the corridor. Michael turns and runs off. Marissa fires his pistol into the creature at close range and it screams as it is blown off her.

Marissa jumps up and she, John and Ronon chase after Michael. Another couple of Super-Wraiths run down the corridor towards them. Ronon guns both of them down, then they run through the door that Michael just went through.  
>Elsewhere, Illyria and have reached the rope system that they used to descend into the tunnels.<br>"Go!" Julian yelled. Illyria runs over to the ropes. A Super-Wraith growls not far away. Julian runs back a little to look out for it, glancing back at Illyria. "Hurry! They are coming!"  
>Grimacing, Illyria starts to climb as Julian sends a hail of bullets back down the corridor.<br>Nearby, John, Marissa, and Ronon race down a corridor and are confronted by another Super-Wraith. They gun it down, and then turn to see another one, which they also shoot down. Ronon quickly turns back the other way but for the moment the coast is clear in both directions.  
>"This is messed up." John said. He looks to his left and spots something "This must be where they got up."<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>"Air shafts. It's about time we used 'em."<br>John heads to the ladder and begins to climb. Ronon keeps watch on the corridor as Marissa makes her way up, and then follows her. Shortly afterwards, John pushes open the cover to the shaft and climbs out into the night. He aims his rifle back down into the shaft as Marissa and Ronon climb out, and then jump down to the ground. Ronon goes to follow them, then turns back as Super-Wraiths growl down in the shaft. He fires three blasts back down, then jumps down. John is staring at the sight of a Wraith Dart parked not far away.  
>"Michael's." Marissa said.<br>"No doubt." John said.  
>"Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Ronon asked.<br>"I fly it; pick you, Julian and Illyria up; we use the Dart's D.H.D. to dial the Gate."  
>"I was thinking, "Blow it up," but your idea's better. Get movin'."<br>As John runs toward the Dart, Ronon jumps back up onto the top of the air shaft just as a Super-Wraith's claw reaches up to seize the lip of the shaft. He fires down at it and it screams and drops. Ronon and Marissa continue firing as more creatures try to climb up, then turns at the sound of roaring in the forest nearby. Ronon jumps down from the shaft and aims his blaster out into the darkness. He turns in circles as Super-Wraiths move towards him from all directions. There are way too many for them to fend off.  
>"Sheppard!" Ronon and Marissa yelled simultaneously.<br>The Dart can be heard powering up. It lifts off the ground and soars into the sky. Ronon guns down the nearest creatures, wielding his sword with his other hand. Before the dart swooped over them, a creature broke through and attacked Marissa from behind, plunging his fist through her chest.

"No!" Ronon yelled. He charged forward, hacking and slashing his way to Marissa. The creature withdrew his hand from her and fled. Ronon got to Marissa in time to catch her fall. He pressed his hand firmly on the gaping hole to try, and fail, to stop the profuse bleeding.

"Ronon, what's going on?" John yelled through the radio, watching what happened window.

"Get us outa here!" Ronon yelled, panic, concern, and fear seeping through his voice. He pushed hair from her pale, blood splattered face; her soft blue eyes fluttering and blood pouring from her mouth. Her pulse was fading, her eyes sliding shut, cold, unfeeling death upon her. It was time, and there was nothing that he could do to help her.  
>"It h-hurts- Ronon," Marissa whispered, tears welling in her eyes, and rolling down her cheeks in rivers. Ronon's own gaze was dry, but his dark eyes wer empty and drawn, reflecting his inner sadness.<p>

"I know, 'Rissa, I know," the warrior said softly, holding his friend's hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb gently.

"Ro-Ronon-" Marissa gasped.

"'Rissa save your strength." Ronon growled.

"I have to – to tell you…" Her eyes flutter but she slightly shook her head, her voice grew weaker. "I wanted to tell you for a- a long time-"

"And you'll tell me when we get back. When you're fixed and in the infirmary." His voice trembled.

"I won't m-make it and you know it." Marissa coughed on her own blood, some of it splattering on Ronon's face. "Sorry…I wanted to tell you that…that I-"

But before she could finish her sentence the dart flew over and whisked them away with the transporter beam.  
>Elsewhere, Julian and Illyria are running for the Gate. Julian's life signs detector beeps.<br>"Wait!"  
>"What is it?"<br>"Life signs up ahead."  
>"John, Ronon, and Marissa?"<br>"Doesn't sound like it." Julian said as Super-Wraiths roar nearby. They both raise their rifles. The detector begins to beep faster. Julian looks at it again. "Life signs behind us, too. It's closing in fast!"  
>The two of them stand back to back as the detector shows scores of dots approaching them from all directions.<br>"We're surrounded." Illyria said.  
>The two of them circle around nervously, keeping their backs to each other as the growling gets closer. Suddenly a Wraith stunner beam lashes out and hits Illyria, who cries out and collapses. Julian turns in the direction the beam came from, trying to see who's firing at them. He too is struck and falls to the ground. Michael walks out of the darkness towards them. As he reaches them, he looks up at the sound of a Dart approaching. The Dart swoops overhead and its transporter beam scoops up Illyria and Julian before screaming away.<p>

Michael is left alone, frustrated and angry.

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM**

The Gate dials in. The technician checks his console. "Incoming wormhole. Colonel Sheppard's I.D.C."  
>"Lower the shield." Weir ordered. As the technician does so, Elizabeth heads down the stairs into the Gateroom. She hesitates when she sees a bloodied, somber Team Sheppard walk through the gate; John and Ronon were carrying a hand-made stretcher that carried a person covered an olive green sheet. Illyria and Julian walked on either side, carrying extra gear.<br>"Are you alright? Where are the marines?"  
>"Didn't make it..." Illyria's voice trembled.<p>

"And Captain Frio. Where is she?"

John and Ronon set the stretcher down. John went to stand by his wife, but Ronon never moved.

"She…She-" Illyria could hardly speak through the sobs. John pulled her into an embrace.

"Damn bugs got to her just before we took off. had to commandeer a Wraith Dart just to dial out. We ditched it on another planet to help Marissa. We tried to do the best we could to save her but-"

"She didn't make it." Ronon interrupted John.

"What?" Weir gasped, looking at the olive sheet. She could faintly see blood pooling through the sheet.  
>A team of medics came into the gate room and tried to take Marissa's body away, but Ronon pulled out his gun and sword, snarling at anyone who came near her. "Don't you DARE touch her!"<p>

"Ronon!" John yelled. Ronon stood his ground, swing both weapons.

"They aren't taking her!"

"Ronon…" Illyria sniffled and she stepped away from John. She waved off John's protests as she walked towards Ronon. She placed her hand on his arm and looked into his eyes, willing him to look at her. When he did, she said, "Let them take her. Go with her; make sure she gets cleaned up. She'd kill us all if her family saw her like that."

Ronon stared at her, testing her, but finally lowered his weapons and nodded. As he turned and left with the medics, Illyria saw tears stream down his face.

"What happened to the Taranans?" Weir softly asked after they left.  
>"They're dead - all of them." Julian said.<br>"Wait a minute." Weir shook her head. "Lieutenant Negley sent a message saying they'd just relocated to a new settlement."  
>Illyria shook her head. "No. It was Michael. He sent the transmission. He's the one that killed the Taranans."<br>"Michael?"  
>"We'll tell you about it in a minute, but first," John sighed, "is the Daedalus here yet?"<br>"It's still a few days out. Why?"  
>"We're gonna need it to make another stop on the way."<br>"OK."  
>John and Weir head for the Control Room while Julian went to his lab and Illyria went to her apartment to spend some much needed time with them.<p>

҉

**SOME TIME LATER **

Elizabeth walks out of the Gateroom, lost in unhappy thought. Illyria meets her and notices her expression.  
>"Elizabeth?"<br>"I just came from McKay – I mean Julian's lab. He's been examining the research he was able to upload from Michael's experiment."  
>"Has he been able to determine just how many more of those creatures Michael was able to create?"<br>"Well, not an exact figure, no, but Julian believes it's well into the hundreds." Illyria's eyes widen. "Yeah. And it appears Michael has similar labs on at least three different planets."  
>Illyria shakes her head in shock. "It is amazing how quickly he has been able to incorporate our science into his." Elizabeth nods, looking down miserably. "What is it?"<br>"Michael found out about the Taranan settlement through information the Wraith hacked from our database during our brief alliance with them last year. We led Michael straight to them."

҉

**DAYS LATER**

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

It's been days since Weir left for Earth, Marissa's body trailing after her with all the reports the S.G.C would need. The funeral was scheduled for the following week, pending her families' wishes. As Illyria sits at her desk, a bottle of wine in her hand, John walks in.  
>"Colonel Caldwell just radioed. They did a full sweep of the planet. No life signs. They searched the settlement: no Michael, no creatures."<br>"He already dialed out." Illyria said softly, staring down at the bottle.  
>"Yeah." John said, lifting his eyebrow at her. "We got the control crystal back in the D.H.D. Julian's trying to figure out the last address dialed but you know how long that takes."<br>"I'm sure Michael immediately dialed elsewhere to cover his tracks."  
>"You can count on that."<br>Illyria twirled the bottle in her hand, looking it over. "We need to find him. He's already too dangerous."  
>"And I'm sure we're number one on his hit list."<p>

Illyria nodded. She tried to open the bottle, but it wouldn't budge with her trembling hands. She screamed and threw the bottle at the wall. Shattered glass flew in all directions as the liquid poured down the wall.

"Woah!" John yelled, jumping off the table. He looked at his wife, shocked at what she had just done. "Illyria, what the hell-"

"I can't do it anymore, John! I can't! I just – I just can't!" Illyria tried to stifle her sobs with her hand. "Not anymore; not after Carson." She whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, "It's just too hard…"

"Illyria…" John whispered, kneeling down beside her. He tried to take her hand, but she pulled away from him. Despite her pulling away, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes for a moment, as he held her gently. He smoothed back her hair gently. "I know. Believe me, honey, I know."

"How are we supposed to get past this? Ronon hasn't come out of her room since; Julian's thrown himself into his work; Lorne's drinking…."

"We'll get through this like we did with Carson."

"Slowly and painfully?"

John chuckled without humor. "Yeah, slowly and painfully."


	48. Chapter 46

**AN:/ Anyone PISSED about last chapter? R&R Kids= 1 year 11 month**

** What do you think could be done differently? Should someone be added to fill Marissa's spot? If so, Male or Female? Should Julian be kept on the team permanently? **

**ATLANTIS. **

It has been over a month since the tragic death and burial of Captain Mariss Frio. Everything had _almost_ gone back to normal: Ronon Dex now came out of Marissa's room; Rodney McKay was back and took his post on Team Sheppard; Julian Barrett was now Queen Illyria Sheppard's consultant; and there was a new Head on Medicine on Atlantis.

Illyria is walking through the Infirmary when a young woman runs to join her.  
>"Queen Illyria."<br>"Doctor Keller. How is my Head of Medicine?"  
>"Uh, <em>Acting<em> Head of Medicine, actually, and that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."  
>"What's up?" She leads Keller into a transporter. The doors close and Illyira pushes the back panel. The transporter begins to move, so they're obviously not going far and the transporter is acting as an elevator.<br>"Uh, I need to be replaced."  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"Look, after Carson ..." She trails off, unable to say the words. Illyria nods understandingly as the transporter/elevator arrives at its destination and the doors open. The women walk out. "... someone had to step up and take over, and I'm glad to help out, don't get me wrong, but I'm not qualified to run a department of this size. You - you need someone ... better."  
>"Everyone down there says you are doing great."<br>"Well, (a) I'm not sure that's true, and (b) it's been pretty smooth sailing over the last few weeks. I think I've been lucky."  
>"Well, the I.O.A. are reviewing candidates but, to be honest, they're not that great at making quick decisions."<br>"Yeah. So, a week? Two weeks?" Illyria smiles. "I just haven't been sleeping very well. This whole being in control thing kind of makes me anxious."  
>"I've been told Carson felt the same way his first few months."<br>"I appreciate you trying to lie to me."

Illyria, who had been heading up the stairs to the Control Room, turns back to face Keller, looks at her and comes back down. "Look, I feel very comfortable with the lives of my family in your hands; and at the end of the day, that means you are doing a pretty good job. Dealing with the pressure - it does get easier with time."  
>She nods to Keller, then turns and starts to trot up the stairs again.<br>"Right. Uh, how much time, exactly?" Illyria stops and turns around again. "Like, it'll get easier over the next two weeks and then you'll replace me, so I can go back to being a regular doctor?"  
>Illyria smiles, turns and heads up the stairs again, calling over her shoulder. "I will keep you posted!"<br>"Thanks!" She muttered unhappily.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney has been waiting for Illyria in her office but hurries out as she comes up the stairs, gesturing to the computer tablet he is holding. "Can I please have someone else do these?"  
>"Performance evaluations?" She leads him back into her office.<br>"Yes."  
>"No. Year-end employee reviews are important to your bosses. They are how people get promotions and raises."<br>"OK, look. Asking me to do performance evaluations is ridiculous. I just got back! Julian Barrett should be doing these."

"You're the boss now…again."

"I am the first person to admit..." he gestures out to the rest of the city "...I don't know who these people are, nor do I care to. Look, if you'd like, I could take you down the hall to the labs and just point at the people who annoy me more than the rest, but that's about as useful as I get."  
>The doors to the hallway open and Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard walks in. He walks over to Illyria's desk and drops a computer tablet onto it.<br>"All done."  
>"Oh, of course!" McKay rolled his eyes.<br>Illyria picked up John's tablet while looking pointedly at Rodney. "That was quick!" John smiles at Rodney smugly. Illyria frowns down at the tablet. "Sweetie…wait a minute. You've just given everyone excellent and above averages."  
>"Ooh! Can I do that?" McKay said. He reaches down to type on his tablet.<br>"No!" Illyria snapped. "I know this is not the most glamorous part of your job, but you are in leadership positions and, unfortunately, that comes with administrative responsibilities. You think I like paperwork?"  
>"Well, everybody who works for me is excellent and above average. You want me to lie? 'Cause I don't think leaders should lie, Illyria." John said.<br>Illyria looks at him, exasperated. The Canadian technician comes to the door. "Queen Illyria?"  
>"Yes, Chuck?"<br>"The Apollo just came out of hyperspace."  
>"They're ahead of schedule." She said, surprised.<br>They all walk out into the Control Room.  
>"Probably just tryin' to show off - you know, bein' a new ship an' all." John said, nonchalantly.<br>Smiling, Illyria activates her headset radio. "Colonel Ellis, you've made excellent time on your first voyage here."  
><em>"Thank you. I'm beaming down now."<em>  
>"Very well. We'll meet-"<br>Before she can finish her sentence, an Asgard transporter beam transports Colonel Abraham (Abe) Ellis, Doctor Elizabeth Weir, and four of Ellis's crewmen down in front of them. Ellis looks around briefly, and then gestures to his colleagues.  
>"Set up in the Conference Room." The crewmen head off towards the Conference Room.<p>

"Illyria." Weir smiled and held out her arms. Illyria smiled back and embraced her friend with warmth. "Hello John, Rodney. Sorry I have to be back so soon."

Illyria was about to ask why as Ellis turns to her and the others. "Queen."  
>"Colonel." They shake hands. "Welcome."<br>"Thank you." He looks at the other two. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay. This is gonna make things easier. I'll need to brief you all immediately."  
>"What's going on?" Illyria asked.<br>"Well, I'd prefer to talk in private." He steps aside and gestures towards the Conference Room. As the three of them head off, John and Rodney exchange a suspicious glance, and then follow.

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

One of the crewmen is giving folders to the three Atlantis crewmembers, who are sitting at the tables. Ellis walks around the room as he speaks, activating a remote control to close the doors of the room.  
>"Ever since the human-form Replicators made a play for the city, we've had the Daedalus make regular reconnaissance fly-bys of their home planet."<br>"Yes, we know." Illyria said.  
>"Two months ago, it took these pictures."<br>Ellis activates the remote control to pull up a photograph onto the wall screen. The Atlantis crew has printouts of the same photo. Illyria looks at hers. It shows a view of an area of the Asuran planet's surface taken from space. In the middle of the picture are some large flat areas.  
>"I'm sorry, what am I supposed to be looking at here?" Illyria asked Ellis.<br>"Nothing."  
>"Excuse me?"<br>Ellis uses his remote to pull up a new photograph of the same area onto the wall screen. Red arrows point to the areas of particular note. There are now objects built on the flat areas. "This image was taken about three weeks ago in the very same location. They're building ships - a lot of them."  
>"Why weren't we made aware of this?" John asked, his voice rising.<br>"I'm making you aware of it now." Ellis said.  
>"Well, if they're coming for us, we should start making preparations to bolster the shield. I mean, we should-"<br>Ellis interrupted McKay. "They're not gonna get here. I'm here to inform you that in precisely twelve hours, the Apollo - in consort with your team - will launch a surgical strike on the Replicator planet."  
>"So, uh, you're gonna blow up their ships." John asked.<br>"That's right." Ellis said.  
>"Just like that?" Illyria asked.<br>"Just like that."  
>"How the <em>hell<em> do you plan on doing that?" McKay asked.  
>"A set of Mark Nine tactical nukes housed in a custom-made weapons platform codenamed Horizon." Ellis said, pointing and clicking at the screen.<br>"How many nukes do you have?" John asked.  
>"The Horizon carries six warheads and four decoys." Ellis turned to Rodney. "I'm gonna need you to do a final inspection before we head out."<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, wait. Six?" McKay said, stunned.  
>"That's right." Ellis nodded.<br>"That's not enough." John said.  
>"The Replicators are self-replicating robots, which means that they can..." McKay circles his index fingers around each other to signify the Replicators self-replicating.<br>"I'm aware of that, thank you, Doctor, but they're not like the Milky Way Replicators. Their ships aren't built from nano-cells. They're constructed of real material that can be destroyed. Six will be more than enough for now." Ellis said.  
>"'For now'? Look, isn't this a bit like poking a sleeping dragon? Why don't we just wait 'til Area 51 finishes the P.W.A.?" John asked.<br>"Which one's that, again?" Illyria said, looking like she's getting a headache.  
>"Planetary-Wide Anti-Replicator Weapons."<br>"Look, the Asgard were capable of creating a satellite that could wipe out an entire Replicator planet. I mean, we've had some trouble making one of our own but-"  
>Ellis interrupts McKay, again. "Look, would I prefer taking out an entire planet at once? Absolutely. But this image is giving the I.O.A. a lot of sleepless nights. The Replicators know the location of Earth and, with these new ships, have the means to get there. We can't just sit on our hands while the guys at Area 51 try to come up with a solution. This mission's primary objective is to eliminate key military targets. We'll come back and finish once the new weapon is up and running." He turned to Rodney. "Doctor, I'm gonna need you to start your inspections as soon as possible."<br>"Well, yes, sure. I just-"  
>Without waiting for him to finish, Ellis activates his headset radio. "Doctor McKay is ready to beam."<br>"Well, he's not, actually…" McKay stammered. A transporter beam sweeps him away. Ellis walks over to the tables and picks up the photographs.  
>"OK. We're finished here. Thank you."<br>He nods to Illyria and John and leaves the room with Weir. A little surprised by his abruptness and still trying to take in everything she's been told, Illyria stands up and walks over to look more closely at the photograph on the wall screen.  
>"Can you believe this?"<br>"No. It all seems too good to be true."  
>Illyria turns around to him, startled. "What?"<br>"Well, if those nukes do what Ellis says they do..."  
>"Since we won back the city, we haven't heard so much as a peep from the Replicators."<br>"Well, obviously they haven't gone away."  
>"No, but maybe they've decided that we are more trouble than we're worth; that the threat of our A.R. weapons is enough to keep them at bay."<br>John stands up and walks over to her. "You don't build that many ships to make a run at Atlantis. They're headed for Earth."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Ellis is talking with his crewmembers. Illyria walks over to him.  
>"Colonel. May I have a word?"<br>"Sure."

He follows her into her office.  
>"This mission is a mistake."<br>"It most certainly is not."  
>Illyria sat on the edge of her desk. "It is an ineffectual first strike. You've gotta know how dangerous that could be for us."<br>"All due respect, Queen, it won't be ineffectual. Besides, the I.O.A. doesn't think we can wait."  
>"I think we should stall them; try to open a round of negotiations."<br>"They're not a race of people. They're a weapon. Try to keep that in mind."  
>"Weapon or not, they're sentient. Negotiating with them could buy us enough time to get the P.W.A.R.W. up and running."<br>"Usually I'd be more than happy to go twelve rounds here about who's right and who's wrong, but it wouldn't matter. I have my orders, and you don't have the authority to tell me to stand down, so, again, with all due respect, ma'am, I have a mission to execute."  
>He turns and leaves the room.<p>

҉

**APOLLO**

Apollo is a Daedalus-class ship, i.e. it looks exactly like Daedalus. On board, Rodney and Commandeer Julian Barrett are standing gazing up at Horizon, the weapons platform, suspended way above their heads. It looks like a large rocket with a pointed nose and fins at the rear.  
>"Well, the specs check out. We have loaded the target information. They are ready." Julian reported.<br>"Yeah. It's good to go." McKay sighs. "This is a bad idea, isn't it?"  
>"We could tell them they're not ready - you know, there is a fault with the guidance system or something." Julian shrugged.<br>"I thought about that. They're gonna have guys here to contradict us pretty quickly." He looked over at Julian. "Besides, isn't her your boss or something?"  
>"Yep; but we're here alone. We could make them not ready."<br>Rodney sighs unhappily again. "They're building an armada, Julian. I saw them. They showed me the pictures. I'd feel pretty stupid if we break this thing, only to have the Replicators show up and destroy the city."  
>"Yeah. Yeah, that would be bad." Julian said, rubbing his eye. They both look up at Horizon again, then Rodney sighs a third time.<br>"Tell the Colonel we're good to go."

҉

**ATLANTIS **

John runs over to meet with Illyria at the foot of the Gateroom stairs and pecks her on the cheek.  
>"Hey."<br>"Hey."  
>John waits until an expedition member has walked down the stairs and there's nobody nearby. "Colonel Ellis has asked me to join the mission."<br>"I know."  
>They start to walk up the stairs.<br>"I was gonna stay behind in a cloaked Jumper after they launch the warheads; do some battle damage assessment."  
>"I know that too."<br>"He told me that you called Woolsey and General O'Neill and tried to get the whole thing called off."  
>"Yes, I did."<br>"They didn't bite."  
>"They did not."<br>"Look, I know you think we're doing the wrong thing here, but, uh..."  
>"John..." She stops and turns to face him and places a soft, meaningful kiss on his lips, whispering, "Good luck."<br>She turns and walks into her office. John turns away, uncomfortable at going ahead with a mission which his expedition leader and wife does not approve of.

҉

**HYPERSPACE**

**APOLLO**

In a Control Room, Rodney is making last-minute checks. "Alright. Horizon is online. The warheads are armed and we are ready for final sequencing as soon as we drop out of hyperspace."  
>"Start now. Open the bomb bay doors." Ellis said from the control room as he walks across to the command chair and sits down.<br>_"We're still in hyperspace."_ McKay said.  
>"We're coming out of our jump uncomfortably close to the planet. I don't wanna waste any time. Just get it done."<br>"Well, you're the boss." McKay said, sighing irritably.  
>He and Julian go over to a control panel and press various buttons. On the other side of a window at the front of the room, the bomb bay doors open and Horizon is lowered down into position.<br>"Ready to launch on your command. You're sure about this, right? I mean, like, this is the right thing to do?" McKay asked.  
><em>"Not the best time for that kind of talk, Doctor."<em>  
>"Right. Sorry." McKay replied, tetchily.<br>A female technician sitting at the Weapons position beside Ellis on the Bridge reports. "Coming out of hyperspace in five, four, three, two, one."  
>Apollo exits into normal space. Ellis stands up. "Launch the Horizon."<br>Horizon drops out of the bomb bay and we see that Apollo is very indeed close to Asuras and facing the planet's surface. Once clear of the ship, Horizon's rockets fire and it heads downwards. As it reaches the upper atmosphere, its nose cone begins to glow red. It powers onwards, reaches the lower atmosphere and the nose cone blows off, revealing the ten weapons (six nukes and four decoys) inside. Horizon's rockets burn out and the ten weapons deploy, spreading out in all directions as they head for their targets. As they clear the clouds, we watch a single nuke continue downwards until it reaches its target and explodes. There are several massive explosions; mushroom clouds begin to rise from the planet's surface.  
>On Apollo, Julian nods to Rodney.<br>"We have detonation confirmation on all six warheads." McKay reported.  
>"Sheppard, you have a go for launch." Ellis said.<br>"Copy that." Sheppard reported as he flies a Puddle Jumper out of the fighter bay, cloaking as he goes. "Clear. Jump away."  
>"Very well. We'll pick you up in an hour." Ellis turns to his pilot. "Pull us out of here."<br>Apollo swoops away from the devastation on the planet's surface below and heads into hyperspace.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**NIGHT TIME**

In the Conference Room, Julian and Rodney are looking at a screen which shows the data that John recorded from the Puddle Jumper. Weir, Ellis and John are nearby as the two scientists argue with each other.  
>"There is <em>so<em> much radiation interference; it's hard to get an accurate yield calculation from the scan telemetry."  
>"Please, there is <em>more<em> than enough data. It's not like we're trying to take out a person here. We're taking out massive chunks of a city."  
>"Someone just please tell me if we hit our targets or not." Ellis sternly said.<br>"If this data is right, then all of your primaries and most of your secondaries have been incinerated." McKay said.  
>"Excellent."<br>"Hmm."  
>John walks out of the room and heads across to the Control Room, meeting Illyria on the way.<br>"Welcome back." Illyria greeted with a smile, handing him an eleven-month old Patrick.  
>"Thanks." John smiled and bounced Pat, making him smile. Illyria shifted Jen in her arms, smiling at her boys.<br>"I hear congratulations are in order."  
>"Yeah, you heard right."<br>Ronon Dex came up the steps in wrinkled clothing, smelling like Marissa. He was in what was left of her apartment. "How was the mission?"  
>"We did get all the ships." John said.<br>"I wish I could've been there to see it."  
>"Well, space battles are always a lot more exciting on T.V. than they are in real life."<br>"Queen Illyria?" Chuck, the Canadian technician, called out. "You're gonna wanna see this. We've got a contact. Just came out of hyperspace."  
>The others go over to look at his screen.<br>"Is it broadcasting I.F.F.?" Illyria asked, tugging her necklace from Jen's hands.  
>"No, ma'am." Chuck said.<br>"Wraith?" Ronon asked.  
>"Naah. It's very small. I doubt it."<br>Illyria turned to another technician. "Raise the shield."  
>The sound of the shield deploying can be heard.<br>"It's taking up a geosynchronous orbit above the city." Chuck reported.  
>"What is it?" Julian asked.<br>"Maybe we should have the Apollo check it out." John said.  
>Illyria nodded in agreement. "Tell the Colonel he needs to get back to his ship."<p>

҉

**APOLLO**

The ship heads towards the small object in space above the planet. Ellis, having just beamed up, walks onto the Bridge. His female technician reports.  
>"Right ahead of us, sir."<br>"Shields?"  
>"Affirmative. Shields are up."<br>Ellis walks to the front of the Bridge to look out of the windshield. He reports over radio to the crew on Atlantis. "OK, I've got a visual. Looks like a satellite of some sort."  
>They see the object. It is basically circular in shape and, as it rotates around, they see that it is hollow. At one end of the hollow interior is a round object with eight glowing points equally spaced around it. It looks eerily familiar. Ellis stares in surprise.<br>"It's a Stargate!"  
><em>"A Stargate?"<em> Weir asks.  
>"That's right."<br>_"I thought you said it was a satellite." _John said.  
>"It's both. It's a satellite, but in the middle there's a ... Stargate."<br>Illyria turned to Rodney. "What could be the purpose of that?"  
>"I've no idea."<br>Out in space, the Stargate kawhooshes.  
>"It just activated." Ellis reported.<br>_"The Gate?"_ John asks.  
>A red beam lances out of the Gate and heads for the planet's surface, hitting the upper atmosphere at an oblique angle. On Apollo's Bridge, panels start to explode.<br>"Get us away from it!" Ellis orders.  
>He runs back to his seat and sits down as his technician reports. "Sir, the satellite is turning again."<br>The satellite turns in space, its beam cutting through the ocean on the planet below. In Atlantis' Control Room, the crew stare nervously.  
>"It's hitting the planet." Chuck reported. The beam lances through the ocean, heading towards the shielded city. The city shakes violently as the beam reaches it. Everyone stares upwards in alarm. The Sheppard's soothed their crying children as the shaking subsided. "It's a sustained beam."<br>"That is bad for a dozen different reasons." McKay reports.  
>In space, Apollo sends out three missiles towards the satellite. They impact harmlessly against a shield surrounding it.<br>"It's protected by a shield. Give me some options, McKay." Ellis said.  
><em>"The shield's taking its power from the beam. Look, I registered a slight drop in output when you fired on it."<em>  
>"Could I get a nuke past its shield?"<br>"No, probably not."  
>"I'll get in the Chair and give it everything we've got. Maybe that'll collapse the shield." Jon said. He turns to run for the Chair Room but stops as Rodney speaks.<br>"I said "slight" - as in point zero zero two. Look, I doubt any amount of firepower is gonna collapse it while that beam is active."  
>"Then what do they do, Rodney?" Weir asks.<br>"We stand down and let me think, is what we do. Just give me five minutes to get my bearings. I'll brief you." McKay stands up to go to another console.  
>"McKay, it's shooting at us." Ronon growled.<br>Rodney turns back to him, a little wide-eyed. He clearly has no idea what to suggest yet. "Yes, and the shields are holding. Look, we've got plenty of time - just give me five minutes."

҉

**FIVE MINUTES (OR SO) LATER**

The beam is impacting the top of the shield over the city. Rodney leads Ellis into Illyria's office where she, Weir and John are waiting. The Nanny had already came and taken the children away.  
>Ellis turned to Rodney. "What've you got?"<br>"We're in trouble."  
>"It took you five minutes to figure that out? You're slippin', buddy." John said.<br>"Look, the satellite is basically just a stripped-down ship. There's a hyperdrive engine, a shield, and navigational systems. There's a small power source that was designed to take it to its intended target and power the shield until the Gate can be dialled. But once a wormhole has been established to whoever's on the dialling side, it fires a beam into their Stargate and it comes out on our side, allowing them to fire on usand to power the satellite."  
>"That's very clever."<br>"Yes. As long as they can keep the beam powered from home, the weapon remains operational. Oh, and one fun added side bonus is that because their Stargate is in such close proximity to our planet, we can't dial our Stargate. We're stuck."  
>"Maybe that's a good thing. The beam'll turn off at the end of the Gate's thirty-eight minute cycle. If we dial our Gate at that precise moment, we can neutralize theirs."<br>"What, and if it's not pulling power from the beam any more, then we can collapse its shield and destroy it." Ellis said.  
>"Sure. The problem is, I don't think it's gonna shut down in thirty-eight minutes." Julian said, leaning against the doorway.<br>"But I thought it was physically impossible for an artificial wormhole to stay open any longer." Ellis asked, looking between both men.  
>"There is one exception to that rule. The S.G.C. has encountered attacks of this kind on their own Stargate and sadly we've discovered that if you pump enough energy into it, a Stargate can remain active indefinitely." McKay said.<br>"That would require an insane amount of power, wouldn't it?" Weir asked.  
>"Like a black hole - or an unlimited number of Z.." Julian said.<br>"So we can assume the Replicators are behind this." Illyria said.  
>"Well, I hope so." McKay said.<br>"You hope so?" Weir asks.  
>"Well, otherwise, we've discovered yet another super-powerful enemy."<br>"If it is a normal Stargate, can we still contact the dialing planet?" Weir asked.  
>"Huh, well, I'll need to boost the signal considerably to get through the interference-"<p>

"Yes." Julian said, interrupting McKay.

"See what you can do, please." Illyria said.  
>"Right…" McKay left the room, glaring at Julian as he passed. Julian chuckled, smiled at the group, and the followed McKay.<br>Ellis turns to Elizabeth. "Why would you wanna contact them?"  
>"To negotiate."<br>"It's a waste of energy. We need to figure out how to destroy it."  
>Illyria steps towards him. "I'd love to watch you and Elizabeth go twelve rounds here about who's right and who's wrong, but at the end of the day I'm responsible for the well-being of this city, and you don't have the authority to tell her to stand down."<br>Ellis looks at her darkly, realizing that his own words have come back to bite him.  
>"So with all due respect, I think I'll place my call." Weir said and heads out to the Control Room, Illyria followed.<br>Ellis looks at John. "What's amatter with your wife?"

He shrugged. "She's not in a good place right now. None of us are."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney is working near a wall screen which is fizzing with static. "Alright; I think I've got it. They're responding to the transmission."  
>The screen clears and a man can be seen. It's Oberoth, the leader of the Asuran High Council who had been on board the flying city that had been destroyed.<br>"Oberoth!" Illyria said, stunned.  
><em>"Queen Illyria."<em>  
>"I must say I'm surprised to see you."<br>_"Each of us exists within the collective and can be replicated many times."_  
>"You need to disable your weapon immediately."<br>_"That is not possible."_  
>Weir stepped up to the screen. "We had no choice but to attack you. You're building warships. They need to be neutralized."<br>_"And now, so do you."_  
>"That assault was just the tip of the spear. We were hoping it would bring you to your senses. If you don't stop this aggression, we will be forced to launch an all-out attack."<br>_"Really? Why have you waited?"_  
>"The annihilation of your people is not our goal. Ideally, we would like a peace to exist between us, but we will not stand idly by while you build ships and weapons that can be used to destroy us." Illyria said.<br>Rodney, who was watching the conversation, now turns to his console as it beeps at him warningly. An oscillating wave running across the screen changes in frequency.  
><em>"Interesting. We feel the same way about you."<em>  
>"Perhaps I should remind you every time we've met in battle, ourside has been clearly victorious." Weir said.<br>"Illyria. They're attempting to upload a virus on the comm bandwidth. I've been able to stop it for now but I'm not-"  
>"Shut it down!" Illyria interrupted Rodney.<br>Rodney pushes a button and the wall screen fades to static.  
>"Well, that went well!" Weir said.<br>"Yeah. Always been one of my favorites." McKay said.  
>"What if the Gate doesn't shut down at the end of its thirty-eight minute cycle?" Weir asked.<br>Rodney sighs. "Look, if they're able to maintain the energy beam's intensity - which I'm sure they will..."  
>"And how long 'til our shield fails?" Illyria asked.<br>Rodney sighs again. "It's twenty-nine hours."

҉

**LATER**

As the beam continues to fire down onto the city's shield, a computer in the Control Room shows the message "GATE CYCLE ELAPSED TIME: 37:57" As the counter reaches 38:00 minutes, an automatic program set up by Rodney starts to dial the Atlantis Gate. Rodney and Elizabeth look hopefully at the Gate as the lights run around the symbols on the Gate, then they both sigh as nothing happens. The program instantly starts again, and continues running over and over again but each time the Gate doesn't activate.  
>"Well, it was worth a shot." McKay said.<br>"Alright, we're gonna need another plan." Weir said.  
>"Yeah, OK." McKay said unhappily. He walks away as the Gate continues dialing repeatedly. "Look, stop dialing. It's not working."<p>

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Ellis and two of his men are sitting and working on laptops. John comes to the doorway.  
>"Sir."<br>Ellis spoke to his colleagues. "You two give us a minute." The two crewmen leave the room as John walks in. "What can I do for you, John?"  
>"We need to head back to the Replicator planet."<br>"We do, do we?"  
>"Yeah. If this satellite weapon is powered by its homeworld, maybe we can neutralize it at the source."<br>"Well, the Apollo is in no condition to get in a battle right now. That beam took a lot out of our shield."  
>"No, we've gotta do something."<br>"We did do something."  
>"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't help but think that we're somehow responsible for this."<br>"Why, because Weir said so?"  
>"No, sir."<br>"John, listen to me." Ellis stands up. "I, uh, I've been over your record. I know you have your detractors but personally I think you've done a hell of a job here."  
>"Thank you, sir."<br>"You should be running Atlantis, not your wife."  
>"Well, then I'd be The Man, and who would I have to rage against?" John said jokingly. In a way, he was already in charge. He and Illyria ran Atlantis; they were partners.<br>Ellis smiles. "Listen. Because of us, Earth won't have to deal with an armada of Replicator ships, so whatever happens here, we did the right thing today."

҉

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

Elizabeth is sitting at the desk as Illyria paces angrily around the room.  
>"I'm sorry. It's just ... they didn't even consult me." Illyria fumed.<br>"I think they felt the need for secrecy was great." Elizabeth said.  
>"I have the highest level of clearance humanly possible, Elizabeth." Illyria said, angrily. "No-they're trying to undermine me. Some of the military doesn't like that a woman - let alone a Queen from a different <em>planet<em> - is in charge of this city."  
>"General O'Neill doesn't feel that way. And the I.O.A. - they've backed you several times. They believe in you."<br>"Yes, when things are going well, but as soon as we run into a major problem, the military steps in and assumes absolute control."  
>"Do you don't want to coordinate military attacks?"<br>"No, and that is not what I'm saying. Look, our current situation could have easily been avoided. I told them as much, but they put next to no weight behind my opinions regarding the safety and protection of this city. Yes, the I.O.A. is happy to have me as lead administrator, but when it comes to the big decisions..." She trails off, frustrated. "If we get out of this, I think I may have to step down."  
>"Give it some time. You need to step back and-"<br>_"We've got something."_ McKay said over the radio.  
>The women head out to the Control Room. John and Ellis come out of the Conference Room, Ronon wanders in from somewhere, and all of them go over to Rodney and Julian.<br>"We were throwing some ideas back and forth - well, he was throwing them forth and I was throwing them back—" Julian rolled his eyes, "and while he was droning on about some idea that might have worked, it suddenly occurred to me: this city has encountered problems like this before, so I-"  
>"We don't need the history of your idea, Doctor. I'll let that be a surprise when I read your autobiography. Just tell me the plan." Ellis said.<br>Rodney looks annoyed, then puts his hands in his pockets. Julian smiles at the crowd. "We submerge it."  
>"I'm sorry?" Ellis said, turning his head a bit.<br>"We submerge the city." Julian clarified, louder, as if Ellis was hard of hearing. John and Ronon smirked.  
>"I thought you said we couldn't submerge the city." Weir said.<br>"That was two years ago before the Ancients came and activated a number of new systems." Rodney said, standing. "The 'how' is complicated, but I think it's possible. Look, it's not a permanent solution..."

"...but it'll buy us enough time 'til we come up with one." John said.  
>Rodney points at him triumphantly and smiles. "Exactly."<br>"How much time?" Ronon asked.  
>"Some. As much as a week." Julian said.<br>"I don't understand. Why?" Ellis said.  
>"Ah, you see, the history part would have made that a lot clearer. Had you been a little more patient, I would have painted you a picture of-"<br>"McKay." John said.  
>"Ten thousand years ago when the Ancients were under siege from the Wraith, they sank the city in order to dissipate the Wraiths' energy blasts in the water. This way, the shield was able to hold far longer than it ever could on the surface. So, now, we submerge the city. The water attenuates the satellite's beam intensity - buys us some more shield time."<br>"We cannot predict how much the Replicators' beam will be attenuated. It might not buy us any time at all." Julian said.  
>"There's no way to know for sure, yes, but it's not a reason not to try." Illyria said.<br>"Alright, get it done." Ellis said.  
>"Yeah, I don't think that's your call." Julian said, laughing. He looks at Illyria as John and Ellis exchange a glance.<br>"Worst case scenario? We lose some power from the ZeeP.M.?" Weir asked.  
>"Oh, no - worst case scenario is that we've both read the numbers wrong, we use up a ton of power and the city doesn't submerge at all. Look, as much as I hate to say it, Barrett's not infallible." McKay said and Julian blinks indignantly.<br>"I agree. It's worth the risk." Illyria said.  
>McKay, as he and Julian sit down at their consoles, said, "Alright. The city has an automatic submersion subroutine already in the system. I'll need it to tweak it a bit to work with one ZedP.M. and disable some safety protocols. Unless Illyria knows how to do this, give me an hour."<br>He and Julian get to work as the others walk away.

҉

**AN HOUR LATER**

The beam continues to strike the city's shield as the sun rises over the horizon. Illyria comes into the Control Room.  
>"It's been an hour."<br>"We're ready." McKay said.  
>"No - you've got to do the, um..." Julian points to another console.<br>"Oh, just, um..." McKay goes over to the console and types on it. "We are ready."  
>"Good." Illyria turns to Chuck. "Give me city-wide." Chuck pushes a button and nods to her. "Attention all personnel. We are about to attempt to submerge the city. It will get a little bumpy, so this is your last chance to secure equipment and get to the designated safe areas."<br>"We've come full circle, eh?" Rodney asks.  
>Illyria smiles at him. "Yeah. Feels that way." She looks at Julian, then at Rodney. "OK. Take us down."<br>Julian smiles, excited. "Aye, aye, Captain." He looks at Rodney. "Shall we?"  
>Both of them type on their consoles. The Control Room rocks briefly, and then begins to vibrate. Illyria walks out onto the exterior balcony as the city slowly begins to sink into the ocean. The water rises up in a solid wall around the shield. Illyria smiled widely, remembering her past life, as the city drops lower into the sea. From a viewpoint above the water, the city disappears and steam begins to boil up from the Replicator beam as it hits the ocean. The city sinks down through the water, the beam still impacting the top of the shield. In the Control Room, everyone standing was struggling to stay on their feet as the city jolts violently as it reaches the ocean floor. Julian and Rodney check their consoles.<br>"That's it. We're down." Julian said.  
>Illyria comes back indoors. "The beam still looks pretty serious, Rodney."<br>"Yeah, I know." He looks at his console. "Just give me a second to...Crap!"  
>"I told you." Julian said.<br>"Thank you, Julian. Very helpful." Rodney said, sighing in irritation.  
>"What is it?" Illyria asked.<br>"The beam is breaking through the water much more efficiently than we thought."  
>"The water has no effect?"<br>"It's having an effect but just nowhere near what we wanted to. Look, that plan took us three hours to execute and bought us an additional..." Rodney looks at his watch "...ten hours."  
>"Nine." Julian said.<br>"Nine." Rodney repeated, throwing him a black look.  
>"OK. What's the plan?" Illyria asked.<br>Rodney looks at Julian blankly. Julian shrugs. Rodney looks back at Illyria. "That was the plan."

҉

**LATER**

As the beam continues to strike the shield, John, Ronon and Weir are standing on an outside balcony staring upwards.  
>"I need to learn some science." Ronon said.<br>"What for?" John asked.  
>"I'm not all that useful in situations like these. If we get into a fight, or we need to break out of somewhere, you know, kill someone, I'm your man; but a laser attacking the city's shield - I don't know where to chip in."<br>"Well, that's why we're a team, like the Fantastic Four."  
>Ronon frowns at him, not understanding.<br>"It's a comic book." Weir smiled.

"Yeah, where superheroes fight crime and stuff. See, I'd be Mr. Fantastic; Ronon would be The Thing; McKay would be the Human Torch and Marissa..." he trails off, looking towards the sky, and whispered, "She you'd be the Invisible Woman."  
>"She isn't invisible, John." Weir said, bowing her head.<br>"No. No, and McKay's not a human torch."  
>"Well, how come you get to be Mr Fantastic?" Weir asked.<br>"Because he was the leader and I'm the..." He looks as them as Weir looks back at him impassively. Ronon is smirking slightly. "I'm just saying that they were a cool team and we're a cool team and they use their strengths to, you know..." He trails off as the other two look at him pointedly. "I'm gonna go check on McKay."  
>He walks away. Weir smirks at Ronon, but his face was stone cold blank.<p>

҉

**LAB**

Julian and Rodney are gazing silently at laptops as John trots down the stairs and comes in. "Shouldn't you guys be bickering or something?"  
>"Ah, we've got nothing to bicker about. He's run out of bad ideas ... finally." McKay said.<br>"If we survive this, I'm putting in for a transfer." Julian said, sulkily.  
>"Oh, please. We both know that you've done your best work under me. Even at the S.G.C."<br>"Under you? I'm the Queen's advisory, you know." Julian said, raising his head out of his hand indignantly. "I outrank you!"  
>"Please! We both know that your title is a joke. She just didn't have a place to stick you."<br>"What?"  
>"Why don't you two guys just make out and get it over with, huh?" John suggested. The other two stare at him: Rodney in disgust, but Julian raised an eyebrow, curious. "I mean, we have, what? Under one day to figure out how not to get destroyed by this satellite thing, and you guys are arguing about who works for who."<br>Julian sinks his face back into his hand and looks defeated. "Every possible scenario ends in failure. There is nowhere on the face of this planet that that thing cannot kill us."  
>John and Rodney stare at each other as they both get the same idea at the same time.<br>"You don't think ...?" John asked.  
>"No." McKay said.<br>"Old girl too banged up?"  
>"No, the Replicators fixed all the damage we did with the drones. We just don't have the power."<br>"Yeah, but ideally-"

"-it may be the only way."  
>"What?" Julian asked, having no idea what they're talking about."<br>John looks at Rodney again. "The drilling platform. You guys have it operational down there, right?"  
>"Close enough, but we couldn't bring it with us.<br>"Bring it where?" Julian asked.  
>John turned to Rodney. "We don't need to. We just need a boost."<br>"You might be onto something here."  
>They both turn and hurry out of the lab. Julian jumps up and hurries after them. "Hey! What's your idea? Hey!"<p>

҉

**DRILLING PLATFORM**

Doctor Coleman talks with Rodney over the radio.  
>"Well, luckily the umbilical's already in place."<br>_"Yes, I know. Look, are you capable of outputting the power we need or not?"_  
>"We just started drilling into the crust. I can get you nine percent of the way there."<br>In the Atlantis Control Room, Rodney sinks back in his chair and looks up at John in despair. "There goes that plan."  
>"Can't the ZeeP.M. make up the difference?"<br>"Ah, no. The ZedP.M.'s a little busy powering the shield at max."  
>John grimaces, then gets another idea. "What if it didn't have to?"<br>"What?"  
>"What if we could take the strain off the shield momentarily?"<br>"Well, we'd need about a minute. Why? What do you have in mind?"

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

John and Rodney are talking with Ellis.  
>"Lantea's moon has some sizeable satellites itself." John said.<br>"Asteroid-like chunks we think are left over from a second moon that no longer exists." McKay said.  
>"I'd like you to beam up Lorne and get a flight of F-302s close enough to nudge one our way."<br>"You wanna bring an asteroid towards us? Is that wise?" Ellis asked.  
>"Well, today it is." McKay said.<p>

҉

**SPACE**

Half a dozen F-302s soar towards a large asteroid. Major Lorne is flying one of them.  
>"Alright, guys. We need to get close enough to clamp on to it. Get enough of us drilled in, we can fly it like a ship ... a really slow ship. It's probably gonna be a real pain in the ass to steer, but a ship nonetheless." The F-302s hover into position above the asteroid and fire grapples into its surface, then reel in the cables so that the ships land on the rock's surface. In comparison to the size of the asteroid, they look like moths on its surface. "OK - let's take this big gal for a stroll. Flights Three and Four, begin your burn. Full thrust." The two ships begin to fire their engines. The asteroid's rotation slows slightly. Pleasantly surprised, he said, "Son of a bitch! We might be able to pull this off after all! Flights One and Two, begin your burn."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM**  
>"It's working?" Illyria asked.<br>"It's slow going, but, uh, yes, they're bringing it towards the planet." McKay said.  
>"They should be able to get here before our cut-off time." John said.<br>"So we can actually do this?" Weir asked.  
>"I think so, yes." McKay said.<br>"OK, time to tell people." Illyria turned to Chuck. "Patch me into the P.A., please." Chuck activates the comms, then nods to her. "May I have your attention? As you all know, we have found ourselves in a spot of trouble. The reality is that no matter where we try to hide on this planet, the Replicator satellite will be able to track us. Therefore, Doctor McKay and Colonel Sheppard have come up with a rather ingenious way for us to escape the satellite's range altogether. In the next few hours, we will fire the city's stardrive and head into space. Atlantis is leaving this planet."

҉

**LATER **

Ellis comes to the door of Illyria's office and knocks. She looks up. "May I come in?"  
>"Of course."<br>"All non-essential personnel have been beamed to the Apollo, including your children."  
>"Good. Good."<br>"Has Doctor McKay located your new home yet?"  
>"Yes. M12-578. It's the closest non-populated habitable planet with a large ocean. He's a bit nervous about trying to land on solid ground."<br>"I can understand that." He pauses, and then sighs. "Listen, I know you don't like me very much..."  
>"Colonel, that's neith-"<br>"That's OK. To be honest, I'm not that crazy about you either."  
>"OK!"<br>"But if I've crossed the line here or there in regards to your command, I apologize. I'm used to making the calls. But I don't want you to think I don't respect you. I do, your Majesty."  
>"Thank you." Illyria smiled at his respectful address towards her. "I appreciate that. I wish the rest of the military felt the same way."<br>"Well, I can't speak to that. I do know General O'Neill is awfully fond of you." Illyria smiles and nods in acknowledgement. "I'd better be heading out. Good luck."  
>"Thanks. We're gonna need it."<p>

҉

**CORRIDORS**

John and Rodney are walking along.  
>"Alright. Barrett is doing a final pass over all the coding we've done, but so far it's looking good. The underwater drilling platform's power output has been dialed up as high as it'll go, and the crew down there have been beamed up to the Apollo."<br>"We're gonna wreck that thing, aren't we?" John asked.  
>"What, the drilling platform? Oh, hell, yes! But thirty percent of our total power requirements are gonna be consumed in the first ten seconds of flight. The station will provide us with that power right up until we snap the umbilical, at which point we switch over to the ZedP.M. Now, if we can interrupt the satellite's beam - which is greatly taxing our power levels - we should be able to squeeze out just enough power to actually do this thing."<br>They go into the Chair Room.  
>"How's Lorne doin'?" John asked.<br>"He's making good time. He should be here in the next twenty minutes." McKay takes a computer tablet off a scientist and looks at it. John looks at the Chair nervously.  
>"Well, I guess it's showtime."<br>"You sure you can do this?"  
>"Fly the city?"<br>"What else could I possibly be talking about?"  
>"I flew a V22 Osprey once."<br>"Was it as big as a city?" McKay said sarcastically.  
>"Well, you had to use your hands and feet with that one. This one, you just have to sit down and think...'Fly.'"<br>"OK, why don't you just get in the Chair and start your pre-flight?" McKay starts to leave the room. John sits down in the Chair, which lights up. Rodney turns back towards him. "Oh, I'm gonna head up to the Control Room, and Julian will monitor output from the ZedP.M. Room." He turns away, then turns back, looking a little awkward. "And, uh, good luck."  
>"You too." Looking nervous, John sits back in the Chair, which reclines.<p>

҉

**SPACE**  
><em>"Doctor McKay, can you read me?"<em> Lorne asked over the comms.  
>"Five by five. Lorne, you in position?"<br>_ "We're getting close. You about ready?"_

"Barrett, I need a Go or No Go."  
><em>"We are Go. All non-essential systems have been shut down. We're in the green."<em>  
>"Are you ready, Sheppard?"<br>_"Ready as I'll ever be."_  
>McKay switched back to Lorne. "OK, Major, make sure she's moving as slow as possible."<br>_"Are you sure we shouldn't just lob this thing at the satellite?"_  
>"No, they'd easily be able to navigate back into position. This is still our best bet."<br>_"Copy that."_  
>The asteroid moves slowly towards the beam emanating from the satellite. All the F-302s release their grapples and lift off the surface.<br>"Package is away and on course. We're heading back to the Apollo. Good luck."  
>In the Control Room, Rodney glances at Illyria, who nods to him encouragingly. He checks his console. "OK, calculating travel time based on current speed. That's it. We're good." He looks at Illyria again. "Here goes nothing."<br>He activates some controls. Underneath the city, the failsafe mechanism fires up. The city begins to shake. Weir holds onto a console nervously as the city begins to rise, heading towards the surface and the satellite's beam. In the Chair Room, the Chair rotates slowly as John lies in it, his eyes closed in concentration.  
>"Asteroid is entering the beam." McKay said.<br>Above the planet, the asteroid intersects the beam, breaking its contact with the city below. The beam starts to carve into the rock, breaking large chunks off it. In the ocean below, the surface of the water becomes agitated as the city continues to rise. The top of the shield breaks the surface and the central tower rises into the daylight. A tidal wave travels away in all direction as the city lifts to the surface of the ocean.  
>"We're on the surface. Fire the stardrive." McKay said.<br>In the Chair Room, John concentrates. The ocean boils and steam rises as the stardrive fires up.  
>"We're not flying high enough. It's stalling out!" McKay said.<br>In the Chair Room, John's eyes snap open and he lifts his head. "It's not working."  
><em>"What, are you doing wrong?" <em>McKay asked.  
>"Sure, blame me. We don't have enough power."<br>_ "Oh, sure, blame me!"_  
>"It's not working. What other reasons could there be?"<br>_"I have no more power to give you!"_  
>"Shut it off." Illyria commanded from the Control Room.<br>"What?" McKay asked.  
>"Lower the shield."<br>"We're about to go into space! If you plan on breathing, we're gonna need the shield."  
><em>"Turn it back on at eighteen thousand feet. We just need the boost to get started, no?"<em> John asked.  
>Rodney's eyes widen. "That might work." He turns to another console and starts typing frantically. Above the planet, the satellite beam continues to carve its way across the asteroid. In the Chair Room, Rodney's voice comes over the radio.<br>_"OK, I did it. Give it all you've got."_  
>John closes his eyes and lays his head back. The city - now without its shield - heads up into the sky. As it leaves the ocean, the vibrations cease. Rodney and Illyria gaze upwards.<br>"That's it!" McKay shouted. Weir lets go of the console she has been clinging to. Rodney stares upwards, his eyes wide and a smile on his face. "We're flying!"  
>The city continues to rise. Illyria smiles and walks towards the rear window at the top of the stairs. Ronon walks to the edge of the Control Room, Weir a little way behind him, gazing out of the window, awe-struck.<br>Suddenly alarms sound.  
>"That's it. Time's up. Raising the shield." McKay said. He types, and, as Atlantis continues to rise into the air, the shield begins slowly to deploy from the bottom of the city.<br>In space, the beam reaches a weak spot in the asteroid and burns straight through, heading down toward the planet again. It lances towards the central tower of the city...and the shield has not yet risen all the way. Illyria winces and raises her arms to cover her face as the beam lashes through the window, smashing the glass and sending her flying backwards. Glass rains down on everyone as Illyria crashes to the floor down in the Gateroom. The shield finally rises all the way but the damage is already done. Rodney's console explodes as part of the wall collapses.  
>In the Chair Room, John - unaware of the chaos in the Control Room - lies back with his eyes closed, much calmer now.<br>"Taking us into hyperspace." The city soars up into the sky and shoots into hyperspace. John deactivates the Chair and sits up. "We did it!" A couple of the scientists nod and smile at him. "McKay! Illyria!"  
>Rodney voice comes over the radio, anguished and panic-stricken. <em>"I need a medical team to the Control Room, stat! Multiple injuries!"<em>  
>John leaps out of the Chair and races off.<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

Medics are treating a couple of injured people who are covered in cuts from the broken glass. John comes in and goes over to Doctor Keller. She is helping to lift a stretcher containing Illyria's unconscious body onto a gurney. Illyria's head is bound with a large bandage, she is wearing a neck brace, has an oxygen mask over her face and is covered with a blanket.  
>"Keller, what happened?"<br>"Apparently the beam grazed the tower and blew out the-" She notices one of her team wrapping a bandage around a man's arm. "Adams, that guy just has a cut. Tell him to put pressure on it and move on. There's a lot of people worse off upstairs  
>John jogs over to the gurney. "Sweetheart?" John whispered, taking Illyria's hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. He looked up at Keller, worry glazing his eyes. "Is she gonna be OK?"<br>"I don't know yet. She took quite a fall and her pupils are sluggish. I'm gonna have to get her under a scanner. I'll know more in a bit."  
>She follows the medic as he wheels Illyria out of the room, her hand slipping out of John's. John runs up the stairs. The Control Room is a mess. Consoles are sparking everywhere and the floor is covered with broken glass. Medics are helping injured people. Ronon is sitting against a console with a large piece of jagged glass embedded in his chest.<br>"Oh, God." John bends down to Ronon. "Are you alright?"  
>"Yeah, I've had worse." Ronon said, his voice hoarse with pain.<br>"How come no-one's helping you?"  
>"I told them I didn't need any help. Other people need more."<br>"I doubt that." He calls out to Adams. "Get this man to the Infirmary."  
>"Yes, sir." Adams said and rushed to Ronon.<br>John stands up and goes over to Rodney and Weir. "You guys alright?"  
>"All things considered." McKay goes over to a console, flinching as a panel nearby sparks out. He has several cuts on his face from flying glass.<br>"What happened?" John asked.  
>"The beam grazed the side of the tower before the shield was completely closed." Weir said, her face and arms scratched.<br>"Damage?" John asked Rodney.  
>"Minimal - I think. Look, I was able to get the shield up fairly quickly. It took the brunt of the blow." Alarms sound. Rodney looks up. "Oh, what now?"<br>The room shakes.  
>"What's happening?" Weir asks.<br>The city comes out of hyperspace and enters normal space.  
>"We just dropped out of hyperspace." McKay said.<br>"Have we already reached M12-578?" Weir asked.  
>"No. There's no way. It should have taken at least another few hours." McKay checks the console. "The hyperdrive just shut down."<br>"Why?" John asks.  
>"I don't know."<br>"Get it back up."  
>"I just said I don't know what's wrong. I can't get it back up if I don't know what happened." McKay said angrily.<br>"Where are we?" Weir asks.  
>"In the middle of nowhere. There's no planets, no moons, no Stargates."<br>"How much power do we have?" John asked.  
>Rodney checks his console again. He stares in horror. "This can't be right."<br>"How much?" John repeated.  
>"At current consumption, we've got twenty-four hours of power left. After that, there's no shield. No shield, no atmosphere. No atmosphere, we're-"<br>"Can we use the Stargate?" Weir asked.  
>"In order to dial a Gate, it needs to be calibrated to a specific location. We are lost. Look, we dropped out of hyperspace way too soon. I have no idea where we are."<p>

**TO BE CONTINUED.**


	49. Chapter 47

**AN:/ TWINS= 1y 11m **

**Who thinks I'm killing Illyria off? Come on, be honest now, R&R**

An unconscious Illyria Sheppard is being wheeled on a gurney from the Control Room towards the Infirmary. Doctor Jennifer Keller runs alongside the medics, talking into her headset radio.  
>"She's unresponsive and her pupils are sluggish. I need you to prep the O.R. and have the scanner ready when we get there."<br>A nurse in the Infirmary responds over the radio. "_We're on it. Scanner's moving into position."_  
>In the corridor, the monitor attached to Illyria sounds an alarm and then emits a single continuous beep.<p>

"She's crashing." A medic shouted.  
>Jennifer climbs up onto the gurney and starts to apply C.P.R. to Illyria. "Let's go, guys! I don't wanna do this in the hall."<br>The medics continue to wheel the gurney towards the Infirmary.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney McKay, his face covered in cuts from flying glass, watches a wall screen as it begins to display new information. He turns and walks towards the consoles.  
>"Here we go. Here we go."<br>John Sheppard and Elizabeth Weir watch him as he hurries from one console to another, checking each one of them.  
>"Got city-wide sensors back online?" John asked.<br>"Not fully. Slowly re-booting up right now."  
>"Can we contact the Apollo?" Weir asked.<br>"Not yet, no."  
>"Why not?"<br>"Because sub-space communications are down. Don't worry - I've got Chuck working on it."  
>Chuck the technician presses a button on a wall panel. As he looks down at his computer tablet, the panel explodes. Chuck cringes as sparks fly all around him.<br>John turned to Rodney. "Well, maybe you should be working on it."  
>"I've got bigger fish to fry."<br>"What could be more important than contacting the Apollo?" Weir asked.  
>Rodney's eyes widen as he sees new information on his computer tablet. "This can't be right."<br>"What's wrong?" John asked.  
>"Power. We're losing massive amounts of power."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon Dex is sitting on the side of a bed as a medic examines the large shard of glass sticking out of Ronon's shoulder.  
>"Just pull it out." Ronon ordered.<br>"I can't do that." The medic said.  
>"Why not?"<br>"We have to wait to get you under the scanner - make sure pulling it out's not gonna cause you any more damage."  
>"Pull ... it ... out." Ronon said sternly.<br>"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're a tough guy. If you wanna pull it out, go ahead, but I'm not-" Ronon reaches for the piece of glass. "Are you crazy?"  
>The medics wheel Illyria's gurney into the Infirmary, Jennifer still kneeling over her and pumping her chest as the monitor continues its flatline tone. Ronon pushes his medic out of the way, stands up and walks towards the team as they wheel Illyria into a room. Jennifer gets down as the medics take the gurney alongside a bed.<br>"On three. Ready? One, two, three." A Japanese medic counted down.  
>They lift the stretcher onto the bed. Jennifer picks up the paddles of a defibrillator. "Clear." Everyone lifts their hands clear and Jennifer jolts Illyria. "Charge it."<p>

҉

**POWER ROOM**

Julian Barrett checks the Z.P.M., then walks to another console. "I don't think the problem is on this end."  
><em>"I don't care where the problem is. I wanna know what the problem is."<em> McKay barked from over the radio.  
>A scientist brings a computer tablet to Julian. He looks at it. "It's in the conduits." In the Control Room, Rodney groans. "It looks like several of the main conduits were affected by the brush with the beam."<br>_"Alright, that means we'll need to, uh-"_  
>"Yes, yes, yes. You-you should get the-"<br>_"I will, as soon as I've shut down all of the-"_  
>"Yes, yes, yes. I will do the same thing."<br>"Wait, wait, wait. What's going on here?" John asked.  
>McKay was hurrying from one console to another. "Every second I waste, we're draining more power. Just trust me, we're doing the right thing here."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer is still jolting Illyria.  
>The nurse was looking at the monitors. "No change."<br>"Let's start her on mannitol - two hundred I.V." Keller ordered.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**  
>"Tell me what's going on, Rodney!" John yelled.<br>"Long story short, there are a bunch of systems on right now that don't need to be, and given our current situation, they are draining the life out of the city."  
>"Can you not just shut them off?" Weir asked.<br>"Just ... wait ... uh ... Maybe, yeah." McKay goes to another console and starts to type.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer is pumping Illyria's chest manually again. "Come on…"

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney continues to type. "Oh, come on."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

As the team continues to work on Illyria, her monitor continues its unbroken tone.  
>"Time?" Keller asked.<br>"She's been flat for almost two minutes." Nurse said.  
>"Come on, we need you here, Illyria." Keller whispered. The tone changes to a rapid beeping. "She's going back into V-fib." She grabs the defibrillator paddles. "Let's hit her again. Clear."<br>She shocks Illyria. The tone changes to that of a regular heartbeat. "There we go. There we go. Let's check the scan."  
>The medics move the scanner over Illyria's head. "Doctor Keller?"<br>Jennifer looks at the readout from the scanner. "That's not good."  
>"Her brain is swelling quite seriously."<br>"That would explain the sluggish pupils."  
>"Yeah, among other things."<br>"Give her nimodipine. Three milligrams every four hours and keep an eye on her blood pressure."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**  
>"Nothing! Well, the control grid's all out of whack. I can't shut the systems down from here. We're bleeding out!" McKay yelled.<br>"We can shut down the systems manually, right?" John asked.  
>"I don't think we have the time."<br>"You would rather not try?" Weir asked.  
>"OK, you're right, you're right." McKay activates his headset. "Barrett, we're gonna need to deploy some teams."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer and the nurse are looking at the scan of Illyria's brain. "She's not responding. We're losing her."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**  
>"I'm sending some of my men with your guys in case they need help. Their E.T.A. is under five minutes. Does that give us enough time?" John asked.<br>"I don't know. What little power we had left is almost gone. We'll be lucky if we can make it through the night." McKay said.

҉

**LATER**

As Rodney continues working feverishly near a wall panel, John walks over and speaks to him quietly so that the rest of the crew can't hear. "Listen."  
>"What?" McKay asked, turning to him.<br>"You've been making a lot of decisions without consulting me."  
>"I'm sorry - we're a little under the gun here. Things move fast." He said, a little indignantly.<br>"I understand that, but with my wife- Illyria," He bowed his head, knowing what was going on with her, but unable to be with her, "...incapacitated, I hate to say it, but…"  
>Rodney, understanding what he's trying to say, answers quietly. "You're in charge, I know. I'm sorry."<br>"Just keep me in the loop."  
>McKay was leading him over to one of the consoles. "OK, OK. I'll give you the Coles Notes."<br>"The what?"  
>"Uh, the Cliff Notes."<br>"Why didn't you just say that?"  
>"Uh, never mind. Look, as we were leaving Lantea, we got grazed by the Replicator satellite beam, right? It impacted the side of the tower and from what we can tell, it wreaked havoc on a number of power conduits."<br>"So? Re-route the power, then."  
>"Yeah, it's not so easy. Look, the ZedP.M. Room's at the base of the tower which means that the conduits in and around where the beam hit are primary conduits. They can't be routed around."<br>"So parts of the city don't have power."  
>"No, no. no. The conduits weren't severed - they were damaged. Look, it's complicated but imagine them as leaky pipes, OK?"<br>"OK."  
>"So you pump water through them, they leak, right?"<br>"If you dumb this down any more, you're gonna get hit." John said, tetchily.  
>"Sorry. Look, the city realizes that, for whatever reason, power's not making it to the outer piers, so instead of repairing the leaks, which it can't do, it increases the ZedP.M.'s output so that even though the pipes are leaky and we lose power, enough energy makes it to the end of the line."<br>"And that's bad."  
>"No, that's good." John sighs in irritation. "Well, otherwise we'd lose the shields, we'd lose atmosphere, we'd all be dead."<br>"OK."  
>"There are a number of systems on right now that don't need to be and they're screaming for power. We're gonna lose juice - potentially a fatal amount - no matter what we do, but if we can get those non-essential systems shut down, then the ZedP.M. will need to pump less power through the leaky pipes and we'll be able to put off imminent death for another ... hour or so."<br>"Hmm. So, then, where are we at?"  
>"Well, the teams are making good time. Uh, we've got sixty percent of the non-essential systems shut down, so-" An alarm sounds. "What?" He and John walk over to Chuck at a wall screen. Weir joins them. "What's happening?"<br>"The city's outer buildings are decompressing - shutting down the artificial gravity." Chuck reported.  
>"Why would the city do such a thing?" Weir asked.<br>"It's gonna collapse the shield. It's trying to save power." McKay said.  
>"We've got guys out there." John activates his headset. "Matthews - fall back to the tower immediately."<br>In a distant corridor, Matthews is watching a couple of scientists working on a wall panel. He activates his headset. "I don't think we're done, sir."  
><em>"The city's shield's collapsing. Move!"<em>  
>Matthews turned to the scientists, "You heard the man. Go! Go!"<br>The scientists drop their equipment and the three of them start to run. In the Control Room, the others watch their progress on the wall screen.  
>"They're not going to make it." Weir said, quietly.<br>"Stop it. Stop it from doing this." John demanded Rodney.  
>"The city doesn't think it can maintain the shield unless we make it smaller. If we delay its collapse, it could fail completely."<br>"I don't care. Override it!"  
>"It's not letting me."<br>On the outer edges of the city, the shield begins to retreat towards the central core. Bulkhead doors close automatically as the edge of the shield progresses inwards. Matthews and the scientists run down a flight of stairs.  
>"We're almost there." Matthews said into the radio.<br>In the Control Room, the others watch as the wall screen pulls up a close-up image of the three life signs depicting Matthews and the scientists. The edge of the shield races towards them from behind them.  
>"We're gonna lose those guys, McKay!" John shouted.<br>"D'you think I don't realize that?" He said, angrily, frantically.  
><em>"The gravity just shut down!"<em> Matthews shouted over the radio.  
>In the corridor, Matthews and the scientists float off the ground as the shield edge races towards them, then passes them. Rodney, John and Weir stare at the screen in horror as, in quick succession, the three life signs signatures on the screen go out. A moment later, the message "BIO SIGNATURES TERMINATED" appears. John, Rodney and Weir gaze at the screen in sorrow for a few seconds.<br>"Tell the other teams to hurry. I don't want them out there any longer than they need to be." John said, turning and storming away.

҉

**MIDWAY SPACE STATION**

The structure has almost been completed. The walls are now completely enclosed. Inside, ramps now lead down from the Stargates clamped in each end of the Station. Samantha Carter, holding a computer tablet, floats above the floor and drifts carefully towards the center of the Station where various consoles and wall panels have been installed. Bill Lee is floating at the other end of the room.  
>"Hey, are you getting the same data rate inconsistencies off these flash drives? Bill? Bill?" Carter asked. She turns to look at Bill Lee just as he vomits noisily into a bag, then quickly scrunches the bag closed to prevent anything escaping.<br>"Oh, sorry." Lee said.  
>"Oh, boy." She said, grimacing.<br>"It's this damned weightlessness."  
>"You know, maybe you should gate back to Earth. I can get somebody else to help me bring the Station online."<br>"No, no, I'll be fine as soon as I can figure out how to get the gravity back on. Uh, what were you saying about the flash drives?"  
>"It's just that every time I update the software, the drives-" There's the sound of a Stargate kawhooshing. On a wall monitor showing computer images of two Stargates side by side, the right-hand image shows a visual representation of a kawhoosh. "The Pegasus Gate just activated."<br>_ "This is Colonel Abe Ellis, commander of the Apollo. Midway Station, please respond." _  
>"Colonel Ellis, this is Colonel Samantha Carter. I am on the Midway Station. How did the mission go?"<br>Ellis is standing on the Bridge of Apollo. "Well, as far as we can tell, Atlantis successfully evaded the Replicators' beam and was able to enter hyperspace."  
><em>"From what you can tell?"<em>  
>"Well, they're not at the pre-determined rendezvous point."<br>_"Really? They should have beaten you there. Actually, hey, how are you dialling us? M12-578 doesn't have a Gate. It's off the grid."  
><em> "I've jumped to the nearest Gate to see if they've checked in with you."  
><em>"Well, I'm sorry to say that they haven't."<em>  
>"That's probably not good."<br>_"No, probably not."_  
>"I'll head back, dial you again in an hour - sooner if I hear from them."<br>_"Sounds good."_  
>"Apollo out."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

The city flies on, its shield now not covering the entire city. About a tenth of the outer edge is exposed to space.  
>In the Infirmary, Ronon has had the glass removed from his shoulder and a dressing now covers the wound. He has a drip in his arm but is on his feet and wheels the stand holding the fluid across the floor to where a couple of medics are watching a screen which shows the O.R. The medic who treated him earlier looks round at him.<br>"Hey. You should be in bed."  
>Ronon just looks at him, then looks down at Illyria's face. "How's she doing?"<br>"Her brain is swelling drastically - more than her head can handle. If it doesn't stop, they're gonna have to perform a decompressive craniotomy. Basically, they cut out a piece of her skull and the brain is allowed to expand outside of her head."

҉

**ILYRIA'S OFFICE**

John is standing just inside the door, looking into the room. Rodney walks in and joins him.  
>"Any word on how she's doing?" McKay asked.<br>"She's still in the O.R. No real news yet." John whispered over his shoulder.  
>"Right. Listen, I think we should collapse the shield right to the tower."<br>"That'll leave us completely exposed to space."  
>"Yes, it will, but our power is spread so thin right now, I don't have any extra juice to come up with the solutions to the hundred or so problems that could lead us to our premature demise today."<br>"Alright. Check with Barrett - make sure all the science teams are accounted for."  
>"Already done. We're ready."<br>They walk back into the Control Room.  
>"Alright. Do what you need to do."<br>"OK." McKay looks at the team in the Control Room. "Here we go."  
>From a viewpoint in space, the shield retracts until it encloses only the central tower and a few buildings immediately surrounding it.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

In the Operating Room, everyone is in their operating gear. Jennifer looks down at Illyria as the nurse reports to her.  
>"The calcium channel blockers aren't having much effect."<br>"What's her intracranial pressure?"  
>"Thirty-five."<br>"Can't let her get to forty. Alright, let's prep for a decompressive craniotomy."  
>The operation begins. A nurse shaves Illyria's head as another medic helps Jennifer into a gown. Once Illyria's head is bald, she is laid on her side and nurses secure a clamp around her head. Later, Jennifer has removed a large portion of Illyria's skull and is drilling out the last pieces. Later again, she probes inside the cavity and removes a portion of skull. The nurse looks at the monitors as they beep to show a new reading.<br>"Pressure down to twenty-nine."  
>"Hopefully we'll get it under twenty-five."<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

As someone sweeps up the glass on the Gateroom floor, Rodney stands nearby looking at a computer tablet that someone has brought him.  
>"Hmm. Yeah."<br>As the man walks away, John and Weir walk in and the three of them make their way up to the Control Room. Rodney has at last had a chance to have the cuts on his face treated and cleaned up. "Alright. Two bits of good news. One: I have been able to calculate our exact location."  
>"Does that mean we can use the Gate?" Weir asked.<br>"Sadly, no. To activate the Gate, we require that we stay within a fairly small area of space. We're moving too fast to use it."  
>"Can we use the sub-lights to slow down?" John asked.<br>"Well, it'd be great if they were working, but sub-light and navigation are out."  
>"And you decided to put this in the "good news" category?"<br>"Well, at least we're not lost any more, right? Number two: there is nothing wrong with our hyperdrive." McKay smiled.  
>"Then why did we fall out of hyperspace prematurely?" Weir asked.<br>"The damaged power conduits. We had plenty of gas in the tank, so to speak. We just couldn't get it to the engine. We stalled out."  
>"So if we repair the conduits, can we jump back into hyperspace?" John asked.<br>"That's the idea, yes. I mean, we wouldn't be able to repair them completely, not without landing and shutting down and such, but we can definitely patch them up. Look, Barrett and his team are working as fast as they possibly can. The problem is, we're still leaking a lot of power."  
>"Even with all the reductions?" Weir asked.<br>"I'm afraid so, yes." McKay calls up an image on a screen showing power levels. The top third of the chart is red; the bottom two thirds are green. A line crosses the green area a little lower than halfway down the screen. Rodney points to the line. "Look, this is the minimum amount of power the city requires to execute a jump into hyperspace. If we don't fix the power conduits inside of an hour, we'll drop below that level. After that, we're stuck. We'll have, maybe, thirty hours before the shields fail and we all die in the vacuum of space."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon is lying awake in bed. John comes in. "You OK?"  
>"Yeah, I'm fine. They got all the glass out."<br>"Good."  
>"You need me somewhere?"<br>"Right here, getting better."  
>"Alright. Well, I'm good to go."<br>Jennifer comes out of the O.R. and looks at John. "Colonel?"  
>John looks at her in dread for a moment, then reluctantly walks over to her. She puts her hand on his shoulder and steers him away from everyone else in the room. They walk over to some computer screens showing the O.R. where medics are treating a post-operative Illyria. One is wrapping a large bandage around her head.<br>"Is she OK?" John said, not attempting to hide the worry and panic in his voice.  
>"She's alive, but she's in bad shape. She's got six broken ribs, one of which punctured her lung. Amazingly, she doesn't have any spinal damage ... but her head got knocked around pretty good. She's suffering from cerebral edema, which may have caused substantial brain damage."<br>"What does all that mean?"  
>"Well, it's too early to know for sure but, if she survives - and I gotta stress the "if" ... she'll never be the same Illyria you know and love again." John stares blankly at the computer screen. "I'm sorry." John continues to stare at the computer screens. "I've gotta get some things and get back in there. We're under-staffed. Most of our team's on the Apollo."<br>His eyes never leaving the screens, John nods to show that he understands. After a moment he briefly glances at Jennifer, then looks back to the screens, a tear rolling down his cheek. Jennifer walks away.

҉

**POWER ROOM**

As Julian and a colleague lean on the Z.P.M. console looking at computer tablets, Rodney comes in. "How's it going on this end?"  
>"Remarkably well."<br>"Really?" McKay said, pleasantly surprised.  
>"Yes. Cannibalizing parts and crystals from secondary conduits and interfacing them with primary ones is, um, it's going very smoothly. Yes, if we keep our current pace, we should be done well before we drop below the necessary power requirements to, you know, jump into hyperspace and meet up with the Apollo."<br>Rodney looks amazed. "Well, that - that's fantastic!"  
>Julian smiles. "Yes! Yeah, I thought you'd be happy."<br>McKay shares his feelings. "Happy? There's actually a chance we might make it through this thing! I am ecstatic! I am gonna do a little-"  
><em>"Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay. Please report to the Control Room immediately."<em> Chuck called over the radio.  
>Rodney's smile drops. "That lasted, what, like, a second?"<br>Despondently, he turns and heads away.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

John and Rodney walk in and go over to a Chinese technician. "You're gonna want to look at this."  
>They look at the screen.<br>"What is that?" John asked.  
>"An asteroid belt?" McKay asked.<br>"Are the sub-lights still offline?" John asked.  
>"Yeah." The tech. nodded.<br>John turned to Rodney. "We're gonna need to expand the shield."  
>"We don't have enough power!"<br>John turned to the technician. "How long 'til we get there; and how long 'til we get through it?"  
>"About ten minutes 'til we get there. After that, maybe two minutes to get through."<br>"Two minutes to get through an asteroid field?" John asked.  
>"Well, we're not passing all the way through; we're just gonna skim the edge."<br>John turned to Rodney. "You can't even give me two minutes of full shield?"  
>"Don't take it personally - I'd like them up as much as you would, but we just can't afford the power."<br>John gestured to the screen. "Rodney!"  
>"Look, Barrett needs forty-five minutes to complete the repairs to the power conduits. If we raise the shield even for one minute, it'll eat up all his time. We can't do it."<br>"OK." John stares at the screen, thinking rapidly. "How big are they?  
>"Well, we're in the middle of a pretty big solar system right now, and the asteroid belt's probably made up of remnants of early failed planets, so ... you know ... building size and larger?"<br>"I can get in the Chair, fire drones and clear a path to travel through."  
>"In principle, a good idea, but the Chair Room is outside the shield right now and we'd never get to it. Look, we could, um ... ah, that's not gonna work. Uh, we could…" McKay trails off, unable to think of anything.<br>"How many people on the base have the Ancient gene?"  
>"Twenty or so." McKay suddenly realizes what John is thinking. "Look, no, no, no-no-no-no. That is a bad idea."<br>"Do you have a better idea?"  
>"Yes." McKay points his finger at John, thinking hard. John tilts his head at him, waiting. "I can't. I just, I just need some time. If you, er-"<br>John turns and walks away. "Contact everyone on the base who has the Ancient gene; tell them to meet me up in the Jumper Bay."  
>Rodney, realizing that he's not going to come up with a better plan, turns to the technician. "Well, do it."<br>Sighing, he follows John to the stairs.

҉

**JUMPER BAY**

John is explaining the situation to everyone who has gathered there. "...which means we can't raise the shield because we don't have enough power. If we don't clear a path for the city, it'll get ripped apart. So we're gonna take every last Jumper we have and we're gonna clear a path through the belt by firing our drones."  
>The reluctant pilots, mostly scientists and medics, frown at each other nervously. The medic who treated Ronon earlier raises his hand. "'Scuse me. I've really only flown a Jumper twice and I've never actually fired a live drone, so..."<br>"You've done it in simulations, right?"  
>"Well, yeah, but..."<br>"Basically the same thing. If McKay can do it, you can do it."  
>"Yes, look, about that, actually, I-"<br>John talked over McKay. "Look, I know it's dangerous. I know a lot of you haven't logged a lot of hours in these things, but right now it's the only viable option we have, or, um..."  
>John trails off. Rodney, realizing that he's right, continues for him. "...or die."<br>"Let's get moving."  
>John walks into the nearest Jumper. Everyone else heads off into the Bay. Each one goes into a Jumper and gets into the pilot's seat. Some of them look very nervous. Once everyone is onboard, John speaks over the radio as the Heads-Up Display comes up on each Jumper's windshield.<br>"Alright, I've loaded a flight formation for all of you. Stay in your designated positions; take out anything that's in your path. You've got a full load of drones, so ammo shouldn't be a problem."  
>Rodney looks at his H.U.D. "Looks like the old video game, Asteroids."<br>"Well, whatever works for you."  
>"I was terrible at Asteroids. I think I actually scored zero once."<br>"Well, there's only one way to go, and that's up." Rodney does not look comforted by that thought. "Alright, everyone, let's go. Open the Jumper Bay doors."  
>The roof irises open and one by one the Jumpers fly out, break through the shield and head out into space towards the asteroid belt ahead of the city. There are at least fifteen of them. They start to get into formation. John looks at the H.U.D. which shows that the line is very ragged.<br>"Come on, guys, stay in formation. We can't afford any gaps." Slowly the Jumpers move until they're all in a straight line side by side. "Yeah, there you go. See? Not so hard."  
>In the Control Room, Weir reports. "Jumpers, you should be in range in three, two, one."<br>"Fire at will." John commanded. The Jumpers begin to fire at the approaching asteroids. As the drones impact, rocks begin to blow apart. "Nice shooting, people."  
>"There's too many of them. They're coming in too fast. We're not gonna get them all." McKay said.<br>"Alright, double up. Fire four apiece."  
>"I can't control four drones at the same time!"<br>"Well, just concentrate."  
>Nervously, Rodney concentrates and fires two sets of drones in quick succession. At least three of them make contact and blow three rocks apart. A large rock which he missed flies past very close to his Jumper. "Dammit!"<br>"Don't worry about it. You were right - can't get everything on the first pass."  
>The Jumpers fly on, continuing to blow up as many asteroids as they can, while swerving out of the way of the rocks they weren't able to hit.<br>In the Control Room, Weir looks at the technician. "Have they destroyed enough asteroids to clear a path?"  
>"We're about to find out."<p>

Out in space, the Jumpers near the edge of the asteroid belt.  
>"Now what?" McKay asked John.<br>"On my mark, you, Bolton and Levine are gonna break formation and head back to the city - take out anything that we missed."  
>"Oh, that sounds important. Maybe someone else should-" McKay said nervously, but John interrupted.<br>"Break!"  
>Rodney and the pilots of two other Jumpers swing their ships around in a 180 degree arc and head back towards Atlantis, firing as they go.<br>"McKay - you've a big one on your left." Levine said.  
>"I see it."<br>"Impact in ten seconds."  
>A large asteroid is heading directly towards the lower half of the central tower. Concentrating hard, Rodney races towards it and fires two drones. They both impact it and it blows apart. Rodney's Jumper is now on a clear collision course with the tower. Rodney cringes from the explosion, then grabs the controls and pulls the ship upwards into a steep climb. The Jumper skims up the side of the tower, barely missing it. Rodney sighs in relief as he flies clear of the city.<br>In the Control Room, Weir and the others look up as they hear the sound of an impact nearby. Nervously, Weir asked a tech., "What was that?"  
>"Smaller pieces getting through."<br>Something larger impacts the city and the tower jolts.  
>"Some of them evidently not so small." Weir said.<br>"Well, right now damage is confined to the outer edge of the city." The Tech said, checking his console.  
>"Let's hope it stays that way."<br>In space, the main flight of Jumpers continues blowing up asteroids.  
>"Alright, we're through. Now we're gonna double back, pick up any stragglers." John said.<br>In the Control Room, everyone looks up as a nearby impact jolts the tower gently. A second rock hits, but this time the tower stays still. They wait nervously for a while, but there are no further impacts. Eventually the technician checks his console again.  
>"That's it." He looks round at everyone. "We made it!"<p>

҉

**JUMPER BAY**

As the last of the Jumpers come in to land, John walks out of his ship and goes across to Rodney as he comes out of his.  
>"I can't believe that actually worked! That was amazing!"<br>"You did good, Rodney."  
>"Yeah! So Barrett and his team should have the conduits repaired by now, so I think we're finally out of the woods!" He smiles happily.<br>_"Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay. Please report to the Control Room immediately."_  
>"Oh, come on!" McKay said, indignantly.<br>The two of them head off.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

John and Rodney come down the stairs.  
>"What the hell happened?" John asked.<br>"The hyperdrive is offline." Weir said.  
>"I thought it was good to go.<br>"It was, but a few large pieces of rock impacted the city and one of the control arrays was damaged. We can't jump until we fix it." Barrett said.  
>"I told you I was no good at Asteroids!" McKay plaintively said to John. As he and John walked off, Weir called John back.<p>

"What is it, Elizabeth? 'Cause we really don't have time-"

"You're not going."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, John. You're not going."

John shook his head, stunned. "May I ask why?"

"You need to be with Illyria-"

"Elizabeth. Don't." John said sternly, his eyes shooting fire. He turned, once again, to leave, but Weir call out,

"I know what you're doing John; I've seen it before!" John slowed and tilted his head to listen. "You're throwing yourself into your work, distancing yourself from her in case something happens. Newsflash, John, something _has_ happened! And she needs you, now more than ever. And if, God forbid, you _die_, who then would she have? Think of your _children_, John." She pleaded, "Have someone else go."

҉

**LATER**

John, Rodney and Julian are walking along a corridor.  
>"The damaged conduits are on the outer edge of the city, which sadly is outside the protection of the shield." McKay said.<br>"We can use the transporters to get us close, but it will still require a spacewalk." Julian said.  
>"That shouldn't be too bad." John shrugged.<br>"Huh! It'll be a breeze...with the exception of the micro-asteroids." McKay said.  
>"The what?"<br>"We just came through an asteroid belt. The big stuff's behind us but there's still a bunch of little bullet-sized rocks out there."  
>"Tiny rock bullets. Great!"<br>"I'm sure you'll be fine."  
>"Well then why aren't you going?" Julian asked.<br>"Because you've already worked out the details of the repair. You know it'll be a waste of time getting me up to speed."  
>"Speaking of time, how much do we have?" John asked.<br>"Well, once you've suited up, uh, fifteen minutes?"  
>"That's it, huh?"<br>"Hey, if the patch job we did in the conduits hadn't slowed down the power loss, we'd have hit the deadline already."  
>They reach a cupboard containing spacesuits. John goes to it and takes out a helmet. Julian stands back a little, staring at the suits nervously.<br>"Look, you can do this." McKay said.  
>"I hate space…" Julian plaintively said.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Rodney is heading back towards the tower, working on his computer tablet as he walks along. Jennifer comes down some stairs and runs over to him.  
>"McKay!"<br>"Mmm."  
>"I've been trying to reach you!"<br>"Well, you know, trying to save the city and what-not. Look, how's Illyria?"  
>"That's what I wanna talk to you about. She's really bad. In fact, she's so far gone I don't think there's anything my team and I can do to heal her."<br>"Oh my God. Uh, are you sure?" McKay said, shocked.  
>" I've exhausted every medical possibility I can think of, and none of its worked."<br>"She...she's gonna die?" McKay started to snap his fingers. "We need to get Sheppard out of-"  
>"Well, I do have one more idea, but I need your help."<br>"Me? What do you need me for?"

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Jennifer opens a laptop and shows an image to Rodney.  
>"See those?"<br>"What are they?"  
>"Remember when Queen Illyria was held kinda hostage once the Atlantians came back and then they were attacked...?"<br>"Nanites. How'd they get in her? She was out before they invaded the city."

"I don't know, but they're still in her system."

Rodney stares at her in amazement. "You're a genius!"  
>Jennifer shrugs nonchalantly. "Well, you know, trying to save a life and what-not."<br>Rodney nods, and starts to type on the laptop.  
>A little later, Rodney talks to John over the radio, catching him up to speed. John is already in his spacesuit, and a couple of men are putting Julian's helmet onto his head.<br>"You wanna do what to my wife?"  
><em>"Reactivate Illyria's nanites."<em>  
>"That is a terrible, <em>terrible<em> idea."  
><em> "What? I've reprogrammed them."<em>  
>"No!"<br>_"John, we are losing her here. Keller and her team have done everything they can. If I can reprogram the nanites to help repair her body without trying to take over her brain, then-"_  
>"That's a big "if," isn't it?"<br>_"I am fairly confident I can reprogram, them to do only what we want."_  
>"'Fairly confident.' What if they come back online and start communicating with the other Replicators? The last thing we need right now is a bunch of robot warships showing up."<br>_"Are you listening? Look, I said I can reprogram them to be completely harmless."_  
>John shakes his head. "I am not having this conversation until you're sure. I wanna save Illyria more than anyone, but she wouldn't want us risking the city, not even for her."<br>Rodney looks at Jennifer sadly, knowing that John is right. After a moment, he starts to type again. Julian walks over to John and puts his hand on his shoulder to indicate that he's ready to go. The two of them walk into a transporter.  
>"That was the right call, by the way."<br>"Yeah, let's hope so."  
>Julian pushes the wallscreen and the transporter doors close.<p>

҉

**MIDWAY SPACE STATION**

Gravity has now been restored. Bill walks over to Sam.  
>"Any word from the Apollo?"<br>"No, not yet." She walks over to a console and sits down.  
>"Uh, what you working on?"<br>"I'm actually trying to figure out a way to find or contact Atlantis."  
>"Well, they've obviously veered off course, right? Like, when was the last time Atlantis' hyperdrives were used? Like a million years ago? Who knows what that kind of inactivity could have done to them?"<br>"I think it's more likely that they jumped out of hyperspace too soon. They were only flying with one ZeeP.M. - maybe McKay underestimated the power requirements."  
>"McKay ... Either way, I know how to find them."<br>"Really?"  
>"Yeah. We do an A.G.B. - an all-Gates bulletin. It's like an all-points bulletin, only with Stargates."<br>"Oh, come on!" Carter said, full of disbelief.  
>"No, no, really! We'll create a program; we'll dial all the Gates in the Pegasus galaxy at once, then we'll try to establish radio contact with Atlantis."<br>"But the Atlantis Gate is off the grid."  
>"Right! But if they're close to another Gate..."<p>

"...then they would have contacted us by now."

"...Yeah. So, uh, so what have you come up with, then?" Lee said after a long pause.  
>"Well, nothing yet, but..."<br>"Well, at least I am trying! I'm generating ideas here - I just..." Lee said, indignantly. Seeing Sam's expression, he trails off. "Sorry."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John and Julian are walking slowly along a corridor.  
>"I'm actually surprised. The damage in this area seems to be quite minimal."<br>John reaches a corner and looks around it. "I beg to differ."  
>Julian reaches the corner and looks. "Oh crap."<br>They turn the corner and walk forward a little. The entire wall has been ripped away and they are standing on the edge of a very long drop. About a hundred feet in front of them, the next tower has also been ripped open. Presumably there used to be a walkway between the two towers but it was smashed by an asteroid.  
>"Let me guess: the array is over there." John said.<br>"I'm afraid so."  
>"Hmm. Great!"<br>As they stand staring at the chasm between them and where they need to be, two tiny objects smash through the side wall behind them, shoot across the hall and smash through the opposite side wall.  
>"What the hell was that?" John yelled.<br>"Micro-asteroid."  
>"Mmm, right. Alright, looks like we're gonna have to jump."<br>"I hate space…." Julian repeated as John pulls the end of a tether off his suit and links it onto Julian's suit.  
>"Look, I'm gonna hook you up with this tether, OK? Then I'm gonna de-magnetize your boots..." John flips a switch on Julian's suit. Julian starts to float free of the floor. "... then I'm gonna throw you."<br>"Wait! What?"  
>"Then I'm gonna de-mag my boots before the tether catches. Your inertia should pull both of us over the hole and onto the hallway. It'll be a cinch."<br>"What if you miss?"  
>"You're just gonna have to trust me, Julez. Trust me as far as I can throw you, actually."<br>"That's very funny." Julian said, not amused.  
>"Alright, let's do this."<br>Grunting with the effort, John pushes Julian out into space. As Julian begins to float towards the opposite tower, John lifts off the ground and floats after him. They drift slowly towards the tower and eventually float into the hallway. Julian braces his hands on the back wall as he gently bumps into it. A moment later, John touches down too. Julian turns to him, his eyes wide.  
>"That was unbelievable!"<br>"Let's get to work."  
>"Alright." He reaches up and pulls down a small toolbox which is tethered to his suit.<p>

҉

**LAB**

Jennifer walks in and goes over to Rodney who has two laptops side by side on the desk in front of him. He lifts his hands from the keyboard of one of them and looks at the other.  
>"How's it going?"<br>Rodney grimaces. "Slowly."  
>"Have you found a way to reactivate the nanites safely?"<br>"Short story, yes. Long story, no."  
>"What?"<br>"I'm a hundred percent certain that I can reactivate the nanites and have them help put Illyria back together."  
>"OK..."<br>"Problem is that they would do it by replacing her damaged cells with replicated nanites, which means the moment I tell them to turn inert again..."

"...those cells would stop functioning and she'd die."  
>"Yeah. The good news is, I've been able to program them in such a way that they would never harm her, I'm sure of that. Plus I've shut down their ability to contact the Replicators via sub-space, so both she and we would be safe, but she'd be part-Replicator for the rest of her life."<br>"Yeah, Sheppard's not gonna go for that."  
>"There's a slight possibility I might be able to make them help repair her organic cells and then shut down when they're done, but I'm gonna need more time."<br>"OK, I'll leave you to it then. Good luck." She turns and leaves.  
>"Hmm. Thanks."<p>

҉

**HALLWAY **

Julian is working on a panel which he has pulled out of the wall. "It's taking longer than I expected. These gloves are making the work so much slower."  
>Another micro-asteroid smashes through the wall nearby and whizzes past them, only barely missing them. They both turn and look at the hole.<br>"Don't worry about it. We've still got four minutes before the energy dips too low and we can't make the jump."  
>"So, no pressure, then."<br>He continues working on the panel. Just then, a micro-asteroid smashes through the wall and rips into the side of the calf of his right leg, continuing through and bursting out of the other side. He cries out. John turns to him.  
>"Julian!" He walks over and supports him as Julian grimaces in pain. Globules of blood pour out of the wounds.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria lies unconscious in bed, her head bound, and a breathing device in her mouth. The doors open and Ronon comes in, wheeling his drip stand. Looking around to check that nobody else is in the room, he walks into the room and the doors close behind him. He walks to the side of the bed and looks down at Illyria.  
>"Um, listen. They, uh...they say you can't hear me, but I just - I just wanted to, um..." He leans down closer to her. "Um, I just, I just wanted to thank you...Thanks for letting me stay here a couple of years ago...because I don't know if I would still be, um..." He hesitates, then puts his hand on hers. "Thank you, Queen Illyria."<br>The monitors sound an alarm. Ronon straightens up in a panic as Jennifer and other medical staff rush in. "Um, what'd I do?"  
>"Nothing. It wasn't you, but you need to leave." She ushers him towards the door, then turns to the nurse. "Hang another bag of mannitol."<br>Ronon backs slowly out of the room as the team gets to work.

҉

**HALLWAY**

John is still supporting Julian reassuringly.  
>"You've been hit by a micro-asteroid. Does it hurt?" John asked.<br>"It doesn't."  
>"You're in shock."<br>Julian looks down, then looks back at John. "There's a hole in my suit."  
>"It's OK. I've dialled up controls to create positive pressure. I'm calling a Jumper - I've gotta get you to O.R."<br>"We can't leave yet. I have to finish the repairs."  
>"Just tell me what to do."<br>"It's too complicated." He grimaces. "I'm almost finished. Please - help me turn around."  
>Reluctantly, John helps him turn towards the panel, and Julian gets back to work.<p>

҉

**LAB**

Rodney is still working on his laptops when Jennifer's voice comes over his headset.  
><em>"Doctor McKay?"<em>  
>Rodney sighs in annoyance. "What is it, Keller?"<br>_"Illyria's crashing. If we're gonna do this thing, we need to do it now."_  
>"I need more time."<br>_"We don't have more time. I can't keep her blood pressure up and if her I.C.P. continues to climb, there's no bringing her back."_  
>Rodney sighs, then begins to type. "OK, I'm transferring the program to you now." Completing the transfer, he grabs his computer tablet and stands. "I'm on my way."<p>

҉

**MIDWAY SPACE STATION**  
>"You know, the easiest thing to do if they really did fall out of hyperspace early is to fly back over the path between M12-578 and Atlantis." Carter said.<br>"Well, that would take over a million years. That's why we have hyperspace." Lee said.  
>"We could use the Apollo's long-range sensors."<br>Lee shook his head. "No. Those long-range sensors - they don't work in hyperspace."  
>"I know, but we could make a little jump, look around, make another little jump, look around, until we find them."<br>Lee was typing on a computer tablet as he speaks, "Yeah, that's good. Uh, so using those sensors - conservatively - we'd have to make..." he looks at her "...one hundred and eighty thousand 'little jumps.'" Sarcastically, saying, "It'd take a few years."  
>"Unless they seriously augment the long-range sensors."<br>"Who's gonna do that? It's not like they have an Asgard on board."  
>"Feel like taking a little trip to the Pegasus galaxy?" Carter said, smiling at him.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS HALLWAY**

Julian, grimacing in pain, continues to work on the panel. "Just some final adjustments."  
>"You're doing a great job, Julez. I've called a Jumper."<br>Julian inserts a crystal into the panel. "There. I'm done." He pushes the panel closed.  
>"Control Room, this is Sheppard. As soon as we get inside the shield, activate the hyperspace jump."<br>_"I am sorry, John, but we can't."_ Weir said.  
>"Why not? Barrett just finished repairs."<br>Weir walks over to the screen showing the power levels. "Yes, I know. But we have just dropped below the line. We don't have enough power."  
>John and Julian stare at each other in despair.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

As Julian- now out of his spacesuit- is wheeled in, John walks over to Ronon who is sitting on the side of his bed.  
>"Is he gonna be OK?" Ronon asked.<br>"I think so. It didn't hit any major arteries."  
>"Lucky."<br>"I wouldn't say that. He's still stuck here just like the rest of us."  
>"So it's true?"<br>"We finally fixed the hyperdrive, now we don't have enough juice to go anywhere. We've only got twenty-eight hours before the shields fail."  
>"Well, so what's the plan?"<br>"I don't know. I've gotta find McKay."  
>Ronon points towards the O.R. "He's in there."<br>"What?" Just then, Rodney and Jennifer come out of the room. "Hey!"  
>Rodney turns to face him, immediately looking guilty, but tries to cover. "I heard we didn't get the array fixed in time, but-but-"<br>"What were you doing in there." John said. The calm way he said it scared McKay and even Ronon.  
>"Look, she was dying, OK?" McKay said, nervously.<br>John leans closer to him, his face stern. "Rodney?"  
>"Look, her heart was weak, her nervous system was fried-"<br>"What did you do?"  
>Rodney turns and looks at Jennifer for a moment, then turns back to John. "I reactivated the nanites."<br>"DAMMIT, McKay!" John said furious.  
>"Look, you were busy! It was life or death! If I didn't act-"<br>"Yes, she would have died, I know!"  
>"OK, I know what you're thinking, but helping Illyria is not putting us at risk."<br>"You just reactivated the Replicator nanites."  
>"They're harmless! Look, I am a hundred percent certain they're not gonna try to take her over or contact the others."<br>"No, no, you can't know that for sure."  
>"Yes. Yes I can." His eyes flicker nervously, however, betraying his uncertainty.<br>"Shut it down." John said, sternly.  
>"But...that would kill her." Keller said.<br>"What do you think Illyria would want? D'you think she'd want-"  
>"Yes, she would!" McKay said, interrupting John. "She'd sure as hell do the same for you."<br>"Well, you obviously didn't know her very well." John growled.  
>"Oh, maybe not, but d'you know what? Give it some time, you can ask her yourself."<br>"NO! It's too dangerous. Shut it down. Right now."  
>Rodney looks at him for a moment, then folds his arms defiantly. "No. No, I'm not going to."<br>John steps closer, glaring into Rodney's eyes. Rodney looks nervous but manages to hold his gaze. After a few moments, John activates his headset. "Myers, bring an E.M.P. generator to the O.R."  
>"Will you please just listen to me?" McKay pleaded.<br>"Doctor Keller!" A nurse yelled.  
>The doors to the O.R. open. John and Rodney walk in, followed by Jennifer and Ronon. The nurse is nervously backing towards the wall as the sound of loud and shaky breathing can be heard from the bed. Everyone stares as Illyria sits up in bed.<br>"John?" Still breathing shakily, she reaches up to the bandage around her head and pulls it off. Her hair has grown back to its full length. "Rodney? What's going on?"

҉

**LATER**

Jennifer, now wearing a Hazmat suit, is running a hand-held scanner up and down Illyria's body as she sits on the edge of the bed. Illyria's face is full of despair and shock, tear tracks on her cheeks; she has been told what has been done to her. Outside the room, John watches the computer screen as it relays the inside of the room. Rodney walks over to him.  
>"The quarantine is unnecessary."<br>"Well, you'll excuse me if I wait for a second opinion." John said angrily, still looking at the screen.  
>"OK, this is stupid."<br>"What is?"  
>"Look, us fighting. I know you're not happy with me for <em>saving<em> your wife's life- and you may have some cause - but anyway, it's not gonna matter much if we don't figure a way out of this, right?" John refuses to look at him. "Look, we have to work together, so ... so, so, I'm sorry."  
>Finally John looks at him. "Apology accepted."<br>"Right." Both of them relax a little. "Someone should talk to her."  
>"Well, Weir's in there."<br>McKay sighed and walked away. "Alright."

҉

**O.R. **

Weir, also wearing a Hazmat suit, walks over to Illyria's bedside.  
>"They shouldn't have done this." Illyria shakily whispered.<br>"None of us wanted to lose you, Illyria."  
>"And what happens if the nanites are able to contact the other Replicators?"<br>"Rodney doesn't believe that's possible."  
>Illyria was shaking her head. "No, it's reckless."<br>Elizabeth leans closer to her. "Believe me, this is a very bad idea. You have no idea what I went through the last time."

Then, something in Illyria changed, her eyes turning radical and cold. Weir barely had the chance to back away before Illyria grabbed her by the arm and ripped her suit open. She plunged her hand inside, punching through Weir's chest, and infecting her with tiny nanites.

"Security to O.R 1!" Keller yelled into the radio.

The door opened and Keller was pulled out and a team of Marines stormed in wearing protective gear and pried Illyria off Weir. Illyria went kicking and screaming as Nurses in hazmat suits strapped her down to the bed. Another team of nurses, accompanied by a team of Marines, carried Doctor Weir to the infirmary.

Watching from the screen, John turned to Rodney and said, "Still think it was a good idea?"

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Julian, leaning on a walking stick, is standing next to a technician and talking with him as they work on a console. John comes in.  
>"What the hell are you doing up here?" John asked.<br>"Well, there's not much point sitting in the Infirmary waiting to die, is there?" He hobbles over to another console and sits down. Rodney is working on another console. He seems a little cowed by the argument he has had with John and won't look round to meet his eyes.  
>John turned to Julian. "Alright. Where do we stand?"<br>"We can pretty much forget about sub-space communications. The main control array was almost completely damaged by the beam. I do have another idea, however."  
>Rodney looks up from his console, but says nothing and still won't turn around.<br>"Let's hear it." John said.  
>"Now, the reason why we cannot use the power we have left to execute a short jump into hyperspace is that the city will not let us. It's a safety protocol, but I might be able to bypass it."<br>"What does that give us?"  
>"Not much." McKay said without turning around.<br>"We wouldn't be able to get to the Apollo and we wouldn't be able to get to the nearest Stargate, but we might be able to find a habitable planet within range. I have a team running sensor sweeps right now." Julian said.  
>McKay still won't turn around. "He's conveniently leaving out the reason why those safety protocols are in place in the first place."<br>Julian sighed. "With insufficient power there is a chance that the city could be ripped apart as we try to enter the hyperspace window."  
>"What kind of 'chance'?" John asked.<br>"Fifty: fifty." Julian said, grimacing.  
>"Hmm! Well, I gotta tell you, Julez, I'm not loving that idea."<br>The sound of repeatedly clicking fingers can be heard. Rodney's having a brainwave. He stands up and walks over to them, still clicking his fingers. "Experimental Jumper. Remember when I was zapped by that machine a few months ago and I got, well, even smarter than I normally am?"  
>"The one that almost killed you? Yeah." John said.<br>"Yeah, well, before I was re-set, I was very close to giving one of our Puddle Jumpers a hyperdrive."  
>"Can you finish it?"<br>"Yeah!...I mean, yes, I probably can."  
>"Alright, great. Well, we'll make a jump to the Apollo, tell 'em where we are."<br>"No."  
>"Why 'no'?"<br>"The Jumper's hyperdrive would be limited. We wouldn't be able to jump that far." Julian said.  
>"How far, then?" John asked.<br>Rodney and Julian look at each other.  
>"Well, what do you think? Like, two?" Julian asked.<br>"Yeah. Two and change, maybe." McKay shrugged. He leads John over to a wall screen. Julian is already calling up a map onto it.  
>"Conservatively, maybe two thousand light years. This is a list of addresses that are within range."<br>"Alright. We'll make a bunch of trips and ferry the crew to one of the planets." John said.  
>"Again, no." McKay said.<br>John sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Why not?"  
>"Well, the drive's never been tested."<br>"We'd be lucky if we got two jumps." Julian said.  
>"We'll make a return trip somewhere." John said.<br>Rodney turns and looks again at the Gate addresses displayed on the map. Thoughtfully saying, "Yeah. Ideally somewhere with a few ZedP.M.s to spare. We come back, we get Atlantis fully powered."  
>"Yeah, that'd be great." John sarcastically said.<br>Julian was gazing at the map. "M7R-227."  
>"What's that?" John asked.<br>"Well..."  
>John turning to Rodney. "There's a planet out there with ZeeP.M.s?"<br>"Yeah. Yeah, we know they have a few ZedP.M.s."  
>"And who would that be?"<br>"That?" Julian points at the map. "That would be the Replicator homeworld." He turns and looks at John and Rodney. "You feel up to a heist?"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	50. Chapter 48

**AN:/ TWINS= 1y 11m**

**ATLANTIS-JUMPER BAY**

John Sheppard walks into the Bay, where Rodney McKay and Julian Barrett are inside a Puddle Jumper. Julian is lying on the floor of the front compartment working on a panel underneath the console, while Rodney is kneeling on the floor in the rear compartment working on a device at the side.  
>"OK. When I say, go ahead and try and the left one." The device shorts out, showering Rodney with sparks. He cringes. "Oh! Jeez!" He turns to Julian angrily. "I said, 'When I say!'"<br>"I thought you did say!"  
>John walks into the rear of the Jumper. "How's it going, boys?"<br>"Well, we'd be making a lot more progress if Timmy Torture over here wasn't trying to kill me every two seconds." McKay said indignantly.  
>"I'm not trying to...kill him." Julian said. His slight hesitation indicates that he wouldn't mind hurting him a bit. John nods understandingly.<br>"So, can you make a jump into hyperspace or not?"  
>"Yes, I think so."<br>"You think so?"  
>"Yes, think."<br>"You said you could do it."  
>"Correction: I said, "probably" do it."<br>"Yes, he's having trouble with one of the algorithms he created during his brush with near-ascension." Julian said.  
>"This is unbelievably complex physics here, alright? I mean, it makes string theory look like non-linear dynamics."<br>John frowns uncomprehendingly. "...OK."  
>"Even if I do get it working, there's still a thousand things that could go terribly, terribly wrong." Julian simplified.<br>"I get it: it's difficult; million to one odds, blah, blah, blah." John said.  
>McKay stands up. "Was there something else you needed, or were you here merely to prod and belittle?"<br>"No, no. Not merely. There's another problem we need to be thinking about, such as: what do we do when we get there? Getting this thing to jump into hyperspace may be the easy part; infiltrating the city, stealing the ZeeP.M. and getting out - well, I think that's a little dicey."  
>"To say the least." Julian said.<br>"I've been thinking about that." McKay said.  
>"And?" John asked.<br>"And I think that if we stand any chance of succeeding, we're gonna need some help." McKay asked.  
>"From who?"<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY ISOLATION ROOM**

Two armed marines stand outside the doors. As the doors open, Elizabeth Weir, sitting on the side of the bed inside the room; Illyria was heavily sedated in the bed beside her. Weir looks up and self-consciously pulls the bottom of her hospital gown down to cover her legs more as John, Rodney, Julian, and Ronon Dex walk in. John, quickly taking his eyes off his wife, looks at Weir and sighs.  
>"Feel like taking a trip?"<br>"Illyria reactivated the nanites inside you - I think if we got them in close proximity to the human-form Replicators' city, I'd be able to manipulate them to remotely hack into the Replicator mainframe." McKay said.  
>"We'd be able to find out where the closest ZeeP.M. is and the quickest way to get in and out."<br>"Not only that, we'd be able to track their movement as well."  
>"We'll know they're coming before they can even spot us." Ronon said.<br>"Which doesn't eliminate the danger." Julian said.  
>"Well, far from it, but-"<br>Julian interrupted McKay. "-but it does give us a significant edge."  
>"What happens if the Replicators take control of the nanites inside me?" Weir asked looking over at Illyria.<br>"Well, they won't. I would block any attempt-"  
>Weir interrupted McKay. "But if they do? Just look at Illyria."<br>"I ordered Rodney to write a kill-switch into the nanites' code. If we trigger the program, it'll neutralize them." John said.  
>Elizabeth lowers her head. "'Neutralize them.' You mean shut them off?"<br>"Yes." McKay said quietly.  
>"And you said the nanites are all that are keeping me alive."<br>"Just like Illyria. If we shut them off, it will... kill you." John said quietly, as reassuringly as he can. "But that's not gonna happen, alright? I've ordered Rodney to keep an eye on the little bastards, make sure they behave. Zelenka will be watching over Illyria while we're gone."  
>"We wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't the only chance of this mission succeeding." Julian said.<br>"He's right. If we don't get hold of a ZedP.M., this city and everyone in it are gonna..."  
>Before McKay can finish, Elizabeth looks at John. "When do we leave?"<br>Rodney and John looked a little shocked as they realize what they may be about to do to their friend, but John meets her gaze with determination. "Right now."  
>"What? Wait - no-no-no-no-no-no-no, no, not right now. Look, I haven't finished finalizing the power distri-"<br>"Finalise it - we need to move." John told McKay.  
>Rodney, Ronon and Julian leave the room. John walks closer to Elizabeth as the doors close. She tries to meet his gaze but then lowers her head in distress.<br>"You're gonna be OK, Elizabeth."  
>Elizabeth smiles briefly, then looks at him. "Still, I would like all of you to keep a very close eye on me, and the first sign of any suspicious behavior, do not hesitate with that kill-switch."<br>"OK, but that's not gonna happen-"  
>"John, I mean it." She said sternly. "I'm not your wife, you have no obligation to me."<br>They gaze at each other for a moment, then Elizabeth nods her head fractionally. Reluctantly, John nods back.

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Doing his best not to limp, Julian walks along, John hurries to catch him up. "Hey, Julz. Wait up." Julian stops, smiling at him nickname, and turns around to him. "I'm gonna need you to sit this one out."  
>"John, if this mission isn't successful-"<br>"Zelenka thinks he found a planet that can sustain human life. He's fairly confident that he can get the city there in one chunk."  
>"Without the shields, we'll be unable to land."<br>"I know. We won't even have enough power to establish orbit. You're gonna have to do a fly-by and get everybody else in the Jumper."  
>"You mean abandon the city."<br>"Well, if it comes to that, right, these people are gonna need a leader: somebody who can keep 'em alive and keep 'em together - more importantly, not let them give up hope. That's you, Julian." He smiled. "Besides, you're a cripple."  
>"John..."<br>"Look, if I'm not back in twelve hours, give the order."

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

Rodney is again working on the device in the rear compartment while Julian is in the front compartment.  
>"Alright - now." McKay said.<br>"Are you certain?" Julian asked, a smile on his face.  
>"Yes."<br>"I only ask because the last time, you were less than definitive in your answer."  
>"Julian!"<br>"Alright." Julian chuckled. "Trying to lighten up the mood…" He inserts a crystal into the front panel. The device begins to hum with power. Rodney looks pleased as he looks at the readout on his computer tablet.  
>"OK!"<br>"Yes?"  
>"I think we've got it."<br>"Good, good." He picks up a toolkit and hobbles towards Rodney. "Now, as long as we don't burn up all of the power on the initial jump, then..." He trails off as Rodney looks at him in irritation. "Right. OK. I'll leave now." He hobbles out of the Jumper just as Ronon walks in. Julian stops him with a hand shake before moving on. "Good luck."  
>"Thanks. You too." Ronon walked into the jumper and asked Rodney, "You ready?"<br>"Yes. Look, I'm still not sure this is gonna work. I mean, I've done everything I can to make it-"  
>Ronon activates his radio headset. "Sheppard, we're ready."<br>He turns and walks into the front compartment.

҉

**CORRIDORS**

John and Elizabeth, preceded by an armed marine and followed by five more, make their way towards the Jumper Bay. A couple of scientists stand aside and watch in surprise as the contingent goes past them.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

John reports over the radio from the Jumper. _"Alright, Julez, we're ready to launch."_  
>"Understood." He turned to Radek. "Open the Jumper Bay doors."<br>In the Jumper, Ronon is sitting behind John, while Elizabeth sits in the seat behind the co-pilot's seat. Rodney is still tinkering with the hyperdrive generator in the rear compartment.  
><em>"Remember - no wild parties while we're gone. I know how you Romans like fur."<em> John teased.  
>Julian laughed. "I'll try to restrain myself." His face becomes more serious. "Good luck."<br>"Alright, here we go." The Jumper leaves the Bay, flies through the shield and heads into space. "Rodney? You ready?"  
>Rodney comes forward from the rear compartment, looking nervous. "Did I mention that this might not work, and that we could either drop out of hyperspace prematurely and end up stranded in the middle of deep space, or quite possibly be vaporized the moment I touch that-"<br>"Just answer the damned question!" Ronon said.  
>"Yeah, I'm ready."<br>"Good. Sit down." John said. Rodney takes the co-pilot's seat. "Here goes."  
>"OK. Opening hyperspace window in three ... two ... one."<br>A hyperspace window opens in front of the Jumper, which flies into it.

҉

**A PLANET IN THE PEGASUS GALAXY**

The Stargate is open. Samantha Carter and Bill Lee, both wearing small backpacks, walk out and look around. They're in a large clearing in a forest of very tall trees.  
>"Oh, my! That's - that's beautiful." Lee said.<br>"Yeah, it is."  
>"It's like Elwynn Forest." Sam looks at him questioningly. "Oh, nothing. It's one of the lands in Warcraft." He grins at Sam. "That's a game I play…" His smile fades as he sees her expression. "…occasionally."<br>"Ah."  
>Bill looks around at the forest again, awestruck. "Oh, wow."<br>Sam looks at him, amused. "You gonna be OK?"  
>"Yeah, yeah. I just, you know, I don't get to get offworld much - or ever, hardly."<br>"Well, you'd better take a picture. We're not gonna be here long."  
>"Oh, right! Good idea!" He pulls a digital camera out of his jacket as Sam activates her headset.<br>"This is Colonel Carter calling the Apollo. Colonel Ellis, do you read?"  
><em>"Five by five, Colonel."<em>  
>"We have stepped through the Gate and are ready for transport."<br>Lee was still fiddling with the camera. "No, wait, wait!"  
><em>"Stand by."<em>  
>"Wait, wait!" Lee raises the camera. A transporter beam sweeps him and Sam away.<p>

҉

**APOLLO**

Sam and Bill appear on the Bridge. Bill finishes pressing the button on his camera and the flash goes off. The screen of the camera shows that he's just taken a photo of his own face. Colonel Abe Ellis stands up to greet them as Bill sighs and lowers his camera.  
>"Welcome to the Pegasus galaxy, Colonel."<br>"Thank you. Still no word from Atlantis?"  
>"Nothing." He looks down at a computer tablet which he's holding. "I've been going over the specs for these modifications you are proposing for the sensor array. You're asking for a five-fold increase in power consumption, plus you wanna cannibalize parts from half a dozen other key systems, including sub-space communications."<br>"That's correct."  
>"What if they try and contact us?"<br>Sam grimaces. "If they could, they would have done it."  
>"All of this is based on the assumption that they dropped out of hyperspace early."<br>Sam nods.  
>"Yeah. We believe that's the most likely scenario." Lee said.<br>"Alright. Let's do it." Ellis commanded. He sits down. Bill accidentally presses the button on his camera and the flash goes off. Sam smacks him in the chest. He cringes, and they leave the Bridge.

҉

**SPACE**

The Puddle Jumper comes out of hyperspace very close to Asuras and heads towards the planet, cloaking as it goes.  
>"Congratulations, Rodney. Your hyperdrive worked." Weir said.<br>Rodney grimaces and raises a finger. "Unfortunately, believe it or not, Barrett was actually right. We've burned up way more power on the jump than we expected."  
>"What are you saying? We can't get back?" Ronon asked.<br>"No, no. What I am saying is that the ... Actually, that's _exactly_ what I'm saying." John and Ronon both roll their eyes. "I suppose once we steal the ZedP.M., I could utilize its power. I'd need to make sure I don't overload the main-"  
>John interrupts. "Let's just take this one step at a time, alright? First things first: let's worry about getting the ZeeP.M."<br>"Right." McKay looks at Elizabeth who is sitting behind him. "OK, I'm gonna try to initialize the link." He looks down at his laptop.  
>"What do you want me to do?" Weir asked.<br>"Nothing. Just sit there. It's completely wireless. Let me know if anything pops into your mind."  
>"What do you mean? Will I just sort of sense something, or is it more of a..." She trails off, staring straight ahead of her. "Oh my God."<br>Ancient writing is streaming across her vision and behind the writing is what looks like a schematic of the Replicator city.  
>"I did it! I mean, she did it. Look, we have to move fast. Even though Elizabeth's nanites are only in lurking mode, it won't take long for the Replicators to figure out another player has joined the game." McKay said.<br>"How're you feeling, Elizabeth?" John asked.  
>"Very strange. I can suddenly see the entire city directly in front of me. I mean, every corridor, every single room." Rodney and John smile. Elizabeth points out of the windshield. "That way." The Jumper has now reached the city and is flying amongst the towers. "The ZeeP.M.: fourth quadrant, top level - easy access. There's hardly anyone around."<br>"Alright, works for me." John said. The Jumper continues on, then lands on the roof of one of the buildings. "Alright, we're down. Rodney, stay here with Elizabeth, keep sifting through the intel. You guys can guide us through by radio."  
>He and Ronon go to the back of the Jumper and start to arm themselves.<br>"Twenty meters to the left behind the Jumper, there's an access door. Down one flight of stairs, you'll enter Auxiliary Corridor Seven." Weir looks round at them. "Go now - it's clear."  
>John and Ronon hurry out of the Jumper.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John and Ronon make their way down a flight of stairs, each of them carrying an A.R.G. (Anti-Replicator Gun). Ronon is carrying a Z.P.M. case in his other hand. At the bottom of the stairs, they pause and look around cautiously.  
>"We're at the corridor." John whispered.<br>_ "Go right. At six point five meters, there should be another corridor."_  
>John and Ronon follow her instructions. "OK, we see it."<br>_"Turn left. Wait! Go back!"_ The boys duck back around the corner as a Replicator walks along the corridor in front of them. _"It's alright. He didn't see you."_  
>Rodney stares at her as she gazes blindly ahead. "Really? You know that?"<br>Elizabeth looks at him and smiles nervously. "Yeah. Like I said, it's very strange."  
>"Can we go now?" John prompted looking over at Ronon.<br>_"Yes, go."_ John and Ronon head off again. _"Turn left, then right."_  
>Despite Elizabeth's ability to see anyone in the area, the boys still automatically check each turning before going around it, and look behind them frequently. Ronon, in the lead, reaches a door and swipes his hand over the wall panel. The door opens.<br>_"It should be directly in front of you."_  
>"Yep. I see it." Ronon runs towards the Z.P.M. console in front of him. John strolls in more slowly. "Hold up, Chewie." Ronon backs away from the console and goes back to guard the door. John walks over to the console and puts his A.R.G. down. "Aren't they gonna notice when we pull the plug on this thing?"<br>_"Probably, but they've got dozens of ZedP.M.s. Let's just hope that they don't notice until we're long gone."_ McKay said over the radio.  
>"That's wishful thinking. We still in the clear?"<br>_"There's a small group of Replicators two corridors over, heading your way, so you need to move quickly."_ Weir told them.  
>John puts his hands on two illuminated panels either side of the console and the Z.P.M. rises out of its slot. He pulls it out and hands it to Ronon who puts it into the carrying case and closes the lid.<br>"Got it." He said.  
>"We're on our way." John said. They hurry out of the room, run back along the corridors and into the Jumper. "Hook up the ZeeP.M. We're leaving."<br>"Wait a minute. We can't go." McKay said.  
>"What are you talking about? You said you could get the hyperdrive back online."<br>"Yeah, I mean we can, but not yet. Look, while Elizabeth's been connected, I've been going over the Replicators' base code and I found this." He turns the screen of his laptop to John.  
>"What is that?" Ronon asked.<br>"The Holy Grail. I mean, it's their whole reason for being. It's a command code that directs them to attack the Wraith."  
>"Yeah, but they don't attack the Wraith. They've been sitting on their nanite asses for ten thousand years." John said.<br>"Well, that's because it's been deactivated."  
>"And how did that happen?" Weir asked.<br>"Well, I have no idea. Maybe the Ancients did it when they realized they couldn't control them." McKay shrugged.  
>"You're just noticing this now, huh?" John said, ticked.<br>"This is just one in millions of commands in the base code. Look, I always had a hunch that something like this might be in there, but-but believe me, it was not easy to find."  
>"Can you reactivate it?" Weir asked.<br>"Yes ... but there's a problem. Look, I can reprogram the nanites in your brain and use that link to upload the changes, but we'll need to wait for the next merge to affect all the Replicators at once, and we have no idea when that could be. Not only that, but the instant it happens, they'll know you're there. They'll take immediate steps to assimilate you."  
>"Then we're not doing it."<br>"John, you know what this could mean. If the Replicators go to war with the Wraith…" Weir trailed.  
>"Forget about it. It's not happening." John shook his head.<br>"That's not your call."  
>"The hell it isn't!" John gets into the pilot's seat.<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa. Hang on. There may be another way. There's a central data core - it's kind of like a back-up hard drive for all the Replicators. If I can upload the reactivated attack command directly into that, then we wouldn't need to use Elizabeth. We could be halfway back to Atlantis when the attack command takes effect at the next merge." McKay said.  
>"That sounds a little more like it." John said.<br>"Huh!" McKay hesitates briefly. "There's one small problem ... which is not actually a small problem."  
>"The core is at the center of the city, several levels down. It'll be impossible to get there undetected." Weir said.<br>"Alright. We're gonna have to come back after we take the ZeeP.M. back to Atlantis and after we land the city." John said.  
>"I don't think we'll have another chance." McKay said.<br>"He's right. Once they notice the ZeeP.M. is missing, they'll be able to trace the source of the infiltration. I will never get this kind of undetected access again." Weir nodded her head.  
>"If we're gonna do this, it's now or never."<p>

҉

**LATER**

Rodney is working on the console in the rear compartment while Ronon squats nearby.  
>"You're gonna turn the cloak into an anti-Replicator field?"<br>"Yes, by interfacing the A.R.G.'s control crystal with the Jumper's cloaking generator. The only question is how far I can widen the field." He looks up at John, who is flying the Jumper through the city. "Look, go ahead and fly us as close to the center of the city as possible."  
>Elizabeth points the way that John should go. "There."<br>"But won't we be visible?" Ronon asked.  
>"Yes, we will. Look, the anti-Replicator field will protect us - that is assuming that I can extend the field wide enough to encompass not only the Jumper but also the core room; and also assuming that we can run fast enough to get there, input the command and get back before the Replicators figure out how to override the field and-and ... you know, slaughter us."<br>"Don't worry about it. You're not coming with us. Neither is Elizabeth." John said.  
>"I'm sorry, what?" McKay asked.<br>"You guys can guide us through by radio like you did last time."  
>McKay stood up and walked forward. "Wait a minute. If I'm not there, how are we supposed to input the command?"<br>"Put it on a tablet. I'll plug it into the core and upload it myself."  
>"Oh, Plug and Play, huh? What, you think it's that simple?"<br>"Well, it will be because you're gonna make it that simple."  
>"Yeah..." McKay started to protest, but John interrupted.<br>"I need you to stay here, Rodney."  
>"Why?"<br>"Rodney!"  
>Weir turned around to Rodney. "To keep an eye on me. You may need to activate the kill-switch on the nanites. You'll be able to keep a closer eye on me if we both stay here in the Jumper."<br>Rodney falls silent for several seconds while John turns round and squints at him, annoyed that he hadn't worked it out without Elizabeth having to voice what needs to be done.

"...Alright." He turns back to the cloak generator, to find Ronon poking around. "Hey, get out of that! Hey!"  
>John and Elizabeth look at the two of them for a moment, then turn back to look out of the windshield. Elizabeth points again. "The core is beneath that platform."<br>"How far beneath?" John asked.  
>"Nine levels."<br>John smiled unconvincingly. "Piece of cake."

҉

**SPACE**

Apollo comes out of hyperspace. On the Bridge, Bill looks at a wall screen displaying the results of the latest scan, then sighs and shakes his head. Ellis looks round at him.  
>"Anything?"<br>Sam, sitting in the seat to Ellis' right and look at the console monitors, replies. "No."  
>"Eleven jumps."<br>"I'm sorry. Even with the scanners' range significantly increased, we've only covered a small area so far. We've got thirty-nine more jumps before we reach the original Lantean planet."  
>"Thirty-nine?"<br>Sam nods.  
>Lee was gazing into the distance thoughtfully. "Space is quite vast."<br>Ellis turns and directs a sarcastic look at him. "You don't say!" Bill looks embarrassed. "Engage hyperdrive. Stop number twelve."  
>Apollo jumps into hyperspace again.<p>

҉

**ASURAS**

The Jumper has landed and decloaks.  
>"We're visible." John said.<br>"Engaging anti-Replicator field now." McKay said. A shimmer appears around the Jumper. John calls up the H.U.D. which shows the field around the Jumper. "It's working." He types on his computer tablet. "OK, let's jack it up, see how far we can penetrate."  
>"'Penetrate'?"<br>McKay looked up at him. "What?" John shakes his head. Rodney looks down at his tablet again. "Alright, here we go."  
>He types, then the team looks at the windshield as the H.U.D. shows the field beginning to expand downwards. Several floors below in the city, four Replicators are walking along a corridor. The field washes past them and they disintegrate into tiny pieces.<br>"It's working." Weir said.  
>"Damn right it's working! It's encompassed the Core Room. You're good to go." McKay said. John turns in his seat and looks at Elizabeth. She nods to him. Rodney looks at them indignantly. "What? You don't believe me, but you believe her?"<br>"No offence."  
>"Offence taken!"<br>Weir turned to John. "Straight down, nine levels, then a short run down a corridor to the core."  
>John stands up and goes to the back of the Jumper with Ronon.<br>"OK. I've written a basic block storage transport protocol to upload the attack command directly from this tablet into the core. All you need to do is plug this cable into the main circuit. It will automatically configure and upload the command." McKay hands the tablet to John, who slings it over his shoulder on a strap.  
>"Plug it in."<br>"You wanted simple."  
>"I like simple."<br>"Well, we created that adaptor to interface with Ancient tech, which the Replicators love to imitate, so you shouldn't have a problem there. Now, you need to move fast because as soon as they find out what we're up to, they're gonna figure out a way around it."  
>John was looking at Elizabeth. "Just do what you did last time. We'll be back before you know it." H turned to Ronon. "Let's go."<br>He and Ronon head off. Rodney closes the rear door of the Jumper, and he and Elizabeth go and sit down in the front seats. Elizabeth takes a breath, and then starts to concentrate.

҉

**REPLICATOR CONTROL ROOM**

As Replicator technicians work the consoles, Oberoth, their leader, walks in.  
>"What is it?"<br>"An anomalous energy reading in the second quadrant of the communications tower."  
>"Source?"<br>"Undetermined as of yet. It's creating a disruptive field emanating downwards from the top level, encompassing nine levels directly below it."  
>Oberoth's eyes widen. "The core!"<p>

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**  
><em>"OK, we're here. Left or right?"<em>  
>"Left."<br>John and Ronon follow Weir's instructions. Turning a corner, they quickly raise their A.R.G.s as they see three Replicators coming towards them, raising their own weapons. However, the Replicators are on the other side of the shimmering field and, as they walk into it, they promptly disintegrate. The boys lower their weapons again.  
>"Shield's working, Rodney."<br>_"Good. Make sure to stay behind it."_  
>"Thanks for the tip!"<br>_ "Now turn right."_ Weir said.  
>The boys head off again and reach a set of doors. Opening them, they go into a high-ceilinged room with a large glowing circular object in the middle of the room and an illuminated console nearby.<br>"Alright, we're here. Assuming the big glowy thing is the core-"  
><em>"Indeed it is. OK, there should be an open slot in the control panel that you can plug the cable into<em>." McKay instructed.  
>"Alright. Here goes." Putting his A.R.G. onto the console, he unhooks the computer tablet, pulls out the adaptor and plugs it into a socket. "It's plugged in."<br>_ "It is? Why am I not reading anything? Are you sure you plugged it into the right slot?"_  
>"There's only one slot, Rodney." John said, quickly running his eyes over the console.<br>Elizabeth, gazing into the distance, looks alarmed. _"Hurry, John. They're coming - and there's hundreds of them."_  
>"Won't the field protect us?" Ronon asked.<br>_"As long as you hurry. OK, look, uh, try plugging it in again."_ McKay said.  
>John takes out the adaptor, then inserts it a second time. "Alright, it's plugged in again."<br>_"Still nothing."_ Indignantly, McKay said, _"Look, what did you do?"_  
>"I didn't do anything!"<br>In the corridors outside, two Replicators run into the field and disintegrate. Two more follow them and also disintegrate. In the Jumper, Elizabeth frowns, puzzled. "They keep attacking the field. They're deliberately sacrificing themselves."  
>"Why would they do that?" Ronon asked.<br>Elizabeth, realizing the reason, turns to Rodney. _"The more they attack the field, the quicker they can figure out how to override it."_  
>"Then we need to get the hell out of here." Ronon said.<br>"Rodney, why is this not working?" John asked.  
><em>"It's not working because the core is not recognizing the tablet."<em>  
>"Well, why not?"<br>_"Look, I don't know!"_  
>Outside, another Replicator walks into the field. This time he gets a couple of steps inside before he disintegrates. In the Control Room, the technician reports to Oberoth.<p>

"We're almost through the field."  
>"Good. I'm on my way." He heads off. Inside the Jumper, Rodney talks to John.<br>"OK, you're gonna need to implement adjustments to the negotiation protocol to exploit parallelism at the device interface."  
>John and Ronon frown. "What?" Ronon mouths, "What?" at the same time.<br>_"Just do what I say. Start by unplugging the cable. Now access the tablet's root directory."  
><em> John goes over to the console and angrily pulls the adaptor out. "This is not 'simple.'"  
>In the corridors, a Replicator walks into the field ... and keeps walking. Several others follow him, all of them making it through safely. Elizabeth turns to Rodney urgently. <em>"You have to get them out of there now."<em>  
><em>"We're not done."<em> McKay said.  
><em>"There's no more time! The Replicators have breached the field!"<em>  
>"What do you mean, they've breached the field?" John asked.<br>_"They've figured out how to override it."_ McKay said. Ronon picks up his A.R.G. and walks towards the doors. _"Look, we need to move much faster. You need to make changes to the negotiation protocol to allow for direct data placement. We need to allow for re-synchronization of the packet boundaries within the data stream."_  
><em>"Oberoth is heading to the Core Room."<em> Weir looks at Rodney. "He knows it's us."  
><em>"How far is he? Can they make a run for it?"<em> McKay asked, wide-eyed.  
><em>"No! Replicators are approaching from every direction. They're trapped."<em>  
><em>"Which means they're as good as dead."<em>  
>John, working on the tablet, looks up briefly. "We can hear you, you know."<br>_"Wh-what? Uh, no, when I say "as good as dead," I mean it as more of a-"_ As McKay speaks, Elizabeth stands up, pushes the button on the pilot's console that opens the rear door of the Jumper, and starts to run out. _"Elizabeth! What are you doing?"_  
><em>"Stay here!"<em> She called over her shoulder.  
><em>"Elizabeth, you can't go out there!"<em> McKay yelled, but she was already gone. _"Elizabeth!"_  
>"What's going on, Rodney?" John asked.<br>_"Elizabeth just left the Jumper."_  
>"Why?" John asked.<br>_"I-I don't know. She-she just ran out."_  
>"Elizabeth? This is Sheppard. Do you copy?" There's no reply. "Elizabeth. Respond."<br>"If they capture her…" Ronon trailed off.  
>"I know. I know." John said.<br>_"So what do we do now?"_ McKay asked.  
>"She said hit the kill-switch on the nanites if she did anything suspicious." Ronon said.<br>Rodney looks horrified. _"I know, but..." _His face full of dread, he sits down.  
>"Sheppard." Ronon said. John, his face equally full of dread, looks at him. "Make the call."<br>John nods to him, then speaks to Rodney. "Do it."  
>Rodney, with an appalled expression on his face, hesitates for a few seconds, then starts to type. The computer beeps negatively. He types again but gets the same beep.<em> "It's not working."<em>  
>"What?" John said.<br>"Why not?" Ronon asked.  
><em>"Just - just give me a second."<em> John and Ronon wait while Rodney types again but still gets the negative beep. _"No, no, I'm not getting confirmation. And don't ask why because I don't know, OK? I mean, the last time she had active nanites inside her; she was able to exert a certain amount of control. Maybe-maybe she's doing it here now, or maybe there's interference that's affecting the frequency. I don't know. I need to - I need to - I need to run a diagnostic."_  
>"Better yet, why don't you figure a way how to get us out of here?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, if we're screwed, we may as well complete the mission." John picks up the tablet and starts to type.

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Oberoth walks along and turns a corner, to come face to face with Elizabeth who is waiting for him. Before he can react, she reaches forward and puts her hand into his forehead. Everything fades to white. When it clears, the two of them are standing facing each other in a dark room with their hands by their sides, illuminated only by a spotlight above their heads.  
>"Doctor Weir!"<br>"Hello, Oberoth. You're surprised."  
>"Indeed I am."<br>"Niam infected me with nanites. Queen Illyria reactivated them."  
>"Yes, I can detect them now."<br>"We were able to neutralize them, and then reprogramme and manipulate them to suit our needs."  
>"Industrious of you."<br>"Which is why, now that I have been able to establish a physical link through you, I have direct access to the Replicator collective." Oberoth frowns. "I'm in control now."

҉

**CORE ROOM**

John plugs the computer tablet back into the console. "I've got it plugged in. Anything?"

Rodney looks at his screen. After a moment, information begins to pour across it. _"Yes! Yes, it's working!"_  
>Just then, the doors to the Core Room open. Ronon ducks behind a column as John grabs his A.R.G. and runs for cover behind the console. Eight Replicators walk in. They aim their weapons at John ... and then slow down and stop. John surges up from behind the console, aiming his weapon, then pauses, puzzled as he realizes that they're just standing there aiming but not doing anything. Ronon comes out cautiously from behind the column.<br>"What the hell just happened?" John asked.  
>Rodney stares at his screen in surprise. <em>"The Replicators have all frozen."<em>  
>"Well, I can see that, but who did it?"<br>_"Well, it wasn't me."_ Ronon starts to tug the weapons from each of the frozen Replicators. _"It might have been Elizabeth."_  
>"Can she do that?" Ronon asked.<br>_"I don't know. I mean, she'd have to link directly with the Replicator collective, which means the chances they'll be able to take over her nanites have just increased exponentially."_  
>"How long before they come back to life?" John asked.<br>_"Your guess is as good as mine, but I would err on the side of less time rather than more."_  
>Ronon, having finished disarming the Replicators, looks at John. "Can we go?"<br>"Yeah, first things first. How are we doing with the upload?"  
><em>"Almost there. Just a few more seconds."<em>  
>"Well, how many seconds?"<br>_"Don't start with that again!"_

҉

**INSIDE OBEROTH'S MIND**

Oberoth grunts with the effort to take back control. "I'm impressed with your strength, Doctor Weir, but I must remind you that it's only a matter of time before I make the necessary corrections to overcome the hold you have on me."  
>"I'm prepared to fight for as long as I need."<br>"Good for you. Your desire to protect your people is admirable. But you will ultimately fail."  
>"Keep thinking that. Keep allowing your arrogance to undermine you."<br>"You know it's true, Doctor Weir. I can feel you weakening already." Elizabeth stares at him, her expression becoming a little strained. Oberoth takes a small step towards her. "Despite your desire, this is a fight for which you are clearly ill-equipped."

҉

**CORE ROOM**

Rodney reports over the radio. _"That's it. You're done. Unplug and go!"_  
>John pulls the adaptor out of the console and picks up the computer tablet. He and Ronon run out of the room. Out in the corridor, more Replicators are standing frozen in place.<p>

҉

**INSIDE OBEROTH'S MIND**

Elizabeth and Oberoth are staring at each other, locked in a battle for supremacy. After several seconds Oberoth reaches down and seizes her hand. Elizabeth gasps with frustration.  
>"Once again, you have underestimated me."<p>

҉

**CORRIDORS**

As John and Ronon race along, a Replicator comes to life and turns to face them. Ronon shoves him out of the way and they run on as all the Replicators start to chase after them.  
>"Woah! They're movin' again!" Joihn yelled.<br>In the Jumper, two Replicators walk in and aim their weapons at Rodney, who raises his hands in surrender. "Yeah. I know."  
>He stands up and, with his hands still raised, walks slowly towards his captors.<br>Inside Oberoth's mind, he smiles in satisfaction as Elizabeth gazes at him, then bows her head in defeat and closes her eyes.  
>In the city, John and Ronon race up the stairs, then stop as they reach the landing. Replicators surround them on all sides, aiming weapons at them. Reluctantly, they lower their A.R.G.s.<p>

҉

**BRIG**

Oberoth and a couple of other Replicators walk in and face John, Rodney and Ronon inside the cell. John smiles at him sarcastically.  
>"Well, this is familiar." John said.<br>"I am trying to decide if this incursion of yours reflects considerable bravery or stupidity." Oberoth said.  
>"Where's Doctor Weir?" McKay asked.<br>"Her attempts to seize control of the collective proved too taxing for her, rendering her mind and body virtually moribund. She has been taken to be...repaired."  
>"You're gonna take control of her." John said.<br>"That has already occurred. Unfortunately I was not able to glean all the information I need from her, so I will have to extract it from you."  
>"'Information'?" McKay asked.<br>"About the precise location of Atlantis. You left your planet before we were able to destroy it."  
>"Sorry to spoil your plans." Ronon said sarcastically.<br>"Nothing's spoiled - merely prolonged; and now with your help, we will complete the destruction." Oberoth said, oblivious to the sarcasm.  
>"Seeing how none of us will volunteer the information…" John trailed.<br>"You know quite well that we have a simple method for extracting what we need."  
>Oberoth tilts his head at the guards and the forcefield drops as the cell door slides open. Rodney nervously backs away as Oberoth and two others walk in, while Ronon walks towards them, ready for a fight. However, a guard instantly hurries towards him, aiming his weapon, and Ronon has no choice but to stop. The other two Replicators stand either side of John and put their hands on his shoulders as Oberoth walks to face him. Sighing, John allows the Replicators to push him to his knees. Oberoth reaches forward and pushes his hand into John's forehead. John grimaces. Oberoth concentrates ... then frowns in puzzlement. John's face becomes calm.<br>"Problems?" John asked.  
>Oberoth, still frowning, glances up at Rodney, who has put his hands in his pockets and is smiling smugly. Ronon too is smiling. Oberoth looks at them in bewilderment, then pulls his hand out of John's forehead. John's face slowly begins to morph, and turns into that of Elizabeth. She looks up at him smugly ... and the two of them are back in the dark room, standing facing each other with their hands by their sides. Oberoth stares at her in amazement.<br>"What?"  
>"I figured, you'd messed with our minds, so I'd mess with yours. You didn't overpower me, Oberoth. The Replicator guards didn't capture my team. It was all a fictional scenario played out in your mind. In reality, your guards are still frozen and my team is escaping as we speak. You were wrong, Oberoth. I have never underestimated you, but you have clearly underestimated me."<br>"You will not leave this city alive!" Oberoth said angrily.  
>"Maybe not - but my team will."<p>

҉

**CORRIDORS**

John and Ronon run along the corridor full of frozen Replicators.  
>"Still nothing from Elizabeth?" John asked.<br>"No. Can't communicate with her; I can't track her; it's like she just - she just disappeared." McKay spoke from the Jumper.  
><em>"Well, if she's the one who froze the Replicators, that means she's probably still alive."<em>  
>"For the moment, maybe."<br>_"She can't be that far."_  
><em>"We'll find her."<em> Ronon said.  
>"Well, you'd better make it fast. These Replicators could unfreeze at any moment."<br>_ "Thanks, Rodney!"_

҉

**INSIDE OBEROTH'S MIND**  
>"I admire your tenacity, but I won't be fooled again." Oberoth said. Elizabeth stares at him, her eyes wide. Her breathing becomes heavier. "You're struggling, Doctor Weir."<br>They continue to stare at each other, locked in a battle for supremacy. After several seconds Oberoth reaches down and seizes her hand. Out in the corridor in the real world, Oberoth, on his knees in front of Elizabeth, reaches up and seizes her hand which is buried in his forehead. Grimacing with the effort, he pushes it out of his head and looks up at her, just as John and Ronon race around the corner behind her and aim their A.R.G.s.  
>"Elizabeth." John said.<br>"Get to the Jumper." Weir said, still staring down at Oberoth.  
>"You're coming with us."<br>Ronon gets a clear shot and fires his weapon at Oberoth. The blast hits him but has no effect.  
>"I can't keep them frozen much longer!" Weir yelled.<br>"We're not leaving you behind!" John yelled back.  
>"If you don't leave right now, none of us will get out of here, so go." Weir turns her head slightly towards John. "THAT'S AN ORDER!"<br>Her distraction breaks her concentration. Oberoth drops her hand and a blast from a Replicator weapon behind him heads towards Ronon. He ducks out of the way and turns to run, grabbing at John to get him moving.  
>"Come on!" Ronon yelled.<br>"Elizabeth!" John yelled back, anguished.  
>As Replicators hurry down the corridor from behind Oberoth, Elizabeth turns and yells at John. "Go!"<br>John's last glimpse of Elizabeth is her frantic face as Replicators surround her. As they seize her arms, John and Ronon race off around the corner.

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

John and Ronon run into the Jumper. Rodney sighs in relief. "Oh, thank God." He looks round to the rear of the ship as the door begins to close. "Elizabeth?"  
>Ronon shakes his head at him sadly, then heads for the co-pilot's seat.<br>"Can we cloak?" John asked. Rodney stares at their backs in anguish. "Rodney! Can we cloak?"  
>"No. Not yet, no. We drained too much power trying to convert the cloak into an A.R. field. Look, I'll try to interface the ZedP.M. but we're gonna need some time."<br>"We'll just have to make a run for it, then." The Jumper takes off and races up out of the city. "How's hyperspace looking?"  
>"Not good. Look, harnessing power from the ZedP.M. is tricky. If I'm off even just the slightest amount, then we could all-"<br>"Two ships heading our way." John said, talking over him. A weapon is fired at them. The Jumper jolts. "Rodney?"  
>"Look, I need more time!"<br>The Jumper jolts as it is hit again.  
>"We just lost weapons!" John yelled.<br>"Dammit!"  
>"Come on, McKay!" Ronon yelled back.<br>"This is not simple, you know! If I don't properly calibrate the power output, we could incinerate the moment the hyperspace window opens."  
>"I'm picking something up dead ahead." John said. As they head up into space, a large Replicator ship decloaks directly in front of them. All of them stare at it in dread. "Oh, crap." He looks round at Rodney briefly. "They're powering up weapons." He makes some adjustments on the console, but there's nowhere they can go. But just then missiles start to fly in from the right and impact the shields of the Replicator ship. "What the hell was that?"<br>That was Apollo, which flies towards the Replicator ship and continues to fire. The Replicator ship returns fire but Apollo's shields hold. _"Colonel Sheppard, this is the Apollo. Do you read?"_  
>"Colonel Ellis, is that you?" John asked.<br>_"Affirmative. The 302 Bay is open and you have permission to come aboard. I suggest you hurry."_  
>"Copy that, Apollo. We're on our way."<br>"Can I just add that your timing is pretty damned perfect?" McKay said.  
><em>"We would have gotten here earlier but we had a little trouble finding Atlantis."<em> Sam said.  
>Rodney stares in amazement. "Sam? Is that you?"<br>_"It's me, Rodney. I'll explain when you get on board."_  
>"Colonel, we lost Doctor Weir on the Replicator planet. Can you lock on her locator beacon, beam her up?" John asked.<br>Sam looks at her console, then shakes her head at Ellis before speaking into the radio. "I'm not picking up any signal."  
>The faces of the boys on the Jumper fill with grief. "...Copy that."<br>As the two warships continue to exchange fire, the Jumper flies into the F-302 Bay. Apollo soars away and jumps into hyperspace.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

The city, now completely covered by the shield again, flies through space. In the Control Room, John, Rodney, Sam and Bill are looking at a wallscreen.  
>"Here's a good one. M35-117." McKay said.<br>"Does Doctor Weir know about it?" Sam asked.  
>"Well, it's not on our primary or our back-up list. I purposely searched for planets we'd never considered before. The, uh, the Replicators can probe her mind all they want - they won't find it."<br>"Good..." John grimaces "...for us."  
>"Yeah. Look, it's stable atmosphere, uh, big ocean. Besides the large, particularly venomous snake-like creature that inhabits the mainland, it looks to be a welcoming environment." McKay said sadly. John nods to him. "Alright." He activates his headset. "Radek. How're we doing?"<br>_ "All set here. The ZeeP.M. is online."_  
>"OK. Here we go."<br>The city goes into hyperspace.

҉

**M35-117 - NEW LANTEA **

Atlantis comes out of hyperspace and heads towards the planet. John, Sam and Rodney walk to the still-broken back window of the Control Room and gaze out at their new home.  
>"We did it." John said.<br>"Well, there's still the small matter of landing this thing." McKay said.  
>"Yeah. I'll just jump in the Chair and ease us down."<br>"Well, that could be tricky. We drained a lot of power from the ZeeP.M. just getting here." Sam said.  
>"Have we got enough energy to keep the shield up for re-entry?" John asked.<br>"There'd better be. What, a city this size'll create considerable friction. We come in too fast or too steep and the shield could attenuate under the stress and the whole place'll be torn to shreds, or burn up, or both." McKay said.  
>John screws up his face. "It never ends with you, you know?"<br>"What?"  
>"Tell everyone to buckle up. We're goin' in." John heads off for the Chair Room. Everyone else goes back into the Control Room.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John is in the Control Chair, his eyes closed in concentration as the city heads downwards. In the Control Room, Sam, Rodney and Bill check various consoles while Julian and Ronon stand nearby. The city is vibrating slightly.  
>"Shields holding. So far, so good." Sam announced.<br>Rodney makes an unhappy sound.  
>"What's wrong?" Julian asked, limping to his screen.<br>"The angle's too steep. If we keep going like this, we're gonna put too much strain on the shield, which means more power draining from the ZedP.M. Sheppard, we're coming in too steep. You need to ease up on the angle of re-entry."  
>"In fact, you mean "entry." You see, we never actually left this-"<br>"Bill!" Sam yelled.  
>"Right, right."<br>The vibration in the Control Room gets worse as the city heads down into the atmosphere, its lower surface burning. John continues to concentrate in the Chair.  
><em>"Ease up on the angle!"<em>  
>"I heard you the first time, Rodney."<br>_"And yet we're still coming in too steep!"_  
>The vibration gets worse. Julian, who was holding onto the console with one hand, now puts her other hand onto it to brace herself.<br>"Hang on!" McKay yelled.  
>The city continues to plummet downwards.<br>"We're over the ocean!" Lee yelled.  
>"Sheppard, you need to slow us down. We're coming in over the water." McKay said.<br>_"Copy that."_ John said.  
>Clear of the upper atmosphere, the city plunges towards the ocean. John continues to concentrate.<br>"Still too fast! Slow down! We wanna touch down gently, like a leaf kissing the surface of a pond." McKay said.  
>There's an impact. Everyone is thrown forward in their seats and Julian and Ronon struggle to keep their feet. From an outside perspective, the city splashes down onto the surface of the ocean and skids to a halt. It rocks gently on the surface as a small tidal wave heads off in all directions. Bill, whose glasses fell off with the impact, puts them back on again and stares at his consoles, then looks round at the others as they all straighten up. Rodney glares upwards.<br>"Nice kissing!" He sarcastically said.  
>John sits up as the Chair raises to an upright position and its lights go out. He looks around cautiously, waiting for news.<br>"How're we doing?" Sam asked.  
>"Systems are looking good ... so far. Plenty of power in the ZedP.M." McKay said.<br>"Drop the shield." Sam ordered. Rodney complies and the shield lowers. Sam reports over radio to John in the Chair Room. "Colonel Sheppard, we made it. The city's floating safely on the ocean. Excellent landing."  
>John sighs quietly in relief. "Thank you."<br>His face becomes sad as he remembers that Elizabeth is not here, and Illyria was in a medical coma, to enjoy their new home.

҉

**NIGHT TIME **

There are two moons in the sky, casting a magnificent glow across the city.  
>In Illyria's office, Julian sadly picks up the photograph of Jen and Pat smiling from the desk. As she gazes down at it, Ronon walks in. He goes over to her as she puts the photograph into a plastic box on the desk, then picks up the laptop and puts that into the box.<br>"Who d'you think's gonna replace her? Y'know, until McKay fixes her?"  
>Julian sighed sadly. "I don't know." He picked up the fob watch that Elizabeth gave Illyria and looks down at it.<br>"Whoever it is, it's tough shoes to fill."  
>Julian nods and says quietly. "Yes."<br>As he puts the watch into the box, Ronon gently puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. Julian looks away, fighting back tears. "What do you think Sheppard's going to do?"

Julian brushes away the tears with the back of his hand and shrugs Ronon's hand off. "He wants the nanites out of his wife. If McKay can't fix her…he'll put her out of her misery."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney is sitting at the dialing console while Sam and Bill stand behind him.  
>"OK, let's give it a go." Sam said.<br>"Alright." McKay said. He pushes eight buttons on the console. All three of them look towards the Stargate as Rodney then presses the central activation button. The Gate kawhooshes. Radek, working at a wallscreen nearby, turns and smiles at the sight.  
>"This is Atlantis calling Stargate Command. Do you read?" Sam asked.<br>There's a long dramatic pause, then a voice comes over comms. _"We read you, Atlantis. Good to hear from you."_  
>Sam smiles as Rodney sighs dramatically in relief. "Great to be heard. Tell General Landry we're back on the grid."<br>Radek, who has turned back to his screen, calls out with a voice full of worry. "Rodney?"  
>"What?"<br>"Long-range scanners have detected a massive fleet of ships being launched from the Replicator planet." Rodney stands up and goes over to the wallscreen. "But they're not heading for us."  
>Rodney points at the screen as it shows the destination of the fleet. "That's a Wraith planet! The attack command must have been activated." He smiles. "What do you know? It worked!"<br>Radek chuckles happily as Rodney smiles in amazement.

҉

**OUTSIDE BALCONY**

Sam comes out to join John who has been gazing out over the ocean, holding his and Illyria's wedding picture.  
>"There y'are."<br>"Two moons!" John said, gesturing at the view.  
>"Actually, there are five. It's just these are the only two visible to the naked eye."<br>"Really?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"Huh! Heard you and Rodney got us re-connected to the Intergalactic Bridge."  
>"Yeah. General Landry was understandably relieved to hear from us."<br>"You know, in all the excitement, I never had a chance to congratulate you." Sam frowns at him, not understanding. "Your promotion. You're a full bird Colonel now." He casually sketches her a salute.  
>"Ah. Thank you."<br>"So, you stickin' around?"  
>"No. General Landry wants Doctor Lee and I to gate back, give him a full briefing on the situation here. The Apollo's gonna remain in orbit for the time being in case you need any assistance."<br>John nods. "Thanks for saving our asses back there from the bad guys. It was a risky move."  
>"It was nothing compared to the risk that you and your team took. Frankly, I'm amazed that you were able to pull it off."<br>John grimaces. "We had a lot of help."  
>"Yeah. General Landry sends his condolences. He was deeply saddened to hear about Doctor Weir….and your wife. We all were." Sam said softly.<br>"We haven't given up hope on the both of them. If there's a chance she's still alive, I'll find her. If there's a chance to save my wife, I'll find it."  
>"I know." She looks over at him and spots him thumbing the picture. "Go to her."<p>

"Exscuse me?"

"You're wife. Go to her."

John chuckled darkly. "She won't know I'm there."

"No," She smiled, "but you will."

John nods, folding the picture up and putting it into his pocket, turned and let.


	51. Chapter 49

**AN:/ TWINS= 1y 12m**

Starrystars'Unloked ~What do mean by 'what's holding John back?' And Illyria's people, one ancient in particular, will help her.

Kiren ~ Refresh my memory, who are you talking about when you said, 'Still wondering where's Samuel'?

Illyria is lying on a bed with her eyes closed, wearing a nasal canula. A green light passes downwards across her face; a scanner which is running down the length of the bed. The bed and a small area surrounding it are sealed inside a clear isolation tent in the Atlantis Infirmary. A medic in a Hazmat suit is standing near the bed looking at a screen. Outside the tent, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard walks over and looks in at Illyria. Behind him, Doctor Rodney McKay and Doctor Jenifer Keller are looking at another screen.  
>"What've you got, Doc?" John asked.<br>Keller glances round at him before turning back to the screen. "It's gettin' worse." she turns to face John. "We're losing her. "  
>Commander Julian Barrett and Ronon Dex are looking at the screen which shows the images from the scanner. The screen shows Illyria's skeleton and lots of small red dots. The dots are all through her body, but a larger number is clustered in her brain.<br>"Those are all nanites?" Julian asked, turning to Keller.  
>"Yes. They've spread throughout her entire body."<br>"How much time does she have?" John asked, keeping a watchful eye on his wife.  
>"I don't think their intention is to kill her. If that were the case, they could have easily done it already."<br>"So they're attempting to assimilate her - to transform her into one of them?" McKay asked.  
>"Yep." Keller said, folding her arms.<br>"This is how they replicate?" Julian asked, amazed.  
>"How do we stop them?" Ronon asked. "Do like we did the first time Weir….the first time Weir was infected?"<br>John nodded. "E.M.P."  
>"I'm afraid we're well beyond that possibility now, Colonel." Keller said. "The only way now is McKay's kill-switch. Looking at the scan, the nanites have literally bonded to neurons and other cells throughout her central nervous system."<p>

"If we attempt to disable them, we'll likely end up killing her along with them." Julian said.  
>"Look, it's not the perfect idea here," McKay looked over at John, "but we're all out of other options."<p>

"Colonel…" Keller said softly. John slowly turned around to face them. "It's up to you now. What would you like us to do?"

John didn't answer right away; he spent a few moments looking over his team. Few were hopeful, others were anguished thinking of the possible loss of another friend only a month after Weir's "disappearance".

John turned back to his wife, grasping the rail in front of him, and quietly said, "Flip the switch."

҉

**LATER**

Illyria has been moved to a separate wing of the infirmary for privacy and safety. As McKay set up computers, Julian, Ronon, and Keller stood by and watched. John walked in with the twins on either hip. John must have told them the news, because there were tear tracks on both their faces.

"Hey." Keller said softly, offering a smile.

"Hey." John said back.

"What you tell them?" Ronon asked, offering to take Jen from him. John handed her over.

"That it was time to say goodbye."

"Do they understand what's going on?" Julian asked.

"Doubt it since they're, what, almost two?" McKay said absently. He looked up to see them all glaring at him to some degree. "Sorry."

"Daddy…" Patrick said, squirming in John's arm. "Down."

John softly chuckled and placed him on the ground. Jen saw and looked up at Ronon sweetly, "Wono…down?"

Julian and Keller looked away, trying their best to hid their smiles at Jen's pronunciation of Ronon's name. Ronon smiled and put her down. Pat held out his hand for Jen to take it. She did and they waddled off to Illyria's bedside, unnoticed by the adults.

"Done!" McKay said, walking around the table with his tablet to join the others.

"Try not to look so happy." Ronon told him.

"Trust me; nothing about this makes me happy." McKay said, looking down at his tablet.

"How long will it take for the program to-to…" John trailed.

"Not that long."

"Thankfully," Keller said, "she'll go quickly once the nanites are neutralized."

"Good." John nodded. "Let's get this over with, she doesn't need to suffer any longer."

"Alright…" Rodney said, anguished. He typed on his tablet some more but stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Ronon asked.

"I press this last button and she's gone." McKay said, looking over at John.

"Believe me, Rodney, I know." John said. "Do it."

Rodney took in a shaky breath and looked back down at his tablet, his index finger hovering above the last button. He shut his eyes tightly and pressed the button.

A white light filled the room.

҉

**LATER**

John and Ronon are swiftly leading the way down the corridor. Keller is pushing a bed with Illyria on it while Rodney and Julian are moving people out of the way up a head.

"We have to get to the infirmary. Illyria's been exposed to radiation." Keller explained to John. "Have a medical team meet us on the way."

"Medical team to Alpha Two. Repeat, medical team to Alpha Two." Julian said into his radio, pulling a couple of scientists out of the way.

"Colonel, what happened?" Colonel Carter asked, coming into the hall.

"The details are a little sketchy!"

A couple of medical technicians meet them on the way. Keller pulls the bed away from them. "Don't touch her! She may still be radioactive." Keller rolls the bed into the infirmary and signals to her nurses. "Let's get her scrubbed down." Keller stops in the doorway and turns to face McKay. "Do we know what kind and how much?"

"Nanites went radioactive. I think his head was exposed to the equivalent of over eight to nine grays of neutron radiation resulting from direct contact. Full body exposure of over seven."

"Oh, my God." Keller whispered.

"Doctor?" Sam asked, stepping into the infirmary.

"It's a lethal dose, Colonel."

҉

**BRIEFING ROOM**

Sam enters the room and sits down at the table where John, McKay, Julian, and Ronon are already gathered.

"Dr. Keller tells me there's nothing more we can do for Illyria at the moment, although she says the nanites are gone. In the meantime, tell me what happened."

John gestures for McKay to start. "Well, as you know, we were about to flip the switch on the nanites in Illyria's body, resulting in her death. I typed in the last bits of the code and hit the button. Then there was a bright flash of white light, blinding all of us for a few moments. When we regained our site, I looked over the program to see what went wrong as Dr. Keller went to check on Illyria's vitals. That's when she noticed the radiation. I don't know how, but the nanites went nuclear."

"How is that even possible?" John asked.

"McKay screwed up." Ronon said.

"I did not screw up!" McKay yelled. "It was not my fault the program glitched."

"So it was a glitch?" Sam asked.

"We can't say for certain either way until we take a look at it." Julian quickly stepped in.

"'We'?" Rodney asked.

"Yes, 'we'." Julian said.

_"Colonel Sheppard? Colonel Carter?"_ Keller said over the radio.

"What is it, Doctor Keller?" Sam asked.

_"She's awake and asking for you." _Before Keller could finish her sentence, John and Ronon were up and racing for the door.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria is sitting on the bed wearing a white infirmary clothing. John was sitting in the chair beside her, Ronon was leaning against the nearest wall, Rodney and Julian sat in rolly-chairs, and Sam and Keller stood in front of her, explain what will happen.

"The nausea will be followed be tremors, convulsions and something called ataxia. Surface tissue, brain tissue and internal organs will inflame and degrade; I believe that's called necrosis." Sam said and Keller nodded and took over.

"Now based on the dose of radiation you got, all that will happen in the next ten to fifteen hours, and if you don't drown in your own fluids first, you will bleed to death, and there is no medical treatment to prevent that."

"Maybe not that we know of." John said.

"John, we don't go running to our offworld allies every time an individual's life is at stake. And don't go telling me that this is any different, because my life is no more valuable than anybody else's." Illyria said.

"What happened?" Ronon asked.

"It doesn't matter." Illyria said, shaking her head.

"Yes, it does." John said, standing. "Like if your nanites tried to sabotage anything."

"There was an accident. I could feel them….and then I couldn't."

"And you're okay with this?" Sam asked.

"No. But there's not much you can do about that." Illyria smiled pathetically.

"Yes, there is." John said adamantly.

"What? Put more nanites in me?" Rodney ducked his head. "They did their job repairing me and when they were being threatened, they made sure I would go with them."

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Sam rises from behind her desk as John walks in. "The Asgard are still not responding. We've tried to reach the Tok'ra, but…"

"Colonel, Earth does have intelligence on a sarcophagus."

"SG3's mission report two months ago." Sam raised her eye brow.

"Yes, ma'am."

"We both know the negative effects of that technology, Colonel."

"But Illyria's never been in one. Once isn't going to hurt."

"However, SG-3's report clearly indicated that the sarcophagus is heavily guarded and likely retrieving it would result in significant casualties, which is why General Landry did not order a recovery mission at the time."

"Ma'am-"

"Colonel, please don't think you're alone in your feelings on this matter."

"Yes, ma'am."

҉

**McKAYS LAB**

He's studying the readout on a computer screen as Jack walks in. "Got anything?"

"Well I've been doing some calculations."

"Anything to help Illyira?"

"I wish. Based on the amount of radiation Keller says Illyira's was exposed to, I've estimated the amount of energy that would have been generated by the nanites."

"And?"

"The potential's astronomical. Even a very small amount of the unstable element emitted a pulse of energy far greater than anything I've ever believed possible. Much more than weapons grade naquadah would have. It would require a massive nuclear reaction to even approach this level."

"So?"

"We have to get some of this element."

҉

**BRIEFING ROOM**

Carter, John, McKay, and Ronon are once again sitting at the table.

"By now we believe that the nanites were reprogramed to do this in case of destruction?"

McKay nodded. "Yes. When Illyria was somehow infected with nanites when the replicators attacked Atlantis, her nanites must have been specifically designed to do this. Most likely to kill us all if the replicators themselves couldn't?"

"None of this bodes well for diplomatic relations." Sam said sarcastically.

"This is Illyira's life." John said, reminding them of their goal.

"I know how you feel because I feel the same way, but I cannot stress enough how valuable this element could be." McKay said.

"Would it help Illyira?" Ronon asked.

"Yes…maybe," McKay sighed, "I don't know."

"What would you have me do, Rodney, draft a letter to the replicators?" Sam asked.

"No, we go back there and get us some." Ronon said.

"We don't even know what 'it' is." John said.

"The colonel's right. No one is going back there after what happened with Doctor Weir." Sam said.

"Fine." McKay said and Ronon glared.

"For right now, all your efforts should be focused on ways to help her. If you figure out something _helpful_, then we'll talk."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

A nurse is changing Illyria's head bandages. McKay is sitting in the observation room, and Keller walks up behind him.

"She looks awful." McKay said.

"It's gonna get a lot worse, and it's gonna happen fast."

"You sure you're doing everything you can?"

"Sedatives and painkillers, that's all we can really do. You have no idea how painful this is going to get. You know, I would never normally say this, it goes against everything I've been trained to do, but the truth is she'd be a lot better off if I…" Keller shook her head and walked off.

All of the sudden, McKay's face lit up and he raced off.

҉

**SOMEWHERE IN ATLANTIS**

McKay opens a crate and takes out the Goa'uld healing device Sam got from Kendra on Cimmeria.

"What are you doing?" A voice behind McKay startles him, making him nearly drop the device.

McKay turned around to see a very pretty scientist standing in the doorway, her hand on her hips. He and held up the device, pointing at it. "Uh, oh, this?"

"Yes. _That_." She walked up towards him. "Where are you going with that? I'm not finished with 6 _months_ of research."

"Yeah, well, I'm trying to save a life, so," He moved her aside and smiled, "my works more important."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Carter enters Illyria's room while McKay, John, and Ronon watch from the observation room.

"Illyria, I didn't suggest this before because, well, the truth is, I'm not really sure if this will work. I could make things worse." Sam said.

Illyria nods. Carter looks at Keller, who gives her a tiny smile. Then she holds the device over Illyria, closing her eyes in concentration, and it begins to glow. For a moment it seems to be working, and then Illyria goes into a seizure.

"She's seizing. Get the crash cart; give me five of Valium." Keller called.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Sam said as she was moved away by a team of medics.

"Help me get her on her side." Two nurses roll her on her side as Keller sticks a needle in. "Valium's in. Stand by with the ambu bag, draw two grams of magnesium sulphate. Put her back, easy."

The light around Illyria slowly fades, cueing an internal dream sequence. Dream Illyria is dressed in traditional white Ancient gown, walking from the dark back into the light. She finds herself in the Gate Room, where a man in white stands on the ramp.

"Your fate is in your hands." He said.

"Breen…" Illyria gasped.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria is now almost completely covered in bandages, including her face. John enters the room and sits down beside the bed.

"Hey, John." She muttered.

"Hey. I uh, I just wanted to… I'm really bad at this." He shook his head.

"Yes, you are. How are the kids, I just heard they were there. Are they-"

"There're fine, honey." John smiled and fished around in his pocket. "In fact…when Jen and Pat heard you were here, they insisted I give this to you." He pulled out a piece of paper and held it in front of her. One the paper were two crudely drawn figures holding hands with the sun shining above them. "Nearly two and they know how to draw."

"It's beautiful." Illyria smiled with her eyes. "I hear you've been hard on Carter." John looked away and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "John…she'd in a tough position."

"I don't care what's at stake, we're gonna get you outa this."

"Didn't know you cared." Illyria said jokingly.

"Because, despite the fact that you've been a terrific pain in the ass, I may have, might have, uh, grown to admire you a little, I think."

"Now that's touching." Illyria chuckled.

"This will not be your last act on official record."

"Breen…"

"What?"

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**GATE ROOM**

"Breen… you look different."

"Lightning flashes, sparks shower, in one blink of your eyes you have missed seeing." Breen smiled. "You look different too."

"Right. What did you mean when you said my fate is in my hands?"

"When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is freed and the body matters not."

"Ascension? Rising to a different plane of existence. Are you saying that I could do that? Become like the rest of our people?"

"You must complete the journey we began as children. Only then will you be able to find your way to the Great Path."

"What do I do?" Illyira stormed up to him.

Breen took both her hands in his, rubbing the backs with his palm. "Release your burden."

"Consider it released. What's Step Two?"

Breen chuckled and kissed her hand, walking away. "A tall man cannot hide in the short grass, Illyria."

"I really don't have time for one of these kind of conversations, Breen."

"One cannot reach enlightenment by running from death." Breen sat down in the middle of the gate, fiddling with the necklace he gave John on the Aurora.

"Tell me what to do."

"Many roads lead to the Great Path. Only the willing will find their way."

"I'm willing. Do your thing. Glow me."

Breen smiles widely. "As much fun as that sounds," Illyria rolled her eyes and bit back her smile, "but we don't have time for that. The river tells no lies, though standing on the shore, the dishonest man still hears them."

"Right. I didn't think it was gonna be that easy." Illyria goes over to Breen and sits beside him. "Millions could still die."

"The future is never certain, we know that better than most." Breen took her hand and kissed it. "You saved many without regard for your own life. I'm proud of you, but you believe your journey is still not over."

"I'm not entirely sure what the point of my journey so far has been. I mean, if this is about being honest with yourself. I believe my entire life has been a failure."

Julian appears as part of Illyria's dream. "Just so you know, Carter hasn't had a change of heart."

҉

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

**INFIRMARY**

Julian is sitting by an unconscious Illyria's bedside and continues to speak, starting to silently cry.

"You have an effect on people, Illyria. The way you look at things, it changed me too. I see what really matters. I don't know why we wait to tell people how we really feel; I waited too long to tell Marissa…"

Julian buries his face in one of his hands, and continues to cry.

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**GATE ROOM**

"You can never reach enlightenment if you do not believe you are worthy."

"Then I guess we may have a problem." Illyria smiled sarcastically.

҉

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon enters as Keller finishes changing Illyria's bandages. He is holding an Atlantian funerary statue. Keller pats his arm as she leaves.

"You once gave me this. You said that its spirit would one day serve its owner in the afterlife." He puts it down on what turns out to be a desk in Dream Illyria's office.

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

Dream Illyria is sorting through some papers. "Thanks. I'm not dead yet, but…I guess it doesn't look so good right now."

"If you are to die, Illyria, I want you to know that I believe that the fight against the Wraith would have lost one of its greatest warriors."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

"And I will have lost one of my greatest friends." He raises his arm across his chest in a warrior's salute.

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

"Because it is so clear it takes a long time to realize it. If you immediately know the candlelight is fire-"

"-the meal was cooked a long time ago." Illyria said, patting Breen's knee. "Told me that before. I didn't know what it meant then and I still don't know now."

"Why do you feel you have failed on your journey? You saved our people and the lives of the Earth people."

"A lot of other people made it work, I was just supervising."

"The very next thing you did was help bring our two beautiful children into the world."

Dream Illyria is holding a picture of the twins and the scene around them flashed to when Illyr;a was giving birth.

"I had the chance to live out my life with you." Illyria looked at Breen and smiled sadly. "I couldn't leave it alone. I was the one that kept the fight going. What happened to you was my fault. I couldn't save you; I couldn't save Carson, Marissa, or Elizabeth. Every Wraith I helped eliminate, another one took its place. Maybe I did something good every now and again, but nothing I've ever done seems to have changed anything."

"These tasks of which you speak were great challenges. Perhaps they were even impossible to achieve." Breen nudged her with his shoulder. "Too much for one person to handel."

"Does that absolve me?"

"You feel your journey must continue until you have found redemption for these failures?"

"Not anymore, not if I'm dead."

"Exactly true."

"You said I was the only one qualified to judge myself? However much I want achievement enlightenment, what happens if I look at my life and I don't honestly believe I deserve it?"

"The success or failure of your deeds does not add up to the sum of your life. Your spirit cannot be weighed. Judge yourself by the intention of your actions and by the strength with which you faced the challenges that have stood in your way."

"What if I can't?" Illyria whispered.

"The people closest to you have been trying to tell you that you have made a difference. That you did change things for the better."

"Not enough."

"The universe is vast and we are _so_ small. There is only one thing we can ever truly control."

"What's that?"

"Whether we are good," he held up one hand, "or evil," holding up the other.

Illyria turns to look at him.

҉

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

**BRIEFING ROOM**

Carter is looking out the window and down into the Gate Room when the alarm suddenly goes off.

"Unauthorized incoming wormhole!" Chuck called out.

Sam headed for the control room.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

"Receiving Earth IDC, ma'am." Chuck reported.

"All defense teams on high alert." Sam ordered.

"High alert. Repeat, high alert." Chuck spoke into the mic. Soldiers enter the Gate Room and take positions facing the Stargate with their weapons drawn.

"Lower the shield." Sam instructed. The shield lowers and Jacob walks through. "Stand down."

Jacob walk into the room and Sam and John come to meet him.

"Sorry about that, Dad. Given what's been happening with earth lately, we had to be sure it was you."

"Understood. What's going on?"

"It's my wife, the Queen." John said.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Jacob, Carter and John enter Illyria's room, where McKay and Keller have taken up positions around the bed.

"I tried this, but it didn't work." Sam hands her father the healing device.

"We'll do our best." Jacob activates the healing device for a moment, then stops. "Her condition is grave. I do not know if I can save her. And even if I can, I do not believe I can restore her full healthy state."

"Do what you can." John said.

Jacob activates the healing device again.

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**GATE ROOM**

Breen is walking towards the Stargate.

"You're leaving? You can't leave." Illyria sounded panicked.

"The rest is up to you." Breen shrugged.

"Why me? Why give me this chance?" Illyria teared up, gesturing to herself.

"Anyone can reach enlightenment. Anyone prepared to open their mind as you did when we first tried."

Illyria closed her eyes and swayed, whispering, "They're trying to save me. They're healing me, I can feel it."

Breen shrugged. "Then your journey will continue as before."

"What if I don't want it to? Not that way."

"Walking the Great Path brings great responsibility. You cannot fear it nor hesitate in your resolve."

"I understand." She looked up at him, absolute in her resolve. "I'm ready to go with you."

"Then stop them."

"How?"

҉

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

**INFIRMARY**

Jacob is still healing Illyria. Dream Daniel appears and walks around the room, finally stopping next to John. She touches him on the shoulder, and they both travel instantly into the Dream Gate Room.

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**GATE ROOM**

"Illyria?" John asked, looking around him.

"Yeah." She weakly smiled, her lip quivering. "Tell Jacob to stop."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm ready to move on." Illyria said, her voice becoming shaky.

"You just giving up? On us? On the kids?"

"No, I'm not giving up, believe me." They both look at Breen, who is standing silently on the ramp. "You remember Breen?"

"Sure. Your dead ex-husband."

Suddenly two white lights appear beside Illyria. As the lights slowly begin to fade, they can see it's Pat and Jen. John's eyes go wide as he looks up at Breen.

"No. No-no-no. You can't take my children!"

"It's not me, Colonel Sheppard. It is their choice."

"Then stop it, Breen, please!" Illyria pleaded, pushing her children behind her and away from Breen.

He smiles sadly. "I'm sorry, but I can't." He changes into a glowing white being and goes to the Stargate, disappearing into it and leaving behind an open wormhole.

"No-no-no-no…" John said, clutching his head in his hands.

"John-"

"He can't take them. Not after taking you, he can't…"

"I think I can do more this way." Illyria whispered.

"What?"

"It's what I want. It's what the children what."

"They're only kids, for crying out loud, what do they know?"

Illyria closes her eyes, moving as if she is being tugged. "I have to go now. Everything's gonna be fine. Please, John. Tell Jacob to stop…."

"Illyria, I don't think I can do this."

"Yes, you can, John. You must." Illyria backs away and smiles down at her children. "Say goodbye to your Daddy."

"Bye, bye, Daddy." Pat said, reaching his hands up towards John. he bends down and hugs the boy around the neck.

"Bye, Daddy." Jen said and John pulled her in, too.

Illyria looks up at the ceiling, trying to blink away the tears. She looks back down at her family and says, "Alright, kids, it's time to go now."

The kids kiss either side of John's face and head towards the gate, looking back to wave goodbye before stepping though.

"John, I-" Illyria began to tear up when John pulled her into his arms. He rubbed her back as she bagan to cry, softly muttering sweet nothings into her hair. 

҉

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

**INFIRMARY**

Jacob is still healing Illyria.

"Jacob. Stop." John whispers loud enough for him to hear.

"Are you serious?"

"It's what she wants."

Jacob looks at Keller. "Someone else want to tell me what to do?"

"Just let her go…" John said.

Jacob stops. Illyria exhales heavily, and the EKG flatlines.

"Colonel?" Keller yells.

Illyria's body suddenly starts to glow, and she begins to ascend toward the ceiling as everyone watches.

҉

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

**GATE ROOM**

"I'm gonna miss you guys..." Illyria whispers, pulling back.

"Yeah, you too." He whispered back, still keeping hold of her hand.

"Thank you. For everything." Illyria starts to walk backwards towards the gate.

"See you around?" John said, letting the tears flow.

"I don't know." Illyria turns and walks towards the gate.

"Hey… where are you going?" John calls out.

"I don't know. But, John, I love you." Illyria walks through the Gate and disappears as John watches.

҉

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria ascends through the ceiling.


	52. Chapter 50

**SORRY FOR THE WAIT!**

**AN:/ 2 month since poor Illyria's death. Big thanks on reviews from Sherry, Shadows-of-Realms, Mandy, Bubby, and A. **

**FROZEN OFFWORLD BASE**

A large snow vehicle is being driven towards the domed base nearly identical to the Antarctica base when it was in its infant stages. Commander Julian Barrett and Dr. Michaels are conversing over a video link.

"It's a blip. A shadow on the ultrasound. Too deep to tell. You know, maybe a…a dead alien seal. Anyway, we're, uh, we're gonna rule it out and pack up for the season. Another week or two, it'll be dark most of the time, much too cold to work outside. As far as coming back next year, well, you know it's not up to me. The IOA reevaluates our presence here every year. Take it up with them."

Over the monitor, Julian said, _"Maybe I can convince them that we should continue. Wwe found the very first evolution of _Wriath _buried under miles of ice. What the hell were they doing down there?"_

"I'm sure coming from you, it'll hold more weight."

_"The DNA from the first one we found, the one by the Stargate, died shortly after it was brought back to Area 51. It was used a few times, but nothing conclusive was found. Without any more tests we can't know for certain. It could be as much as 50 million years old."_

"What we're certain of is that the "Antarctic plate", as we're calling it, wasn't covered by a glacier back then. It wasn't even at the South Pole of this planet."

_"Well, the Wraith didn't necessarily originate there. It could have moved from another planet at any point in time, but that's what we need to try and determine."_

"How?"

_ "There has to be something else down there."_

Michaels sighs, frustrated. "I mean we've been here two years running. Since we dug out those two semi-wraith we've found nothing. If this latest lead turns out to be-"

A door opens behind him and two scientist pop their heads in. "Hey Michaels, the thing in the ice-"

"-it's something."

Michaels looks at the two men, surprised, as they smile.

҉

**FROZEN OFFWORLD BASE**

Colonel John Sheppard, Ronon Dex, Doctor Rodney McKay, and Julian, with Doctor Jennifer Keller, have just arrived at the base. Ronon pauses and looks back at the gate.

"Why's the jumper leaving?"

"Cold's no good for the electronics. It'll be back." John said.

"When?"

As they get under cover, Michaels and the two men approach them.

"Let's ask these folks."

Julian and Michaels shake hands.

"Hi."

"Hi. It's nice to finally meet you, Commander."

"You too. Dr. Michaels, this is Dr. Keller."

Michaels shakes hands with Keller. "Doctor."

"Doctor."

Dr. Michaels introduces her colleagues. "Uh…Doctors Woods and Osbourne."

"Doctor." Keller said.

"Doctor." Woods said.

"Commander." Osbourne said.

"Doctor." Julian said.

"Commander." Woods said.

"Doctor." Keller said.

"All right. That's enough." John said, shaking his head, trying to get rid of a hangover.

"Well, welcome to Antarctic Two, Colonel." Osbourne greeted.

"Thanks. Great to be back…kind of."

"Let's go inside."

They walk from the snow-covered entryway into the body of the building.

"How long is this gonna take?" Ronon asked.

"A few days, maybe more. Why?" Woods asked.

"Long range forecast doesn't look good." Julian smiled.

John, walking slightly ahead of McKay and Fraiser, whispers to Michaels. "Bit of a weather freak."

"He'll love it here." Michaels sarcastically said. They enter the building. Ronon begins to unzip his jacket. "Uh…you might want to leave your coats on. We're keeping the quarantine lab below freezing to maintain the specimen."

"We thought you'd want to see it right away." Woods said.

"Absolutely." Julian smiled.

Michaels begins a brief tour of the base. "As you can see, we're quite well equipped. We have a research lab, observation room, and in here, the quarantine lab."

҉

**ANTARCTICA TWO BASE**

**QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

They enter the quarantine lab where a large block of ice is lying on a table. There is something within the ice, a person.

"After digging up those semi-Wraith the first year, we expected to find a lot more a lot faster." Woods said.

They all stand around the table.

"I named her Lucrezia after a Roman matron who committed suicide in public protest against dishonor." Michaels smiled.

"During the Renaissance, darker associations were given to the name through Lucrezia Borgia, sister to Cesare Borgia." McKay said, inspecting the ice closely.

"Mm hmm." John said. "You don't say?"

"How do you know it's a she?" Keller asked.

"Ultrasound."

"You're guessing." Woods rebutted.

"The form appears to be female, although, I admit, it's hard to tell for sure."

"Have you, uh, have you made a guess about her age?" Keller asked.

Michaels tilted her head. "Mm…25 to 35?"

"Give or take several million years." Osbourne said from behind Woods.

John looks up from studying the ice block, surprised. "Several million?"

"That's what the preliminary analysis of the oxygen content in the ice indicates." Woods said, Osbourne nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, but didn't humans evolve on this planet somewhere between 8 and 9 hundred thousand years ago?" Julian asked, referring to the small settlement on a different continent.

"That's what we thought." Michaels said.

Keller looks pleasantly surprised. "Oh, this could be big."

Michaels turned to Julian. "As you said, evidence now points to the Stargate found here predates the glacier."

Julian nods his head in agreement.

"The Wraith found near the Stargate couldn't have been frozen there that long ago." Ronon said.

"Not even close." Michaels said.

"When I was talking to Dr. Jackson, he theorized that when the Gate from the other settlement was buried roughly 2000 years ago that the Wraith managed to open up the "Antarctic Two" Gate." Julian said.

"Well, that's because a crevasse was formed. It allowed the wormhole to connect and ultimately create a larger opening." McKay said. "The Wraith were frozen after that."

"But she wasn't." Keller said, making her way towards Michaels.

Michaels nodded. "Much before that."

"So she's not a Wraith." Ronon said.

Keller stepped between Michaels and Julian as Michaels was saying, "Well, whoever this is, she was probably around when the Antarctic Two Gate was first being used."

"We need to take more core samples to determine if she was actually frozen in the same vein." Osbourne said, patting the ice.

Keller fingers a hole in the ice. "Did you do a tissue sample?"

"Mm hmm." Michaels said, leaning over. "I'd like you to have a look."

"Listen." John said, waving his arm. "Could somebody bottom-line this for me?"

"Well, Colonel, we could be looking at evidence that human beings from this galaxy evolved long before we thought they did." Keller said.

"And maybe even originally on this planet." Osbourne added.

"Darwin would be crushed." John said sarcastically

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—OFFICE**

John and Ronon walk into a room containing a screen showing the observation lab and an area for clothing. John throws up his hands in frustration.

"Doh!"

"What is it Sheppard?"

"Nothing..." John just sat on the bead and cradled his head.

"Sheppard," Ronon sighed. "You drunk?"

John laughed sheepishly. "Wish I was."

Ronon walked over and knelt beside the bed, getting eye level with him. "Sheppard, I know you're hurting man. This isn't the way. It's been two months-"

"Exactly." John looked up at him. "My wife and kids were taken away by her dead husband. Ronon, come talk to me in a few months."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

Dr. Keller is looking into a high-powered microscope. Michaels is sitting next to her. "This is incredible."

"I know. No adipocere."

"What's that?" Julian asked, who was sitting behind them. Another screen shows the ice block in the observation lab.

"It's a residue that forms on dead animal tissue when exposed to moisture." Keller said. She rolls her chair away from the table to face Julian and Michaels. "But that's not the most amazing part. These tissue cells are intact." Keller looks amazed.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say." Michaels leaned back in her chair, smiling. "I thought maybe I was losing my mind."

"I'm sorry…uh, what?" Julian smiled awkwardly and fixed his cap.

"When you freeze live cells, crystals form and ultimately destroy the integrity of the cell. That's why we haven't been able to develop a viable method of human cryogenic preservation." Keller said.

"So…" Julian prompted.

"So…these cells are perfect. They could be from you or me."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

Keller and Michaels are wearing surgical masks and latex gloves. They maneuver an overhanging heat lamp over the block of ice as the others watch in the adjoining observation room. The ice begins to slowly melt. Time goes by as water slowly drips from the block. A monitor in the observation room shows the temperature slowly increase to fifty degrees.

Michaels, speaking into a headset microphone—documenting the procedure, said, "Right hand, right arm and partial head exposed. The clothing appears tailored. Material unknown."

Keller is also speaking into a head-mike. "Peeling back what appears to be the right sleeve covering the face." She slowly removes the cloth with large tweezers, revealing a perfectly preserved female face, still partially frozen into the ice. Her face was heart shaped; she had high, wide cheekbones; wide, artic blue eyes with long lashes. She had high-arching brows that gave her the look of slight surprise and continuous interest; an up-turned nose; full, sensual lips that were slightly open seeming relaxed, even suggestive.

Keller hands Michaels the tweezers. "You got it?"

Michaels folds the cloth away from the face. "Yeah."

"Okay." Keller looks at the woman, amazed. "She is remarkably preserved."

She shines her penlight into one of Lucrezia 's eyes. The pupil reacts to the light. Keller, stunned, flicks off the light and looks at Michaels. Both look shocked. Keller again shines the penlight into the eye and again the pupil reacts. She turns to the observation room window. "I got a cortical response. Julian, I need your help!" Michaels wheels a machine towards the table. "Let's go."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—OBSERVATION ROOM**

John turns to Julian. "What's goin' on?"

"Electroencephalogram. It measures brain-wave activity." He puts on a mask and leaves the observation room.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

Lucrezia is being prepared for the EEG, with leads being placed on her head.

"All right, go, Julz." Michaels said.

He switches on the equipment, and immediately one of the lines on the monitor shows wave activity. "Delta waves."

"That's impossible!" Michaels said.

"We've seen stranger."

"We've gotta get her out." Keller said.

Julian turned to John in the observation room "Sir, crank up the heat!" John turns to a panel at his right and rotates the controls. The heat lamps switch on to a high setting. A monitor shows the temperature increasing to 79 degrees. The ice around Lucrezia has mostly melted.

"On three. When you're ready, Ronon." Keller said. Hands move to Lucrezia's shoulder and arm, ready to lift her.

"Okay." Ronon said.

"Okay. One, two, three." Ronon and Julian lift Lucrezia's upper body, Michaels her legs. They move her onto a gurney. "Easy."

Now that she was out of the ice, they could see her more clearly. She had long, copper red hair flowing down to her abdomen. She was tall; lean and athletic by her shape – toned legs, slim waist, and supple breasts. Her fingers were long and slim like she was accustomed to shooting arrows with bows.

Julian moves the heat lamp to over Lucrezia's body. "Okay."

Michaels checks Lucrezia's temperature with an ear thermometer. "Temperature is 73 degrees."

"Good." Keller said, modestly cutting away Lucrezia's clothing. "No sign of frostbite. I assume you don't have bypass?"

"No." Michaels shook her head.

"Okay, let's try, uh, warm saline, one milligram epi, and do a blood gas."

Michaels nods in agreement and moves away from the gurney, as do Keller, Julian and Ronon. John looks on from the observation room.

"You know the medics have a saying down here. You're not dead until you're warm and dead." Michaels said, setting leads on her chest.

"It's because anything below 82 degrees and life signs are often undetectable." Keller said, untangling the wire.

They are preparing to give Lucrezia an EKG. Julian was draping a blanket over her.

"Okay, we've got disorganized electrical activity." Michaels reported.

"I'm intubating. Tilt her head, Commander." Keller instructed. A monitor in the observation room shows Keller inserting the respiration tube guide into Lucrezia's throat. "I'm in…give me the tube. That's it…okay."

As the bag is massaged, the medical monitor bleeps and shows a heartbeat.

"There's a heartbeat." Michaels called out, watching the screen.

"She's bleeding." Ronon said, pointing to her arm. The blanket around Lucrezia's arm is drawn away to show a small, bleeding wound.

"Commander, you take over bagging?" Keller asked.

"Got it." Julian nodded and took over.

Keller beings to bandage the wound.

"PH is 6.9. She's acidotic, but her PO2 is 98." Michaels reported.

Julian looks up at the heart monitor. "Ten beats per minute."

As Keller looks across to the heart monitor, the regular beeping turns continuous and Lucrezia's heartbeat flatlines. Suddenly the monitor flat-lines. "She's in V-fib." She sets up the defibrillator as Michaels walks over to the monitor. "Charging to 200." Keller grabs the paddles and prepares to shock Lucrezia. "And clear…"

"Wait!" Michaels yelled.

The continuous beeping has been replaced by regular beeps. Keller turns to see a heartbeat on the monitor. "Sinus bradycardia."

"30 beats per minute. BP 60 over 40 and rising." Michaels shook her head. "I can't believe this is happening."

Suddenly Lucrezia blinks her eyes. Julian looks at her, amazed. "She's conscious."

Keller looks at Julian, shocked, while John looks on from the observation room.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

From Lucrezia's perspective, she could see Keller and Julian, looking down at her, are indistinct. Lucrezia's breathing is loud.

"She's breathing on her own." Keller said, her voice sounding miles away.

As an oxygen mask is removed, Michaels and Ronon appear over her.

"I think we're scaring her." Ronon said. Lucrezia looks around, obviously frightened. There are EEG leads still attached to her head, and a tube down her throat. "It's okay. Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Shhh." He looks up at Keller. "Can we take the tube out?"

Lucrezia flinches away as Ronon lays his hands on the gurney.

"Yeah." Keller moved Ronon out of other way, trading places with him. "It's okay. Julian, give me a hand." Lucrezia is gasping, obviously scared. Keller moves to the head of the gurney to remove the tube from Lucrezia's throat. "Easy…easy…hang on."

Michaels attempts to comfort Lucrezia by rubbing her legs as Keller removes the tube. John, McKay, Osbourne and Woods look on from the observation room.

"Take it easy. It's okay. It's okay." Keller said, trying to calm her patient down. She removes the tube, causing Lucrezia to cough several times, then take deep breaths. "It's okay. There you go." Suddenly, Lucrezia begins fighting, crying out. "Oh, ho, whoa! Michaels, 2.5 milligrams Valium." Michaels moves to inject the drug in the IV line, while Julian, Keller and Ronon hold down Lucrezia. "Easy, nobody's gonna hurt you. It's okay. Okay. Here we go." Lucrezia clams as the drug takes effect. "Here we go. Yeah."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

"We didn't do anything, Colonel. She revived herself. It was as if the thawing process just triggered an internal response telling her body to come back to life." Keller said, walking around with her hands in her pockets.

"But not a semi-Wraith, or whatever, right?" John asked. He was sitting down at one of the tables, his elbow propped up and resting his head on his open hand.

"No, Sir."

"All right. Then what are we dealin' with here?"

"Something not humanly possible. Not as far as I know."

"Then she may not be of this world." Julian said.

"As far as we knew up until now, all human life in this galaxy was transplanted from planet to planet because of the Wraith. Now, the odds of a totally alien life form evolving to look exactly like us are…are astronomical." McKay said.

"Actually, if she's as old as we think she is, wouldn't it be us evolving to look like her?" Julian asked.

"True." McKay sighed.

"We really need to check out the site again." Woods said, looking over his shoulder at Osbourne. "At least get another core sample to prove the age of the ice."

"You guys need some help?" John asked.

"We can handle it." Osbourne said, pushing off from the wall.

Michaels enters from the Quarantine Lab as the other two head off, pulling down her mask. "Uh…she's awake again."

"Think I'll try talking to her." Julian said.

"I'll go with." Ronon said. After a moment, John nods in agreement.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

Lucrezia is lying on the gurney, looking drowsy and dressed in green medical scrubs. Her arms are restrained at her sides. Ronon and Julian enter, both wearing surgical masks.

"Hey." Julian said. Lucrezia appears scared, moving away slightly on the gurney. Julian lowers his mask a little, looks at Ronon and then removes the mask completely. "It's…uh…Julian."

Julian smiles at her. Ronon also removes his mask. "Ronon" He turned to Julian and asked, "We don't need these restraints anymore, do we?" Ronon removes the restraint on her left wrist as Julian moves around the other side of the gurney. "It's all right. It's better, huh?" Julian removes the restraint from her right wrist. Ronon turned to Julian, "Want to sit her up?"

Julian and Ronon support Lucrezia's back as they help her into a sitting position. She moans and rolls her sore neck. Julian tapped his throat. "Can you speak?" He repeated. "You speak?"

"Maybe she just doesn't understand us." Ronon said.

"I'd be very surprised if she did, but that doesn't mean we can't communicate, right?" Julian points to himself. "I'm Julian." Lucrezia looks puzzled. "Julian. It's my name."

"Ju…Jul—e–an." Lucrezia she stammered.

"Yeah." Julian smiled.

Lucrezia looks over at Ronon. She tentatively lifts her hand and, lightly with one finger, places it on his chest.

Ronon smiled a little. "Ronon."

She taps his chest. "Ro…Ro-non."

"I guess she can speak." Julian smiled.

Ronon slowly, as to not alarm her, put a finger on her chest. "Do you have a name?" Distracted, Lucrezia raises her right sleeve to look at the bandage on her bicep. "That bothering you?"

"Oh, that's our fault. I'm sorry." Julian said.

Lucrezia looked at him, holding her arm. "S…Sor-ry?"

"Yeah, sorry." Julian said. "It's what you say to somebody when you, uh, cause them pain or sadness or you've done something you feel bad about. We didn't know. Let me have a look?" He slowly reaches his hands toward her arm. "It's okay." He folds up the sleeve and removes the bandage, thumbing the skin. There is no longer a wound on the arm. "That's amazing."

"Am-a-zing." Lucrezia repeated.

"Yes, you are." He smiled.

Lucrezia turned to Ronon. "Am-a-zing."

He smiles and nods in agreement.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

McKay is sitting at a monitor, the forecast on the screen. "The weather system Barrett was worried about is blowing in more quickly than first predicted."

John turned to his radio. "Woods, Osbourne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

_"Yeah, Colonel, I read you."_ Woods said.

"That storm is headed our way."

_"Roger that. We're almost done here. It'll be dark soon anyway." _Ronon and Julian enter the lab."Just…be back in a couple of hours. Woods out."

"We didn't learn anything." Ronon said.

"Nothing?" John asked.

"No, no, not even her name." Julian said. "There's obviously a communication barrier. She can speak, but, uh…"

"There's really no telling what the effects of being frozen that long are. Even with her ability to…uh…preserve or heal herself physically, parts of her mind could have been damaged beyond repair." Keller said.

"The wound on her arm is completely gone." Julian said.

"What?" Keller said, her eyebrows shooting up.

"I mean, if we can figure out how she's able to regenerate…" Michaels trailed off.

"Couldn't she be deliberately hiding something?" McKay asked.

"What reason would she have to hide anything?" Julian asked.

"Fear." Ronon said.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

Lucrezia is sitting up on the gurney, with Michaels standing next to her. Ronon enters, carrying a tray.

"Thought you might be hungry. Brought you some…uh…food." Lucrezia looks puzzled. He picks up some food from the tray and eats it. "You eat it. It's not very good, but, uh…try it."

Lucrezia takes the tray from Ronon and eats some of the food. She shakes her head and grimaces. She selects a small amount of different food from the tray: mashed potatos and gravy. Lucrezia starts to greedily eat the food.

"I guess if you've been frozen for that many years…" Lucrezia stares at him as she continues eating. Michaels removes her jacket, obviously warm. "You all right, Doc.?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just think we have the heat turned up a little high in here now."

Julian walks in and waves to Lucrezia and smiled at Ronon and Michaels. "Hey, I want to show you something," he pulls out a notebook from under his arm, "…uh…here, look, look." Julian shows Lucrezia a notebook, opened to a page with a drawing of a Stargate. He points to the drawing. "Have you ever seen this? Yes? No?"

Lucrezia slows her eating and looks at the drawing. "Amazing.

Ronon smiles as Julian appears a little frustrated. "We're going to try something else."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—OBSERVATION ROOM**

McKay enters and joins Keller at a terminal. "Look at this."

The monitor shows different brain wave patterns.

"What are they?" McKay asked.

"EEGs Dr. Fraiser took of a girl named Cassandra when she was suffering the effects of Niirti's genetic experiment."

"Yeah, her daughter Cassie. I read the report. She started developing telekinetic abilities."

"Mm hm. These are the ones she took of General O'Neill when he had the knowledge of the Ancient repository downloaded into his brain. Now, I've been comparing them…to Lucrezia's…" Keller brings up another brain wave pattern on the screen.

"Connection?" McKay asked. Keller nods. "Okay, Niirti was trying to create genetically enhanced human beings. And the Ancient device was rewriting General O'Neills memory until the Asgard put a stop to it."

"It was doing more than that. It was activating dormant areas of his brain. Rodney, look, what if there's more than just a coincidental similarity in these patterns? I mean, we're in a whole 'nother galaxy!"

"So you're saying this woman is…?"

"I'm saying that she's another example of an advanced stage in the potential human evolutionary process."

"Leading to what?"

"The Antarctic cod on Earth can live in water so cold, other fish would develop ice crystals in their blood. Now, they've had 40 million years or so to adapt to the change of temperature in the water and they've developed this protein that acts like anti-freeze."

"They're fish."

"Given enough time, evolution can do some pretty amazing things. Look, we know that humans can become much more powerful beings. We've seen it happen with Illyria."

"Uh huh, with the help of other powerful beings."

"Yes. We think this woman might predate human evolution on this planet by 50 million years."

"Yeah, but that would put her behind us on the evolutionary timeline, not way ahead."

"Unless…"

"Unless…their evolution isn't the first time it's happened. That's not big, that's huge!"

"Okay, look, it's just a theory and we certainly don't have any hard evidence, yet."

"Yeah, yeah, but if you're right! This woman could be an Ancient!"

"One stage of their development, anyway."

"A living Ancient…" McKay trailed.

"Just, let's not mention this to the Colonel. It's only been a month since…."

The monitor behind Keller is showing the quarantine lab. Michaels has just collapsed to the floor. Julian yells up into the camera, drawing McKay and Keller's attention.

"Dr. Keller!"

McKay and Keller leave the lab and can be seen over the monitor entering the quarantine lab. Lucrezia is standing to the side, hiding behind Ronon, obviously frightened.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—MAKESHIFT INFIRMARY**

Keller is tending to Michaels, who is lying on one of the beds. Keller is wearing a surgical mask which she removes as she walks away from the bed. She enters from the infirmary which is immediately next door. John and McKay are sitting at a small table.

"Michaels fainted. She's running a high fever. I need to do more tests." Keller walks over to a small lab table, a few vials of blood in her hands.

"Lucrezia?" John asked.

"She's fine." Keller said. Julian is sitting at a monitor, keeping an eye on Ronon and Lucrezia. "I know what you're thinking."

"And?" John asked.

"It's possible she may be carrying a contagion of some kind."

John grimaces at McKay.

"Wouldn't she be sick, too?" Julian asked.

"There are a number of examples of diseases that have no effect on the carrier, but can still infect others. It may be that her healing abilities are fighting off the infection in her own system without eradicating it completely."

"Should…Ronon still be in there?" Julian asked.

"He wants to be. Chances are, he's already been exposed, it's possible we all have. If this did come from her, we need to know as much as she can tell us."

"The Puddle Jumper is scheduled to pick us up tomorrow." McKay reminded.

"Better call it off." Keller said.

"Ah, they couldn't have flown in this weather anyway." John said, getting up and walking over to a radio.

"Until I know a lot more about what's going on here, we're quarantined." Keller announced.

"Woods, Osbourne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

Only static is heard over the radio. Outside the station, a storm is raging.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—MAKESHIFT INFIRMARY**

Michaels is lying on the bed, perspiring and breathing laboriously. Keller is wiping her face. John can be heard on the radio in the next room.

"Osbourne, Woods. This is Sheppard. Come in."

Only more static is heard. Julian enters the infirmary. "How is she?"

"Not good. Fever won't come down, she's not responding to antibiotics. Whatever this is, it's fast."

"Woods and Osbourne still aren't back and they're not responding on the radio."

"If they developed the same symptoms as Michaels, they could be weak, disoriented or even passed out."

"You definitely think this came from Lucrezia?"

"Well, Michaels seems to have been affected first and she was the one working with the tissue sample."

Julian sits on one of the beds in the room.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—ENTRANCEWAY**

The doorway opens and Osbourne enters, carrying a case. He stumbles to the ground just inside the doorway.

"Help!"

John and Ronon come running from the complex , followed by McKay and Keller. John kneels down beside Osbourne. Osbourne waves at the case he was carrying. "The core samples."

"Where's Woods?" John asked.

Osbourne is obviously freezing cold and has difficulty breathing. Keller starts removing his headgear. "Got separated…hoping he made his way back here."

"What about the snow cat?"

"Got stuck in a drift."

"It's minus thirty. He won't last for long out there." McKay said.

"He's running a high temperature. Help me get him back to the barracks." Keller said.

John and Ronon help Osbourne to his feet and take him through to the infirmary.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—MAKESHIFT INFIRMARY**

John and Ronon lay him on a bed not far from Michaels.

"Rodney, I'm gonna need your help." Keller said.

"Hopefully, Woods activated his EPIRB." He said.

John and Ronon leave as McKay and Keller begin removing Osbourne's outer clothing.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—ENTRANCEWAY**

John and Ronon are geared up and read, mounting their own snow mobile. McKay and Julian watch them leave.

"Stay in radio contact." McKay said.

"Roger that." John said into his radio helmet.

John and Ronon drive out. McKay walks over to where Osbourne collapsed and picks up his hat and the case he had been carrying. He and Julian run back into the complex.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

Lucrezia is looking out of the window as the outer door to the complex closes. Julian enters the lab, he sighed and rubbed his face, tired. Lucrezia looks at him then looks back out of the window.

"Oh. Dr. Woods is lost." He sat on her bed and Lucrezia slightly turned to him. "Colonel Sheppard and Ronon went out there to find him. Hope they do." Lucrezia slowly walked over to him. "Dr. Michaels and Dr. Osbourne are both…sick. Dr. Keller thinks that we may have been, uh, infected by some disease that you're carrying." Lucrezia moves her head slightly, as though understanding Julian. "Eventually, we're all gonna be very sick. But…you have no idea what I'm talking about, so…"

Lucrezia moves towards Julian, a questioning look on her face. She gestures to herself as though questioning her actions.

"Do you? You can understand me?" Lucrezia nods her head in the affirmative. Julian got up off the bed, excited. "You're a quicker study than I am. So, is there anything at all that you can tell me about this disease you're carrying? Why you're not sick? You don't know? Y-You don't remember anything?" Lucrezia shakes her head. "Do you know how you're able to heal yourself?"

Lucrezia shakes her head again. Julian sighs in frustration.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

Keller enters from the infirmary. "I'm going to boost the dose of antibiotic, but so far I haven't seen any sign of bacterial growth in the culture." She walks to McKay, who is sitting at a monitor. "If this is a virus, there is nothing else I can do here."

"How much time do they have?" McKay asked.

"Days, hours. I don't know. Michaels' kidneys have started to shut down and that's a bad sign."

"The ice core sample that Osbourne brought back places Lucrezia in the same vein as the Stargate. She's at least three million years old. But if she comes from a race that actually predates the glacier and your theory is correct, she could be a lot older." McKay tilts his head. "She's an Ancient all right. Beauty and everything."

_"McKay, come in."_ John said over the radio.

McKay moves to the two-way radio. "Sheppard, this is McKay."

҉

**SNOW-DRIVEN LANDSCAPE**

"We've found the abandoned 'cat. We'll continue the search on foot. Visibility is near zero and I keep losing a satellite lock on the tracker." John said into his helmet radio.

Ronon is nearby, pointing a bright flashlight into the snow.

_"The cold must be affecting the active antenna on your SatNav."_

"We'll keep looking. Sheppard out."

The wind is howling and the snow is swirling all around them. Ronon has to shout loudly.

"Dr. Woods!"

"Dr. Woods!"

"Dr. Woods!"

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

Keller taps on the window of the quarantine lab and gestures at Julian to join her.

Julian is sitting on a gurney with Lucrezia looking at a notebook. He moves from the gurney into the research lab.

"It's unbelievable." He said.

"What?" Keller asked.

"She understands everything I'm saying. Everything. I told her exactly what's been happening and she seems to…to know that she…she's responsible for it somehow, you know? Like it's her fault."

"She told you that?"

"Not in so many words, no."

"Well, what about something that could help us?"

"Not yet, but, uh, it doesn't mean that her memory won't come back. It's logical that the…the mind would take longer than the body to heal."

"The problem is, Julian, we don't know how much time we have."

"Right." He sighed.

҉

**SNOW-DRIVEN LANDSCAPE**

Ronon and John are searching.

"Sheppard!" Ronon called out. He gestures to the ground. He and John walk over to find Woods, collapsed in the snow.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—ENTRANCEWAY **

John and Ronon enter the complex on the snow cats with Woods being towed behind on a stretcher. Keller and Julian are waiting for them at the entranceway and move towards Woods.

"Let's get him into the lab. On three. One, two, three."

John, Keller and Julian lift Woods from the towing unit.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

They place Woods on a gurney in the lab.

"He's in hypothermic shock. We need to get his clothes off." Keller said. Lucrezia stands watching as Keler and the others begin Woods' clothing. "We need to get him wrapped in warm blankets." Ronon places a blanket over Woods as John removes his own head gear. Julian removes Woods' boots. "McKay, I need you to hook him up onto the monitor."

Keller cuts through Woods' clothing as Lucrezia moves around to watch. Julian pulls off a sock to reveal severe frostbite on Woods' foot. He shakes his head. "This can't be good."

McKay turns back to see what Julian is talking about. "Oh, my God." He places EKG leads on Woods' chest as Keller begins to bag him. Julian removes the sock from the other foot, which is in the same frostbitten state. The heart monitor flatlines.

"He's in V-fib. You get the paddles, I'll get the gel." Keller told McKay. Both Julian and Lucrezia are looking on, concerned. "Charge to 200." McKay sets the charge and prepares the paddles, then hands them to Keller. "Okay. Everybody clear!"

As Keller prepares to shock Woods, Lucrezia steps up to the gurney.

"Whoa, whoa, Hey!" John called out to her.

Lucrezia places her left hand on Woods' head.

"No, no, no. Wait. Wait." Julian said, holding his hands out.

"Julian!" Keller yeled.

"Let's see. Let's see what she does."

Lucrezia places her right hand on Woods' stomach. Julian walks around towards Lucrezia who is grimacing and breathing heavily. Suddenly, Woods takes a deep, gulping breath. Julian stands next to Lucrezia as Keller and McKay look on, amazed. McKay looks to Woods' feet, which seem to glow as the signs of frostbite disappear. Keller returns the paddles to their stand as John and Ronon look on, stunned. Woods takes another deep breath, then Lucrezia gasps and collapses and Julian catches her. Keller looks at the heart monitor which is now showing a normal heartbeat.

"His vital signs are back to normal."

Keller checks Woods' pulse as he opens his eyes. She looks across at Julian who is supporting Lucrezia. Julian nods, shocked. McKay again checks Woods' feet, then looks across at John in disbelief.

҉

**ANTARCTIC BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

Ronon enters the lab. Lucrezia sits up on the gurney where she has been resting.

"You okay?" He asked. Lucrezia nods her head in the affirmative. "You know what you did?" Lucrezia briefly nods her head. "You know how you did it?" Lucrezia shakes her head. "Can you do it again?"

Lucrezia frowns. "Michaels and Osbourne are in bad shape. If you can't help them…"

Ronon shakes his head. After a moment, Lucrezia nods hers in the affirmative.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—MAKESHIFT INFIRMARY**

Keller is sitting on the edge of Michaels' bed, checking her pulse. Ronon and Lucrezia enter the room. Keller covers Michaels up and stands, heading to the doorway to stand with Ronon while Lucrezia kneels down next to the bed. She places her hands on Michaels in the same way as she did with Woods.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

John, Julian, McKay and Woods are in the lab as Keller, Osbourne, Michaels and Ronon enter.

"Guess it worked." McKay said.

"So this is good, right? When she wakes up, she can zap us all?" John said.

"Not necessarily. Healing them really exhausted her." Keller said, walking away. Julian follows Keller to a monitor. They both sit down.

"What is it, Jennifer?" Julian asked, taking her hand.

"It's a blood sample from Lucrezia. I'll know more in a little while." Julian sits in a chair behind Keller whom turns to look at him. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. What do you think the problem is?"

"Whatever or however she is able to do what she does, it weakens her. More each time. I mean, she's still carrying that virus herself, Julez. I'm afraid there's going to be a point where she puts herself at risk."

Julian rises and pats Keller on the arm. "Good luck."

"Yeah."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

Keller enters the lab. "Okay. I can't say for sure, but her white cell count is down significantly."

Ronon is standing against a wall as Julian lounges in a chair, reading. John is lying on a couch. McKay and Michaels are sitting at a monitor.

"White blood cells are a major part of our immune system and…she's still basically human." Keller continued.

John was massaging his forehead. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you, me, McKay and Ronon are all going to get a lot worse over the next day or so. Commander Barrett is an exception; he's naturally immune. And…I don't know what will happen if we let her try to heal all of us."

"She could die." McKay said.

"She could save some of us or all of us, who knows."

"You know, maybe she just needs some time to get her strength back." Michaels said.

"Well, for the moment, none of us are in dire need, so I suggest we get some rest." Keller suggested.

"We'll watch her." Woods said.

"Yeah, it's the least we can do." Osbourne nodded.

"Yeah, I'll run some tests on the three of us and Julian, looking for antibody markers. I mean, hopefully, whatever she did to us means we're now immune to re-infection." Michaels said.

"Okay. And the rest of us will get some sleep. That's an order." Keller pointed.

҉

**ANTARCTIC BASE—MAKESHIFT INFIRMARY**

Lucrezia is lying on one of the beds. Woods is sitting next to her but appears to be dozing. Suddenly, she wakes and sits up. Woods also wakes.

"Hi." Lucrezia swings her legs off the bed. "Thank you. You saved my life. I have to admit I feel a little guilty, being okay while Colonel Sheppard and the rest of them keep getting sicker."

Lucrezia raises her hands and looks at them. She gently touches one hand with the other, then rises to stand in front of Woods .

"If we could just figure out how-"

Lucrezia caresses Woods' face and he loses consciousness. She leaves the infirmary.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—SLEEPING QUARTERS**

McKay and Keller are asleep; McKay on the top bunk, Keller on the bottom. Lucrezia enters and kneels next to Keller. She places her hands on Keller in the same way as with woods and Michaels.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

"The storm is passing." Obsourne announced.

"Good. Maybe now we'll be able to get a some-what disease control team in here." Michaels said.

'I'm gonna relieve Woods."

"Okay."

Osbourne leaves and enters the infirmary, finding Woods unconscious and no sign of Lucrezia.

"Norm, wake up…Norm…"

Unable to rouse Woods, he leaves.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—SLEEPING QUARTERS**

Osbourne enters the room and switches on the lights. McKay and Keller are awake and getting dressed, their backs turned to each other.

"She's missing. Woods is unconscious." Osbourne announced.

All three hurry out of the room.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—STORAGE AREA**

Osbourne, Keller and McKay enter. Osbourne points to a door. "Check there."

"Yeah."

As Osbourne goes to another door, Keller and McKay enter a room, followed by Osbourne.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—ROOM**

Ronon is bending over an unconscious Lucrezia who is lying on the floor. McKay checks Lucrezia's pulse as Keller goes to John who is lying, unconscious, on a cot.

"It's okay. It's okay." She whispered to him. She checks John's pulse and places her hand on his forehead. "He's burning up."

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—ENTRANCEWAY**

A number of people enter wearing biohazard suits and carrying equipment.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—QUARANTINE LABORATORY**

John is lying in an enclosed rescue stretcher. He has an oxygen mask over his mouth.

"You're going to be fine, Colonel. I'll see you soon." Keller said. She was wearing a biohazard suit as she closes the lid on the containment stretcher. As John's stretcher is wheeled out, Lucrezia appears, also lying in a containment stretcher. She too is wheeled out.

҉

**ANTARCTIC TWO BASE—RESEARCH LABORATORY**

Everyone in the complex is wearing a biohazard suit except for Julian, who is holding his.

"Barrett, even though you don't have the disease, you could still carry the virus. We'll all get properly cleared once we get back to Atlantis." McKay said.

Julian nods.

҉

**ATLANTIS—INFIRMARY QUARANTINE OBSERVATION ROOM**

McKay is sitting in the room when Julian enters.

_"Blood pressure's holding 80 over 40. I wanna do a manual and uh, get me the results of his latest bloodwork."_ Keller's voice was heard in the speaker.

"How's he doing?" Julian asked.

"They're doing everything they can."

"We talked to Earth. They said this might be beyond their help, but they're sending someone anyway."

"His best chance is Lucrezia. She managed to halt the virus completely in the rest of us."

"Why hasn't she been able to stop it in herself?"

Keller answered that over the speaker. "_From what I've been able to learn so far the virus ultimately acts like cerebrospinal meningitis by attacking the brain. Despite the physical similarities, Lucrezia's brain chemistry seems to be quite different from ours. I suppose it's possible she's able to trigger an immune response in us that she can't muster in herself once the disease reaches an end stage."_

"What are the odds she'll survive?" Julian asked.

Keller shakes her head slightly, negatively. McKay and Julian look at each other. McKay sighs. All three turn to look at John who is lying on a bed.

҉

**ATLANTIS—INFIRMARY QUARANTINE**

Lucrezia is lying on a bed. A heart monitor beeps in the background. Ronon, wearing a biohazard suit walks up to her bedside. She is wearing a nasal canula. As Ronon approaches, she slowly opens her eyes.

"Hey. Glad to see you're awake." He smiled. "I had a feeling you were gonna make it…Thanks for what you did for me. You didn't have to do that. Not for any of us."

Lucrezia frowns and grimaces in pain.

"Hey, take it easy, huh? Gotta get your strength back. Sheppard still needs your help. More than that, we want _you_ to live…I want you to live."

Lucrezia weakly shakes her head. "Sor-ry."

As Lucrezia loses consciousness, the regular beeping turns continuous and Lucrezia 's heartbeat flatlines.

"Lucrezia!"

Personnel dressed in biohazard suits rush into the room. Ronon is pushed aside as they begin working on Lucrezia. Keller enters.

"She just, uh…" Ronon trailed.

"Bag her." Keller ordered.

"She just…"

"Give me one milligram epi." Keller sets up the defibrillator as Ronon stands behind her. "Charging to 200."

Keller grabs the paddles and prepares to Lucrezia. "Clear! Nothing. Charging to 300. Clear! Come on, come on. Again. Clear!"

Lucrezia heartbeat continues to flatline as Ronon helplessly looks at Keller.

҉

**BRIEFING ROOM**

McKay and Julian walk up the stairs into the room. Ronon enters the room from the stairs, out of breath.

"Lucrezia's not looking too good. Keller's doing everything she can, but…"

"She may have been on borrowed time from the start." McKay said.

Julian nods in agreement. Just then, an alarm begins to sound.

_"Commander Barrett come in!"_ Keller yelled over the radio.

"This is Barrett. What's going on?"

_"It's Lucrezia."_ Julian looked over at Ronon. _"She's missing."_

҉

**ATLANTIS—INFIRMARY**

Julian enters followed by Ronon and McKay. He walked over to Keller. "Missing? I just heard she wasn't doing to good, how is she missing?"

Keller shook her head. "I don't know, Commander. Look, once we stabilized her, I left to do some work-"

"How long were you gone?" Julian asked.

"I-I don't know, maybe a minute or so." She looked over at Lucrezia's empty bed. "Commander, she couldn't have gotten too far."

Julian looked around and nodded. He turned to Ronon. "I want four teams of two searching places around the infirmary-"

"Hey, wait-wait-wait." McKay said. "Since when are you in charge."

Julian glowered at him. "Senior ranking military officer." He turned back to Ronon. "Like the doctor said, she couldn't have gotten too far."

Just then, a nurse rushed in. "Doctor Keller!"

"What is it Jullie?" Keller asked.

"Lucrezia…" Jullie said, catching her breath.

"What about Lucrezia?" Julian asked.

"She…She's with Colonel Sheppard."

"What?" Julian said. He turned to Ronon. "Have two teams to two meet us down there."

They took off as Keller went over to Jullie. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Doctor. One moment we're treating the Colonel, and the next we're outside the room with the doors locked."

"Doctor Keller!" Julian shouted from down the hall.

Keller looked at him then back at her nurse. "You did what you could. Thank you." She grabbed some medical gear and rushed off with Julian.

҉

**ATLANTIS—INFIRMARY QUARANTINE**

Ronon, Julian, Keller, and a team of Marines are outside the doors. McKay was working on getting them unlocked.

"What's taking so long, McKay?" Ronon growled.

"Look, if this was any other person, I would have these doors open in seconds, but it's not. We're dealing with an Ancient who knows more about the system than I do. SO-"

"Just get them opened!" Julian barked.

"Well maybe if you stopped-" McKay's panel beeped. "Huh, it worked."

"Can we get in?" Keller asked.

"Yeah-"

Before McKay could finish, Ronon and Julian were in the room, but stopped short of the doorway. There he was, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, back from the brink of death. He was kneeling on the ground, holding Lucrezia in his arms.

"Need a medic in here!" He shouted.

Julian called over his shoulder. "Jennifer!"

"On it!" Keller said, rushing in, medical staff not far behind her.

҉

**BRIEFING ROOM – NEXT DAY**

John, Ronon, Julian, McKay, and Keller were sitting around the table.

"News on Lucrezia?" John asked Keller.

"We managed to get her stabilized after she flatlined. To be perfectly honest, I think she meant saving you, Colonel, to be her last act."

"Well," John awkwardly smiled, "Sorry."

"How is it that you're here?" McKay asked. John raised his eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Lucrezia healed you. She should have died, hey, she was practically dead when she saved you."

"Sometimes, McKay," Ronon said, standing up, "You've just go to believe."

Ronon left and Julian smiled. "I think somebody has a crush."

"Oh, really?" McKay said, surprised.

"It's kinda obviouse." Keller smiled.

John cleared his throat and Julian got back on track. "In the meantime, what are we going to do about Lucrezia?"

"SGC?" McKay asked.

"She's in no condition right now to be traveling anywhere." Keller shook her head.

"I have an idea," John smiled. "She joins the team."


	53. Chapter 51

**AN:/ 3 month since**

**OFFWORLD VILLAGE**

Ronon Dex walks into a village accompanied by Lucrezia. Since her joining the Atlantis team two months ago, she has been to many villages and has bought several different outfits. She was wearing a pair of brown hiking boots, grey-beige trousers and a pink high collared long sleeved top that scooped relatively low. A villager, seeing them approach, jumps up from the bench where he was sitting and runs over to them, smiling.  
>"Praise the gods you've finally arrived." He smiles at Lucrezia and walks around her, admiring her. "And you are far more beautiful than I ever could have imagined."<br>Lucrezia and Ronon frown at him uncomprehendingly.  
>"Excuse me?" Ronon asked.<br>"You have not come for the arranged marriage?"  
>"No." Lucrezia said simply. Along with shopping, for the past two months shes been relentlessly studying how to read, speak, and write in several common languages (Julian), basic math (McKay), how to shoot (Lorne), and how to protect herself physically (Ronon). Even though Julian has made substantial progress with her, she was still learning.<br>The villager lowers his head in disappointment, then perks up and smiles at her again. "Would you perhaps be seeking a husband?"  
>"No." Lucrezia said firmly.<br>The villager looks disappointed again. "Oh. Then what brings you to our town?"  
>"We've heard of strangers who recently arrived," Lucrezia said slowly, looking to Ronon to see if she was speaking correctly. He nodded and she continued, "- a rough-looking group boasting of many Wraith kills."<br>"Yeah, we think they might be Satedan." Ronon said.  
>"Ah, yes. You mean the three loud-mouthed drunkards who spend their days carousing at the tavern."<br>"Sounds like my people." Ronon smiled.  
>"They've taken rooms at the local inn."<br>"Thank you." Lucrezia said politely, remembering what Julian taught her about manners.  
>"You are most welcome." The villager walks closer to her. "And should you ever reconsider your desire for a husband…"<br>Ronon walks towards him threateningly. The man turns and runs off. Ronon turns back towards Lucrezia. "All right. I'll check the inn; you check the tavern."  
>"Sounds swell." Lucrezia smiled and headed towards the tavern and enters. She walks over to the bar and smiles at the barkeep. "Hello. I'm looking for three individuals who recently arrived. I've heard they are big eaters and drinkers, and have been load about their recent successes against the Wraith." Before the barkeep can speak, a man stands up from a nearby table and walks over to her.<br>"These people you're looking for - they're either very brave or very stupid."  
>"How so?"<br>"Well, if word of their bragging got back to the Wraith, it could be very bad for them."  
>"I don't think they need to fear a Wraith overhearing their conversation."<br>"Of course not. But the Wraith don't always need their own ears to hear."  
>"Do you know the people I seek?"<br>"Sorry. I mind my own business - which is something you might want to consider."  
>Lucrezia smiled unpleasantly at him (a trick she picked up from Ronon). "And you might want to think about giving your unwanted advice to someone who actually cares to receive it." She turns to walk away but the man seizes her wrist. Lucrezia glares down at his hand.<br>"An attitude like that could get you hurt - or worse."  
>He smiles at her smugly. Lucrezia promptly swings her free hand at him but he blocks it. She pulls her other hand free and punches him in the face. Instantly a man and woman sitting at a table nearby jump up and hurry towards them. The man aims a roundhouse kick at Lucrezia's head but she ducks down below his leg. The woman kicks Lucrezia's legs from behind. She stumbles forward, but recovers her footing and trades a couple of blows with the other man before swinging back to defend herself from another kick aimed by the woman. The first man watches the fight, smiling. Lucrezia holds her own for a while against the other two but eventually they overpower her and push her back against the bar. The woman draws a knife and holds it against Lucrezia's neck.<br>"What's the first to go - the ears, or those pretty eyes?"  
>The distinctive sound of Ronon's blaster powering up can be heard. "How about your head?"<br>The two turn and look at Ronon standing in the doorway aiming his blaster at them. As he sees their faces for the first time, he smiles in delight and lowers his blaster.  
>"Ronon!" The woman cries.<br>"Ara! Rakai!" Ronon said, holstering his blaster.

Releasing Lucrezia, the woman laughs in delight and runs towards Ronon, hurling herself into his arms. He hauls her off her feet, hugging her, and second man runs over and wraps his arms around both of them, all of them whooping happily. Lucrezia grimaces and holds her jaw as the first man strolls over to join the reunion.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Commander Julian Barrett is walking along a corridor looking at a computer tablet he is carrying. Doctor Rodney McKay walks over, smiling. "Hmm. Heard the rumor?"  
>"No. What rumor?"<br>"Oh, never mind. Forget I mentioned it." He walks on down the corridor. Julian turns and follows him.  
>"Wait. What is this about?"<br>"No, it would be irresponsible for me to say anything." Then, he immediately spouts off in saying, "All right, look, if you're gonna twist my arm, the I.O.A. have made their final decision. They've chosen the new leader of Atlantis."  
>"Took them three months," Julian muttered. "Well, who is it?"<br>"Well, there's been no formal announcement, but word is they're going with their foremost expert in Ancient technology and Replicator activity." He points to himself with both hands, smiling smugly. "Who does that sound like to you?"  
>Julian's eyes widen in horror. "You?"<br>"Yes! Who else?"  
>"Well, I heard they were leaning towards someone with a science background-"<br>"And why not? It's about time that one of us ended up in a position of real power."  
>"Oh, and by us, you mean you."<br>"Exactly." McKay stops and looks thoughtful. "It's kinda scary, though, you know? I'll be making decisions that don't affect just the city but the entire galaxy."  
>Julian looks at him, appalled. "Yes, scary. Very scary."<br>"On the other hand, a leader never second-guesses himself. I'm up for the challenge. I know I am. I'm gonna make them proud. Julian, I'm gonna make you proud."  
>He clicks his tongue at him and walks away. Julian watches him go, his face full of horror and dread.<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard is talking to a wallscreen. "The Wraith/Replicator war is in full swing. From what I hear, the Replicators are kicking some serious ass in their last offensive."  
>Colonel Samantha Carter's face is on the wallscreen. The Stargate is open and she is talking from Stargate Command. <em>"Well, that's good news, John. Well done."<em>  
>Rodney walks over. "Hey."<br>John still spoke to Sam, "I'll have the reports ready for you."  
>"Sam! Uh, what's new?" McKay smiles expectantly.<br>"Just making preparations for the change in command here."  
>"You don't have to tell me. I already know."<br>_"Really?"_  
>"I just wanna say that I think the I.O.A. could not have made a better choice." McKay said.<br>_"Thanks, Rodney!"_ Sam smiled.  
>"No-no-no-no-no-no, you are too kind..." His smile begins to fade. "What?" Sam tilts her head at him questioningly. Realisation begins to dawn on Rodney's face.) "Uh, 'thank you, Rodney.' No-no-no, wait a minute. You mean that-"<br>"Yeah. She's our new boss." John said.  
>Rodney stares at Sam, who smiles and shrugs at him. Rodney tries to smile back but totally fails to mask his disappointment.<p>

҉

OFFWORLD VILLAGE

Lucrezia, Ronon, Tyre (the first man) and Ara (the woman) are sitting at a table in the tavern. Tyre is drinking from a tankard.  
>"I thought you guys were dead." Ronon said.<br>"Believe me, so did we." Tyre said.  
>"How did you survive the Wraith attack on Sateda?" Lucrezia asked. One night after they were done sparing, Ronon told her of his past.<br>Rakai (the second man) brings four more tankards over and hands them out before sitting down.  
>"We weren't there." Tyre said.<br>"I don't understand." Lucrezia said, looking puzzled at Ronon.  
>"When we first made the decision to fight back against the Wraith, we didn't just wait for them to come to us. We started running ops against some of their known strongholds." Rakai said.<br>"They were quick strikes - get in, hit 'em hard, get out; only on this particular occasion we kind of messed up the "getting out" part." Tyre said.  
>"I saw the Darts at your position." Ronon said.<br>"What you didn't see was that we'd found a network of caves in the hillside. When the Wraith attacked, the entrance collapsed and we were sealed in. It took us three days to dig our way out." Tyre said.  
>"And by then the place was crawling with them. It was obvious they were gearing up for an attack. It took another two weeks before we could fight our way through the Gate and by then, it was too late." Rakai said.<br>"When we got back to Sateda, there was nothing left." Ara said.  
>"I'm sorry. I should have never left you behind." Ronon said.<br>"Don't be an idiot, Ronon. When you took Second Squad back to the Gate, you had no way of knowing those Darts were gonna come through." Tyre said.  
>"And if we'd have gone back with you, then we would have died in the attack on Sateda along with everybody else. The only reason why you survived was 'cause they made you a Runner." Rakai said.<br>"You heard about that?" Ronon aked.  
>"A while back, we started hearing stories." Tyre said.<br>"They said you were seven feet tall and had the strength of five men." Ara said.  
>"People like to exaggerate." Ronon smiled.<br>"They also said you killed a hundred Wraith." Rakai said.  
>"That part sounds about right." Ronon smiled at Lucrezia.<br>Rakai grins and chuckles.  
>"Well, then..." Tyre raises his tankard "To the misery of our enemies, and the reunion of friends come back from the dead."<br>Everyone else raises their tankard and they clash them together.  
>"Oh, yeah!"<p>

҉

**EARTH**

**STARGATE COMMAND**

Sam, wearing her dress blues, sadly closes the lid of a case down over her SG-1 uniform. Teal'c is standing at the doorway watching her.  
>"On the day I left Chulak, Master Bra'tac said to me, "Draw from your past, but do not let your past draw from you.""<br>Sam turns to him as he walks into the room. "That's good advice. Still, I know I'm gonna miss this place - and all of you."  
>Teal'c smiled. "I would have been offended had you felt otherwise."<br>"Ten years is a long time."  
>"It has been ten years well spent. We have defeated numerous enemies and overcome many threats."<br>Sam smiles. "It was never dull."  
>"We have accomplished much here, but now it is Atlantis that is in need of you."<br>"Yeah. Part of me's looking forward to going, but there's part of me that thinks that maybe it's too soon - that I'm leaving my work here unfinished."  
>"Your work will continue, only in a different place. You have been bestowed an incredible honour, Colonel Carter, and I believe you should embrace it. And know this: though we may not be leaving with you, SG-1 will never be far away."<br>Sam's eyes are full of tears. Her voice broke when she said, "So I can expect you guys to come and visit some time?"  
>"Undomesticated equines could not keep me away."<br>Sam laughs, walks towards him and hugs him. "Nice call-back."  
>Over Sam's shoulder, Teal'c's face is full of sadness. "Indeed."<br>Sam hugs him for a little longer, then pulls back and wipes her eyes. "All right. Time to go."  
>She picks up a small case, and she and Teal'c leave the room.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS GATEROOM**

As various scientists and technicians stand on the stairs and on the balconies, John trots down the stairs to join Rodney, Julian and another technician standing at the bottom of the stairs. John looks at the small basket which Rodney is holding.  
>"What's that?"<br>"It's a selection of fruits from the various worlds we trade with. I thought it'd be thoughtful."  
>"Try 'lame.'"<br>"Really? And what would you suggest?" McKay said, annoyed.  
>"Y'know, maybe some flowers so you could brighten up her quarters."<br>"Hmm, flowers." He hands the basket to the technician. "Here, take this ... and go."  
>As the technician walks away, John smirks. The Gate begins to dial in, then kawhooshes. Sam walks through the event horizon. A marine near the Gate walks over to her, nods and takes her case from her. She smiles at John, Rodney and Julian as they approach her.<br>"Colonel Carter, welcome to Atlantis." John said.  
>"Thank you. It's nice to be here." She smiles at him, and then includes Rodney and Julian in her smile. The three men turn and back up a little so that Sam can face the other members of the expedition. "Uh, I want you all to know how honored I am to accept this appointment. I've come here fully committed to this expedition, to Atlantis, and most importantly, to each and every one of you. I look forward to working with all of you. Thank you."<br>As the gathering breaks up, Rodney turns to her. "Nice speech."  
>"Thank you. I also do weddings and award shows. Book early to avoid disappointment." She turns to Julian. "And as my first order of business," She reached into her pocket and pulled out a blue box and hands it to Julian.<p>

"Wow, Sam, you shouldn't have…" Julian said, looking confused as he thumbed the box.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Open it commander." He opened the box. He looked up at Sam, his eyes wide. Sam smiled. "Congratulations…Captain."

"What?" John said, moving to look over Julian shoulder. Inside the box was a pair of full bird silver eagles. A Navy Captain is the equivalent to a full bird Colonel; making him higher in rank than John.

"Sam…." Julian looked up at her.

"They felt your actions this past year have been worth a promotion." She smiled. "I just asked that I be the one to give them to you."

"Thank you, Samantha." Julian he walked up to her, wrapping her in a hug. "Thank you."

Rodney coughed and the two broke away. "Not to rain on this little parade, but how would this effect Sheppard…?"

"Yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing." John said, staring at the box.

"Well-" Sam began, but Julian cut across her.

"John can keep his position; I don't want it. Even though I'll be the most senior ranking, besides Sam, it'll be like nothing has changed." He looked over at Sam. "Agreeable?"

Sam sighed. "Agreed."  
>"So, shall we go check out your new digs?" Julian smiled, holding out his arm.<br>"Yeah." As Julian walks away with Sam on his arm, she turns to Rodney. "Rodney."  
>"Sam."<br>They walk away while Rodney gazes appreciatively at her backside. John turns, sees what he's doing and frowns. Rodney tries to look innocent.

҉

**OFFWORLD TAVERN**

Still sitting at the table, Ronon is wearing a wristband which has a pattern of holes in it. Rakia has set up a small kit beside his arm and is repeatedly tapping a needle into his wrist, tattooing a pattern onto his arm. Ronon's face is tensed against the pain. As Rakia continues to tap the needle into the same spot, Ronon winces.  
>"Ow!" He slaps Rakia around the face. Ara, partway through taking a mouthful of ale from her tankard, chokes with laughter. "Stings, doesn't it?" Ara giggles. Ronon grins at his friends. "What the hell have the three of you been doing all these years?"<br>"Oh, eating, drinking, killing Wraith." Tyre said.  
>"We've hit 'em more times than I can count. Racked up a pretty nice body count." Rakia said.<br>"Not to mention the twelve Darts we've downed." Ara added.  
>"Ah!" Rakia grunted, pointing at her triumphantly. He goes back to tattooing Ronon's wrist.<br>"We're armed, we're mobile, and occasionally we get some pretty good intel." Tyre said.  
>"Oh, well, sounds like a pretty nice run." Ronon and Tyre clash their tankards together.<br>"But there have been a few sacrifices."  
>"Yeah, what do you mean?"<br>"There were five of us who came out of that cave alive, but we lost Morika on the first assault against the Wraith, and then Hemi last year."  
>Ronon sighs sadly.<br>"It hasn't been easy. We don't have much to work with, but we make do. Sometimes it's not enough." Ara said.  
>"Yeah, well, I might be able to help. I've got the manpower, the equipment. My friends and I, we can..." Ronon trails off as he looks at Lucrezia, who looks back at him pointedly. "Uh...Anyway, um..." He raises his tankard again. "To Morika and Hemi."<br>"To Morika and Hemi." Tyre said.  
>"To Morika and Hemi. Morika and Hemi." Rakia said.<br>They all clash their tankards and drink.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**SAM'S QUARTERS **

Various cases and boxes have been brought to the room. A black leather jacket with the Atlantis arm patch is lying on the bed, together with an open case containing Sam's new everyday uniform, and a crate containing - amongst other things - a framed photograph of Jack O'Neill. Sam, who has now taken her dress jacket off, carries a small plastic box across to a table as a technician brings another box into the room and puts it down.  
>"Thank you." The technician nods and leaves the room again as Rodney walks in, holding a small bunch of flowers. "Hey, Rodney, come on in."<br>"Ah, I've brought you a little something to spruce up the place."  
>"Well, thank you. That's very sweet." She points. "There's a vase right there." As Sam walks away to continue unpacking, Rodney smiles and turns to the table containing the vase. He stops and stares at the sight of the basket of fruit which he had been carrying earlier, which is also on the table. Sam turns and sees what he's looking at. "Oh, Colonel Sheppard dropped that off. Apparently it's a sampling of fruit from the homeworlds of our various trading partners."<br>"Oh."  
>"I thought it was a really thoughtful gesture."<br>"Son of a b..." He angrily dumps the flowers into the vase, then turns to Sam, pulling himself together. "Anyway, look, I just came by to welcome you to Atlantis, see how you're settling in and, you know, if you needed anything, and, uh, did I mention I was seeing someone?"  
>"I'm sorry, what?"<br>"I'm seeing someone. Yes, I only bring it up now because you're here now and we'll be working together a lot more and, you know, I just thought with our past..."  
>"Our 'past'?"<br>"Well, you know, the unrequited lust that's been hanging over our heads for what seems like forever." He laughs and shoves his hands in his pockets.  
>Sam was shaking her head. "Rodney..."<br>"I just don't want things to be awkward between the two of us, you know, uh..." He trails off as Sam looks stunned that he should still believe that she is in any way attracted to him. "... kind of like they are now."  
>Sam smiles uncomfortably. "Rodney, I'm sure we'll be fine."<br>"Oh, of course! I mean, I'll be fine; I'm just, with you..."  
>Ronon walks in and goes straight over to Sam. "I hear you're in charge."<br>"Uh, Ronon, this is Colonel Carter. Sam, this is Ronon. He's..."  
>"Satedan, and a member of your team. Of course." She walks closer to Ronon. "What can I do for you?"<br>"I wanna bring some friends to Atlantis and apparently I've gotta clear it through you first."  
>"Unfortunately, some new security procedures prevent me from allowing any off-world visits to Atlantis for the time being."<br>"On whose authority?"  
>"It was a directive from the I.O.A."<br>"Well, they don't need to know."  
>"Ronon, she's a..."<br>Sam holds up her hand to indicate to Rodney that she can manage this. "I'm sure you understand what a precarious position we're in here. It is imperative that the location of this base remain a secret."  
>"And it will. They're my people - I'll vouch for them."<br>"I'm sure you can, but for now we're on a new planet with a new set of rules."  
>"And a new person in charge." Ronon walks closer to her, looking down at her sternly. She holds his gaze. "Illyria never would have doubted me."<br>"OK, first of all, Ronon, I'm not doubting you. These new regulations apply to everyone on this base. And secondly, I'm not Illyria Sheppard." Still holding her gaze, Ronon walks backwards for a few steps, then turns and leaves the room. "Wow! Is he always like that?"  
>"No, no. No, actually, you've caught him on a good day." Rodney sighed and looked down sadly. "He misses her. We all do."<p>

҉

**OFFWORLD PLANET**

Out in the village square, Tyre is teaching some kind of move to three small children. Following his lead, they cross their hands in front of them and then clasp their fingers together.  
>"OK, turn!" The children all turn their hands to the right. Tyre points at them. "Work on it!"<p>

Ronon walks over. "Hey."

"Well, that was fast." Tyre turned to the kids. "OK." He walks over to Ronon.  
>"Yeah, I said I would be."<br>"You could've taken your time. We like it here. We're thinking of staying on a few more days."  
>"Then where will you go?"<br>Tyre shrugged. "Wherever. That's one of the nice things about not being tied down. You go where you want and you leave when you're not wanted."  
>Ronon grimaces. "Yeah, well, I was hoping my people'd show a little bit more hospitality, but..."<br>"Don't worry about it. I understand. Not everybody gets an invitation to Atlantis." Ronon stops, then lowers his head briefly. "Don't look so surprised. You travel as much around this galaxy as we do and sooner or later you'll start hearing rumors about new people in the city of the Ancients and a Runner who joined them."  
>"Man, I'm sorry. I wish I could have been straight with you from the start."<br>"They placed their trust in you and you proved them worthy. I wouldn't have expected any less."  
>"Yeah, but still..."<br>"What? You thought they'd make an exception because it was you asking?"  
>"I'm supposed to be their friend."<br>"No. You're their ally, their guest. Me, Rakai, Ara - we're your friends. I won't doubt they're good people; they helped you out when you needed it, and from what I hear, they've done more to hurt the Wraith than anyone. You've gotta respect that. But it doesn't mean you've got to commit to them. The way I see it, now that we're back together, you belong with us."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John walks onto the Control Room outside balcony where Sam is gazing over the city. She has changed into her Atlantis uniform. "Pretty impressive, isn't it?"  
>"To be honest, it's a little overwhelming."<br>"Coming from somebody with your record, that says somethin'."  
>"You know, John, your name was on the shortlist."<br>"Yeah, I know. I saw what they did to my wife- the politics and the red tape. I didn't envy her. I don't envy you."  
>"Thanks!"<br>"You know, for most of us, this thing with Elizabeth isn't over yet. She's still out there. So is Illyria."  
>"You really believe there's a chance she's still alive? And Illyria has ascended."<br>"There's only one way to know for sure. I'm suggesting we go back. We should have done it sooner, but the I.O.A.'s been stonewalling me. Now that you're in charge, maybe you can give me the green light."  
>"I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous."<br>"It's no more dangerous than the last time we went in."  
>"Circumstances were different, plus you had an advantage then that you don't have now."<br>"Well, she's the one who gave us that advantage. The only reason we're here is because of what she did."  
>"Believe me, I know, and I don't like the idea of leaving someone behind any more than you do. But I am not about to send you or anyone else on a suicide mission. Now, you come to me with a plan that has even an outside chance of succeeding and I'll consider it. Short of that, John, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."<br>"Fair enough." He said, reluctantly.

҉

**GYM**

Ronon, twirling an Athosian fighting stick, paces around Lucrezia, who is standing in the middle of the room blindfolded and holding two sticks. She turns, following the sound of his feet and the whistling made by the stick as he twirls it. He feints with the stick to her right but she just turns her head and doesn't lunge towards the sound. He then surges towards her and attacks but she fends off his blow and, as he runs past her, she wallops him across the side of his head. He drops to one knee, groaning, and puts his hand to his head.  
>"You seem distracted today, Ronon."<br>"Oh, no, I'm fine."  
>"What is wrong?"<br>"There's nothing. I told you - I'm fine."  
>"Very well. I suppose we should continue training." She whacks him across the head again. He groans.<br>"There's nothing." Lucrezia slams her stick across his head again. He groans, scrambles to his feet and walks away from her. "OK! Stop hitting me!" Lucrezia pulls her blindfold off and waits. "I'm thinking of leaving Atlantis."  
>Lucrezia looks very upset. "W-Where would you go?" Ronon looks at her as if to ask, 'Where do you think?' "Why does it come down to a choice between Atlantis and your Satedan friends?"<br>"They're more than my friends, Louie. They're my family. We've always been there for each other. You wouldn't understand."  
>"I disagree." Lucrezia whispered. "I had a family once, too."<br>"You got over it?"  
>"No! I still second-guess my decision at times. But then I remember that I can do more here to help honor my people and help save the rest of the humans in this galaxy."<p>

Lucrezia sighs and drops her sticks, walking over to Ronon and wrapping her arms around him. He held her close and kissed her hair, rubbing her back soothingly.

҉

**MESS HALL**

Ronon is sitting at a table eating a meal. John comes over with a tray and sits down opposite him. "Lucrezia's already spoken to you, hasn't she?"  
>"Yeah, well, we had a little chat."<br>"Hmm. So, let's hear it."  
>"Hear what?"<br>"Whatever you've got to say."  
>"Not gonna say anything."<br>"Really?" Ronon said, not believing him.  
>"I don't have to, because you already know what I'm gonna tell you: that you're a valuable member of my team and that it would be difficult to find somebody to take your place."<br>"Mmm-hmm."  
>"And that you may think you're going back to find something you've lost, but there's nothing to go back to. Sateda's gone, and living on the run with your buddies isn't gonna bring that back."<br>"You're not gonna say any of that."  
>"I don't have to."<br>"Look, this isn't about me trying to bring back the past."  
>"Well, then, what is it?"<br>"They need me. They always have. I'm the one that took care of them, got them home alive whenever we went into battle."  
>"You're one man, Ronon. You can't expect to protect them forever."<br>"Probably not ... but that's where you guys come in. We got some intel on a Wraith target."  
>"The Wraith and the Replicators are kind of beating the crap out of each other right now. I think it's counterproductive to run an op against 'em."<br>"I have a feeling you'll change your mind once you hear the details."  
>"Let's hear it."<br>"Not yet. I want Tyre, Ara and Rakai in on this."

҉

**OFFWORLD TAVERN**

Team Sheppard are sitting with the Satedans. John and McKay stood out in their offworld gear since Lucrezia had changed into another outfit: a modified sleeveless and cropped trouser jumpsuit that was slightly dirtied and bloodied; crop top and a belt with pouch. Her gun was strapped to her side and hair wrapped up in a bun.  
>"You wanna hit a Wraith lab?" John asked. Tyre nods. "No offence, but that's awfully close to crazy talk territory."<br>"It's a weapons research facility. From what we've heard, the place is undermanned." Ara said.  
>"We know the Wraith are being attacked on several fronts. They don't have the resources any more to properly guard all their facilities." Tyre said.<br>"Still, she did say "undermanned" rather than "unmanned." There is a big difference." McKay said.  
>"It won't matter. We can handle it." Tyre said.<br>"Then why do you need our help to pull it off?" John asked.  
>"We don't, but we will need your help to get away once we're done." Rakai said.<br>"I see. We're your designated drivers." John smiled sarcastically.  
>Tyre pulls a diagram of the lab complex from his coat, opens it and puts it on the table for John to look at. "This is our target. It's located a good half day's journey from the Gate on foot. Having a ship would make things a whole lot easier getting us in and out before any reinforcements arrive."<br>"Don't worry - all you've gotta do is fly. We'll do the leg work." Rakai reassured them.  
>"Well, that's very considerate of you, but if we commit, we're all-in." John said.<br>"And I really don't see why we would. I mean, sure, it would be great to get our hands on some new Wraith tech, but, um ... maybe if we stumbled across a stockpile, or maybe bought some off of eBay..." McKay trailed off.  
>"I think what he's trying to say is, we're not really sure if we wanna risk our life for something like this. Maybe wait a month or two; let the Replicators and the Wraith soften each other up, then we do lunch, we talk about it again." John said.<br>"One of the things they're working on right now in the lab's a way to switch off the Replicator attack code." Ronon said.  
>The rest of the Atlantis team look shocked.<br>"Is such a thing even possible?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"The code's been deactivated once before. I mean, who knows, it could have been the Wraith who did it the first time." McKay said.<br>"We can't let it happen." Ronon said.  
>"No." Lucrezia nodded. "If the war with the Replicators ends, then the Wraith will again be able to direct their attention to the rest of the galaxy."<br>Tyre looks at John. "So ... are you in?"

҉

**LATER **

John and Ronon walk through the village.  
>"Your buddies seem like a perfectly capable enough bunch, but if I do this, the last thing I need is someone going off half-cocked and risking this op and, well, oh yeah, our asses." John said.<br>"This isn't the first time doing this job."  
>"It may be the first time doing it with company, though, and I don't want it turning into a big pissing match."<br>" Yeah, I'll keep my group in line; you do the same for yours."  
>"Last time I checked, it was your group too."<br>Ronon groans quietly and stops. "Yeah." John turns to face him. "Look, I was gonna wait to tell you this, but I've made my decision. Once we finish this op, I'm gonna be leaving Atlantis."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Ronon's doorbell has apparently just sounded, as he goes to the doors and swipes his hand across the wall panel. The doors open and he finds Sam standing outside. She smiles at him a little apologetically. Ronon waves his hand in a way that indicates that he'd been expecting her to come by, and then gestures into the room.  
>"Come on in."<br>Sam follows him into the room. It's rather messy, with stuff scattered all around. On the wall above the bed is a painting of three Satedans in uniform standing in the burned ruins of Sateda. The sky is red behind them. One person is wielding a sword, one is aiming his rifle, and the Satedan in the middle is holding his rifle into the air in defiance of the Wraith destruction. Ronon walks over the bed, which has a large bag on it, and starts putting more stuff into it.  
>"Packing?" Sam asked.<br>"Yeah."  
>"You know, the fact that you brought all this stuff here tells me that you considered Atlantis home - that you were happy here."<br>"Hmm, I was. I am."  
>"Your friends are worried about you."<br>"Well, they shouldn't be. I can take care of myself." Ronon continues packing.  
>"That's not the point. When you accepted the offer to join Atlantis, you became a part of something. Like it or not, you have roots here now - people who care about you, who depend on you. Walking away may be a lot harder than you think."<br>"I'm not walking away. Just because I'm not a part of Sheppard's team does not mean I'm any less willing to help out Atlantis or put my life on the line for any of you."  
>"I'm not questioning your loyalty, Ronon, only the wisdom in leaving if, as you say, you don't wanna turn your back on Atlantis. Coordinating our efforts with you and your friends may not be so easy."<br>"We're about to find out, aren't we?"  
>Sam sighs. "I need you to reconsider your decision to leave."<br>"And if I don't, given everything that I know about Atlantis, you're gonna try to stop me."  
>"I'm hoping it won't come to that."<p>

҉

**WRAITH PLANET**

A Puddle Jumper flies through the open Stargate and cloaks as it heads off. On board are Team Sheppard and the new Team Dex.  
>"Put us down near the south end. We'll meet less resistance if we access this place through the back." Tyre instructed.<br>"Got it." John said.  
>"Once we head in, we'll take the lead. You watch our backs."<br>"D'you know where you're going?"  
>" Our target is located somewhere on the second level."<br>"Uh, maybe you could be a little more specific?" McKay asked.  
>"We don't have an exact floor plan, if that's what you're asking. The whole second level is a high security sector."<br>"If you're unsure, wouldn't it be counter….counter-productive for us to follow you?" Lucrezia asked, forgetting her words for a moment.  
>"It's better this way. These Wraith facilities are very confusing. We know what we're looking for." Rakai said.<br>"Oh, and we don't? This isn't exactly our first op, you know." McKay said.  
>"Really? How many Wraith have you killed in hand-to-hand combat?"<br>"I hardly think that's what this is about."  
>"That's what I thought."<br>"You know, we've taken out entire hive ships, OK? Compared to us, you are amateurs."  
>Rakai starts to lunge towards Rodney but Ronon grabs him and pushes him back. "Easy."<br>"If we can't play nice together, then let's not. We've got a lot of ground to cover and a short amount of time, so we will follow your lead, then we'll split up into two teams once we reach the second level. Are you cool with that?" John asked.  
>Tyre looks round to Ronon, who nods to him. Tyre turned to John. "Yes."<br>"Good." The control panel beeps. "Approaching target location."

҉

**WRAITH WEAPONS RESEARCH FACILITY**

Team Dex force the outside door open and hurry inside, aiming their weapons around. The three members of Team Sheppard follow them. They all make their way inside, John checking his life signs detector frequently. Moving onwards, Ronon guns down a Wraith guard. More guards hear the shot and head towards them but Ronon and Tyre shoot them down. Tyre finds a closed door.  
>"This is it." He starts to type on the panel by the door but nothing happens.<br>"Hurry up!" McKay said.  
>"I got it." Ronon said.<br>Tyre moves out of the way and Ronon raises his blaster and fires at the panel. The panel fritzes, and the doors open to reveal a small chamber, about the same size as an elevator car.  
>"Everybody in." Tyre said.<br>While Tyre and John continue to keep watch, everybody else goes into the chamber, then Tyre and John follow. Tyre activates a panel on the inside wall and the doors close. A moment later, a Wraith transporter beam whisks them away. This is the Wraith version of an elevator/transporter and the teams rematerialize elsewhere in the facility. Wraith guards are standing nearby and turn as the teams arrive, but the humans all open fire and gun them down.  
>Tyre indicates a direction. "We'll go this way; you go that way."<br>John checks his life signs detector again. "Contact us if you find anything."  
>"Yeah." Ronon said. Team Dex starts to head off, but Ronon turns to John for a moment. "Good luck."<br>John nods to him, then he, Lucrezia and Rodney walk off in the opposite direction. Ronon watches them go for several seconds, then Ara calls his attention.  
>"Ronon."<br>"Let's go."  
>He and Ara hurry off after the other two.<p>

•••  
>Team Sheppard make their way through corridors, and find themselves in a food storage chamber. Several humans are sealed in cocoons.<br>"What do you think? Test subjects?" John asked.  
>"Or the Wraith version of a vending machine." McKay said darkly.<br>"I hate to be the guy to say it, but we can't really help these people. We've gotta keep moving."  
>"Right."<br>Reluctantly, they leave the chamber and head off down more corridors.  
>"This thing's been way too quiet and way too easy." John commented.<br>"I kinda like quiet and easy. Makes for a nice change."  
>John's life signs detector shows several signals around a corner up ahead of them. "Wraith!"<br>As a Wraith guard comes around the corner, John opens fire on it. A second guard comes into view. Some distance away, Ronon and his team hear the distinctive sound of P-90 fire. Immediately Ronon turns and races off in the direction of the sound.  
>"Ronon, wait!" Rakai yells. He tries to grab Ronon's arm as he runs past, but doesn't succeed in stopping him.<br>At Team Sheppard's position, more and more guards are coming around the corner. One of them gets in a lucky shot and Lucrezia is hit by a stunner blast. She crumples to the floor, unconscious. Still firing, John backs up, grabs Lucrezia's jumpsuit collar and starts to haul her along the floor as Rodney provides more covering fire. John drags Lucrezia around the corner, then runs back out and continues firing. Rodney runs to a closed door further along the corridor and tries to activate the wall panel.  
>"Rodney, get that door open!" John yelled.<br>As John continues firing at approaching Wraith, Rodney keeps pressing buttons on the wall panel but can't activate the doors.  
>"Ah, to hell with it!" McKay yells. Stepping back several paces, he turns his head away from the door and, flinching, fires a burst of bullets at the panel. He looks at the panel but still the doors won't open. "Ah, come on, it worked for him!"<br>Nearby, Ronon races through the corridors, gunning down any Wraith that are unfortunate enough to come into his sight.  
>At the door, Rodney has now forced his hand into the wall and, to the accompaniment of unpleasant squelching noises, is trying to manipulate the fibers inside. John continues to fire at approaching Wraith while ducking out of the way of stunner blasts. At long last the doors slide open.<br>"Ha! I did it!" McKay yelled excitedly.  
>John looks towards him, and is promptly hit by a stunner blast. Rodney stares in shock as John slumps to the ground. A few seconds later a Wraith guard walks around the corner and looks around but seems to be unconcerned. A second guard walks over to John, disarms him, picks him up by the vest and drags him off. The first guard does the same to Lucrezia. A male Wraith walks into view, looks around the corridor and then walks away. Once the corridor is deserted, Rodney, who had managed to squeeze inside the fibers on the wall, opens a gap in the fibers and peers out.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Rodney cautiously makes his way along the corridor, nearly having a heart attack when Tyre, Rakai and Ara come around a corner. He sighs in relief.  
>"Oh, thank God it's you three! They got Lucrezia and Sheppard and..."<br>Rakai raises his stunner and shoots Rodney. As Rodney whines and drops to the floor, the male Wraith walks into the midst of the others and looks down at Rodney.  
>"Bring him."<br>Rakai squats down and looks into Rodney's unconscious face. "Who's the amateur now?"  
>He picks him up by the vest and drags him away.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS GATEROOM**

The Stargate is active. Ronon comes flying through the Gate backwards and crashes to the floor, still firing back into the event horizon. Radek, standing nearby, looks down at him in shock.  
>"Ronon! What happened?"<br>"I need to talk to Colonel Carter right away." Ronon said, scrambling to his feet. He races up the stairs as Radek watches him go, bewildered.

҉

**WRAITH WEAPONS RESEARCH FACILITY**

Lucrezia has regained consciousness and is standing looking around the cell that she's in. John and Rodney are still unconscious on the floor but just then John groans and starts to come round. Lucrezia crawls over to him.  
>"John, are you all right?"<br>"Bit of a hangover." He sits up painfully. "The fact that Ronon and his buddies aren't here is a good sign."  
>"Not really." McKay said drowsily. He drags himself into a sitting position. "Ronon's buddies are the reason we're here. They set us up."<br>"What are you talking about?" John asked.  
>"I ran into them while I was trying to esc... while I was effecting a strategic retreat. They stunned me."<br>"Are you sure?"  
>"It's pretty hard to misinterpret something like that."<br>"Was Ronon with them?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"I didn't see him." McKay said.<br>The male Wraith and two guards come to the doorway. The Wraith points down to Rodney. "That one."

The boys scramble to their feet as the door slides open.  
>"Hold on here, guys-"<br>One of the guards shoots John and he drops to the floor again. Lucrezia looks on anxiously as a guard grabs Rodney's jacket and bundles him out of the cell.  
>"Rodney!" Lucrezia yelled. The door closes again. "Stay strong, Rodney!"<br>"I'll try." He said nervously.

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

As a medic tries to treat a burn on Ronon's arm, he snatches it away. "I said I'm fine." Sam and Julian are standing nearby. Julian was now dressed in his Navy Utilities, his new rank pinned to his collar. "I tried to radio Sheppard but got no response from him, Lucrezia or McKay."  
>"And what about the Satedans?" Julian asked.<br>"We got separated. I'm guessing the Wraith got to them too."  
>"So much for this op being a cakewalk."<br>"OK, we've gone from support to rescue and recovery. Captian Julian, ready a Jumper." Sam ordered.  
>"Yes, ma'am."<br>"They'll be expecting us." Ronon said.  
>"I'll make that two Jumpers."<p>

҉

**WRAITH WEAPONS RESEARCH FACILITY**

Rodney is walking along with the male Wraith, followed by the guards. He was speaking nervously. "Would you guys mind telling me where we're going? Seriously, I'm not big on surprises. Even as a kid I had to sneak a peek at my Christmas presents, 'cause I couldn't stand the suspense. I remember this one time..."  
>"We require your assistance." The Wraith said.<br>"With what?"  
>"You tampered with the Replicator base code."<br>"I don't know what you're talking about." The Wraith looks at him. "...OK, I may have made a few small adjustments. So what?"  
>"This is not the first time they have challenged us."<br>"Oh, so it was the Wraith that deactivated the attack code."  
>"Many thousands of years ago. We had defeated the Ancients - the galaxy was ours, and then these things appeared."<br>"I take it you're not a big fan..."  
>"They are an abomination. They're not even alive."<br>"In other words, you can't eat them, so they're no good to you."  
>"They are machines. Machines can be reprogrammed."<br>"OK, fine, so what do you want from me?"  
>"We have attempted to upload the deactivation virus once again. Our attempts have been unsuccessful. We need you to undo the changes you made so as to render the virus once more effective against them."<br>"Of course! I see. Thing is, that could be kinda tricky."  
>"The test subject will make things easier for you."<br>"Test subject?"  
>Doors open nearby onto a lab. Suspended in mid-air inside a force shield of some kind is a male wearing a very recognizable uniform.<br>"A Replicator! Oh my God!"  
>The Wraith grabs Rodney's jacket and pushes him inside the lab.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

A Puddle Jumper lowers down into the Gateroom. The Stargate is active. Inside the Jumper, Sam is sitting in the co-pilot's seat with Ronon sitting behind her.  
>"I've thought about it, and I want you to know that when the time comes, I'll respect whatever decision you make regarding your future with us." Sam said.<br>Ronon leans closer to her. "This could be the one and only op we go on together."  
>Sam smiles and looks round at him. "Then we'd better make the most of it."<p>

҉

**WRAITH WEAPONS RESEARCH FACILITY**

Rodney is working on his laptop computer in front of the suspended Replicator. The male Wraith walks in.  
>"Doctor McKay. How is your work progressing?"<br>"Uh, it's been kinda slow. I mean, re-establishing the base code's original setting isn't something I'll be able to accomplish overnight."  
>"Colonel Sheppard and Lucrezia will be most disappointed to hear this. I'll see to it." He turns to leave.<br>"I think I might be able to get it finished much sooner." McKay said hurriedly.  
>The Wraith turns back to him. "I understand your desire to delay, in the hope that it'll give your people time to mount a rescue. In fact, I just received word they're on their way ... but we are ready for them."<br>He leaves the room. Rodney stares after him in dread for a moment, then turns to look at the Replicator. It is awake and moving a little inside the field, and is looking at him in hatred. Rodney grimaces and gets back to work.

Outside the facility, a Puddle Jumper swoops past the building. Two Darts take off and chase after it. A short distance away, the other Jumper, cloaked, watches as its sister ship leads the Darts away.  
><em>"OK, they're moving away."<em> Jumper pilot two said.  
>"Thank you, Jumper Two." Sam turns to her pilot. "Take us in, Lieutenant."<br>"Yes, Colonel."  
>As Jumper One heads for the facility, Sam turns to smile at Julian who was sitting behind the pilot.<br>•••

A little later, Ronon activates the exterior door of the facility and it slides open. Sam crouches down and rolls a grenade along the floor. She, Ronon and two marines duck back as the grenade explodes and kills several Wraith guards. Before the smoke can clear, she and Ronon surge around the corner and fire down the corridor in case there are any more guards left standing, then both of them step aside and gesture the marines to move out.  
>"Go, go!" The marine and his colleague race off down the corridor as Julian enters the building, looking down at a hand-held scanner as he goes. He runs the scanner over the walls and it beeps. He points.<br>"There's a power relay behind the wall here."  
>Sam nods and he raises his P-90 and fires a burst of bullets into the wall.<p>

In the lab, Rodney looks up at the distant sound of gunfire. Shortly afterwards, the lights go out in the lab. Emergency lighting comes on a couple of seconds later. Rodney turns and stares at the force shield as it begins to fritz. The Replicator looks up in anticipation as Rodney gazes at him in dread.

Outside the cell, gunfire takes a Wraith guard down. John and Lucrezia walk to the doorway as Sam and her team - minus Ronon - come into view and open the door.  
>"You all right?" Sam asked.<br>"Well, it's about time! Any longer and we would have had to save ourselves!" John said.  
>One of the marines starts handing weapons to John and Lucrezia.<br>"Did Ronon manage to make it back to Atlantis?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"He did." Sam said.<br>"Where is he?"  
>"We've split up to cover more ground." Sam turned to a marine. "Secure the entrance." She turned back to John and Lucrezia. "Let's go."<p>

Elsewhere, Ronon is racing down corridors. He swings around a corner, then sighs in relief as he sees his Satedan friends coming towards him. They all lower their weapons, and Ronon pats them on the shoulder before turning.

"All right, come on. Let's get out of here."  
>He starts to lead them away, but just as he reaches the doorway the male Wraith walks in. Ronon presses the barrel of his blaster against the Wraith's head.<br>"Where are you holding them?"  
>"Why don't you ask your friends?"<br>Slowly Ronon turns his head, to see all of his 'friends' aiming their weapons at him. Ronon stares in disbelief.

҉

**LAB**

As Rodney works feverishly on his laptop, the sound of gunfire can be heard. The Wraith guard in the doorway raises its stunner and fires a couple of shots down the corridor but is then gunned down. Grabbing his laptop, Rodney dives for cover behind the console. John, Lucrezia and Sam run in.  
>"All clear." John said.<br>"All clear? You could have shot me!" McKay whined. Just then, the force shield around the Replicator starts fritzing even more badly, then disengages. The Replicator drops to the floor, landing on his feet. "Oh, no. Oh, no."  
>As the Replicator straightens up, John, Lucrezia and Sam aim their rifles at him. The Replicator looks around for a moment, then starts to walk towards them. They fire hails of bullets at him, but they have no effect and all the bullet holes in his body heal instantly. The Replicator turns and leaves the room. John, taking the opportunity to reload his rifle, follows him and watches as he heads towards a couple of Wraith guards. They fire their stunners at him but again have no effect. The Replicator easily disarms them and smashes both of them to the ground.<br>"Let's go find Ronon."

Elsewhere, Ronon lowers his blaster, still gazing at his friends in shock.  
>"Deal with him." The Wraith commanded. It walks away as Ronon stares at his friends in horror.<br>"You're Wraith worshippers?"  
>"Ronon, you need to understand-"<br>"After what they did to Sateda?" Ronon said, anguished.  
>"Sateda is gone, and so are the lives we knew. We had a choice: to die with the past, or live for the future."<br>"What did they do to you?"  
>"They rewarded us with the gift of ever-lasting life. The same gift can be yours if you're willing to accept it. We resisted at first. We were stubborn...but the Wraith were determined." Ara said.<br>In flashback, the male Wraith slams its fist onto Ara's chest, snarling. She screams as it begins to feed.  
><em>"They showed us our futures."<em>  
>The Wraith is now feeding on Tyre, and he becomes white-haired and old. Ara too has white hair and is ancient: her eyes are blind and she is near death.<br>_"They allowed us to experience our life's end, pushing us to the brink so that we could see the truth..."_ Tyre's face becomes young again. _"...then brought us back."_

In flashback, Ara, Tyre and Rakai continue to be aged and then restored repeatedly.  
><em>"They showed us again, and again, and again."<em>  
>"So they broke you." Ronon said disgusted, snapping Ara out of it.<br>"Until we finally accepted the truth, and their gift."  
>"Ronon, join us." Tyre said.<br>Ronon snorts. "You're insane."  
>Ara, raising her weapon and pointing it at him again, said, "Don't let your pride get in the way...like Morika and Hemi."<br>Ronon glares at her as he realizes the truth. "They didn't die on any run, did they? They were murdered because they wouldn't turn."  
>"They were killed by their own stubbornness. Don't make the same mistake. Join us!" Tyre pleaded.<br>"No. Never. You run - you run. Run and get away while you can, because the next time we meet, it will not be as friends."  
>"There won't be a next time." He holsters his weapon and starts to unstrap his gun belt. "We'll finish this like true Satedans."<br>"You are not Satedans!" Ronon said furiously.  
>He starts to unbuckle his own gun belt, as does Ara. Rakai drops his weapon to the floor and kicks it aside. Ronon slaps his own legs and chest and then roars, working himself into a frenzy, and Ara and Rakai run at him, Ara screaming. He cuffs Ara aside, ducks under Rakai's intended blow and engages all three of them. The fight continues for some time, Ronon holding his own against the three of them but after he has managed to knock Rakai and Ara to the floor, Tyre leaps into the air behind him and kicks him hard in the back. As Ronon stumbles round, Tyre punches him hard in the face. The two of them trade blows for some while longer, evenly matched. Eventually Ronon manages to grab both of Tyre's wrists and holds them pinned in front of him. Glaring fiercely, Tyre slams his leg up and into Ronon's side. Ronon grunts but doesn't let go. Tyre kicks him again. Ronon grins savagely at him. It's a stalemate ... but just then behind him, Rakai stands up and pulls out a knife.<br>"Rakai, no!" Tyre shouted.  
>Ronon looks at Rakai, then turns and glares at Tyre. "So much for honor."<br>Ara runs over to Rakai, grabbing his arm. "No weapons!"  
>Instinctively in his battle rage, Rakai turns and savagely slashes his knife across her throat. She stumbles backwards, her hand to her throat as blood pours over her fingers. Gagging, she collapses to the floor. Rakai looks at her for a moment, then screams and rushes towards Ronon. Ronon, still clutching Tyre's wrists, hurls him across the room, then turns to face Rakai who slashes him across the face. Ronon stumbles back, clutching his face and screaming in pain, but he's ready when Rakai comes at him again and they struggle for the knife.<p>

Ronon grabs Rakai's wrist with both hands and pulls his arm across his own body, stretching it to its limit. He jerks the arm down, causing Rakai to release the knife, and instantly slams the knife into Rakai's chest. Blood pours from Rakai's mouth as he gasps in agony. Ronon drops the knife to the floor and pulls Rakai to him in anguish as they both drop to their knees. Nearby, Tyre gets to his feet and looks across at Ara's body. Ronon too looks at her, and then drops Rakai to the floor.  
>There's a moment, and then Ronon rises to his feet with his back to Tyre. Blood is pouring from the side of his face where he was slashed, and his mouth is bloody from the punches he has taken. He glares into the distance, then glances over his shoulder towards Tyre.<br>"Hasn't there been enough killing?" Tyre doesn't answer. "Huh?"  
>Without a word, Tyre backs away and leaves the room.<p>

In the corridors, John, Lucrezia, Rodney and Sam run along but then slow down, startled, at the sight of dead Wraith guards everywhere. The Replicator has obviously been having fun. Rodney spots something approaching out of the shadows and raises his rifle. John instantly does likewise. A moment later, everyone lowers their weapons as they see that it's Ronon.  
>"Ronon, where are your friends?" Sam asks.<br>Ronon looks at John, Rodney and Lucrezia. "They're right here. Let's go home."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**NIGHT TIME**

Ronon is sitting on the bed in his quarters, looking at the tattoo that Rakai gave him earlier. He gazes off into the distance, lost in memories, then looks round as Lucrezia comes in, carrying a large picture frame.  
>"Is that my painting?" Ronon asked.<br>Lucrezia smiled. "Yes. Rodney felt that you should have it back."  
>"I didn't give it to him."<br>"He helped himself, assuming that you were leaving it behind."  
>Ronon looks at the painting for a moment, then props it on a chair before turning to look at Lucrezia. They exchange a long look, but Ronon's obviously not going to speak first.<br>"How are you feeling?" She asked.  
>"Um..." He thinks for a moment, then smiles slightly. "All right."<br>"It's nice to have you back."  
>"Thanks. It's good to be back."<br>Lucrezia walked over to him and fixed his collar, smiling. Ronon put his hands on her waist, not sure what to do with them. When they realized how close to each other they were, everything got more real. Lucrezia looked away, blushing. Ronon lifted her chin up with a crooked finger and leaned closer. Their lips almost met when-

-when a loud crash from the hall and a furious scientist cussing made Lucrezia brake away. She barely looked at Ronon as she turned and left the room

Ronon sits down and gazes at the painting.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**NIGHT TIME**

The night did it's unusual tricks – creepy creaking sounds in the hall, wind hissing at the window, waves crashing against the city. Lucrezia couldn't sleep.

If she'd been asleep – even a _little_ bit asleep – she would have missed the knock at the door, as light as it was, but she was wired and full of restless energy, and she slipped out of bed and went to wave her hand over the panel to open the door.

It was Ronon. He stood there, clearly wanting to come in, not daring to come in, as uncertain as she'd seen him. He was wearing a loose, slightly bloodied, T-shirt ans sweat pants, bare feet, and she felt a white hot wave of – _something_ – sweep over her. This had to be what he slept in. Or…less than that.

She became aware, a hot second later that she was standing there in a thin, lace cream colored teddy with bare legs from upper thigh down, the top cutting _low_. Half naked would be an understatement.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Ronon said. "Did I wake you up?"

"No. Could not sleep." She was acutey aware of the bed behind her, covers all twisted. "Do you…Do you want to, um…come in?"

"Better not," he said softly. "Louie, I-" He shook his head, brown dreds swinging around his face. "I shouldn't even be here."

But he wasn't leaving either.

"Well," she said, "I'm sitting down. If you want to stand there, fine."

She went to the bed and sat, careful how she did it. Legs together, prim and proper. She felt alive and tingly all over. She looked down at her hands, at the ragged fingernails, and picked at the nervously.

Ronon took two steps into the room. "For the next couple missions, I don't want you leaving Atlantis," he said. Which was _not_ what she was expecting him to say. Not at all. "You're not ready for the field, not yet. When I saw you get taken down…You need more training. I don't want to get you kill, Louie." his voice dropped lower. "I couldn't stand that. I really couldn't. You know that, right?"

She didn't look up. He came a step closer, and his bare feet and sweatpants came into her vision. "Lucrezia. You've gotta promise me."

"I can't," she said. "I'm not a little kid. I'm not you little sister."

He laughed, low in his throat. "That, I know. But I don't want to see you get hurt again."

His hand cupped her chin in warmth, and tilted her face up. The whole world hushed, one perfect second of stillness. Lucrezia didn't even hear her heart beat. His lips were warm and soft and sweet, and the sensation just blinded her, made her feel awkward and scared. She couldn't even remember how to kiss him back.

It stopped. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like a bird fluttering in her chest. She was flushed and hot and _warm_, so warm…

Ronon pressed his forehead to hers and sighed. His breath warmed her face, and this time she kissed him, letting her instincts guide her, letting him pull her to her feet. Their hands clasped, fingers laced, and parts of her were going full blast.

This time, when they came up for air, he pulled back completely. His face was flushed; his eyes were bright. Lucrezia's lip was swollen, warm, and utterly deliciously damp.

"Okay," Ronon said. "That – that shouldn't have happened."

"Probably not," she admitted. "I've been here three months. It'd been stupid if I never kissed you."

She wasn't absolutely sure who kissed whom this time. Maybe it was gravity tilting, stars exploding. It felt like it. His hands were free this time, and they cupped her face, stroked her hair, her neck, down to her shoulders…

She gasped into his open mouth, and he moaned. She had no idea a sensation could go through her like that, traveling through her skin and nerves like lightning. His hands stopped at her waist.

When their tongues touched, gentle and tentative and wet, it made her knees weak. Made her whole spine rattle like dry bones. Ronon put his right arm around her waist, holding her close, and cupped the back of her head with his left.

This was _kissing_. Serious kissing. Not just a kiss for surviving the day, not a 'glad you're safe' kiss, this was a _Hello,_ _sexy_. Lucrezia had never _suspected_ that she could feel this way.

When he let go, she fell back to sit on the bed, utterly weak. Ronon took two giant steps backward, then turned and walked out into the hall. Facing away from her. In a kind of dreamlike trance she watched the strong, broad muscles of his back moving under his shirt as he took deep breaths.

"Okay," he said finally, and turned around. But stayed in the hall. "That _really_ shouldn't have happened."

"Right," Lucrezia said. She felt like there was light dripping from her fingertips, spilling out of her toes. She felt full of light, in fact, warm buttery sunlight. "Never happened."

He opened his mouth, then closed it, closing his eyes. "Lucrezia-"

"I know."

"Lock the door," he said.

She got up, waved her hand over the panel, and watched it slid closed, locking the panel. She heard a thump against the door. Ronon was slumped on the other side; she just knew it.


	54. Chapter 52

**AN:/ 4 month since**

**M3X-387**

A pretty red flower, somewhat similar to a poppy, sways in the light wind. Ronon Dex apparently isn't a fan of flowers, as he promptly hacks it off its stem with a grunt of effort. He continues hacking at the plant life around him. Team Sheppard is in a jungle which is thick with vegetation and Ronon, leading the team, is hacking a path for them with his sword. Apparently he has been doing this for some time, as he sounds pretty fed up as he speaks.  
>"What are we doin'?"<br>"Exploring the Pegasus galaxy - it's what we do." McKay said.  
>"You know what I meant."<br>"There certainly doesn't appear to be anything here that would help in our fight against the Wraith _or_ the Replicators." Lucrezia said, adjusting the buttons on her short sleeved button up shirt. She was in what she called her 'jungle gear': tan cargo shorts, brown leather belt and a black shell necklace. There were water marks, stains and dirt on her. She had her gear strapped to her back in her backpack, her gun firmly holstered to her left side and another one on her right thigh.  
>"Come on! You guys kill me! Planets are huge, you know!" McKay yelled.<br>"Yeah, and usually you're the one complaining." Ronon said.  
>"Yes - this enthusiasm is most unlike you, Rodney." Lucrezia said, swiping hair out of her face.<br>"I'm turning over a new leaf." McKay said.  
>"We did the standard fly-over in the Jumper, scanning for life signs - nothing." John said.<br>"You can't fly around for ten minutes and decide there's nothing here!"  
>"Huh - yes, I can."<br>Rodney's Ancient doohickey beeps. "I'm getting strange energy readings."  
>"Yeah? From where?" Ronon asked.<br>"I can't pinpoint the source. The jungle's pretty thick, though - it could be hiding just about anything."  
>"I don't know. It's almost as if somebody in a warm, cosy room typing onto their computer sent us here for their own amusement." John said.<br>"You don't really think Zelenka would do that?" McKay asked.  
>"If he did, he's gonna be sorry." Ronon said grimly and Lucrezia nodded.<br>"Look, do you have any idea how many Gate addresses there are in the Ancient database that have no accompanying description?" McKay asked.  
>" Forty-two." John guessed.<br>"No, I think it's a little more than that. Look, I don't really remember. That's not the point. Nothing-no information at all. I say that has to mean something."  
>"Maybe it means there's nothing worth writing about on those planets."<br>"Or there is, but the Ancients are trying to hide it."  
>"From themselves?"<br>"A lot of time has passed since the Ancients were around. You know, things change - maybe there's something here they didn't know about."  
>"You have a bet riding on this, don't you?" Lucrezia said.<br>"What makes you say that?" McKay said, trying to sound innocent.  
>John steps over a fallen tree trunk and promptly steps into something soft and squidgy. He sighs angrily. "All right. That's it!" He pulls his foot out of the mud. "I'm calling this one. Everyone back to the Jumper."<br>"Aw, come on!" McKay whined.  
>Ronon grins at him. "Face it, McKay - you lost this one."<br>They turn to head back, Rodney's face full of indignation, but just then a light begins to glow in a tree behind him. "Ooh! Ooh! Hello?" He points at it. "What's that, then, huh?" The others turn to look. John walks towards the tree and we see that the light is coming from a circular group of crystals jutting out from the tree trunk. "Looks like some kind of a natural crystalline growth. I think that's what might be causing the energy readings."  
>"Pretty!" Lucrezia smiled.<br>John looks closely at the crystals. John's face is reflected many times in the facets, and his voice echoes inside the crystals as he speaks. "Looks like one of those toys you play with when you're a kid."  
>"What, Commodore 64?" McKay asked.<br>John grimaces.  
>"Triple-barreled shotgun?" Ronon asked.<br>"A kaleidoscope." John said pointedly.  
>Rodney smiles at him, excited. "You realize what this means?"<br>"We discovered an alien fungus that glows."  
>"How 'bout a power source that literally grows on trees?" John continues to gaze at the crystals as if fascinated by them. Rodney turns to the others. Look, admittedly these energy readings are pretty low level, but if these crystals could be cultivated, then..." He turns back just in time to see John slowly reaching out to touch the crystals. "Whoa-whoa-whoa, wait. What are you doing?"<br>As John's hand touches the crystals, a bright flash emanates from them and John is thrown backwards and crashes to the ground. He groans, winded. As the others hurry towards him, we see that the light in the crystals has gone out.

"Are you all right?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"Aw, yeah, I'm fine, just a little shock." John said.<br>"It could have been dangerous! I told you it was giving off energy." McKay said.  
>John looks bewildered. "Honestly, I don't know why I did that."<br>Rodney sighs, then looks at his Ancient device. "Well, you killed it!"  
>"Oh, really?" John said, not sounding very upset.<br>"It's not giving off energy anymore."  
>"Well, maybe he just scared it." Ronon said.<br>"You don't even know if it was alive." John said.  
>McKay's voice was high-pitched with indignation. "Seriously, why would you touch it?"<br>Ronon and Lucrezia help John get to his feet.  
>"I don't know! I said that, OK? I just did. Can we leave it at that?" John asked.<br>"OK, well there's gotta be more of them around here." McKay types on his device and starts scanning around.  
>"I'm gonna recommend sending a science team back here to check it out." John said.<br>"I am a science team!" McKay said indignantly. Exchanging a glance with Ronon, John turns and starts to head back, followed by Lucrezia. Ronon walks over to Rodney, grabs him by the back of the neck and marches him towards the others. "OK, fine. Let's desert a potentially significant discovery because you guys don't want me to win a bet with Zelenka."  
>Ignoring his protests, Ronon continues shoving him back in the direction of the Jumper.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

**NIGHT TIME**

Jennifer Keller walks over to where John is sitting on the side of a bed while Lucrezia stands beside him. "All your scans are clear. Blood tests are normal. As far as I can tell, you're in perfect health."  
>John smiles smugly at Lucrezia. "See? I told you." He turned back to Jennifer. "Thanks, Doc."<br>Jennifer points at him sternly. "No more touching strange things."  
>"That's good advice." Jennifer smiles at him, then turns and leaves. John jumps down from the bed and he and Lucrezia walk out of the Infirmary. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."<br>"It's been a long day." She said.  
>"Well, thanks for hangin' out."<br>"Just wanted to be sure."  
>"I'm fine." He puts his hand briefly on her back as they walk along. A white glow appears on her back where he is touching her, then disappears. John lowers his hand and turns to her as he walks away. "Get some sleep."<br>"Good night, John."

҉

**LATER **

Lucrezia lies in bed. Although her eyes are closed, she is restless and frowns frequently as if she is having a bad dream. We see what she dreaming: she is in a tent on the Antarctic Two Base, wearing the medical clothes she had then. She looks around, puzzled, and sees John sitting at a table with an assortment of food in front of him. He is chewing on something and smiles at her.  
>"This is pretty good! What is it?"<br>Lucrezia looks around and sees Ronon standing nearby, even though he wasn't there a moment ago. He glares.  
>"I knew it. You two are hooking up behind my back. I thought our kiss meant something? Apparently not…"<br>Rodney walks around behind her, holding his Ancient device, as Ronon disappears. "I'm telling you, there's something in here giving off a strange energy reading."  
>As Lucrezia watches him walk across the tent, suddenly John is standing very close to her. He couldn't possibly have got from the table to that position in the couple of seconds that passed since she looked away from him. He stares at her intently.<br>"John, what are you doing?"  
>"Colonel Carter doesn't trust you. Not even Ronon. No-one does but me."<br>"What are you talking about?"  
>"What's wrong with you?" He starts to walk around her.<br>"What do you mean? Nothing."  
>"You've never been the same since you kissed Ronon."<br>"What?" She frowns at him as he walks away in front of her. Suddenly a man's voice cries out from outside the tent.  
>"Lucrezia!" Someone shouted.<br>Lucrezia turns, recognizing the voice just as she also hears the sound of Wraith Darts swooping over the snow. "Father!"  
>She hurries toward the doorway of the tent but just as she reaches it, John opens the door flap and walks in. Half of his face is just as it was when he was turning into an iratus bug, the pupils of his eyes are just slits, and he is wearing the rough cloak he wore when he went to the bugs' cave. He seizes her throat with one hand and pushes her backwards into the tent and down onto a bench at the table. He glares down at her for several seconds while she stares up at him in terror, then he raises his other hand and plunges it down onto her chest.<br>In her room, Lucrezia wakes up, flailing and gasping in horror. Struggling to catch her breath, she puts her hand onto her chest and sobs at the memory.

҉

**EARLY MORNING**

Lucrezia is sitting at a table with Rodney and Ronon on the outdoor Mess Hall balcony overlooking the ocean.  
>"I cannot even begin to tell you how bizarre it was." She said, playing with the hemming of her yellow summer dress.<br>"Please, you want bizarre? Let me tell you-"  
>"You know what? Don't." Ronon cut across McKay.<br>John brings a tray over and sits down beside Lucrezia. "Morning." Lucrezia shifts uncomfortably in her seat. John looks round at all of them. "What?"  
>"Lucrezia had a dream about you last night."<br>"Rodney." She glares at him.  
>"Really? What was it about?" John said, turning to her.<br>"Actually, it was more of a nightmare and I'd rather not talk about it."  
>"Was I the dashing hero saving you from a big bad monster?"<br>"Actually, you were the big bad monster." Ronon said.  
>John raises his eyebrows. "Really?"<br>Lucrezia stood up. "Like I said, I'd rather not talk about it."  
>"Where are you going?"<br>"I'm sorry. I have a headache. I did not sleep well last night." She turns and walks away. John frowns round at her, then turns back to the others.  
>"Is she really mad at me?" The others don't comment. "I can't control what's in her dreams!"<br>"Really? You think you can't control a person's dreams? My father read me "Moby Dick" when I was seven years old. I mean, seriously, what was the man thinking? D'you have any idea how long I had nightmares about being eaten by a whale?"  
>Ronon glances at John, then looks at Rodney pointedly. "They haven't stopped, have they?"<br>"No." McKay said embarrassed.

҉

**HEIGHTMEYER'S OFFICE**

Lucrezia is sitting with Kate Heightmeyer, the base psychologist.  
>"It's coming from outside. I go to the opening; I hear Darts. I pull open the tent and he comes inside. I know it's not really Colonel Sheppard, but I can't help but feel ... different towards him. Julian…Captain Barrett thinks it's my subconscious trying to tell me something."<br>"If there is something real going on between you and Colonel Sheppard that you feel you need to address, you definitely should. Otherwise don't let it bother you."  
>"I've had horrible nightmares before - of my father being taken when I was a little girl, the cullings since - but none of them have felt like this. When I woke up, I could barely catch my breath. I know it sounds silly but I think I am actually afraid of falling asleep."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY **

Lucrezia is sitting on the side of a bed as Jennifer finishes taking her blood pressure.  
>"Well, physically there's nothing wrong with you, other than the symptoms you've described, which can all be attributed to lack of sleep." She walks over to a nearby medicine cabinet and unlocks it. "These should help for the short term..." she takes out some tablets "...but if the problem persists, you definitely need to come back."<br>"You have no idea how good the thought of a solid night's sleep makes me feel at this point." She gets down off the bed.  
>"Oh, I think I do. I'm not sure I've had one since I got here."<br>Lucrezia takes the tablets from her. "Thank you."  
>Smiling, she puts her hand on Jennifer's arm for a moment. Jennifer smiles back.<br>"Don't mention it. Have a good night."  
>"You too."<p>

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

Jennifer, asleep in bed, is woken by the sound of a man's voice coming from the radio on the table beside her bed.  
>"Doctor Keller, we have a medical emergency. Doctor Keller, please report immediately to the Infirmary."<br>Jennifer turns on the bedside light, picks up her watch and looks at it, frowning, then gets out of bed. She makes her way to the Infirmary and finds Lucrezia lying on a bed repeatedly groaning in agony. John is standing at her bedside and a female med-tech is on the other side.  
>"What's wrong?"<br>"It's Lucrezia. She's in severe abdominal distress. Says you gave her some medication." Med-tech said.  
>"I prescribed some Ambien to help her sleep. Louie?"<br>Lucrezia, lying curled up on her side and clutching her stomach, groans again.  
>"Went to the Mess for a late-night snack. She started complaining about her stomach and then she just doubled over." John said.<br>Keller turned to Lucrezia. "I thought you were going to bed. Did you take one of those pills I gave you?"  
>"No." She groans.<br>"OK, just try to relax. Let me have a look." She and the med-tech gently roll Lucrezia over onto her back. Lucrezia screams and writhes in agony, trying to curl up around the pain in her stomach. She turns to John. "Hold her for me."  
>John takes hold of Lucrezia's arm while the med-tech holds the other. Another medic comes in to help keep Lucrezia's legs down. As Lucrezia wails in pain, Jennifer presses her fingers gently into her bare stomach, then snatches them away in shock as something writhes underneath the skin. Anyone who's seen the movie <em>Alien<em> immediately gets a John Hurt flashback. Jennifer backs away, her eyes wide in terror.  
>"Oh my God."<br>The something writhes again. Lucrezia screams piercingly. John glares at Jennifer accusingly.  
>"Doctor, do something." Med-tech said.<br>"Uh ... OK ... uh, we - we need to ... sedate her ... and, uh..." She was at a total loss. Lucrezia screams again as the creature under her skin begins to force its way out. Blood flies everywhere, spattering everyone around. Jennifer looks down at the blood on her. "Oh God!"  
>Lucrezia's abdomen rips open and an enormous spider-like creature with wings starts to crawl out, squealing. Lucrezia's eyes are open and fixed. As the creature continues to squeal, John stares at Jennifer, a look of excitement on his face.<br>"Can you believe this?"  
>Jennifer stares at him in horror...then wakes up in her bed, gasping, covered in sweat, and struggling to catch her breath.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer walks in, goes over to the medicine cabinet and takes out some pills. Closing the cabinet, she turns, then gasps in shock as she finds Ronon standing directly behind her. As she catches her breath, she sees that he has a bad cut above his left eyebrow. John walks over to stand behind him.  
>"Sorry, Doc. Didn't mean to scare you." Ronon said.<br>"We were sparring and I got in a lucky shot." John said.  
>"It's the middle of the night!" Keller said.<br>"Maybe for you." Ronon said.  
>"Sit down. Let me have a look." Ronon sits down on the side of the bed. Jennifer takes a closer look at his wound. "You're gonna need stitches."<br>She looks accusingly at John, who shrugs apologetically.  
>"Guess I taught him too much, huh?" Ronon said.<br>"Yeah, I guess so." Keller said.  
>Ronon turned to John. "You know, you don't need to stick around. I'm fine."<br>"You sure?"  
>"Yeah. I want a re-match tomorrow, though."<br>"Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. G'night!" He walks away.  
>"See you tomorrow." Jennifer watches John's departing back thoughtfully. Ronon turned to her. "Something wrong?"<br>Jennifer looks at him, then shakes her head. "No, no, nothing."  
>She looks at his wound again. Ronon smile faded. "Even though she's not here, he's still married to Illyria…"<br>"Oh, oh, no! No, that... You know, this would be easier if you lay down."  
>"OK." He lays down on the bed as Jennifer picks up a pair of surgical gloves.<p>

҉

**LATER**

His wound stitched and covered with a sticking plaster, Ronon strolls through the corridors of the

city. After a while he frowns, stops and looks all around before moving on and heading into the Gateroom. There's nobody around.  
>"Hullo?" He trots up the stairs and turns left towards the Conference Room but can see nobody there. He turns and runs across to the Control Room. "Is anyone here?"<br>There's nobody to be seen. Starting to panic, he races across the Control Room, shoving chairs out of his way, and pelts down the stairs before running back into the corridors. He runs back to the Infirmary but that too is deserted.  
>"Anyone?"<br>Running on, he heads for a set of doors and swipes his hand across the wall panel. The doors slide open ... and on the other side is a forest. Staring back into Atlantis in bewilderment for a moment, he turns and walks slowly into the forest. Behind him, the doors and the city have disappeared. Just then, a Wraith stunner blast whizzes past him. He immediately breaks into a run and charges off through the forest, ducking out of the way as more blasts are aimed at him. As he runs on, looking around him, somebody suddenly swings a large branch into his path at chest height and he crashes into it before he can stop. The impact knocks him backwards and he falls to the ground. Holding his chest and coughing as he tries to catch his breath, he looks up as John walks out from behind the trees holding his right hand behind his back.  
>"Hey, buddy. What are you runnin' from?" John said, smiling down at him.<br>"I don't know."  
>John, still grinning at him, holds out his left hand to him. "Come on."<br>He brings out his right hand which is holding a large stout branch and savagely slams it down onto Ronon's head.  
>Sometime later, Ronon recovers consciousness and looks up. He is lying in a shallow grave dug in the forest. John is standing at the foot of the grave and has started to shovel earth into the hole. Ronon, his hands tied behind him and a gag in his mouth, looks up in horror as John continues to throw spadesful of earth on top of him. He struggles frantically, protesting through his gag, while John, grinning at him, continues shoveling. Eventually John throws a spadesful of earth directly down onto his face.<br>In the Infirmary, Ronon gasps in terror and opens his eyes, grabbing at Jennifer's hand as she stitches his eyebrow.  
>"I'm really sorry. Did I - did I hurt you?"<br>Ronon tries to catch his breath as he looks around the room, then looks up at Jennifer and releases her hand. "Uh, no, no. I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."  
>"You fell asleep."<br>"I was having the strangest dream."  
>"You sure you're OK?"<br>"Yeah. Go ahead."  
>"I'm almost done."<br>She continues to stitch the wound as Ronon sighs deeply.

҉

**DAYTIME**

**MESS HALL BALCONY**

Jennifer is sitting at a table with Lucrezia, Ronon and Rodney.  
>"It was terrifying. There you were with this disgusting alien bug crawling out of your stomach, and Colonel Sheppard was acting like it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen." Keller told Lucrezia.<br>"That sounds like that movie." Ronon said.  
>"Yeah, "Alien." Have you seen it?" Keller asked.<br>"Colonel Sheppard speaks of it often." Lucrezia said.  
>"I still remember the first time I saw it." McKay grimaces. "Certainly did not think it was cool."<br>"One time in med school, I made the mistake of confiding to my partner in biology class that it had caused my all-time worst nightmares. He actually planted a live snake inside a cadaver I was working on." Keller said.  
>"Well, I never saw it as a kid - I knew from the poster it was gonna be too scary. No, I was sixteen when a neighborhood theatre had a horror revival festival. I thought, great: date, movie; so, uh, Jocelyn Rutger, third period science - bit of a geek, but she had a great, um..." McKay holds up his hands in front of him, then looks at Lucrezia and changes his mind. "... Anyway - um, you know how girls get all, uh, scared, curl up on your shoulder?"<br>"Your planet has some truly strange rituals." Lucrezia said.  
>"Anyway, I eat when I get nervous."<br>"Really? I hadn't noticed." Ronon said sarcastically.  
>"Mmm. So, very tense, working like a charm, Jocelyn's all freaked out beside me, I'm packing away the Goobers and the popcorn ... and then the alien bursts out of John Hurt."<br>"You didn't?" Lucrezia sighed, wincing.  
>"Mmm. Puked all over her."<br>"I have got to see this movie!" Ronon grinned.  
>"Don't you think it's strange that each of us has had incredibly vivid nightmares with Colonel Sheppard being somehow an integral part?" Keller asked.<br>"Acting most unlike Colonel Sheppard." Lucrezia said.  
>"Not me." McKay said.<br>"Have you had any nightmares recently?" Keller asked.  
>"Huh! Not a night goes by! Last night I dreamed that Colonel Carter invited me to her quarters for dinner..."<br>"Maybe you shouldn't be telling us this, Rodney." Lucrezia said.  
>"Yeah, I said "nightmare," not "delusional male fantasy."" Keller said.<br>"Wait, and listen! Turns out she was serving lemon chicken. I mean, lemon! And the only reason she invited me to dinner was to tell me that she was promoting Zelenka over me. Not that she didn't already do that with Barrett."  
>"That's it?" Ronon asked.<br>"... Then I was eaten by a whale. Don't ask how that happened." McKay shook his head.  
>Jennifer frowns, perplexed, for a moment, then gets the conversation back on topic. "OK, d'you guys think I'm crazy? I realize they're just dreams, but first it was Lucrezia and then right after you came to see me, I had one."<br>"And that's when mine stopped. Those pills you gave me knocked me out…cold, as you say it?" Lucrezia said.  
>"And then Ronon had one while I was working on him." Keller said.<br>"What's the big deal? It's like you said, just a few bad dreams, right?" Ronon asked. He and Rodney get up and leave the table. Lucrezia and Jennifer look at each other for a moment, then Jennifer shrugs.

҉

**LATER**

Jennifer and Sam Carter walk across the Gateroom and up into the Control Room en route to Sam's office.  
>"I probably shouldn't have bothered you with this. I know I don't really have any hard evidence." Keller said.<br>"Believe me, I've seen a good hunch go a long way in some pretty crazy circumstances. I'd always rather you were on your toes, especially with anything that seems suspicious."  
>"I know a few bad dreams isn't that significant. It's only natural given what we face on a daily basis, but this was different. It really rattled me. Coupled with the sequential pattern: first Lucrezia, then me, then Ronon, all with Colonel Sheppard being a significant negative presence in our dreams."<br>"D'you have any idea what's behind it?"  
>"I don't know. Thing is, it started right after Colonel Sheppard touched that crystal on M3X-387."<br>"I thought you cleared him medically."  
>"I did."<br>A Chinese technician walks over to them. "'Scuse me. There's an emergency situation at Crew Quarters Atrium. Security was called for and has been dispatched."  
>"Thank you." Sam turned to Jennifer. "Excuse me." She hurries away.<p>

҉

**ATRIUM**

Barefoot and blinking rapidly in terror, Major Lorne is aiming his pistol determinedly at John. Marines are aiming their own weapons at Lorne as John holds his hands out to him to show that he's not armed.  
>"Put down the gun, Major. Let's talk this out." John said.<br>"Someone get an A.R.G. Now! Shoot him with it!" Lorne yelled.  
>Lucrezia and Kate are also standing nearby.<br>"Major, talk to me. Tell me what's going on." Heightmeyer said.  
>"Just do it! OK, wh-wh-what's the harm? I-I-If he's human, it won't hurt him, right?" Lorne asked.<br>"John, what is he talking about?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"Don't talk to him! Colonel Sheppard is a Replicator." Lorne said, rushing to stand in front of her, acting as sort of a guard. He held an arm in front of her, keeping her away from the situation.<br>Lucrezia and Kate look at John nervously. John frowns at Lorne as he continues aiming his pistol and staring at him in terror.  
>"Look, Lorne, I don't know what's gotten into you-"<br>Lorne interrupts John. "Me? No-no-no-no-no, it's not me."  
>Sam arrives and walks over to the group. "Major. How 'bout you lower your weapon?"<br>"He's a Replicator!" Lorne yelled. Sam looks at him in confusion. "What, you don't believe me?" He cocks his pistol. "OK, I'll shoot him, you'll see."  
>"Whoa, whoa, that won't be necessary. I've got my hands up in a very non-threatening way." John said.<br>"Call for an A.R.G." Sam said.  
>John stares at her. "What, you believe him?"<br>"Of course not, but it won't hurt you and it might help him to lower his gun." Sam said quietly.  
>Lorne promptly aims his pistol towards her. "You're one of them too." He turned to the marines. "Well, don't just stand there! Shoot them! Shoot both of them!"<br>He turns his pistol towards John again and his stance changes - he's about to fire. Just then an energy blast hits him from somewhere up above and he convulses and collapses to the floor. Everyone looks up and sees Ronon on the balcony above, having just shot Lorne with his stunner. As marines run over to Lorne, Lucrezia takes an A.R.G. from another marine and turns towards John and Sam, holding it ready but not quite pointing it at them.  
>"I take it I don't have to shoot either of you with this?"<p>

҉

**LATER**

Lorne has recovered from the blast and is sitting at a table in the Isolation Room. He looks up into the Observation Room.  
>"I'm so glad no-one was hurt."<br>Heightmeyer, from the Observation Room, said, "And you don't remember anything?"  
>"No. Honestly, I haven't had a sleepwalking incident since I was, like, ten."<br>Kate turns to the others in the room. "It's quite common for someone suffering from somnambulism to perform complex activities in their sleep and remember nothing upon waking."  
>"So you think this has something to do with the crystal I touched?" John asked.<br>"That's when it seemed to start. Major Lorne's not the only one. In each case the person being affected reports you being a significant negative presence in the nightmare."  
>"Well, I can't control that!"<br>"No, but maybe something is." Sam said.  
>"What, you think someone's impersonating me in their dreams?" John shakes his head in total disbelief.<br>"Look, I've seen more than my share of alien entities that are capable of this. Colonel O'Neill was once knocked unconscious by an energy being that lived in crystal form. It took on his appearance for a while."  
>"I read at one point you were taken over by an alien entity?" Heightmeyer said.<br>"...Yeah. Not a personal highlight." Sam said.  
>"The question is, what's the point?" John asked.<br>"Maybe it's feeding on our fear." Keller said thoughtfully. Everyone looks at her. She shakes her head. "I'll shut up."  
>"No, no, it's not that big a leap. It's just we don't have any proof." Sam said.<br>"First it was Louie; I was next; and then Ronon after I treated him."  
>"Well I'm the one who touched the crystal, and I've never had a bad dream." John said.<br>"Maybe that's why you're appearing in everyone's dreams. Whatever's doing this imprinted your image onto itself." Heightmeyer said.  
>"Now that I think about it, it's possible whatever this is, its spread may be limited by touch." Keller said.<br>"OK, anyone who's had contact with Major Lorne since the incident needs to be isolated. If this is some sort of alien influence, we have to find a way to detect it." Sam directed.

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Rodney stands in the doorway and folds his arms stubbornly. John, sitting behind the table with the others who know about the problem, rolls his eyes.  
>"Sit down, Rodney."<br>"I'm good right here, thank you."  
>"All offworld teams have been contacted and instructed not to return for the time being. Gate travel will be restricted to an as-needed basis and, until further notice; all non-essential expedition members will be restricted to quarters." Sam said.<br>"Come on, is this really necessary? It's just a few bad dreams, right?" Ronon asked.  
>"The fact is, we don't really know what we're dealing with. We may have an alien entity on our hands capable of moving from person to person at will." Sam said.<br>"And so far the only behavior we have to evaluate suggests a certain malice. Based on what's been described to me, the personification of Colonel Sheppard in everyone's dreams is behaving much like a sociopath." Heigthmeyer said.  
>John looks at Lucrezia. "Did I have a goatee?"<br>Lucrezia shakes her head, slightly confused.  
>"Right now all it's doing is causing some nightmares, but we don't know if that's the limit of its capability." Heightmeyer said.<br>"You're saying this is only the beginning." Lucrezia said.  
>"I've never profiled anything like this before. It will likely progress - try to drive up the stakes, seek bigger thrills. Even if it's limited to manipulating the host's subconscious, it may be able to put someone in serious jeopardy."<br>"So what are we talking - Freddie Krueger here?" John asked.  
>"Oh, come on! We don't have a single shred of hard evidence here. I mean, until we do, this thing is just a boogeyman." McKay said.<br>"Exactly why you're going back to the planet where Colonel Sheppard touched the crystal." Sam said .  
>"What? Why would we do that?" McKay said nervously.<br>"Well, just as you said, to gather some hard evidence - see if there are any more of these things. We need to find out exactly what they are and how they work, and if possible, how to detect if there really is something inside Lorne right now. Thank you."  
>Everyone stands and starts to leave the room.<br>"But, er, you said no more Gate travel. I thought that was a wise decision." McKay said to Sam.  
>"I said on an "as-needed basis," McKay. I think this qualifies."<br>"Yeah, but don't you think that a science team would be better suited-"  
>"You are a science team, remember?" Ronon said, walking past.<br>"...OK, fine, but it's a big planet, you know. We could really use some more manpower."

҉

**M3X-387**

Team Sheppard, together with Navy Captain Julian Barrett and some other scientists, are all wearing Hazmat suits as they follow the route that John and his team took before.  
>"I still can't believe you're making me do this. I outrank you."<br>"Ah, you lost the bet! There's definitely something on this planet."  
>"Yes, but I distinctly said "of value." I hardly call this particular discovery valuable."<br>Having stepped over the fallen tree trunk, John leads the team toward the tree. "Over here."  
>Rodney laughs triumphantly and pats Julian on the back. "Ha ha! There you go! You'd better get started."<br>Julian grunts some not very nice words in Latin and walks over to the tree and starts to examine the dead crystal. Near where Louie is standing, a crystal lights up in the trunk of another tree.  
>"Rodney!" She called out.<br>"Mmm?" He turns, sees the crystal and walks towards it. "Don't look at it! And whatever you do, don't touch it."  
>"I wasn't even thinking about it."<br>Rodney holds up his Ancient device and starts to scan the crystal. "Julian, we've got a live one here."  
>Julian turns and looks at it. "It could be useful to compare the two."<br>"That's just what I was thinking."  
>"But be careful. It could be dangerous to try to harvest one with an active entity in it."<br>"Hmm. Once again you've read my mind. However, when you've finished there, I say you give it a shot."  
>Julian turns back to the dead crystal and grimaces. John shrugs at him. He holds up a couple of hammer-like devices so that he can cut the dead crystal out of the tree.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS SCIENCE LAB**

The dead and the live crystals have been brought back and placed into two containers. Various monitors are inside the containers, touching the crystals. Jennifer squints into the container holding the live crystal, then straightens up. "You really think it was safe to bring a live one back?"  
>"Oh, those containment tanks are non-conductive. We believe it needs conductive material in order to travel." Julian said.<br>"And having an active crystal allows us to calibrate these hand-held sensors to detect the energy signature it's associated with." McKay said.  
>"Hopefully we'll be able to determine if somebody is actually carrying one of these creatures around inside of them."<br>"Ah, as long as it doesn't know what we're up to, otherwise you'd think it would just transfer out of somebody before we could scan them."  
>"Assuming of course they're not only capable but are conscious and aware at all times."<br>Unseen by either of the men who are working on various devices and computers, Jennifer slowly starts to walk towards the live crystal's container, gazing at it in fascination.  
>"It's demonstrated some pretty sophisticated intelligence so far." McKay said. Jennifer bends down to get closer to the container. From a perspective inside the crystal, her face is reflected many times in the facets and Rodney's voice echoes inside the crystal as he speaks. "It even had basic avoidance skills."<br>"We're gonna have to modify our scanners to operate at a range large enough to..." Julian stops, then clicks his fingers. "Wait a minute." He turns towards Rodney. "We could calibrate the city-wide life signs detectors."  
>Jennifer starts to reach her hand out to touch the container.<br>"Yes, Mr Wizard! We're just gonna snap our fingers!" McKay shouted.  
>Jennifer's head whips round as Julian grabs her hand and pulls it back from the container. "What are you doing?"<br>Jennifer looks startled. "I don't know." She looks at the container. "It's mesmerizing." She looks at Julian again. "You said it was safe."  
>"We said, 'We think.' Still-"<br>"I don't know what I was doing. I can't believe that I was suddenly overcome by the compulsion to wanna touch it."  
>"Yeah, we think that's how it, uh, ropes in its victims." McKay said.<br>Jennifer stares at the container in shock, then looks at Julian. He shakes his head at her, looks at the container briefly, wrinkles his nose in distaste, then goes back to his console.

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Radek and Lorne stand facing each other as Radek runs a hand-held scanner over Lorne, then looks at the readout. He looks up to the Observation Room and shakes his head at Sam and Rodney.  
>"It's not in him." McKay said.<br>"You said the entity needed conductive material to travel, right?" Sam asked.  
>"Well, based on the..." He trails off, then stares at Sam. "It's the power conduits!" Sam nods. "They run through pretty much the entire city!"<br>"It could be in anyone."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Lucrezia walks out onto the outside balcony wearing a cream colored nightgown with five small buttons and small flowers. She stops and stares upwards at the sound of a terrified gasp.  
>"Kate! What are you doing?"<br>Kate is standing on the balcony railing facing Lucrezia, bracing herself with one hand on a stanchion. She looks petrified. "I don't wanna die!"  
>Lucrezia tries to smile reassuringly and gently says, "Good. Come down from there."<br>Kate wobbles back and forth on the narrow ledge. The drop behind her is horrifyingly long. "I can't," she plaintively said.  
>"Why not?"<br>Kate stares at her desperately. "Help me, please!"

She sobs. Lucrezia starts to walk towards her but suddenly John steps in front of her, seizes her arms and holds her back.  
>"John, stop it. Stop it - I have to help her!" As she struggles to break free of his grip, John smiles in satisfaction. "What are you doing? John, get out of the way!"<br>"Lucrezia! Lucrezia!" Kate said anguished.  
>"Kate!"<br>Kate screams, losing her grip and slips off the ledge. She falls downwards. As she falls, her body revolves so that she's now facing downwards. The city below rushes towards her. She plunges towards a walkway and everything goes black as there is the sickening sound of an impact.  
>Inside the city, doors open and Jennifer walks into someone's quarters. She stops at the sight of Kate, wearing the same nightgown Lucrezia was wearing, lying on her bed with her eyes closed, with Lucrezia standing at the foot of the bed.<p>

Lucrezia looks at Jennifer in dread. "She did not report for duty and I cannot wake her up."  
>Jennifer walks over to the bed and activates a hand-held scanner. She looks at the readout as Lucrezia looks at her with no hope in her eyes. Jennifer stares up at her in shock and confirms Lucrezia's worst fears.<br>"She's dead."  
>Lucrezia's eyes fill with tears.<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Sam steels herself, and then nods to a technician who activates the city-wide tannoy. "This is Colonel Carter. If I could have your attention please. I'm very sorry to have to tell you that we have lost a valuable member of the expedition today. "  
>Lucrezia is in her near bare quarters; sitting on her bed, huddled into her fluffy, lapis blue and white awning striped duvet covers listening sadly to the announcement. She threw the covers off and began to pace the small hallway of her apartment. Down the hall to the left was her door and to the right was a second room, a small living room adjoining a small kitchen. By the door was a Keaton Console Table crafted from rich pine that was finished by hand to reveal the wood's natural knots and whorls, giving the rustic charm of vintage farmhouse furniture. Underneath it was all of her off-world gear and backpacks. On top were various small collector's edition books, a small bowl to put random things in, a small jar of sea shells, a vintage food storage container with scoop, and in the center of the table was a garden green vase filled with eight blue iris, three yellow tulips, and three yellow lilies.<p>

Beside the table was a wall-mounted rack that holds an impressive number of coats, hats and scarves without taking up an inch of floor space. Her kendo sticks were leaning against the edge of the table.

_ "Doctor Kate Heightmeyer meant a great deal to all of us. Her death is nothing short of tragic."_  
>In his quarters, John sits on the edge of his bed listening.<br>_"I'm also sorry to have to report that the threat we face is still in our midst and until further notice, the full lockdown protocol will remain in effect. Try to remain calm. We are doing everything we can to ensure everyone's safety and to resolve this situation quickly. Thank you."_  
>Cater nods to the technician again, who deactivates the tannoy. Jennifer is standing nearby and Sam walks over to her.<br>"That was good. I mean, horrible, obviously - terrifying and horrible - but I just meant that you sounded strong. I'm sure they were at least a little reassured hearing your voice. But you don't need me to tell you that."  
>"A day like this, it doesn't hurt. Thanks."<p>

҉

**RONON'S QUARTERS**

Ronon is lying on top of his bed. After a while, he makes a decision, gets up, goes to the door and swipes his hand over the wall panel. The doors open and he starts to walk out, but stops at the sight of Lucrezia standing just outside.  
>"I was just about to come and see you ... but I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me." Ronon said.<br>Without saying anything, Lucrezia walks closer and puts her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder. Hesitantly, Ronon puts his arms around her and holds her as she cries.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Julian walks into Sam's office where she is sitting at her desk.  
>"Sammy?" Sam looked up at him. "Hey, I've managed to calibrate the city-wide sensors." Sam stands up and follows him out into the Control Room. "I mean, if it is working properly. We had some trouble with the, um..." He waved his hand, not bothering to explain as they reach the wallscreen. "We have a positive reading."<br>A red dot is flashing on the screen.  
>"Do we know who that is?" Sam asked.<br>The screen zooms in on the source of the signal until it shows the room where it's emanating from.

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

The doors open and Rodney walks in to find Julian inside.  
>"What do you need me for?" McKay looks around as he realizes that the walls now have a black covering. "What's with the rubber walls?"<br>"I'm sorry, Rodney. I have to go."  
>Julian walks around Rodney, giving him a wide berth, and heads for the doors as Rodney rolls his eyes. "Oh, you've got to be kidding."<br>As Julian leaves the room, an armed marine walks to the outside of the doorway and swipes his hand across the wall panel to close the doors. Rodney turns and looks up into the Observation Room where Sam and Jennifer are looking down at him. Sam waves to him apologetically. Behind the girls, John walks in and joins them at the window.  
>"It's in Rodney?"<br>"The Isolation Room has been lined with insulating material to prevent the entity from transferring out of him and into someone else." Sam said.  
>"If we're right, we've got it trapped." Jennifer said.<br>"Yeah, but that doesn't help McKay much, does it?" John said. "If this thing kills people in their sleep-"  
>"No, we've got to find a way to get it out of him." Sam said.<br>"Someone wanna get me some coffee? I'm already feeling a little tired here." McKay yelled up to the room.  
>"I could give him something to keep him awake for a while, but it'll only work for so long before we start putting him at risk of pulmonary failure." Jennifer suggested.<br>"Yeah. Believe it or not, I've been there before, too. Do what you can. We'll try to come up with something." Sam calls down to the Observation Room. "Hang in there, McKay."  
>"Oh, thanks! Like I have much choice."<p>

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Sam walks into her office. John was behind her until he reached the door. He stood outside, hesitating at the frame for a moment, remembering the two women who used to sit behind that desk. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stormed in, taking the seat nearest the door.  
>"D'you think it knows it's trapped?" He asked.<br>"I don't know. Why?"  
>"Maybe there's a way to ... I don't know, reason with it."<br>"Being in your wife's old office made you think of that, didn't it?" Seeing the pained look on his face she said, "John, it's been four months-"  
>He shook his head and waved her off. "Normally I just shoot the bad guys."<br>Lucrezia and Ronon came in.  
>"We just heard." Ronon said. There were obvious tear stains near the collar of his shirt, but he didn't seem to care.<br>Lucrezia sniffed, her eyes a swollen red. "There must be something we can do."  
>"That's what we're talking about." Sam turns back to John. "OK, let's say for a second that you could somehow communicate with it. What were you planning on saying?"<br>"I don't know - I hadn't gotten that far."  
>"It strikes me that if it feeds on fear or - worse - likes the thrill of killing its host, then ... it would take the last chance it had."<br>"To kill McKay." Sam sighs and lowers her head. John continued, "What about survival? It's trapped. Will it die without a living host to transfer to?"  
>"I was hoping not to find out."<br>"We could give it a chance to leave - go home." Lucrezia said.  
>"Back into the crystal?" Sam asked.<br>"Sure. Why not? Send it through the Gate back to its planet." John said.  
>"I've heard of people being talked through waking dreams before. Maybe - maybe McKay can be hypnotized into a state where he could somehow communicate with it."<br>"I've heard he has successfully meditated into an altered state before." Lucrezia said.  
>"Yeah, that was after he was genetically altered." John said, grimacing.<br>"I'm sorry - what? You want McKay to ask this thing to leave?" Ronon asked.  
>"We are talking about McKay. Scary things are not exactly his strength." John said.<br>"And he is up against a creature apparently capable of manipulating his subconscious." Sam said.  
>"I wish there was a way for one of us to get in there." John said.<br>"Into McKay's dreams?"  
>"Yeah, you know, help him out; give him a little moral support. Come on - all the things you've seen, you've never come across a way for one person to get into another person's dreams?"<br>Sam is way ahead of John and has been having a lightbulb moment for the past few seconds. Without saying anything, she heads out to the Control Room.  
>"Where's she going? What's going on?" Ronon asked.<br>"I don't know, but I think I'm about to see a side of McKay I never wanted to see." John said.  
>"It does not have to be you." Lucrezia said told John.<br>"Yeah, well, it's my bad idea." He said, hurrying out after Sam.  
>"What was?" Ronon asked as Lucrezia follows the other two. "What?" He sighs and follows her.<p>

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Rodney and John are lying on two adjoining beds that have been brought in. Jennifer, Julian and some other scientists, all in Hazmat suits, are setting up equipment. Sam, Lucrezia and Ronon are up in the Observation Room watching the preparations.  
>"We first encountered the technology ten years ago on a planet where the survivors of a holocaust were living entirely in a virtual world created in their minds. Since then, we've managed to modify it for use in the V.R. training of S.G. team members. It only took some minor calibrations to tune it in to subconscious activity." Sam said.<br>"So Sheppard is actually gonna see McKay's dreams?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, to be honest, the technology is untested for use in this manner. Dreams are much more random than conscious thought. It may be difficult for the system to translate what's going on in McKay's brain so that Colonel Sheppard can understand it. I'm just hoping that the two of them will be able to interact somehow."<br>In the Isolation Room, cables trail from the container holding the dead crystal to leads attached to Rodney's temples. He looks across nervously to John.  
>"You sure about this?" McKay asked.<br>"Not really." John said.  
>Rodney gestures to his own head, looking both plaintive and apologetic. "I'm pretty screwed up."<br>"You're tellin' me!"  
>"We're ready if you are." Jennifer said.<br>Rodney looks across to John again. "Thanks."  
>"I haven't done anything yet."<br>"For trying. And don't say I didn't warn you."  
>"Administering sedative." Jennifer activates a drip into Rodney's arm, and his eyes almost instantly close. Julian activates the device which will link Rodney's and John's minds. John frowns.<br>"Nothing's happening here."  
>"He's not dreaming yet." Jennifer said.<br>Everyone's eyes home in on Rodney's face and he begins to dream.  
>Rodney is strenuously rowing a small boat across the water. It's pouring with rain and he is soaking wet. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles. Stopping for a moment, Rodney looks over his shoulder at his destination - Atlantis, which is miles away across the ocean. As lightning continues to flash, Rodney shakes his head in frustration, then starts to row again. Suddenly there's a strange, echoing combination of a groan and a wail. Rodney stops rowing and stares in horror to his right as the back of an enormous white whale breaches not far from the boat before sinking back into the water.<br>"Oh boy." He starts to row again. "Nice whale. Nice whale. You're my friend. You don't wanna eat me."  
>"Give up." Suddenly John is sitting in the stern of the boat facing him. He folds his arms and smiles smugly at Rodney. "You'll never make it. You're too weak."<br>"Well, thank you! Thanks for the encouragement! Way to help out!" McKay angrily said.  
>"Why would I wanna help you?"<br>"Because I thought you..."  
>A second John speaks from the seat behind him. "It's not me, Rodney. Don't listen to him."<br>Rodney turns and looks at him, then looks at the other, alien John in front of him.

"You're pathetic. You might as well jump in." Alien John said, shrugging.  
>Bewildered, Rodney looks round to the real John.<br>"Don't be afraid," real John said.  
>"Oh, I have to get back." McKay starts to row again. "I have to get back. That's my only chance."<br>"You're gonna die out here," alien John said.  
>"Shut up! Don't listen to him, Rodney," real John growled.<br>McKay looked round at him. "That's easy for you to say! Why don't you help me row?"  
>Instantly and without transition, John is sitting beside him and they're each holding one oar. Rodney looks bewildered at John's disappearance from behind him, then looks round to find him beside him. He looks round to the front of the boat again briefly as John starts to row.<br>"You know, this really isn't as strange as you led me to believe."  
>McKay was rowing as well. "Oh, yeah?" He points over his shoulder. "What about that?"<br>John turns to look at the place where he was just sitting. Now in the seat is a clown wearing a fright wig, full clown make-up with a sad, down-turned mouth painted on his face, clown clothes, a big floppy bowtie and white gloves. John turns and glares at Rodney. "I hate clowns."  
>They face the rear and start to row again.<br>Alien John was smiling smugly. "You can paddle all you want. You're not going anywhere."  
>McKay turned to real John. "He's right! I'm gonna die out here!"<br>"He wants you to be afraid. Don't give him what he wants. He can't really hurt you."  
>"That's where you're <em>wrong<em>." Alien John said.  
>From a high view over the top of the boat, from the depths of the water, the giant white whale - and we are talking way bigger than Sam the whale's Mom - races towards the surface underneath the boat. As it nears the surface, it opens its massive mouth and surges up out of the water, snapping its jaws closed over the boat.<br>In the Isolation Room, John - his face covered in sweat - opens his eyes and looks around as a single continuous tone can be heard.  
>"What happened?" John asked.<br>"Clear!" Jennifer yelled.  
>Beside him, Rodney's shirt has been pulled up and Jennifer is shocking him with a defibrillator. The continuous tone carries on. John sits up and pulls the leads from his forehead. Julian turns to him as Jennifer starts administering C.P.R. to Rodney.<br>"He's in cardiac arrest."  
>He puts an airbag over Rodney's face and starts to pump air into him. Jennifer pumps Rodney's chest for a little while longer, then slowly lifts her hands away as the monitor's tone remains unchanged. "I'm sorry. I've done all I can. He's dead."<br>John stares up at the Observation Room where Sam, Ronon and Lucrezia are looking down in horror.

҉

**LATER**

John walks slowly along the corridor, still in shock. He stops and gazes into the distance, lost in thought and grief. Just then, Lucrezia walks over to him. She's a mess; her hair is all over the place, her eyes are swollen and puff, her dirty clothes are rumbled and stained.  
>"This is all your fault, John."<br>John frowns, confused at her anger. Ronon walks over, glaring at him. "If you hadn't touched that stupid rock, McKay'd still be alive right now."  
>Sam arrives. "I thought you were gonna help him."<br>"I tried." John adamantly said.  
>Jennifer walks over. "Some friend you are."<br>"Colonel, you've been compromised. I'm relieving you of duty." Sam said.  
>Bewildered, John looks around...and sees the alien version of himself standing a short distance away, glaring at him.<br>"Son of a bitch!" John yelled as he runs towards his alien doppelganger and hurls himself at him. His impetus throws them both into the wall and they plunge straight through it without disturbing it.  
>In the Isolation Room, Jennifer applies the paddles to Rodney's chest.<br>"Stand clear." She called. Julian lifts the airbag clear. She shocks Rodney, then looks at the monitors as they start to emit the sound of a heartbeat. Rodney opens his eyes and looks around blearily. "Oh, it's OK, it's OK. Just try to relax."  
>"What's going on?" Rodney mumbled.<br>"You were in cardiac arrest." Jennifer said.  
>"The entity."<br>"It's in Colonel Sheppard."  
>They look across to John lying unconscious on the next bed.<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

John and his doppelganger crash to the floor in front of the active Stargate, the alien lying on his back with John glaring down at him. The alien hurls him off and throws him across the floor. They both scramble to their feet.  
>"You can quit now. I'm not afraid of you." John said.<br>"Oh yes you are. I'm the one thing you are afraid of. You failed your friends. You brought this on them and there is NOTHING you can do to stop it." Alien John smiled.  
>Furious, John runs at him, aiming a couple of punches but the alien ducks out of the way and then punches him hard in the face. They continue to fight but the alien quickly gets the upper hand, elbowing John in the neck and then kicking him hard in the stomach. John doubles up and tries to raise his head, groaning breathlessly. The alien grins and goes to kick him again but John ducks back out of the way. They trade a few more blows, then the alien delivers a roundhouse kick to John's head.<p>

He crumples to his knees. The alien patiently waits while John starts to haul himself painfully to his feet but before he has completely straightened up, the alien punches him hard across the face. John sinks to his knees again, groaning. He drags himself up onto his feet, holding his nose in pain, and stumbles towards the alien and swings a punch at him. The alien easily ducks out of the way and swings around behind him with the intention of slamming his arm into his stomach, but John anticipates it, swings around and grabs his arm and spins him around to face him. He aims another punch at him but the alien blocks it and slams his fist hard into John's face. As John reels back, stunned, the alien grabs him, picks him up and hurls him across the room. John slams into the wall so hard that he leaves a dent in it as he falls.  
>Barely able to stay conscious, John nevertheless tries to push himself upwards as the alien walks casually towards him, smiling. He seizes John's jacket and hauls him to his feet before throwing him all the way up the stairs. John crashes down at the top. Weakly, he rolls over onto his back as the alien walks slowly up the stairs. John sits up and wearily drags himself to his feet again. However, he is unable to defend himself as the alien punches him across the face again.<br>In the Isolation Room, Jennifer looks at John's monitors in concern. "His heart rate is dangerously high."  
>Sam, from the Observation Room, asked, "Can you wake him up?"<br>"I could try, but in his physical state, that could make things worse."  
>"And the entity would still be in him." Julian said.<br>In John's head, at the edge of the Control Room, another punch from the alien sends John slamming into a wall. The alien walks towards him, glaring fiercely at him. He aims another punch at him but John ducks out of the way just in time and the alien's hand slams into and through the wall. He pulls it out instantly, spins round and punches John again. They trade more blows but soon John is punched to the ground again. Resolutely, he starts to stand but the alien back-hands him down. Still John hauls himself to his feet. The alien kicks him hard in the stomach again. Groaning, John stumbles backwards and the alien leaps into the air and kicks him again, sending him smashing through the railing and down onto the floor of the Gateroom. The alien takes an impossible flying leap off the balcony and lands on his feet on the Gateroom floor.  
>"Get up. Come on, John. FIGHT!"<br>"No. That's what you want." John weakly said.  
>"It's your fault Heightmeyer's dead. Your fault McKay is dead." He smiled demonically, his eyes flaring pitch black. "It's your fault you couldn't save your wife. All you had to do was reach out and stop her. Stop Breen from ageing them, stripping them of their youth, their innocence, before taking them away. They're dead, they are all dead, and it's <em>your<em> fault."  
>"I'm not dead." A voice said off screen.<br>The alien turns in surprise to see Illyria, draped in white, majestically descending the stairs, smiling smugly at him. The alien glares and starts to walk towards her. He grabs Illyria by the neck and tries, but fails, to slam her against the wall. Illyria smiles as the alien glares into her face.  
>"You can't win." He growled.<br>"Watch me." Illyria raised her hand and slowly, but obviously with great strength, pulled alien John's hand off her neck. He looked at her in bewilderment as he sunk to his knees. She placed a single hand on his chest and closed her eyes. And electricity surges went through the alien, who screamed and fell backwards, electricity arcing through him. He groans in agony. As the electricity fades, the alien gazes blankly ahead of him. He looks at Illyria but is too weak to do anything to protect himself as she grabs his jacket, hauls him to his feet and hurls him through the event horizon of the open Gate.

John, too weak and battered, slightly raised his head up off the floor, his eyes blurring and fluttering shut. But before he faded into the dark, he saw was Illyria's face as she kneeled next to him and took his head in her lap.

"I-Illyria…?" he choked out.

"Yes, John." He tried to speak again, but she covered his mouth with hers, tenderly kissing his lips. "Rest now, you will need it." He looked at her quizzically. "Come find me."

John's eyes fluttered shut and his head sank into his wife's lap. Illyria stroked his face, a single tear rolling down her face as she repeated, "Come find me."

She disappeared again into the blinding white light she had come from.

In the Isolation Room, the crystal is glowing again. Julian disconnects the cables leading to John's head as Jennifer takes the leads off his temples. John opens his eyes and looks across to Rodney as Rodney lets his head sink back onto the pillow in relief. John looks up into the Observation Room where everyone up there is looking relieved too, then lays his head down again.

҉

**M3X-387**

The team is back on the planet in their Hazmat gear. Two of them empty the two glowing crystals onto the ground. All around them, crystals embedded in other trees begin to light up as if welcoming their friends' home. The team looks around nervously as more and more crystals begin to light up. From a view over the top of the jungle, hundreds of crystals lighting up for miles around.  
>"Hey. I have an idea. How 'bout we get out of here?" McKay suggested.<br>"Sounds like a plan." John sighed.

As Lucrezia and Ronon lead the way, smiling over something, McKay walks alongside John. They're both quite for a moment, McKay awkwardly looking at back and forth between John and the ground.

John sighed. "What, McKay."

"What what?" McKay rolled his shoulders.

"Clearly you have something on your mind-"

"Come find me?" John stopped completely, looking at McKay in total shock. McKay stopped too, confused by what he had just said. "T-That's what you were muttering when-when the alien you was inside…you."

"Oh," John said, dropping his gaze and walking on.

"Oh?" McKay asked incredulously. "You aren't going to tell me what it is?"

"Look, McKay-" John said, stopping again. This time he held his arm out in front of McKay so he could stop. John looked down the path at Ronon and Lucrezia, making sure he and McKay had room to talk without being over heard. "You can't tell anyone about this, alright? Not a soul, McKay."

"Alright, alright. What's with all the secrecy?"

John sighed. "Do you know how the alien left me?"

McKay looked puzzled. "You threw it into the wormhole."

"No I didn't." John looked back down the path. "The alien me was kicking my ass, I was down and he was going to kill me but…"

"But what?"

"I saw a-a bright white light and," John shook his head. "The next thing I know I'm looking _right_ at Illyria."

"What?"

John continued as if McKay never spoke. "She put my head in her lap and kissed me. Rodney it felt so real, like-like she was actually right there with me."

"What- uh, what happened next?"

John looked up at him with fierce determination in his eyes. "I'm going to do what she told me. I'm going to find her.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**NIGHT TIME**

Ronon is sitting alone at a table on the Mess Hall balcony. He has a bowl of nibbles in front of him and is reading a magazine. Lucrezia walks over to join him and smiles as he looks up at her.  
>"Couldn't sleep." She said.<br>"Yeah, me too."  
>As Lucrezia pulls out a chair and sits down, Rodney arrives with a plate full of food. "Thought I'd have a little snack before I..."<br>"Yeah, we couldn't sleep either." Ronon said.  
>John arrives and sits down with them. Shortly after, Sam, Julian and Jennifer walk in and sit down too.<p> 


	55. Chapter 53

**AN:/ Rainy days stink : If you don't mind, I'll be using the message you sent me as an argument John has with another member of the team. Thank You! **

**(4 months and 3 weeks since Illyria…)**

**PUDDLE JUMPER **

L.t Colonel John Sheppard is alone in a Jumper which has just left an Earth-like planet. As he flies into space, he activates the comms.  
>"Atlantis, this is Sheppard. I'm on approach to the Gate."<br>He bites into an apple. In Atlantis, Doctor Rodney McKay is on the balcony of the Control Room overlooking the open Stargate.  
><em>"Acknowledged. Y'know, since I've been in Pegasus, I have set up, like, what, half a dozen research stations on various planets, and I don't remember you ever volunteering to run a re-supply mission to any of them."<em>  
>"I'm a busy man, Rodney. Just happened to have a little free time." John bites into the apple again, leaving it in his mouth while he uses both hands to activate controls.<br>_"And Doctor Mackenzie just happens to be studying a primitive tribe that lives in a tropical paradise and has, how did he put it, 'little or no social inhibitions.'"  
><em> John was smiling appreciatively, "Well, they were very friendly." Just then the Jumper is hit by a blast of some kind. "What the hell?"  
><em> "What is it?"<br>_ John calls up the Heads-Up Display. "I think somebody just took a shot at me. I've got a contact. They're closin' fast."  
>"What is it, Wraith?" McKay said anxiously.<br>"I don't think so, but-" John said, looking at the H.U.D. The Jumper is hit again. The H.U.D. begins to fritz repeatedly. "Whatever they're shooting me with just shorted my systems. I can't get weapons online."  
>The Jumper is hit again a couple of times. The H.U.D. disappears and then all the lights go out. The engine powers down.<br>_"Can you make it back to the Gate?"_ There's no reply. _"Sheppard? Sheppard?"_  
>"Rodney?... McKay?"<br>Above the Jumper, a massive spaceship lowers down towards the ship. The doors of its Hangar Bay on the underside are open, and the Jumper drifts into the Bay. A hyperspace window opens in front of the spaceship and it flies into it.

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Men wearing uniforms have taken John from the Jumper, tied his hands behind him, and are marching him along the corridors. The ship has a rather dilapidated appearance to it.  
>"Nice ship. Little bit of a fixer-upper but I can see the potential." John said. The man leading the group opens a door and the two men behind John push him into a small room with nothing in it but a bunk. "I'm not talking about anything drastic, you know. Maybe just a paint job, some throw pillows-"<br>One of the men, Silas, seizes John's arms and holds him still while the other man, Nevik, sticks a syringe into John's arm and takes a blood sample. Nevik looks at the syringe to see that he's got enough blood, then pats John's arm and he and the third man leave the room, closing the door behind them. Silas pushes John forward. John turns to face him.  
>"Look, I don't suppose you mind telling me what's going on here?"<br>"Here's how we're gonna do this: I'm gonna ask you questions and you're gonna give me answers. Is that simple enough for you?" Silas said.  
>"Sure." John shrugged.<br>"Who are you, where are you from, and where'd you get your ship?"  
>"See, that's a funny coincidence, 'cause I was gonna ask you the same exact questions."<br>Silas punches him hard in the stomach. John groans and crumples to his knees. "The difference is, I'm not the one whose hands are tied behind his back. So, again: who are you, where are you from, and where did you get your ship?"

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Lucrezia Caelius (Julian gave her a traditional Roman surname meaning 'heaven') and Ronon Dex have joined Rodney in the Gateroom.  
>"What happened?" Lucrezia asked Rodney.<br>"I'm not entirely sure. Looks like Sheppard's Jumper was attacked before he reached the space Gate."  
>"By who?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, the people on the planet aren't much past mud huts and blow darts, so I think we can assume they had nothing to do with it. What we do know is that just after we lost contact, there was a short burst of radiation in the vicinity of the Gate consistent with the opening of a hyperspace window."  
>"Wraith?"<br>"Sheppard didn't seem to think so, and what little sensor data we've been able to pick up from the Jumper seems to confirm it. Look, the energy signature's all wrong. It's inconsistent with Ancient technology as well, which pretty much rules out the Replicators."  
>"We know of no other peoples in this galaxy that possess hyperspace technology." Lucrezia said. Shortly after she had become an official member of the team, and learned how to read, she became versed in almost all of their past missions.<br>"Of course not. No-one reaches anywhere near that level of advancement without being culled." McKay said.  
>"So, then, who was it?" Ronon asked.<br>Rodney shakes his head at him, clueless.

҉

**HOLDING ****CELL**

Silas punches John across the face again. He has obviously been doing this for some time: blood was running from his nose, sometimes catching in his mouth, and dripping off his chin; above a tin cut on his cheek was his very swollen eye; there were various bumps and forming bruises across his face.  
>"I could do this all day." Silas said.<br>"Ah, your knuckles will get sore eventually." John said weakly.  
>Silas aims to throw another punch but just then the door opens and a woman walks in. Inevitably, she's gorgeous, and is wearing a top that shows a lot of flesh. She's accompanied by Nevik.<br>"Has he said anything?" Larrin, the woman, asked.  
>"Only his name: Reed Richards."<br>"His name is Sheppard. We intercepted part of his last radio transmission."  
>John was looking up at her appreciatively. "I didn't get your name."<br>Larrin walks closer to him and takes hold of his chin, tilting it up towards herself. "You can call me Larrin." She turns his head to look at his injuries. "You really should cooperate. Be a shame to have to do too much damage." She pushes his chin away roughly and turns to leave.  
>"I agree." John said, spitting blood out of his mouth and onto Silas's shoes. Larrin turns back to him. "Maybe if you guys tell me who you are and what you want, we could work out some kind of a deal."<br>"Well, don't get my hopes up and then disappoint me." She looks at Silas. "Tell him what happened to the last man that disappointed me."  
>"We don't know. We never found his body."<br>"We assumed you blew him out into space." Nevik said.  
>"I get it." John muttered.<br>"Good." Larrin turned back to Silas. "Bring him."  
>She leaves the room. Silas and Nevik seize John's arms. "Get up."<br>They haul him to his feet and march him out of the room.

҉

**LATER**

John has been brought to a long narrow room with a long table in the middle with several chairs around it. He has been sat down at one end of the table and his hands have been untied. Larrin is sitting at the other end of the table. A man brings in a tray of food and puts it down in front of John. The food doesn't look very appetizing. John looks down at it, and then looks at Larrin.  
>"Another form of torture?"<br>"When you spend as much time in space as we do, you don't get a lot of fresh food."  
>Wincing as he raised his arm, John picks up what looks like a large piece of liver. "How much time are we talking about?" He drops the piece of liver back down onto the tray with an unpleasant splatting noise. Larrin doesn't answer him. "This is a conversation, right? A two-way street?"<br>"This is our home."  
>"This ship?"<br>She nodded. "And others like it. We're Travelers."  
>"You live in space all the time?"<br>"We land on planets when we need to for supplies, trade. The rest of the time we keep moving."  
>"From the Wraith?"<br>"That may have been how it started, but now it's just who we are."  
>John has picked up a biscuit from the tray and sniffed it, but now puts that down as well. "Well, no offence, Larrin. Doesn't sound like much of a life."<br>"Being a herd animal isn't much of a life." She stands up, walks to a side table and pours some liquid from a jug into a metal cup. "Besides, the food has all the nutrients required."  
>"Well, as tempting as that sounds, my jaw's a little sore right now."<br>Larren brought the cup over to him. "Things like that are necessary from time to time. Although it's not the most efficient way of getting information, it does help people to understand their situation."  
>"My situation being completely at your mercy."<br>"Exactly. Anyway, I know more about you than you think."  
>"Really?"<br>Larren sat down. "Mmm-hmm. For instance, I know that you carry the gene required to operate Lantean technology."  
>John looked blank. "I've got the what?"<br>Larrin rolls her eyes. "Look, Sheppard, I know you have your secrets, and if you stay on my good side, I may even let you keep a few of them. However, if you continue to play ignorant with me, I really will jettison you out into space. For some time now, we've been hearing rumors about a new group of humans in the galaxy using the technology of the Ancestors to do battle with the Wraith, so we set up a network of spy satellites around dozens of worlds with space Gates, hoping for an encounter. Eventually we got lucky."  
>"And in the first meeting between our people, you attack me and disarm my ship."<br>"Well, you were going through the Gate and I couldn't let that happen. You see, anyone capable of operating Lantean technology is of particular interest to us."  
>"That's why you took a sample of my blood." He picks up the cup and tastes the liquid tentatively, then grimaces.<br>"We're working on a control interface adaptor that requires a small amount of necessary genetic material. We needed your blood to test it."  
>"I'm gonna guess it didn't go so well."<br>"Why would you say that?"  
>"Then you wouldn't have any use for me anymore."<br>"Don't underestimate yourself. There's all kinds of useful things you could do for me."  
><em> "Commander, we're approaching coordinates." <em>A voice reported over the comms.  
>"Understood. Take us out of hyperspace." Larrin ordered. She stands up and looks at John. "Of course, you're right. The interface isn't fully operational yet. Come with me." A guard walks over to John, who stands up and follows Larrin as she walks through the ship. "Nevik, my chief science officer, insists that we have a much better chance of perfecting the interface if we reverse-engineer it using Lantean technology that's already been initialized."<br>"I don't even know what reverse engineering is." Larrin pushes open a door onto the Hangar Bay. The Puddle Jumper is inside. "Oh. You wanna use my ship."  
>"Not exactly." She nods to the guard, who roughly pushes John into the Bay. Larrin closes the door, leaving him alone in the Bay.<br>"Hey!"  
>Larrin looks at the guard. "Activate the force shield." The guard presses some buttons on a panel beside the door. Inside the Bay, a shimmer runs across the floor. Larrin spoke into the comms. "Sheppard, can you hear me?"<br>_ "D'you mind telling me what you're doing?"_  
>"Offering you a deal." She turned to the guard. "Open the Hangar Bay doors."<br>The guard activates more controls and under John's feet, the doors slide open, leaving him standing in mid-air and supported only by the shield.  
>"This is just not right!"<br>_"Don't worry. You're safe as long as the force shield doesn't malfunction, and that almost never happens."_  
>"Why are you doing this?"<br>_"You wanted to know what this is all about. Look beneath you."_ John looks down as the ship moves over the top of another spaceship. It looks very familiar. "I'm assuming you recognize the technology? It's a Lantean battleship. It's been dormant for thousands of years, and you're gonna help me get it operational again."

҉

**LATER**

John has been released from the Hangar Bay and he, Larrin, Nevik and Silas have transferred over to the Lantean ship.  
>"Has it occurred to you people they might have abandoned this ship for a good reason in the first place?" John asked, limping slightly as he walked.<br>"We know the reason. We were able to access the ship's logs." Larrin said.  
>"They were attacked by the Wraith." Nevik said. "They lost communication and the shields were failing. The engines were damaged as well but they managed to escape into hyperspace, then they realized that their main drive was giving off deadly radiation. They were forced to abandon ship."<br>"They intended to return and effect repairs but never got the chance. The ship's been drifting in a two hundred year elliptical orbit around a nearby dwarf star ever since." Larrin said.  
>"So it's never been fixed?" John asked.<br>"No."  
>"I hate to point out the obvious, but one of the reasons I agreed to help you was so that you wouldn't kill me. If I'm gonna die of radiation anyway-"<br>"Don't worry. We've set up shield emitters to protect key areas of the ship, and we've all got radiation detectors." She lifts her arm to show a small device attached to her sleeve which is flashing a yellow light. John frowns, looking at the sleeves of the two men and then his own sleeve which doesn't have a flashing light attached to it. "Take him to the Bridge. Start with sub-light propulsion. I'll go check the emitters."  
>"Don't think I can get one of those too, do you?"<br>As Larrin walks away, Silas shoves John in a different direction.

҉

**BRIDGE**

Nevik leads John to the control panel in front of the Captain's chair. "Here."  
>"You know this ship is ten thousand years old?" Nevik looks at him as if to say, 'Of course I know!' "I'm just saying for the record. If it doesn't work, it's not my fault."<br>"Just get on with it." John sits down in the chair and, closing his eyes in concentration, puts his hand on a panel attached to the chair's arm. Instantly all the lights and control panels come on. "It's amazing. I've been trying for two months to activate these systems. I need to calibrate the interface from your neural input. Why don't you start by moving the ship forward?"  
>"You sure about that?"<br>"That's why we're here." Silas said, walking into the room. "You fly the ship and I record the inputs so I can replicate them."  
>"OK, but..."<br>"Enough." Silas said. He takes a weapon from his belt and points it at John. It's the same kind of blaster that Ronon uses. "Fly the damn ship."  
>John looks at the blaster for a moment. "Right. ... I just was gonna say, you said, 'Start by moving the ship forward,' when you should have said, 'Start by initialising the inertial dampeners.'"<br>Nevik, realizing what John's about to do, said, "Wait!"  
>But it's too late. John puts his hand on the panel and the ship surges forward. John is slammed back into his seat, and Silas and Nevik are hurled back across the Bridge and crash into the doors. Elsewhere on the ship, Larrin is also hurled against a wall. Deactivating the forward movement, John catches his breath for a moment, then jumps out of the chair, runs across to the other two – who are too winded to react – and grabs Silas' blaster. He walks across to a nearby control panel and starts to activate it.<br>"My friend's got a gun just like this. Always wondered where he'd got it." John said.  
>Silas was starting to get up. "I'm gonna kill you."<br>Without even looking at him, John aims the blaster and fires it, knocking him out. For good measure, he shoots Nevik too, and then limps around the Bridge activating other controls.  
>Elsewhere, Larrin hauls herself painfully to her feet and activates her comms.<br>"Silas, what happened?" When there's no reply, she starts to walk. "Nevik, what's going on up there?"  
>On the Bridge, John pulls Nevik's comms device off his sleeve. "Sorry, your people are unavailable right now."<br>_"Sheppard, what are you doing?"_  
>"You said, 'Fly the ship.' I'm flying the ship."<br>Sitting down in the Captain's chair again, he activates the arm panel and the ship leaps into hyperspace. In the corridors, Larrin sees the hyperspace corridor rushing past a nearby window. She turns and starts to walk again.  
>"We had a deal. I was prepared to let you go in exchange for your help."<br>_"Sorry. I've never been able to trust anyone who kidnaps me, tortures me and threatens to blow me into space."_

҉

**OFFWORLD PLANET**

A Puddle Jumper flies over the surface. Major Lorne is flying, with Rodney sitting beside him and Lucrezia and Ronon behind. Rodney looks at the H.U.D.  
>"We've got nothing. There's no wreckage, no transponder signal. If he was down there, we would have found him by now." McKay said.<br>"Then where is he?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"He's not in orbit and he's not on the planet. The only logical assumption is that whoever attacked him must have brought him on board before they jumped into hyperspace."<br>"So what's the next step?" Ronon asked.  
>"There is no next step." McKay said. "Look, we have no way of tracing him. He could be anywhere in the galaxy by now. I'm sorry, but sometimes there is just nothing we can do."<p>

҉

**LANTEAN SHIP**  
>Over comms to the Bridge, Larrin said, <em>"Sheppard? I want you to drop this ship out of hyperspace."<em>  
>"I don't think so."<br>_"Listen to me. I've shut off the shield emitters protecting your area of the ship. Right now, the Bridge is being flooded with radiation."_  
>"You're bluffing. You'd never sacrifice your own people."<br>A beeping sound comes from behind him. John spins the chair around to look at Silas and Nevik, who he has tied up sitting back to back. Silas' radiation detector is beeping urgently.  
><em>"Look, I don't wanna kill you, but if you don't turn over the controls of this ship, I'll have no choice."<em>  
>Reluctantly, John activates the arm panel control and the ship comes out into normal space.<p>

҉

**LATER**

John has been taken to the ship's Brig. The cell isn't as advanced as the one on Aurora and has metal bars. There's no doorway but there is a force field over the gap. He shrugs at Larrin as she comes in.  
>"You surprised me, Sheppard."<br>"Well, as long as I didn't disappoint you."  
>"Oh no, I knew you'd make some sort of a move. I just wasn't expecting anything quite so…"<br>"Clever? Creative?"  
>"Reckless. You could have killed all of us, including yourself."<br>"I once pulled eleven gees in an F-16 without passing out. I figured I had a shot."  
>"Why, I underestimated you." Larrin said sarcastically.<br>"Yeah, I feel the same way. I mean, you've got the whole tough-as-nails routine down pat, but exposing your own people to killer radiation? Takes a special kind of lady to do that, doesn't it?"  
>Nevik comes to the doorway. "Larrin?" Larrin walks over to him. He shakes his head at her, frustrated. "It's not good. He shut down propulsion and navigation systems before he turned over the Bridge."<br>"Of course he did!" Larrin shouted, annoyed. She looks over to John, who is strolling over to the bunk in the cell and now slumps down on it. She turned to Nevik, "Did you collect enough data to finish the control interface?"  
>"I don't know. Maybe."<br>"Nevik, if you can't do this, we're stranded."  
>Nevik looks across to John. "What about him?"<br>"He's not going anywhere near that Bridge again. He can't be trusted."  
>"Listen, if we can't bring that system back online, he'll die out here like the rest of us."<br>"That's the problem! Does he look like a man who thinks he's going to die?" They both look at John sprawled on the bunk and drumming his fingers on the blanket as if bored. Larrin turned back to Nevik, "Check the sub-space communications array."  
>"Ancients lost the communications in the battle against the Wraith. The system was never repaired."<br>"Check it.'  
>Nevik leaves the room. Larrin sighs in exasperation.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Rodney is in his lab, typing busily on a laptop. Lucrezia and Ronon come in.  
>"What've you got?" Ronon asked.<br>"Ah. Remember how I said sometimes there's nothing we can do? Well, I was right about that – only it turns out this is not one of those times."  
>"You found him." Lucrezia smiled.<br>"Hmm – more like he found us. Listen to this." McKay types on another laptop and white noise comes from the speakers, punctuated by the occasional random fluctuation in the sound. "That is the sound of sub-space. It's mostly just random noise generated by various forms of radiation; but the Ancients in their infinite wisdom created a program that can sniff out artificial patterns. It's no doubt a long-range means of detecting advanced life forms – kind of like our S.E.T.I. program, only much more powerful 'cause it operates through sub-space." Ronon looks bored and fidgety. Lucrezia tries to look interested. "Anyway, it picked up this."  
>He types, and a new sound comes through the speakers: regular fluctuations in the white noise that beat out a pattern – three short bursts, then three longer ones, then three short ones again. The pattern repeats over and over.<br>"What is it?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"That's Sheppard. Now I don't know why he didn't just send a regular message but maybe he was dealing with a damaged transmitter, or maybe he was trying to communicate without being detected, but it's definitely him." McKay said.<br>"How d'you know it's him?" Ronon asked.  
>"It's Morse code. S.O.S."<p>

҉

**LANTEAN SHIP BRIG**

John is strolling around the cell, bored. Larrin walks in and deactivates the force field over the cell opening.  
>"What's happening?" John asked. Larrin punches him hard in his already broken ribs. He groans and stumbles back, doubled over. "What was that for?"<br>"D'you realize what you've done?" She yelled.  
>"I didn't do anything." John muttered, straightening up. Larrin punches him in the ribs again. He groans and tries to catch his breath. "Stop that!"<br>"I'll stop when you stop lying. You adapted the damaged communications array to send out a signal, didn't you?"  
>John hesitates, but then decides that he's had enough of being punched. "...Yes." Larrin backhands him across the face. The blow spins him around and he drops to his knees. John tries to straighten up as he said, "You said you'd stop that!"<br>"You were right." Larrin takes a blaster out of her belt and aims it at him. "Maybe I'll just shoot you."  
>John was holding his arms wide. "All right, don't you think you're over-reacting a little?"<br>"You were trying to broadcast our location. Guess what? It worked. There's a ship approaching; only I don't think it's the one you were hoping for."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"It's the Wraith!"  
>As John stares at her, appalled, outside the ship a hyperspace window opens and a Wraith cruiser flies out of it and heads towards the battleship.<p>

҉

**BRIDGE**

Nevik types frantically on a small computer pad. He and Silas struggle to keep their feet as the Wraith cruiser fires on them and sparks fly from the consoles. In the Brig, Larrin and John – still on his knees – also totter as the ship jolts.  
><em>"The Wraith ship is firing on us."<em> Nevik reported over the comms.  
>"Do we have shields?" Larrin asked.<br>_"Affirmative – but they're only at twenty percent. We can't take this for very long."_  
>Another blast from the cruiser jolts the ship. John stands up slowly, looking nervously at the blaster still aimed at him.<br>"If you're gonna get out of this alive, you're gonna need my help." He walks slowly towards her. "Now I realise you and I don't exactly trust each other..." Slowly he reaches out and gently wraps his hand around the barrel of the blaster. "...but it's not gonna make much difference if the Wraith blow the ship up, is it?"  
>He gently pushes the barrel away from himself. Larrin looks at him for a moment, then lowers the blaster.<br>"What've you got in mind?"  
>"Well, you could start by shooting back."<p>

"...Right."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John and Larrin run through the corridors. Larrin stops and points. "The Weapons Control Platform is down that corridor. I'm headed back to the Bridge."  
>"Keep the shields up as long as you can."<br>He races to the Weapons Control Platform, which is the equivalent of Atlantis' Chair Room, jumps into the Chair and reclines it as its lights come on. As he starts to concentrate, the Wraith cruiser sends a continuous salvo of missiles towards the battleship. The shields buckle under the barrage and sparks fly in the Chair Room. The lights on the Chair go out and it lifts into its upright position.  
>"Great!" He jumps up and runs round to the back of the Chair, opens a panel and looks at all the crystals and wires inside. Unconvincingly, he said, "Piece of cake."<br>On the Bridge, Nevik continues typing on his computer pad but just then another blast hits the ship. "Shields are down."  
>"Can't you re-route any more power?" Silas asked.<br>"There's nothing I can do."  
>Outside, the cruiser moves in for the kill, firing a single missile towards the Bridge. It impacts and that section of the ship explodes. Nearby, Larrin stumbles as the ship jolts. She swipes her hand over a door's wall panel but it beeps negatively. She activates her wrist comm.<br>"Silas, Nevik, what happened?" There's no response. "Do you read me?"  
>Still no response. In the Weapons Control Platform Room, John puts a crystal back into the panel and it lights up. He runs round to the front of the Chair, sits down and activates it, concentrating. A swarm of drones heads out and they impact all areas of the cruiser, blowing it to bits. John sits up in the Chair and deactivates it.<br>"Larrin? It's Sheppard."  
><em>"I didn't give you a communicator…"<br>_ "I activated the ship's intercom. What happened?"  
><em>"I don't know. The forward section has been sealed off."<em>  
>"What about your people?"<br>_"They're not responding."  
><em> "The good news is the Wraith ship's been destroyed."  
><em>"Stay where you are. I'm coming to you."<em>  
>John doesn't look too pleased about the thought of seeing her again, probably because he knows she's likely to kill him for bringing about the death of her colleagues. A minute or two later, Larrin runs into the Platform Room but John is nowhere to be seen. He is already in another room, activating control panels.<br>"Sheppard, where are you?"  
><em>"Auxiliary Control Room."<em>  
>Larrin starts to run to the doors but they close in front of her. She swipes the wall panel but it beeps negatively at her.<br>_"Sheppard?"  
><em> John was still activating controls. "I'm sorry about this."  
><em>"What are you doing?"<em> Larrin asked.  
>"For the moment, not much. Hyperdrive seems to be offline."<br>_"What? How bad is it?"_  
>"Well, it's not exactly my area of expertise but if I'm reading this thing right, the drive itself is undamaged. Probably just a short in the control system."<br>_"Then we can take care of it through a simple bypass. Just let me out and I should be able to fix it."  
><em> "I don't think so."  
><em>"We're a floating target out here, Sheppard!"<em> Larrin shouted angrily.  
>"All right, take it easy. I've got the transmitter off. My people should have gotten the message by now."<br>_"There is no reason to assume that Wraith ship didn't broadcast our position."_  
>"Well, there's no reason to assume they did."<br>"_Listen to me, Sheppard. I've spent my entire life around hyperdrive systems. I know what I'm doing."_  
>"I never said I didn't believe you. Don't worry – my people will be here."<p>

҉

**SPACE STARGATE**

A Puddle Jumper flies out of the Gate and joins four others in orbit above a planet. Inside the new arrival, Rodney calls up the H.U.D. which shows the solar system.  
>"Sheppard was broadcasting from somewhere in the vicinity of this system."<br>"Well, sensors aren't picking up anything." Lorne said .  
>"Let me see if I can expand the range a little." McKay works on the console and the image of the solar system moves back to encompass a larger area. On the edge of the image, a dot flashes. "There."<br>"What is it?" Lucrezia asked.  
>"It could be a ship. It's still too far off to get any detailed readings but that's gotta be them."<br>"How long to get there at maximum sub-light?" Lorne asked.  
>"It's five hours."<br>Lorne activate the comms. "This is Lorne to all Jumpers. I'm sending you some coordinates. Proceed to target at maximum sub-light." He nods to Rodney. "Go ahead."

҉

**LANTEAN SHIP**

**WEAPONS CONTROL PLATFORM ROOM**

Using her knife, Larrin pries off the cover over a panel in the wall, revealing the crystals behind it. She tries to insert her knife into the panel but gets a shock off it. In the Auxiliary Control Room, an alarm beeps. John goes to the control console that beeped and looks at its wallscreen.  
><em>"Larrin, what are you doing?"<em>  
>Larrin doesn't answer. She has managed to get the tip of her knife into the edge of the panel and is trying to work a cable loose.<br>_"Look, once my people get here and get the hyperdrive back online, we'll drop you off at the nearest Gate. You have my word."_  
>"Not good enough." She smiled ironically.<br>_"What, my word or my deal?"_  
>"Yeah, well, both."<br>_"You're the one who kidnapped me, remember?"  
><em> "Because I need the ship."  
>The panel sparks out again. She sighs in frustration. John also sighs and punches a control. The lights in Larrin's panel go out.<br>_"There. I did you a favor."_  
>"Sheppard, listen to me. Our fleet is old. There was a time when we had the resources to build new ships, but now we don't. When we lose one, it's gone for good, and despite strict population controls there just isn't enough room for all of us anymore. We've been forced to abandon some of our own people on the ground."<br>_"Well, they're no worse off than the rest of the people in this galaxy."_  
>"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." Larrin said angrily. She walks over to face the door, takes out her blaster and begins to fire it at the door over and over again. In the Control Room, John hears the blasts.<br>_"Larrin, what are you doing?"_  
>After multiple shots, Larrin walks towards the door which she has blasted a hole through. She climbs through the hole and heads off. John activates a control. Larrin rounds a corner and walks into a forcefield across the corridor.<br>"Sheppard, you are really starting to annoy me!"  
><em>"Just sit tight. It'll be over soon enough."<br>_ Sighing angrily, Larrin activates her wrist comms. "Silas, Nevik, come in?" No response. "Silas, do you read me?"  
>"<em>Give it up. They're gone."<em>  
>"You don't know that."<br>_ "No, but I can find out."_ In the Bridge, John goes to another control console and activates it, scanning the ship for life signs. "Looks like there's no-one alive in the forward section. I'm sorry." Larrin lowers her head in grief, then starts to head back the way she just came. "Larrin, where are you going?" He operates the console to home in on her signal. "I can track you anywhere on the ship. You can't hide from me." He smiles smugly, then his smile drops as he sees something on the screen. There's a second life sign around the corner of the corridor which Larrin is walking along. "Larrin, stop. I'm picking up another life sign directly in front of you."  
><em>"Silas!"<em> Larrin yelled. She runs towards the closed door at the end of the corridor.  
><em>"That's impossible. There's no way he got out of that section alive."<em>  
>Larrin reaches the door and swipes the wall panel. The doors open and a Wraith is on the other side. It snarls. Larrin gasps in horror, stumbling back, and draws her blaster but the Wraith rushes forward and swipes it out of her hand, sending it skittering across the floor. As it raises its hand, ready to attack her, Larrin draws her knife and charges at it, plunging the knife through its hand. It roars and crumples to its knees, pulling the knife out, then rises up as Larrin runs at it again and they go hand to hand for a few moments but when Larrin aims a roundhouse kick at it, the Wraith seizes her ankle and flips her to the floor. She tries to scramble backwards but the Wraith draws out a stunner and aims it at her. However, before it can fire, three blaster shots hit it in its back. It drops to the floor on its face and John comes into view, aiming the blaster down at it.<br>"You all right?" John asked Larrin.  
>Larrin was getting to her feet. "I'm fine. It just caught me off guard."<br>"They must have escaped in the Darts before their ship was destroyed. We left the Hangar Bay pressurized, they flew right in."  
>"They?"<br>"Yeah, there's three more." John holds up a life signs detector. "We can track 'em with this."  
>"Where'd you get that?"<br>"Auxiliary Control Room. Gotta know where to look. Come on." He runs off. Larrin starts to follow him but then stops, saying to herself,  
>"Get his weapon."<br>She runs back to the Wraith, intending to take its stunner. The Wraith, still face down on the floor, seizes her ankle. She screams. John comes back around the corner and fires three more blasts into it.  
>"Tenacious little bastards, aren't they?" He looks at the power cell on his blaster, realizing that it is either very low on energy or empty. "Don't suppose you have any more of these?"<br>"I'm afraid not." She looks at the Wraith stunner. The blaster shots have half-destroyed it. "And I don't think this is gonna be much good either."  
>She tosses it to the floor. John spins his blaster in a fair impersonation of Ronon, then shoves it into the back of his trousers and the two of them head off. They run along a few corridors, then John skids to a halt and holds up his hand, looking at his life signs detector.<br>"Hold on! Got one coming this way."  
>He backs up to a nearby door and swipes it open. They go inside, only to realize that it's a small storeroom.<br>"What now?"  
>John looks at his detector, which must also conveniently be acting as a scanner and walks to the back wall. He runs his hand over part of the wall and a panel slides back to reveal a narrow space behind it. He turns and jerks his head at Larrin. She stares at the tiny space.<br>"Wait, no, Sheppard..." John grabs her jacket and hauls her inside the space. "What? What are you doing?" The panel closes, leaving them squeezed into the tiny space and facing each other only inches apart. "What? Oh, I can't believe you're playing this..."  
>John puts his hand over her mouth to shut her up. She promptly pulls her top lip clear and bites into his hand.<br>"Ow!"  
>To silence him, Larrin slaps her own hand over his mouth. Outside the room, the Wraith swipes its hand over the wall panel and walks in. In the hidden space, John and Larrin stare at each other, still with their hands over each other's mouths. The Wraith looks around the room for a moment, then closes the door again and moves on. John and Larrin release each other and John frowns down at his life signs detector as he sees two more signals heading towards that of the Wraith that just left, whispering,<br>"There's the other two. What, are they having a board meeting?"

҉

**SPACE**

The five Puddle Jumpers are heading towards the signal.  
>"It's no use. I've done everything I can think of to boost the sensors. It's still too far out." McKay said.<br>"So we have no idea what we're dealing with?" Evan asked.  
>"Why would they be so far out on the edge of the solar system?" Lucrezia asked.<br>"I don't think it's a coincidence that this system has a space Gate. They were probably headed for it when they dropped out of hyperspace too early." McKay said.  
>"Well, why would they do that?" Evan asked.<br>"How should I know? We don't even know who 'they' are, remember?"  
>"Does it make a difference? Even if it was a fleet of hive ships, would it stop us from trying to get him back?" Ronon asked.<br>"No." Evan said.

҉

**LANTEAN SHIP**

**STOREROOM HIDDEN SPACE**  
>Larrin was whispering, "You know, none of this would have ever happened if you would have just co-operated. You'd be home by now and I'd be headed back to my people with a ship that could house a thousand men, women and children."<br>"Well, if you had asked for my help in the first place instead of attacking me-"  
>"We couldn't risk it."<br>"Risk what?"  
>"You might have said no."<br>John gazes at her for a moment, then looks at his life signs detector. "They're leaving." He swipes his hand over the wall panel and it slides open. They walk to the door, but John holds up his hand as he looks at the detector again. "Hold up. We've got a problem. They're between us and the Control Room."  
>"We should be able to find a way around."<br>"There isn't enough time. We can't risk them finding it first."  
>"What does it matter? It's not like they can fly the ship." John grimaces, not looking at her. "Sheppard?" She closes her eyes in disbelief. "You did shut down the controls, right?" John still won't look at her. "Sheppard!"<br>"There wasn't enough time!" John glared at her.  
>"If they find that Control Room before we do, they'll not only be able to fly this ship but they're gonna be able to track us using the internal sensors."<br>"Believe me, I know. And by the way, I was busy saving your life at the time."  
>"The only reason my life was in danger in the first place is because you decided to broadcast our position to half the galaxy."<br>John points at her furiously, wanting to make another point, but is unable to think of one. "Do you wanna argue about this or do you wanna do something about it?"  
>"Fine. What are the options?"<br>"Well, we're cut off from the Control Room and we have no weapons."  
>"That's not true. We have the Chair."<br>"I don't think drones are gonna do any good with a bunch of Wraith in the middle of the ship."  
>Larrin smiles. "What if they weren't in the middle?"<br>"Get serious."  
>"You got a better idea?"<br>John sighs. Clearly he hasn't.

҉

**LATER**

John climbs through the hole in the door of the Weapons Control Platform Room and runs to the Chair.  
>"All right. I'm in position."<br>Larrin is walking down a corridor consulting the life signs detector. Which is clever of her, seeing as she doesn't have the Ancient gene. "Wait for my signal."  
>"Sure you wanna go through with this? If you don't make it, I'll feel responsible and, well, I really don't need the guilt."<br>"I'll be fine as long as you don't shoot too early." She smirks. "I'm sure that's not the first time you've heard that from a woman."  
>John chuckled, "Yeah my wife-" he couch loudly and shook his head. "No, I haven't, but on the other hand, I might be able to live with it."<br>He reclines the Chair. Larrin looks at the detector again. "I got 'em. Here we go."  
>Nearby, the three Wraith are walking along holding their stunners. Larrin whistles from behind them to attract their attention. They turn and see her, and she races off, narrowly avoiding their stunner blasts as they chase after her. The Wraith at the rear of the pack stops and heads off in a different direction. Larrin pelts around a corner and runs for a door at the end of the corridor.<br>"Sheppard, now!"  
>She reaches the end of the corridor and swipes her hand over the wall panel. John concentrates and a drone flies out from the ship, then swings around and heads back inwards again. Larrin runs through the doors and swipes the panel on the other side. The doors close on the two approaching Wraith. The drone plunges into the side of the ship. The wall behind the Wraith explodes and they are blown out into space.<br>Larrin looks at the door and sighs with relief. She turns and comes face to face with the third Wraith, its hand already raised. It plunges its hand onto her chest and starts to feed. She groans and starts to crumple to the floor as her life energy is sucked out of her.  
>In the Chair Room, John deactivates the Chair and frowns.<br>"Larrin? Come in. Larrin?"  
>In the corridor, the Wraith is kneeling over Larrin. It finishes feeding, lifts its hand clear and looks down at her. She isn't dead but she is very elderly.<br>"And now, before I take the rest of your life, you will answer my questions. How many more of your people are on this ship?"  
>John has arrived and glances quickly around the corner behind the Wraith before ducking back out of sight. He checks the power cell on his blaster. It's definitely empty, but he puts it back into the blaster.<br>John went unnoticed to the Wraith as he continued to speak to Larrin. "I do not have to kill you, nor do I have to leave you like this. It would be better if you co-operated. This is your last chance. Tell me..." it raises its hand threateningly "...how many more of you are on board?"  
>John has crept up behind it and now jams his blaster into the back of its neck. "Only takes one. I see that you've just fed, which means that your regeneration powers are at their highest, but I seriously doubt you can grow a new head."<br>"What do you want?"  
>"First, you're gonna hand me the stunner – slowly." The Wraith reaches to its belt and carefully takes out its stunner, handing it to John with an angry hiss. "Next, you're gonna give back what you took. Then you're gonna leave."<br>"Leave?"  
>"You came in a Dart, right?"<br>"The Bay was unguarded. We landed our Darts and entered unchallenged."  
>"Well then, you're gonna leave the same way you came. There's a space Gate orbiting the second planet in the system. It may take you a while, but you'll get there."<br>"If I restore her, there's nothing to stop you from going back on your word and killing me anyway."  
>"That's true. I'd say there's a fifty-fifty chance I'll do it out of pure spite. But..." he jams the blaster harder into its neck "...if you don't, I will kill you."<p>

Reluctantly, the Wraith begins to reach towards Larrin. John shoves his blaster into its neck again to remind it to behave. It gently puts its hand onto Larrin's chest and she gasps as it begins to give her life back. John stares in amazement as she begins to regenerate. Finally the Wraith lifts its hand and Larrin is back to her normal gorgeous self. The Wraith slumps, exhausted. John jams his blaster into its neck one last time.  
>"Get up." The Wraith stands. "Turn around."<br>It turns, John turning with it so that his blaster is still in its neck. Once it's facing down the corridor, John gives it a shove with the blaster to get it moving and it walks away. Once it has gone around the corner, John squats down to Larrin as she sits up.  
>"Are you all right?"<br>"I don't know. That was so strange, to have your whole life fading away and then to suddenly have it back again." She smiles at him. "It actually felt kinda good."  
>"Mmm, I know. Happened to me once, too. Long story. Think you can get up?"<br>"Yeah."  
>John puts the stunner into the back of his trousers, reaches down and helps her to her feet. She clings to his shoulders as her knees buckle under her briefly.<br>"Easy."  
>"I'm OK. Oh, my." She gazes into his eyes. "You saved my life ... again."<br>"If you hadn't come up with a plan, we'd both be dead."  
>"So you're saying we make a good team?"<br>"Well, don't go crazy."  
>"Right. But in the interests of interstellar relations, I think we should at least just try to get along, right?"<br>She leans in and kisses him. As John reluctantly responds, she reaches around him, pulls the stunner from his trousers and presses it into his side. As he breaks the kiss, she smiles at him smugly. "You've gotta be kidding me!"  
>"Sorry." She shoots him and he crumples to the floor.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Larrin walks into the Auxiliary Control Room and starts activating consoles. In the corridor, John groans as he regains consciousness and sits up wearily.  
>"Larrin?"<br>"Sorry about this, Sheppard – and I really am grateful you saved my life."  
>"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it."<br>"Don't play hurt with me. It's easy to be generous when you think you have the upper hand."  
>Clutching his ribs and hauling himself to his feet, John said, "What are you talking about?"<br>"We both know the only reason you didn't stun me and lock me up the first opportunity you got was because you thought your ships were gonna get here first. You were wrong about that, by the way."  
>A hyperspace window opens nearby and three Traveller ships come out of it and take up position around the battleship. In the Auxiliary Control Room, the comms console activates and a man's face appears on the screen.<br>_ "Larrin. Good to see you again."_  
>"Believe me, I feel the same way. How did you find us?"<br>_"Well, we were monitoring communications before you jumped into hyperspace."_  
>"You knew he took the ship?"<br>_"It seemed fairly obvious. We guessed his priority would be to contact his people, so we sent probes to all the space Gates in the vicinity of our previous position. Eventually we detected your energy signature."_  
>"Well done. Now I want you to send over a couple of technicians to help me get the hyperdrive back online. Oh, and a security team as well."<br>_ "Right away."_

҉

**CORRIDOR**

John walks to a door and swipes his hand over the wall panel. It beeps negatively. He tries again but gets the same result.  
>Trying for a third time, he said through clenched teeth, "Oh, come on!"<br>The doors slide open and three Travellers are standing on the other side with their weapons aimed at him. John raises his hands.

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**  
>"All right. We're close enough to do a full sensor sweep." McKay calls up the H.U.D. "Looks like we've got four ships, one of them Lantean design, Aurora class."<br>"What about the other three?" Evan asked.  
>"I don't recognize the configurations."<br>"What about Sheppard?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, the logical assumption is that he's on board the ship that transmitted the signal."<br>"And which one is that?" Evan asked.  
>"Well, I have no idea."<br>"We're about to enter weapons range, Doc. Which ships do I target?"  
>"Perhaps we should attempt to communicate before we attack. We know nothing about these people." Lucrezia asked.<br>"That's true, but right now about the only thing we've got working for us is the fact that we're cloaked. If we send a signal, we give up our position." Evan said.  
>"He's right." McKay said. "They could target us, or, for that matter, they could just jump back into hyperspace and we'd be right back at square one."<br>"We didn't come all this way for nothing, right?" Ronon asked.  
>"All right, all right. I'll see if I can figure out a way to disable them."<p>

҉

**LANTEAN SHIP BRIG**

John is back in the cell and sitting on the bunk but stands as Larrin walks in and the force field deactivates. She smiles at a guard standing nearby and walks into the cell.  
>"I thought you'd be glad to know the hyperdrive repairs are almost complete."<br>"Well, congratulations. You got what you wanted."  
>"Yes, it's true I can fly the ship and navigate, but there are still dozens of systems I don't have access to – and if any of the controls went down, it would be a problem."<br>"So finish the adaptor. You said you can reverse-engineer the systems I've already initialized."  
>"Well, yes, we can eventually, but it would go a lot faster if I keep you onboard."<br>"You are a piece of work, you know that?" John said angrily.  
>"Look, I know you don't agree with my tactics, but I wasn't lying about why I need this ship. I'm doing this for my people." She turns and leaves the cell. John tries to follow her but the force field comes back on.<br>"Look, I know you think you're helping your people but you're wrong."  
>Larrin walks closer to the cell. "Excuse me?"<br>"You've been running and hiding for thousands of years. You've survived – good for you – but now you're starting to see diminishing returns. One more ship – well, it'll buy you a little more time, but ultimately it's not gonna change anything. Your people are headed for a slow death."  
>"What other choice do we have?"<br>"In case you haven't heard – you will soon enough – but the Wraith are under attack."  
>"From who?"<br>"It's a long story, but the point is, they're taking heavy damage and if they don't get wiped out, they're gonna be vulnerable. Now, you people have hyperdrives and advanced weapons and God knows what else. When the time is right, that kind of technology can tip the balance."  
>"Are you suggesting an alliance?"<br>"Well, I'm not asking you to dinner, but yeah, something like that."  
>"After all I've put you through?"<br>"Well, like you said, you did it for your people." His face grew blank. "You remind me of a person I used to know."  
>"I may have misjudged you after all."<p>

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**  
>"All right, Doc, they're in weapons range. What have you got for me?" Evan asked McKay.<br>"We can target the Lantean ship's engines."  
>"What about the others?" Lucrezia asked McKay.<br>"I've been going over the sensor data but there's still too many unknowns. I mean, if we hit 'em in the wrong spot, we could blow 'em out of the sky or the drones could just bounce harmlessly off the shields. There's no way to know."  
>"All right, well, it's still our best option. We can't risk them getting away." Evan said.<br>Just then, the ships start to move. Hyperspace windows open and they fly into them.  
>"They're gone!" McKay shouted. They all stare at each other in shock. After a few seconds, the console beeps. "I'm getting a contact" He smiles in delight. "It's a Jumper! One life sign."<br>Evan speaks into the comms. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne. Is that you?"  
><em>"That's affirmative, Major. It's good to hear from you."<em>  
>Everyone smiles with relief.<br>"Likewise, sir! Seemed like we came pretty close to losing you there."  
>John smiles, then shakes his head ruefully. "You don't know the half of it."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Team Sheppard is sitting at a table in the Mess Hall eating a meal. John is tucking into his meal particularly enthusiastically. Rodney, sitting opposite him, has his arms folded and is looking at John suspiciously.  
>"Mmm! That's good!" John muttered.<br>"Really."  
>"Mmm. Spend enough time with a bunch of space nomads, you really begin to appreciate what you have."<br>"It's difficult to imagine spending one's entire life on board a ship." Lucrezia said, stealing a morsel of food from John's plate.  
>"Hmm."<br>Ronon was waving a fork with a large piece of meat on it around to emphasize his point. "If that was me, I'd go crazy." Rodney looks at Ronon and his forkful of food in distaste. Ronon looks back at him as if to say, "What?"  
>"They're not exactly the most even-keeled people. I'm still not exactly sure why they let me go." John said.<br>"Well, you did offer them an alliance. That has to be worth something." Lucrezia said.  
>"Or they figured out you'd be more trouble than you're worth." Ronon smiled.<br>"That is a possibility."  
>"No, there's something you're not telling us." McKay said. John looks down guiltily. "She was hot, wasn't she?"<br>John deliberately concentrating on cutting up the food on his plate. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
>"Oh! I knew it! That is so typical!"<br>"She had me beat, Rodney." Rodney sighs in exasperation. "She threatened to kill me several times. It wasn't like we were hanging out in the spa together."  
>"Whatever! All I know is that every time I get taken captive, it's the Wraith. Just once, I would like to be taken prisoner by the sexy alien."<br>"Well, you may still get a chance."  
>"Yeah? What do you mean?" Ronon asked.<br>"She's still out there." John gives Rodney a significant look. Rodney looks faintly hopeful. Lucrezia looks at his expression and rolls her eyes.

_"Colonel Sheppard,"_ Sam's voice came over John's radio. He swallowed and activated his radio.

"This is Sheppard, over."

"John, I need to see you in my office, now if you don't mind."

The team looked at John curiously. "UH, yeah, sure, be right there."

Rodney sighed. "What'd you do?"

҉

SAM'S OFFICE

John walked up to her door and knocked tentatively on the doorframe. Sam looked up from her papers and smiled. John sighed in relief that this wasn't going to be a reprimand. Sam set the papers aside, stood, and walked over to the couch, waving John over. He plopped down, sighing deeply.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Now, before I begin, you need to know that you are now under official orders to be here, in my office, and cannot leave until I tell you to do so. Understood?"

"Orders? Orders given by…?"

"General Landry, the I.O.A, and myself. Do you understand your orders?"

John shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "You're making me nervous, Sam. Now what's all this about?"

Sam smiled sadly. "It's about Illyria."

He sighed, sinking deeper into his chair, rubbing his eyes. "Why?"

"She's effecting your work, John. Don't lie to me and say she's not."

John's eyes shot open. "Of course she's affecting my work! It's only been four and a half months! I loved her, Sam, you can't expect me to stop being affected my wife death after that amount of time."

"Are you sure your love wasn't misplaced?" She whispered gently.

John looked confused. "W-What are you saying?"

"Her assentation-"

"It wasn't her fault!" Jon yelled. "Breen…Breen was the one who took them…she didn't have much of a choice. Yeah, it's cruel that my wife's dead ex-husband stole _my_ kids and took _my_ wife. I understand she was sick and had to be saved but…I understand they were Breen's family first but he could have descended to be with them instead of taking them away-"

"I think you should move on." Sam cut him off as John tried to interrupt. "Get the marriage closed, because, personally, I think you were used by them for their usual _selfishness_. The Queen only choose to be with you because we, the people on this expedition, love and trust you, and through you they gave her a chance-"

"NO!" John shouted, standing up. "No, you're lying! You barely knew her!"

"She only married you to keep control!"

"Her children need a father!"

"It was easy for them to _abandon_ you because they never _loved _you!" John was silent, stunned by Sam's words. They began to worm their way into his heart, planting the seeds of doubt. She continued, "You were nothing but a doormat, John. If they ever come back...don't give them a second chance. Head back to Earth and fix the _real_ problems you have with your _real_ family. Make amends with your father, take over the company with your brother. Your brother and your father are your true family and you need to fix that."

Sam got up and left leaving John alone with his thoughts, but before she was out of ear shot, John called out, "I'm not giving up on her." He lifted his head and stared her down. "She's my wife and the mother of my children. There is no way in hell I'm leaving them behind. I will find them and when I do…" John trailed. Sam nodded and turned her back.


	56. Chapter 54

**AN:/ Argument between Sam and John is courtesy of A. She sent me a review and I liked what she had to say, so I included it into the chapter. **

**ALIEN PLANET**

A group of four unfamiliar people, possibly natives, are walking and talking. One is an old man. The others are younger, perhaps in their 20s. They are wearing robes and walking in the ruins on a decrepit city. Some of the archways look like those on Kheb.

"The new animal took a look around and immediately went and chose a place next to the laziest, greediest beast in the stable. When the master saw this, he put a yoke on him at once and took him back to the merchant." Shamda, the older man, said.

"We've heard this one already." Khordib, the oldest of the younger men, said, sounding exasperated.

"Has it lost its meaning?"

"I mean you told it just now on the way down to the waterhole."

There is a sudden bright flash of light and in the center of the ruins, a naked woman appeared. The nomads approach the figure. Her blues eyes were open and looking afraid and bewildered. One of the natives moves closer.

"Who are you?" Khordib asked as Shamda draped his jacket over her.

She eyes the nomad warily. "I don't know."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**CAPTAIN (same as AF COLONEL) JULIAN BARETT'S OFFICE**

Julian is sitting at his desk, papers strewn across the surface, holding a tablet inhis hands. Another team had taken pictures of an advanced settlement with some mighty ancient ruins a few weeks back. As he was flipping through the pictures, one of them caught his eye. He straightened in his chair and tapped violently on the tablet to zoom in. His eyes went about as wide as the grin on his face.

"I found her." Julian runs down a corridor, nearly running into Ronon in the process. "I found her. Ronon! Ronon! I found her." Julian pats Ronon on the shoulder with the tablet then continues his run, leaving Ronon behind. "I found her. I found her."

Julian bumps into Major Lorne on his way to the transporter. "Oh, sorry, uh, Major – Evan. Evan Lorne." Julian enters the transporter, slightly shoving another occupant. "Control Room, please." Julian walks up to the other man and puts his hands on his shoulders and pushes/shakes him excitedly. "I found her!" The elevator doors open and Julian departs, darting past people. "Excuse me. Watch it, watch it."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Julian enters the control room, jogging up to Chuck. "Hey, where's Colonel Sheppard?"

"Uh, he—he's in, uh, Carter's office."

Julian heads over to Carter's office. From the walkway he could over hear John say, "According to intelligence provided by the Genii, certain Wraith are quickly destroying the forces of any Wraith within shooting distance."

Julian pauses in the doorway to catch his breath. "I got it."

"Hopefully, it's not contagious." Sam smiled.

"Ha, ha." He stuck out his tongue and continued saying, "I found her." Carter and John shared a puzzled look, waiting expectantly for more. "On the tablet."

"You sure did find it," Sam said, patting the table.

Julian ignored her. "Illyria." John head shot towards him and Carter eyes John weary. "Queen Illyria Sheppard. I found her."

"How?" John asked, stepping towards him.

"A few weeks ago, we were combing the database for any hidden outposts, weaponry, replicators, ext. I sent a team out to an address and they scouted the place. When they reported ruins much older than the settlement of people living there, I ordered them to take pictures. I'm ashamed to say it took me this long to go through them-"

"Where is she!" John yelled, jabbing his finger at the tablet.

Julian twisted it around and zoomed in on a picture of a few natives gathering around in the settlement square. Towards the back dressed in black robes stood a beautiful goddess John would recognize anywhere.

"It's her…" John muttered, stumbling back. "It's really her."

"I guess it wasn't really an illusion after all," Sam said unconvincingly.

"Gate address?" John asked, still starring at his wife.

"It talks about a city of the Ancients called Vis Uban as being a place where the plague began. This was going to be the crown jewel in the entire ancient domain. Only it was still under construction when the plague broke out." Julian rambled.

"Two words: _Gate address_." John stressed.

"I have it stored on the tablet."

Carter turned to John. "Send a probe."

"Yes, ma'am." John leaves.

Julian smiles at Sam before following.

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

John's team, with the exception of McKay and the addition of Julian, and another Atlantis unit were walking away from the Stargate. The area looks to be fairly barren.

"We're not talking about a common cold here, Commander Barrett. It was the plague!" Lucrezia Caelius shouted.

"Lucrezia, we don't wear a hazmat every time we step through the Gate." Julian said, smiling over his shoulder. "There's always a chance we could be exposing ourselves to something dangerous."

"Well, the place is called the City of the Dead." John said.

"The City of the Lost, actually, Colonel." Julian smiled at her.

"Not for lack of a sense of direction." Ronon said.

҉

**NOMAD VILLAGE**

John's team makes their way through a small gathering of natives. They are wearing the same type of clothing as the nomads who found the naked woman in the ruins.

"Well, these folks don't look lost—nor dead." John said, his eyes scanning frantically.

"I don't think that these are the Ancients. I mean, anything's possible, but they look like some sort of, ah, nomadic tribe that's just taken up residence." Julian said. His gazed darted to the print out photo of a section of the ruins which were defiantly ancient.

Khordib, the same good-looking young man who found the woman, came up to them. "Greetings."

"Greetings." Lucrezia smiled. "We're…travelers."

"You came through the Ring of the Gods?"

"The Stargate." She nodded her head. "The Ring of the Gods."

"We too are travelers. This place is not our original home, but…we have been here for some time now. If you wish to lay claim-"

"No. No, no, nothing like that." John smiled. "We're looking for someone."

"And wanting a really good look around those ruins." Julian added.

҉

**NEAR STARGATE**

The Atlantis unit had set up camp, building a small tent colony.

"We need to sweep the area, sir." A female marine said to Reynolds, her unit leader.

He nodded "Maintain a secure perimeter, fifty meters radius from the Gate."

"Yes, sir."

"Sir." A second marine nodded, following the female.

The strange woman approaches from a wooded area and the Atlantis members turn towards her and keep their weapons trained on her. They appear to recognize her and partially lower their weapons.

"Get. The. Colonel…" The female said slowly.

҉

**NOMAD VILLAGE**

Khordib was talking to Shamda as John slowly approached. "They are travellers like us. They say that they are friends."

"No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust them."

"Don't judge a book by its cover." John said, announcing his arrival.

Shamda turned to him. "Enemies promises were made to be broken."

"And yet, honesty is the best policy."

"He that has too many friends has none."

"Ah, but birds of a feather…"

Shamda's brow furrowed. "I'm unfamiliar with that story. What lesson does it teach?"

"It has to do with flocking…and togetherness…and…to be honest; I'm not that familiar with the particulars myself. The point is we're not your enemy. Give us a chance to prove it."

Reynolds enters from behind. "Colonel." John turns to see approaching Atlantis unit "We found her."

The rest of the Atlantis unit accompanies the woman down the stairs. John, Julian and Ronon walk towards the woman, utterly shocked. Lucrezia looked back and forth between the woman and the men on her team, confused by who she was to them.

"Illyria?" John's voice broke.

"Amunet." Khordib smiled at her.

"Amunet?" John whispered, questioning him, but not taking his eyes off her.

"It's what we call her."

"It was the name of the goddess of mystery." Shamda said.

"Appropriet since she doesn't remember _who_ she is." Reynolds said.

"We found her, naked in the forest, two moons ago." Shamda said.

"Any children with her?" Ronon asked, walking over to Shamda and Khordib.

"Children?" Shamda asked.

"Illyria?" John approaches Illyria, smiles and reaches out to touch her shoulder. "It's okay. It's me, Jo-" Illyria puts her hand up to stop him from touching her. John looks devastated.

"Don't you recognize us?" Ronon asked.

"I-I'm sorry." Illyria said, staring at John. She turned and walked away, looking over her shoulder at John as she left.

"Not even me…?" John said, more to himself, as he watched her go.

҉

**NOMAD TENT**

Illyria is sitting in her tent, fussing with a robe she is trying to repair when Julian enters. She looked up at him before going back to her work. "Please leave me alone."

Julian ignores her request and sits opposite her. "I'm Julian Barrett. And, barring some freakish similarity, you _are_ Illyria Sheppard."

Illyria looked up.

"This tent is all I know. These people…they're all I know. Before I woke up in the forest, I don't remember anything. I've tried. I've _tried_ to remember who I was before. Sometimes I think it is right there, floating in front of me, and all I have to do is reach out and grab it. I try—and it's gone."

"You were the leader of our people," Illyria looked at him as if what he was saying was the craziest thing she's heard. "You live in Atlantis. You're a friend of mine." He glanced down. "Five months ago you died."

"I'm dead?"

"Well, _obviously_ not. You just _sort of_ died. Actually, you…ascended to a higher plane of existence. Last time I saw you, you saved my life from a Wraith experiment."

"Wraith?"

"Yeah. Kind of an over-the-top, cliché bad guy. Black cloak, oily skin, kind of spooky. Anyway, obviously since then, you've retaken human form, somehow. I—" Julian pauses as his words register and he shakes his head. "Actually, this might sound a bit unusual…"

"A bit? Why am I here?"

"Hey, why are any of us here?" He grimaces. "Honestly, I don't know, but you've got to trust me. You are Illyria Sheppard. Think of it this way: out of all the planets in the galaxy, why this one if not for us to find you?" He points at her.  
>"So you're saying a higher power had a hand in putting me here?" Illyria said skeptically.<p>

"I don't know." He smiled at her. "That was generally your department."

҉

**VILLAGE**

John is asking questions or being given information; leg work Julian gave him to keep clear of Illyria.

"Thanks very much."

"You're welcome." Khordib said.

John jogs over to Julian who is exiting the tent. "Jules, hey, does she-" Julian shook his head and steered John away from the tent and continued to walk in a different direction. "Lucrezia and Ronon are helping Atlantis teams three and five begin the preliminary sweep."

"I remember when you said it was like talking to a wall." Julian shook his head.

"Sir, we know someone who's ascended can chose to retake human form."

Julian stopped and looked at John. "You think she also chose to forget everything?"

"Maybe the part about her memory isn't voluntary. Who knows? Maybe the whole thing is punishment for trying to help me."

"So…what?"

"It's going to take some time to search the entire extent of the ruins. There could be weapons or a power source hidden just about anywhere. In the meantime, we try to help my wife remember—if that's even possible."

Julian looked at him for a moment then patted him on the shoulder. "Tag. You're it."

҉

**ILLYIRA'S TENT**

John pauses before entering. "Can I come in?"

Illyria blows out a candle she has just lit, leaving the interior of the tent fairly dim. "Sure."

John sat down, keeping his distance, yet staying close. "So…"

"What did you say your name was again?"

Those words stung more that John would have imagined. "John Sheppard. We were, uh, close."

"Yeah, well, like I already told Jim—"

"Uh, Julian."

"Julian? Yeah, I told him-"

"I guess what I don't understand is why you aren't dying to know all about who you are."

"I am…and I'm not."

"See, it's the _not_ part-"

"What if I don't like who I was?" Illyria raised her voice. "What if I don't _want_ to be that person? What if I don't have it _in_ _me_ to make up for something I've done wrong?"

"I have to admit, that never occurred to me. Look, we all thought we'd lost you at one point." His voice became intense. "It was one of the hardest things I have ever been through. You were—_you are_—brilliant. One of the most caring, passionate…You're the type of person who would give her own life for someone she doesn't even know."

Illyria looked down and whispered. "Well, that doesn't sound so bad."

John smiled. "If you had one fault, it was that you wanted to save people so badly, y—you wanted to help people so much, that it tore you apart when you couldn't make a difference."

"That actually sounds hard to live up to."

"All I know is that if I were you, I would definitely want to get to know me—you."

She smiled. "I get it."

"Come back with us. Let us show you who you are instead of just telling you."

She looked around the tent nervously. "…I'll think about it."

"Okay." John starts to rise, about to leave, when Illyria grabbed him hand. A jolt went through him making his heart skip a beat. And by the looks of Illyria's face, it was the same for her.

"John Sheppard?" She whispered.

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

It was hard for him, as a man who had thought his wife dead for so long, to stand her with her touching him, and not want to react. All he was able to think about was kissing her, his lips on hers; his arms wrapping around her, letting her know she was safe, that she was home.

"Was there ever anything between us? I-I only ask because-because I was told my last name was Sheppard and yours is Sheppard as well…"

John smiled sadly and nodded slightly. "Yeah," she cleared his throat. "Yeah, we were—uh, we're married."

Illyria looked surprised. "Oh…"  
>John hesitantly slid his hand out of hers and said, "I'll leave you to think about…about stuff." He was opening the flap of the door when Illyria called after him.<p>

"John?" He turned his head as she stood up. "Did we—were we…in _love_?"

He smiled widely; almost every tooth in his mouth was showing. Illyria could barely make out the glistening in his eyes in the dim lightling. "Yes," He gave a wet chuckle, fighting back a few tears, "yeah, we were."

She smiled slightly, overwhelmed. "Okay then."

"Okay then." John gave a small smile and a nod of the head before ducking out.

҉

**OUTSIDE TENT**

John rejoins Julian who is walking in with Shamda. "Sheppard. Shamda here was just telling me a story about…a dog and some dancing monkeys."

"The moral of which is: appearances can be deceptive." Shamda finished.

Julian puts hand on Shamda's shoulder in a friendly fashion. "I got that. Very good story. Wonderful! Full of nuances. I like that."

Lucrezia and Ronon approach.

"We, uh, we sent up a…a-"

"A UAV." Ronon finished for Lucrezia, smiling down at her.

Lucrezia rolled her eyes at him. "The ruins are quite extensive."

"Yeah, I had a feeling it was going to take us weeks to scour this place properly." Julian said.

"What about Illyria?" Ronon asked.

Illyria exits the tent looking very determined. "She's going home."

҉

**ATLANTIS GATE ROOM**

Carter watches from the control room as the team returns with Illyria. Illyria looks over her shoulder at the wormhole as she exits. As they approach Carter, Julian uses both hands to indicate Illyria to him.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Sheppard." Carter greeted with a reserved smile.

"Thank you. Thank you very much." Illyria said, looking around curiously.

"You have no memory of who I am?"

"None."

Carter looked over at Julian for conformation and he nodded.

"Maybe it's best that way," John muttered, starring at Carter. He places a hand on Illyria's lower back. "This way."

"Neither do I, ma'am." Julian said. Sam gave him a reproving look and he looks apologetic.

John leads Illyria out of the Gate room, his hand hovering on the small of her back. The rest of the team follow.

"Did I mention you owe me dinner?" John smiled at his wife.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Doctor Jennifer Keller is concluding her examination of Illyria. John enters, holding a photo album and a few photos in his hand.

"How is she, Doc?"

"Well, I'm happy to say, sir, that she's in perfect health, except for one _small_ exception." Jennifer smiled at her and left with her charts. "Welcome home, Illyria."

John stepped in front of Illyria and she gave him a small smiled. "Hi."

"Hi." She looked down and pointed to his hand. "What's in there?"

"Something I hope will jog your memory." He opened his hand and gave her the pictures. She took them from him and stared at them closely. The first picture was of her and John on their wedding day, taken from a few feet away as they were about to kiss for the first time as man and wife.

"Anything?" John asked hopefully.

She shook her head sadly. "You look happy…"

"So did you."

John slowly took the picture and Illyria moved on to the next one. It was taken the day the twins were born. Illyria was in bed; her face red and sweaty, and was smiling joyously and looking down at her babies.

"This is Patrick Tiberius," John said pointing to the baby wrapped in a blue blanket, then pointing to the little bundle in pink, "and that's our daughter Jenifer Arin."

"Jennifer." She looked up at John. "Did we name her after Doctor Keller?"

John smiled. "Uh, Keller came her after the kids were born. No, we named Jen after my mom. She died of Cancer when I was young. They were named after my parents and their middle names are your parents' names."

She laughed. "I can't even remember my own children's names, let alone my parents' names!" She smile faded. "How ridiculous is that?"

"Not ridiculous, just amnesia." John took the picture and replaced it with another.

It was of the Twins first birthday. John was holding Jen and Illyria was holding Pat.

"Who are they?" Illyria asked, pointing out the people in the photo. John sat down on the bed next to her and started to point out people from left to right.

"That's Rodney McKay. He's on Earth right now-"

"Earth?"

"I-I'll explain that later. Uh, you've met Ronon. That's…That's Marissa Frio." John paused and Illyria looked up at him.

"Is she on Earth too?"

"Yeah. She, uh, she died not too long ago."

"Oh."

"So," John said, clearing his throat, "that's Radek Zelenka; he's with McKay on Earth. That is Evan Lorne, Carson Beckett and Elizabeth Weir."

Illyria nodded, pointing to Lorne. "I've seen him. What about the other two…Carson Beckett and Elizabeth Weir?"

"They're dead. Carson died in explosion and Elizabeth stayed behind on a mission. Missing presumed dead."

"I'm sorry." She looked up, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I know I can't remember them, but you still do."

"In time, babe," John whispered, reaching for her hand. Illyria unconsciously pulled her hand back. "Which is why," he said, standing up, "I'm leaving the photo album with you."

**THE SHEPPARDS' APPARTMENT**

Illyria opened the door and stepped through the doorway, looking at everything closely. There was a small console table in the entry way. There were two baskets underneath, one with bridal magazines and trashy Earth tabloids; the other had golf, fitness, and playboy magazines. Clearly, the couple had their own basket. On top was a small bowl of sea shells and a few small books. Proudly hanging above on the wall was their certificate of marriage.

To the left was the living room: there was a weathered and antiqued leather three-piece sectional; a chesterfield leather armchair and ottoman; eighteen inch high reclaimed pine wooden coffee table with board games underneath and an unfinished game of scrabble on top. Against the wall was a black stained vintage printer cabinet with a small TV on top and a DVD player in the cabinet.

Ahead was a small kitchen: a fridge, a row of counter space with a few cabinets above. In the center was a black drop-leaf kitchen table with red framed Isabella chairs.

To the right were three doors: the last two, closest to the kitchen, were Pat and Jen's Jack and Jill bedrooms, and the last door was John and Illyria's bedroom.

"I packed up a few of your personal things," John said from the doorway. Illyria turned to look at him. "Painful to look at. The boxes are in the twin's rooms."

She went around the living room examining it. "You kept all this even though you thought I was dead?"

"To be honest, we tossed out a ton of junk…" John saw Illyria's reaction and adds, "A lot of which seemed to be very valuable."

"John?" Illyria asked, walking to the twins' bedroom.

"Yes?"

"Can I be left alone…please."

John nods and leaves Illyria to examine the possessions on her own, closing the door behind him. Outside, there are SFs outside in the corridor. John was walking towards the transporter when Illyria ran out into the corridor.

"John!" He turned to her and saw that she was smiling. "I remembered something."

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yes!" She walked over to him and handed him a small bell. "Atticus. We were given a small white dog as a gift and named him Atticus. No one told me that." She looked very pleased with herself. "I remembered that by myself. I saw this tiny ball and I knew his name!"

"That is good news, Illyria."

"Yeah, it's the first time I've believed I might have a chance. You know? If I can remember a name, then there's a chance it's all in there somewhere, right?" She looked excited about the prospect of her memory returning.

"Indeed." He said gently. John nodded, rolling the ball between his fingers.

"Where is he?"

"He is on Earth with his caretaker." John handed her the ball and began to walk away again.

"John?" Illyria called out again. John turned and walked back. "This being…my ex-husband…he is supposedly very powerful, right?"

"Yep, that's correct."

"Why would he do this? I mean, if he wanted me to forget…"

"You often talked of the rules you would be subjugated as one of the Ascended. Maybe he was required to erase your memories by law or something, but maybe he wanted you to one day to regain it."

"You're saying he cheated? You think he found a way around the rules?"

"You don't think so? I've done it for you, why wouldn't he?"

҉

**BRIEFING ROOM**

Carter and John's team are in the Briefing Room. Illyria is absent. Julian is standing at the head of the table, a screen behind him, presenting information to the others.

"At this point we believe that we've mapped the full extent of the ruins."

"No fancy guns or anything cool?" Ronon asked.

"Any wandering children?" John asked hopefully.

"No, sorry. We've only completed a preliminary investigation-"

Illyria and an SF walk upstairs into Briefing Room. "I'm sorry I'm late I, uh…" she glances at her watch "…_forgot_ what time the meeting was." Illyria smiles at the others but it fades when the others regard him in silence. "It is a joke…the memory thing."

"Mrs. Sheppard, this briefing is classified." Carter told her.

"Yes, Julian mentioned that, but you all said that I used to be a part of this, so…I can't really give you a good reason, I just feel like I should be here."

John looks at Carter then back at Illyria.

"Good enough." Sam sighed.

Illyria walks over and takes a seat next to Lucrezia at the table, opposite John. "Besides, who am I going to tell? I mean, I don't remember anybody, right?"

John smiles faintly, "Good one."

Illyria mumbles to the table whilst smiling, "Thanks, Jim."

John looks taken aback and a little upset. He looks at Ronon for his reaction and he tries to hide a grin.

"Oh, so, uh…There are extensive writings." Julian said, redirecting to the board. "All of them are in the oldest known Ancient dialects. All of them have yet to be translated but, uh, so far, we haven't found any signs of any advanced weapons or power sources. I mean, the original name of the city is Vis Uban which does translate as place of great power but there's no indication that we're going to find any means of defeating the Wraith there."

Picking up another file, Sam said, "According to reports from our allies, the Wraith are quickly conquering each other and rapidly destroying planets."

"They'll dominate the galaxy in a very short time." Lucrezia said.

҉

**THE SHEPPARDS' APPARTMENT**

Julian arrives outside the door and knocks.

"Open." Illyria called out. Julian opened the door and poked his head threw.

"Hello?"

Illyria leaned back on the couch, her head hanging off the back. "Hey."

"Sorry to bother you." Julian said, walking farther into the apartment.

"No, you're not. I was just reading about us, actually." She held up a mission report file.

"Anything interesting?" Julian smiled.

Illyria smiled back. "I apparently have a husband that doesn't play by the rules, friends that would die for us, and a woman controlling a city I'm supposed to."

"Sam's not that bad once you get to know her." Julian defended. Illyria nodded, unconvinced. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"I…I just have a feeling." She turned back to the report. "That's all."

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

"You wanted to see me, Sam?" John asked, poking his head through her door.

"Yes," Sam looked up at him and gestured to the seats in front of her desk. "Please, sit." Sam got up and walked around her desk to sit on its edge as John sat down and relaxed for a moment. "When life gives you lemons make lemonade, John."

"W-What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you need to find peace and move on."

John sighed angrily. "How can I find peace when my wife and children were taken by the psychotic ex-husband? She came to me, Sam. When that...that doppelganger and I were fighting it out, Illyria came and saved my ass!"

"Maybe it wasn't Illyria who pushed the doppelgänger into the wormhole."

'She told me to find her and that's what I did."

"John, have you ever thought that maybe it was your subconscious wishing for it to have been her?" Sam leaned over to put her hand on top of John's but he pulled away from her. "My heart breaks for you, John. You have lost so much. You don't deserve such heart ache. You're a good man."

John stood up slowly, but abruptly, and stood at attention; no facial expression, no movement. "Permission to leave, ma'am?"

Sam sighed and stood up as well. "Granted."

They both saluted each other and John left.

҉

**THE SHEPPARD'S APPARTMENT**

John walked into his apartment and his senses were immediately assaulted by Illyria's familiar scent. For many months he's lived without it and only now realizing how much he's missed it. He stood at the door, closed his eyes, and just breathed in.

When he heard soft sniffling he opened his eyes slowly and walked over to his bedroom. He opened the door and when she wasn't in there he backed up and opened the children's door. What he saw saddened him immensely. Illyria was curled on her side between the two cribs. Her hair covered her face, but from the way her body jerked he could tell she was crying.

It wasn't until he crept closer that he saw the small pool of blood beneath her.

"Illyria!" John shouted, dropping to his knees and carefully rolling her over. "Illyria?"

"J-John?" She whispered. "John is that – is that you?"

John pulled her into his arms and placed a hand over the gushing stomach wound. With his other hand, he tapped his headset. "Medic! I need a medic in m quarters now!" He ripped off his headset and threw it across the room, cradling Illyria closer. "Illyria, babe, what happened? Who did this to you?" He brushed back her hair from her face and whispered, "Who did this? Tell me who did this to you?"

Blood trickled out of her pale lips as she spoke. "O-Only way…to get them back."

"Get who back, Illyria," John whispered. "Get who back?"

He heard the doors opening at the front of the apartment and the pounding of multiple footsteps. "Colonel Sheppard?" John heard Keller call out.

"In here!" John called back to her.

"Colonel what-" Keller said, coming through the door. When she saw Illyria, dying in John's arms, she stumbled back. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know." John stammered, cradling Illyria. "I came in and she was lying on the floor."

"Ah, alright, alright." Keller said, waving in her team and kneeling down next to John and tugged on his arm. "Colonel we need to take her." When John didn't respond, Keller lowered her voice and placed her hands over John's on Illyria's wound. "John…you need to let go."

John nodded and let Keller's team step in and take Illyria away from him. He sat there in the nursery, on his knees, his pants and shirt soaked in blood. He just sat there and starred out the window overlooking the city. He was still sitting there when Ronon rushed in, Julian and Lucrezia behind him.

"Sheppard." Ronon said, looking around the room. There was a pool of blood in front of John and a bloodied knife not too far away, slid under Patrick's crib. Ronon walked over to John and put his hand on his shoulder. "Sheppard."

"Came home after talking with Sam and I heard Illyria crying-"

"Sheppard," Julian said.

"-when she wasn't in the bedroom I walked into the kids' room and I saw…I saw…" John's hands began to shake.

Lucrezia walked past Julian, around Ronon, and knelt down beside John. She placed her hand on his shoulder and they began to shake as uncontrollable as his hands. Lucrezia pulled him to her chest and he began to sob quietly.

҉

**INFIRMIRY**

Two male nurses rolled Illyria's bed into the infirmary, Keller walking behind them. Keller was still wearing her surgical scrubs when she walked up to the small group sitting around a group of beds.

"John?" Keller called out. Ronon, Julian, and Lorne moved out of the circle to let Keller past. John was sitting down in the middle; Lucrezia stood behind his left shoulder. John stood up and walked over to her.

"How is she, Doc?" He said silently.

"She'll make it," Keller said and everybody visibly relaxed. "I'm happy to say the damage was very minor; she only hit an artery. Recovery time shouldn't be more than a few weeks."

John sighed heavily and pulled Jennifer into a hug. Keller awkwardly patted his back and he stepped away. "Can I see her now?"

"She still a bit sedated, but…I don't see why not." Keller nodded and stepped aside so John could pass, but she stopped him, "Be easy on her, alright? She just had surgery and is in a considerable amount of pain."

It wasn't until John was out of ear shot, Julian asked, "There's something else, isn't there?"

"It's just…it's just that I saw something weird during the surgery."

"Weird how?" Ronon asked.

"There was a white light – two of them – hovering near the table when we thought we were going to lose her. When we got her stabilized they went away just as fast as they had come."

"White lights…" Julian muttered, glancing at Ronon.

"The twins?" Ronon guessed.

"Got to be."

•••

Her eyes opened to a bright, white light. The room smelled familiar, like alcohol swabs and metal. Beside her were rows of beds; above her, the glaring lights blinded her. She was propped up on a soft bed – a bed with cool metal rails. The pillows were flat and equally as soft. Somewhere nearby there was an annoying beeping sound.

Ascension shouldn't be this painful, Illyria thought.

She blinked hazily and tried to move her hands, but they jerked back, snagged on something. She glanced down and noticed they were twisted in clear tubes. She felt something plastic and uncomfortable tapped across her face, under her nose. She lifted her hand to rip it off, but warm fingers caught her hand.

"John…?" She asked, turning her head slightly. His face, sketched with worry, was inches from her face, resting on the edge of her pillow. Realizing that she hadn't ascended, her face dropped. "I'm alive."

"And you shouldn't be?" John asked, his brow furrowing. Illyria didn't say anything, only turned her head to look at the ceiling. John sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. "You stabbed yourself. You were trying to commit suicide."

"That wasn't what I was trying to do," She whispered.

"Oh, really," John scoffed. "What _were_ you trying to do then?"

Illyria turned to him with tears in her eyes. "You wouldn't under-"

"Try me!" John yelled, standing up, peering over her menacingly. "_Make me_ understand!"

"I remembered, John!" Illyria yelled, wincing at the pain. "I remember _everything_!"

John's angry dropped from his face and hurt set in as he slowly sank back into his plastic chair beside her bed. "You…You remembered?"

"I remember – remember waking up in stasis, giving birth to Jen and Pat, marrying you…and I remember dying!" Illyria cocked out through sobs, gasping for breath. Her heart monitor was beeping, the noise getting faster and faster. "I remember pain, unending pain! And then- and then it stopped. Breen made it stop…but having me wasn't enough, no, he needed to _kill_ our children, too!"

Keller ran over and held down Illyria shoulders as she convulsed in sorrow. "Colonel, I think you should leave now!"

A medic rushed over with a syringe and plugged it into Illyria's IV's. Within seconds Illyria calmed, now only gasping to control her breathing. Keller swirled around and yelled, "I thought I told you to take it easy on her!"

"She tried to commit suicide, Doc," John said, standing, "just because she regained her memories."

Keller softened, but kept her ground. "I'm sorry, but you couldn't have confronted her a bit easier?"

"No…" Illyria muttered softly from her bed. "Wasn't John's fault."

Keller turned back to Illyria's bed and held her hand. "You need your rest-"

"Please…let him stay a bit longer." A single tear slid down Illyria's cheek. "I need to explain."

Keller sighed and looked over at John. "If her heart goes crazy like it did before and I hear screaming of any kind, I don't care who you are or what your rank is, I will personally through you out of here. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." John nodded. He sat back down in his chair beside the bed as Keller left. It was quite for a few more moments. "So…start explaining."

Illyria sighed heavily. "In saving my life, he killed my children. I don't remember much of my time ascended, but I do remember their despair." She turned her head towards John and smiled sadly. "They missed you."

"I missed them too." John said, crossing his arms. "You too."

"On more than one occasion Patrick would coheres Jennifer into try and visiting you, but they would always get caught by the others. We were never left alone. At first I thought it was because I was the Queen and they were my children, but then things turned strange."

"Strange how?" John asked, leaning forward.

"Breen. He…He just wasn't the man I knew him to be. He began to act crazy, fanatical about his opinions."

"But why are you human again?"

"I think the reason I _descended_ was because Breen wanted it so. I remember trying to take the children and then….nothing." She shook her head. "I-I thought that if I were to die again that maybe I would be able to re-ascend and – and take back my children…_our_ children." She took his hand and tears began to flow. "I am so, so sorry, John. I never, _never_, meant to cause you pain. Please believe me."

John didn't say anything, just rubber the back of her hand with his thumb. "Just don't try it again, alright. If anyone can find a way to get the kids back it'll be you and McKay."

She sighed, and it hurt. She lifted up the sheets and stared down at her body. "How bad am I?"

"You've lost a lot of blood. Keller said you bypassed your vital organs and nicked an artery. They gave you a few transfusions. Keller said you should be up and around in a few weeks."

"How are you doing?" She asked quietly.

He looked away from her eyes, lifting her hand from the bed and holding it gently in his, careful not to disrupt to wire connecting her to one of the monitors. He sighed without returning her gaze. "When I saw you lying there, bleeding out between the twins' cribs, it was impossible not to hate you. Hate you for coming back. Hate you for…for trying to leave. Holding you in their room was just too much. The thought of losing you where I had lost them was…"

"Was just too much," Illyria finished for him. "I'm sorry."

"I know why you did it." His voice was light and comforting. "It was still stupid, of course. You should have waited for me, you should have told me."

"You wouldn't have let me do it."

"No," he agreed in a grim tone, "I wouldn't." The very unpleasant memory of the knife slipping into her began to come back to her. She shuddered, and the winced. John instantly became anxious. "'Lyria, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "What happened after you found me?"

"After I called for medics, Keller and her team came and took you away."

"Her team? I didn't see them."

"They had to leave the room…too much blood for them."

"But you stayed."

"Yes, I stayed. Even after they took you away, I stayed."

Illyria tried to reach for John's face with her free hand, but something snagged her hand back. She glanced down and saw it was her IV. She winced. "I hate needles."

"Needles," John muttered, shaking his head smiling. "Sadistic, life sucking aliens hell bent on capturing, torturing, and slowly killing her, she runs head on to meet them. A needle, though…"

She responded with a pain free reaction: sticking out her tongue. John chuckled and stroked her cheek lightly. Illyria wasn't so lost to the soreness of surgery or the fog of sedation that she didn't respond to his touch. The monitor beeped jumped erratically.

"You had better not make Keller come over here." John said playful stern.

"If you don't quit that, she will."

John chuckled and bit his lip. "I wonder…"

He stood up, leaning in slowly; the beeping accelerated wildly before his lips even touched hers. When they did, even with little pressure, the beeping stopped altogether. John pulled back abruptly and stared anxiously at the heart monitor.

He sighed in relief as it went back to normal. He frowned. "You have seriously got to stop scaring me."

"I wasn't finished kissing you," She complained with a smile. "Get back down here."

He smiled and bent down to press his lips to hers, whispering, "Yes, ma'am."

҉

**INFIRMIRY**

**THAT NIGHT**

Illyria was asleep in her hospital bed; John slept in his plastic chair, leaning over to rest his head on the bed. At first he thought he dreaming, hearing things he couldn't possibly be hearing: children. He heard the soft pitter-patter of feet – two at the least – walking up to the bed. He heard the two whispering two each other.

"You do it," one of them, a boy, whispered.

"No," the second, a girl, whispered back fiercely. "You do it."

"Fine," the boy said and John felt a slight tug on his sleeve. He grunted in his sleep and the boy's hand receded immediately. The children looked at each other and the boy reached out to tug on John's sleeve again.

"Uh, what?" John grunted. The boy tugged on his sleeve again. "What?"

When the boy tugged on his sleeve a third time, John lifted his head up to see who it was. It was dark in the infirmary so he had to blink a few times to make out more than just two small shapes. When his eyes were adjusted, John couldn't believe what he saw.

There, standing before him, were two children, a boy and a girl, roughly around four years old. The boy was three foot one, maybe thirty seven pounds, with short, shaggy brown hair and electric blue eyes that shone in the darkness. The girl was the same height, maybe thirty five pounds, with golden brown curls framing her face.

"Oh my God…" John muttered, his hand reaching out to touch the boy's face. "It-it can't be….can it?"

The little girl smiled and wrapped herself around John's waist. "Hi, Daddy."

The little boy smiled and held John's hand to his face. "We're home."


	57. Chapter 55

**ATLANTIS**

**NIGHT TIME**

Rodney McKay is in his lab, sitting at his desk and gazing vacantly up through the glass roof at the two moons in the sky. He lowers his gaze and looks around the lab blankly, his face covered in sweat. He tries to stand but then looks down in surprise as he finds that his left hand is handcuffed to his desk with a plastic tether. His sleeve is partially pulled up and there is writing on his left forearm. He tries to tug his arm free but can't. He looks around the lab, then calls out.  
>"Hey! Hey, is anyone there? Look, I need some help in here!"<br>Nobody replies.

He looks at the desk and sees a computer tablet in front of him. Its screensaver is rotating on the screen, and a sticky note has been attached to the side of the tablet saying, "PRESS HERE." Below the writing is an arrow pointing down to one of the buttons on the side of the tablet. Bewildered, he pushes the button and a recording of himself, taken with a digital camera, appears on the screen. His image, covered in sweat, looks into the camera anxiously.  
><em>"All right. Look, I know you're probably panicking right now, but there is no time for that."<em> McKay's Image said. _"You need to focus. I'm sure you're wondering who tied you to the desk. Look, the truth is, it was you ... I mean, me. I did it 'cause I needed you to get this message. It would take too long to give you the full explanation and you wouldn't remember it anyway, so you're just gonna have to trust me on this. Now, you'll find a knife taped to the underside of your chair. Find it and cut yourself loose."_  
>Rodney reaches under his chair and finds the small knife. Pulling it free, he cuts through the tether on his wrist.<br>_ "Now, I need you to listen. It is vitally important that you find this woman."_  
>On the screen, Rodney swings the camera across to show the computer tablet. On it is a still photograph of Illyria Sheppard. Printed across her photo are the words, "THIS IS ILLYRIA. FIND HER." Rodney holds the camera on the photo for a few seconds, then swings it back to himself.<br>_"I don't know where she is, but you have to find her. She can help."_ The Rodney in the present puts his hand over his eyes for a moment, exhausted and bewildered._ "Check the Mess Hall, or maybe they took her to the Brig. I don't know, but you just have to keep looking. Don't worry about anything else – and for God's sake don't trust anyone. Just find her and do it fast, because if you don't, hundreds of people are gonna die – including you."_  
>The camera switches off and the screen reverts to the photograph of Illyria with the message across it.<p>

**҉**

**14 HOURS EARLIER**

**ATLANTIS**

**SUNRISE**

It's nearly been a month since the twins' return and Illyria's regain of her memory. Since her discharge from the infirmary she's been bedridden causing many visitors – visitors coming as far as Earth – to come and see her and the children. And since her return, everyone has noticed a considerable change in John.

That changed John Sheppard now leaned against the balcony outside his bedroom, looking out over the ocean. The sun was just now rising so nobody should yet be up, that's why John jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and smiled at his wife.

"You're up early," he said, pulling her against her chest.

"I could say the same thing about you," Illyria muttered against his chest. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I spent all night just watching the kids sleep." John shook his head. "I still can't get used to them, you know…"

"Being this big?"

He chuckled. "I still remember Jennifer fitting in my hand."

"That's what happens when children grow up." Illyria looked up at him, patting his chest. "They're four years old, now."

"I keep thinking that if I blink they'll be full grown; Patrick with a beard and Jennifer getting married…"

"This is hard for you-"

"And it's not for you?" John asked, turning down to look at her. "One moment your kids are just learning how to talk and now they're walking around and speaking full sentences. Can normal four year olds even talk as well as they can?"

Illyria chuckled, rubbing her face into his chest, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist. "When Breen took them as he took me, he aged them to an age they would be able to cope with. Babies aren't allowed to ascend. The youngest ascension recorded was four years old."

"He robbed them of their childhood, Illyria."

"They are still young, John. They have plenty of time to have a childhood." Illyria waited a few moments before speaking again. "What else is troubling you?"

John sighed. "I missed the most important things a father shouldn't miss. Like – Like their first words or their first steps. Hell, losing their first tooth!"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "That isn't all, is it?"

John shook his head. "How is it the kids came back with their memory? How'd they get back at all?"

Illyria opened her mouth to speak but they heard a small thump coming from the twins' room. She looked up at John and he took her hand and they walked into their room.

With the children now out of cribs, Sam had the Sheppard's move into an actual family size apartment. John and Illyria's room was bigger and since Pat and Jen didn't want separate rooms, they shared one. As a 'Welcome Home' gift, a few of the women on base got together and decorated the twins' room. Jen's bed was on the left wall and Pat's was on the right, a small toy box was in front each of their beds. Between the beds was a ladder leading up to a small loft above their beds.

Patrick was out of bed and sitting on a blanket in the loft.

"Sweetie, what are you doing out of bed?" Illyria asked, crossing her arms. Patrick looked at her and then went back to picking at the blanket. John nodded at Illyria and she left.

John walked over to the ladder and stepped up on the first ring. "Hey, buddy."

"Hey," Pat muttered.

"What're you doing?"

"Playing."

"You should be sleeping, Patrick."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Uh huh," John nodded. "You mind if I come up?" Pat looked around the small space and then at his father. "Right, well, can you came down then?"

Patrick nodded and held out his arms. John picked him up and carefully climbed back down. He tried to put Patrick back down in his bed, but Patrick gripped John's neck tighter. John straightened, patted his son's back, and walked out of the kids' room and into the living room. John sat down and held his son in his lap.

"What bothering you?"

"Nothin'…" Pat mumbled, playing with John's dog tags.

"If nothing was bothering you, how come you're up so early? You usually sleep in until late afternoon." Patrick shrugged. John sighed and rubbed his back. "Alright. Alright. Since you're up, make yourself useful and clean up your room a bit, but be quite, your sister is still sleeping." John tried to get up, but Patrick wouldn't let him. "What's the matter?"

"Everybody looks at us funny," he said with his head down.

"Funny? What'd you mean?"

Patrick shrugged. "Like they don't know us."

"Who's 'us'?"

"Mommy, Jennifer, and me." Patrick looked up at John with tears in her eyes. "They don't like us anymore."

"Ah, buddy, no they don't." John said, pulled Patrick into a hug. "They just…aren't used to the new you. They still remember you as babies."

Patrick sniffed. "But I'm not a baby!"

"I know, I know," John chuckled. He pulled Patrick back, cupped his face, and said, "They're happy you, your sister, and you mom are back. _I'm_ happy your back."

He sniffed and whipped his eyes. "You are?"

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be, kiddo?" Patrick shrugged. "Look, you're Patrick Tiberius Sheppard; _my_ son. Don't let anybody be telling you different. Got it?"

Patrick nodded. "Got it."

"Patrick," John asked and Pat looked up. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and I'd like an honest answer. Can you do that for me?"

"O-Okay…" He said, a bit timidly.

"When Breen took you and mommy away, what he'd say?"

"He said that he was our real daddy, that you were only keeping mommy's bed warm for him. He said that since mommy was leaving that we had to go too." John gritted his teeth to keep from yelling out. Patrick sensed, as children do, that he had said something wrong. "I-I'm sorry, Daddy."

"No, buddy," John said, rubbing the boy's back. "You didn't do anything wrong. Remember what I said a minute ago?"

Patrick nodded. "That you're my Daddy." John nodded. "Then who was Breen?"

John gritted his teeth again. "Breen is a very, very bad man. The next time you see him, grab your sister and run away as fast as you can. Don't look back; don't stop, not until you reach mom or me. Understand?" Patrick nodded. John sighed, trying desperately to control his anger. "Now when mommy came back down, she couldn't remember anything. How come you guys did?"

Patrick looked down and began to play with John's dog tags again. "Bad man Breen got angry with mommy for trying to take us away from him, so he pushed her. When she fell, she didn't hit the ground. She went through it. Jen and me, we fought him, but," Pat shook his head, "he was stronger than us. He locked us away and told us we could come out when we stopped fighting him."

"How'd you get out?"

Patrick shrugged. "A woman came and said it was time for us to go home now."

"What'd the girl look like, Patrick?" John said, tilting the boy's chin up until he was looking at him.

"She was pretty. She had blonde hair that came to about here," she gestured to his shoulders, "and bright blue eyes. She also wore that weird looking green pattern a few of the guards wear." He scrunched up his nose. "She looked familiar." John's eyes widened in recognition as he looked off into the distance. "What is it, Daddy?"

"Nothing, son." John picked him up and put him on the floor, patting his butt. "Now, go clean your room. _Quietly_, though."

Patrick ran off to his room, but stopped and turned around at his door to salute his dad. John smiled and saluted him back. John turned around and walked into his bedroom. Illyria was already dressed and lying on the bed, reading a silly romance novel about vampires.

"You know," She began, putting the book down on her stomach, "they aren't much different from the Wraith."

"What aren't?" John asked as he walked over to his dresser.

"Vampires," Illyria said simply, as if they were the most common thing to talk about.

"Oh really?" John asked skeptically. He pulled his dark blue shirt over his head and tossed his on the floor, picking up a black long sleeved shirt. He threw it over his head and shut the drawer.

"The only difference is that your society romanticizes them." She waved her book in the air as proof. When she saw that John wasn't smiling at her little jock, she asked, "What'd Patrick have to say?"

John dropped his sweatpants and his boxers to the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Said people around the base stare at you guys differently."

Illyria sighed. "Was it my suicide attempt to rescue my children or was it their rapid aging to four that has them stumped?"

John chuckled as he pulled on a fresh pair of underwear. "A bit of both."

"Yeah, well," she said, tossing her book to the other side of the bed. "Screw them." She smiled and crawled over to John, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind. "But I'd much rather screw you instead." She began to kiss his neck but John tugged on her arm.

"Patrick also answered a few of our questions."

"Oh," Illyria said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Like what?"

"Like the fact he can remember. He said that since Breen practically shoved you out of 'Ascension Heaven' you lost your memory. Pat and Jen started to fight him, so he had them locked up."

"Bastard," Illyria muttered, infuriated. "Just wait till I get my hands on him…"

John reached up and held her hand. "I hope not; I don't want to be seeing him anytime soon."

Illyria didn't say anything to that. "If Breen had them locked up, how'd they get out?"

"They had help."

"Help?" Illyria said, mystified at the thought of someone going against the 'King's' decision. "Who would cross Breen like that?"

"A pretty blonde haired and blue eyes Marine, perhaps?"

**҉**

**ATLANTIS**

**DAY TIME**

Rodney McKay walks into the Botany Lab and looks around. The lab is filled with pots of flowers and plants.  
>"Katie?"<br>Katie Brown is talking with a fellow botanist but turns and comes over to Rodney, smiling happily. "Rodney! Hey, what are you doing here?"  
>"Well, I got back from Earth a month ago and I hadn't seen you for a while, so..."<br>"I know. We have this whole new mainland to explore and I've been bringing back samples all week."  
>"So I see. Anything interesting?"<br>"Uh, well, it's all pretty similar to what we found back on Lantea. We found a few new species ... oh, which reminds me. I've got a surprise for you."  
>"Ooh!"<br>Katie giggles and leads him over to a table nearby. She picks up a pot containing a tall cactus with feathery fronds growing out of the top of it. "I found this guy hiding in some shrubbery."  
>Rodney looks at it, not very impressed. "What is that?"<br>"Well, it doesn't have a name yet, but I'm thinking of calling it..." she hesitates for a moment "... rodneyanivalosa ... after you."  
>Suddenly Rodney is much more interested in the cactus. He stares at it in amazement as Katie hands the pot to him. "Really? You can do that?"<br>"Yeah." Rodney turns the pot to look at the cactus more closely and Katie warned, "Be careful. The bristles will pierce skin."  
>"Oh! Anyway, look, I wondered if I could tear you away from all of this long enough to have to lunch."<br>"Oh, I would love to, but I think I'm coming down with something. I have a headache and I've had a few dizzy spells, so I was thinking of going down to the Infirmary."  
>McKay looked concerned and somewhat reluctantly said, "Uh, well, I'll come with you."<br>"Oh, no, Rodney, you don't have to do that. I know how much you hate being around sick people."  
>Not very convincingly, but doing his best to cover, he said, "Oh, no, really, it's fine."<p>

"Oh, that is so sweet! Thanks."  
>McKay gestured towards the door. "After you."<br>As Katie heads for the door, Rodney grimaces down at his cactus, then puts it gingerly down on the table and follows Katie, wiping his fingers on his jacket as he goes.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Rodney ushers Katie in and they walk over to Jennifer Keller.

"Doctor Brown. I see you've brought my number one patient," Keller smiled.

"What? Oh, no, we're not here for me this time. I'm here for her." McKay said, pointing at Katie. "OK, well, what can I do for you?" Keller asked, turning to Katie.

"Well, I've got this really bad headache that won't go away and I feel kind of dizzy."  
>Keller reached over and felt the glands in Katie's neck. "When did you first notice it?"<br>"Sometime this morning. Why?"  
>Keller lead her and Rodney deeper into the room. "Well, because you're the fourth person to come in here with those exact symptoms – and the second person from the Botany Department."<br>She points to a man lying in bed, being examined by a medic.  
>"Gerald?" Katie asked and Gerald raised his hand to her. "Hey."<br>"Who's that?" McKay asked.  
>"Gerald Baxter. He's on my team. You've met him before. He's got the bug collection."<br>"Oh. Sure. Right. Yeah, I remember now." McKay said, obviously clueless. He raised a hand to Gerald.  
>"Well, I'm gonna need to take some blood." Keller said to Katie, then turned to Rodney. "You, too, Doctor."<br>"What?" McKay said nervously.  
>"If there is something going around, you might have been exposed to it as well." Rodney sighs in exasperation. "Sorry."<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

Colonel Samantha Carter and John Sheppard walk in and head up the stairs to the Control Room.  
>"Major Dorsey and his team just returned from M6R-214. They examined the debris field above the planet and found the parts from one, possibly two, Replicator ships." Sam said.<br>"Just a matter of time before the Wraith got organized and started hitting back."  
>"I suppose. I mean, they did defeat the Ancients, after all."<br>"The Replicators may look like the Ancients and they may use the same technology but they're gonna be a lot tougher to put down."

They were in Sam's office by now. She walked around to her desk and John sat down in a chair in front of her. It was quiet for a moment before Sam awkwardly asked, "So…how's the family?"

John looked at her, surprised. "Good, everyone's good. Illyria's recovering nicely should be back on her feet, fully functioning, in a day or so."

"What?" Sam smiled. "I can't ask?"

"No, no, it's just that-"

"That you're surprised I'm the one asking." Sam nodded. "I know I've been…not too pleasant on your situation."

"You could say that." John said quietly.

Sam opened her mouth to say something, but Doctor Keller's voice came over her headset. "_Colonel Carter, come in, please?"_  
>Sam activated her radio. "Go ahead, Doctor."<br>_"I've got a situation developing. Be advised, I've imposed a quarantine on the entire Infirmary level."_  
>"What's going on?"<br>"_Eleven patients have shown up here in the last hour complaining of headache and dizziness. Eight of them are from the survey team that just got back from the mainland."_  
>"Any idea what's wrong with them?"<br>_"I ran some blood tests and found a bacteria I've never seen before. I'm checking it against the Ancient database."_  
>"What do you want us to do?" John asked.<br>_"Well, first thing we need to do is isolate everyone that went to the mainland and have them report to Doctor Neaves in the Auxiliary Medlab for testing."_  
>"Will do. Keep us posted." Sam said.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

A male medic brings a computer tablet over to Jennifer.  
>"More test results. You and I are both infected; so's Doctor McKay. The good news is, the most advanced case is still only showing mild flu-like symptoms. Maybe it won't get any worse than that."<br>"Well, let's hope so."

҉

**THE PRESENT**

Clutching the computer tablet, Rodney nervously walks out into the corridors of the city. There appears to be nobody around.  
>"Hello?"<br>He walks on, still seeing nobody for some time, but then rounds a corner and sees a man sitting on a bench with his back against the wall. The man's eyes are closed.  
>"Oh. Hey." McKay said, relieved. He walks over to him and shakes his shoulder. "Hey, wake up."<br>The man slumps sideways. Rodney gasps as he realizes that he might be dead. Just then, Radek Zelenka walks into view behind him, nervously wielding a long metal pipe.  
>"What are you doing here?"<br>Rodney jumps in fright, then turns around to face him. "I-I don't know."  
>He walks towards Radek, who raises the pipe threateningly. "What are you doing?" Rodney stops and raises his hands. Radek looks at him more closely. "You're not a soldier."<br>"If you say so."  
>Radek lowers his pipe, looks around nervously, then gestures to Rodney. "You should come with me. It's safe."<br>He starts to hurry off.  
>"No-no, slow down. What's going on here?"<br>"It's the soldiers – they're after us. If they catch us, they'll take us away."  
>"Take us where? Why? What soldiers? What is this place?"<br>"Shhh! You shut up! The soldiers will hear us."  
>McKay loudly, angrily said, "What the hell is going on here? Why can't I remember anything?"<br>"I don't know! No-one can."  
>"No-one can? You've seen others?"<br>"Yes. One or two others, apart from the soldiers."  
>Rodney shows him the picture of Illyria on his computer tablet. "What about <em>her<em>? Was she there?"  
>"No."<br>"I have to find her."  
>"Why?"<br>"I don't know. It's important."  
>"Look, the soldiers probably have her by now, <em>OK<em>? Come on."  
>"Well, can we ask them?"<br>"Are you _crazy_? If the soldiers see you, they shoot you, they take you away."  
>"<em>Again<em> with the taking away!"  
>"Look, you should come hide with me. It's safe."<br>"I can't. I have to keep looking."  
>"Fine." Radek said angrily. "Suit yourself. You want to get yourself killed – I don't care."<br>He walks off, angrily muttering to himself in Czech.

҉

**10 HOURS AGO**

Rodney is walking with Jennifer in the Infirmary. "It started suddenly, and then it just stopped."  
>"OK, well, I appreciate you telling me."<br>"Aren't you gonna do anything?"  
>"To be honest, I don't see how it's relevant."<br>"Well, it's a new symptom. I thought it just might be important."  
>"I don't see how a tingling sensation in your knees relates to this condition, especially since you're the only one experiencing it."<br>"Yeah, but so far. You know, I'm just saying we don't know anything about this disease."  
>"Look, the best thing for you to do right now is try to relax, OK, and let me do my work." Keller starts to type on a console. Rodney looks at what she's typing for a moment until Jennifer glances up at him.<br>"Right."  
>Nearby, the head nurse, wearing a Hazmat suit, has brought a trolley to Katie's bedside, who is sitting up in bed, and hands her a mug of tea.<br>"Here you go."  
>"Thank you." Katie said. She sips from the mug as the nurse wheels her trolley away and Rodney comes over. "What did Doctor Keller say?"<br>"Oh, she's gonna, uh, take it into consideration; thanked me for my input and, uh ... how're you doing?"  
>Katie hands him the mug and he puts it down on a table beside the bed and unconvincingly said, "I'm OK."<br>"Well, Doctor Keller's got her team working pretty hard, trying a bunch of stuff. I'm sure they'll come up with a way to beat this thing in no time." Katie tries to smile at him, but her smile soon fades. "Seriously, are you OK?"  
>Katie sighs. "My headache – it's getting worse."<br>"Look, is there anything I can do?"  
>"Could you ask the nurse to bring me some tea?"<br>Rodney picks up the mug from the table. "Well, what's wrong with this one?"  
>Katie looks at it as if she's never seen it before. "Oh. Yeah. Great."<br>She takes the mug from him. Nearby, there's a clattering sound. They look and see the head nurse collapsing to the floor, knocking the trolley over. Jennifer and another medic in Hazmat run over to her. "Marie? What's going on?"  
>"I don't know. I just got really dizzy."<br>Nurse Marie sighs shakily as Jennifer and the medic help her up.

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Sam is talking over the radio to Jennifer while John stands nearby. "Are you telling us that the infection has breached Hazmat protocol?"  
><em>"I'm not entirely sure. It's possible she could have been previously exposed but that would mean it's already spread much farther among the general population than we thought. I've got off-duty medical personnel conducting random blood tests around the city to get a sense of where we're at."<em>  
>"Have we confirmed it came from the mainland?" John asked.<br>_"Well, the plant and soil samples brought back by the Botany Department were negative, but it still seems like the most likely point of origin."_  
>"What about the database?" Sam asked.<br>_"I haven't found a match yet, but I'm still looking. There is one more thing: since we have no idea what this disease does or how it's spread, or even if our containment measures are having any effect, I recommend we suspend all Gate travel immediately."_  
>"Thank you, Doctor." John walked to the door. "Where are you going?"<p>

"To warn my wife and kids." John said over his shoulder.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Katie is lying asleep in bed. Rodney has got a tray of food and is sitting by her bedside, the tray on the bed. As he tucks in, Katie opens her eyes and looks at him. He smiles at her.  
>"Hey. How're you feeling?"<br>"I-I don't know."  
>"Oh. Well, they brought dinner. It's Salisbury steak – it's actually quite good. Oh, and by the way, I asked Doctor Keller about your friend Doctor Baxter. She says he's asleep but apparently the fever's down."<br>While he has been talking, Katie has been looking around the room, bewildered. Now she frowns at Rodney. "Who?"  
>"Doctor Baxter." He hesitates, convinced that – as usual – he's got the name wrong. "That's his name, right, the guy in your team?" Katie looks around the room again, still looking confused. "Katie?"<br>She looks at him.) "Where am I?"  
>"What do you mean? You're in the Infirmary. I brought you here, remember?"<br>"Who are you?"

҉

**THE PRESENT **

Nervously, Rodney makes his way along the corridors. From behind him, Major Lorne and several other soldiers come around the corner. They draw their Wraith stunner pistols as they see him.  
>"Hey! Hold it right there."<br>Rodney turns around to them, raising his hands. "I don't wanna cause any trouble. I just-"  
>One of the soldiers, Lieutenant Kemp, shoots him and he drops to the floor. The group walks over to him and Kemp kneels down and turns him over. Lorne looks down at him.<br>"All right, put him with the others. Go on, get him outta here, come on."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>Four of the soldiers pick Rodney up and carry him away. Lorne takes a bottle of pills out of his vest pocket, shakes several of them out into his hand and tosses them into his mouth as he hands the bottle to Kemp. As they walk away, the computer tablet with Illyria's picture on it is lying on the floor, partially hidden underneath a bench.

҉

**8 HOURS EARLIER**

"How'd your family take it?" Sam asked as John came back into her office.

"Illyria is packing the kids' bags. I've got a puddle jumper arranged to take them through the gate and somewhere safe." John sighed, sitting down heavily in a chair.

"Something's wrong?"

"Other than this whole situation?" Sam raised her eyebrow. "Illyria's being stubborn; she won't go."

"John-"

He waved his hand and sighed. "What's the word?"

"Well, the random test results came back. Six different people working in six different areas of the city – all positive."  
>"Well, that doesn't sound very promising."<br>"Well, it's either a statistical miracle or the entire base has been exposed. We're running more tests to confirm it but it doesn't look good."  
>"I don't know about you, but I feel fine."<br>"Well, me too, and that's the problem. If there is a delay before the first symptoms appear, it could have spread anywhere before we even knew what was happening. I've informed Stargate Command that we're suspending Gate operations." John opened his mouth, but Sam waved him. "_After_ we send the children through."  
><em>"Colonel Carter, this is Doctor Keller."<em>  
>"Go ahead."<br>_"I'm sending you scans on Katie Brown as well as three other patients who are beginning to show signs of amnesia. All of them show large concentrations of affected cells in the medial temporal lobe. Looks like the bacteria's causing these cells to produce a hormone that interferes with the brain's ability to access episodic memory."_  
>"How bad are we talking?" John asked.<br>_"Well, the rate of deterioration seems to vary from patient to patient but in all cases it looks like it's progressive, meaning the longer they go without treatment, the worse it gets. Pretty soon they won't be able to remember their own names."  
><em> "You said the first symptoms were headaches and dizziness." Sam said.  
><em>"Yeah, that's right."<em>  
>"How long after they appeared before the first signs of memory loss?"<br>_"Again, it seems to vary, but you're looking at an average of about six hours."_  
>"What about you, Doc? Showing any signs?" John asked.<br>Jennifer sighed_. "Yeah. The headache started half an hour ago."_  
>"All right. Keep searching the database. I still think it's our best bet to find a solution." Sam said.<br>_"I'd love to, but if we're right about these numbers, I'm about to get overrun with a lot of new patients. It's already pretty crowded in here."_  
>"Mess Hall." John said. "We can clear it out and make a temporary ward."<br>_"Yeah, that's a good idea. At the very least, it'll consolidate everyone in one place for treatment."_  
>Sam turned to John. "Do it."<p>

҉

**THE PRESENT**

Rodney regains consciousness lying on a camp bed in the Mess Hall. Groaning, he sits up. There are many other people in the room. All of them are covered in sweat. There are many beds of varying kinds in the room. Some people are lying in the beds but others are standing or sitting around, all of them looking confused. Lucrezia is standing nearby looks down at him.  
>"Are you all right?"<br>"Yeah." McKay looks around. "Where am I?"

Jennifer is sitting nearby. "We were hoping you could tell us."

"Who are all you people?" McKay asked.  
>"We don't know." Lucrezia said.<br>"None of us can remember anything." Keller said.  
>"What's happening out there? What did you see?" Lucrezia asked.<br>McKay stood up. "Nothing. Just empty hallways. How did I get here?"  
>"The soldiers brought you." Keller said.<br>"Why?"  
>"They bring everyone here. They say it's for our own protection."<br>Rodney wanders over to the doors. He puts his hands against them and, when they don't open, puts his hand on the wall panel. It beeps negatively.  
>"Don't waste your time. It won't open." Lucrezia said.<br>"Why are they doing this to us?" McKay asked. "Look, why can't anyone remember?" Everyone gazes at him, bewildered. Suddenly Rodney remembers something. "My ... the computer." He goes back to the camp bed and looks underneath it. "Where's my computer?"  
>"It wasn't with you when they brought you here." Keller said. "Why?"<br>"I have to find someone – a woman." McKay wracks his brains for a moment, then remembers. "Illyria! Do you know who that is?" Nobody nearby replies. He calls out to the room. "Does anyone here know Illyria? Anyone?"  
>Everyone gazes at him blankly.<p>

҉

**THE PAST**

Ronon Dex is helping John carry a medical bed into the Mess Hall where people are converting it into a ward.  
>"I thought the city had some sort of automatic lockdown to prevent stuff like this." Ronon said.<br>"It does."  
>"Oh yeah? What happened?"<br>"What, you're asking me?" John grimaces and leans on the bed, putting his hand to his forehead.  
>"You got a headache?"<br>"Yeah. I guess it was just a matter of time."  
>Lucrezia Caelius walks over, looking concerned. "John?"<br>"I'm fine." He walks away.

Ronon sits down on the bed and looks at Lucrezia. "Hey. How're you feeling?"  
>"I am fine."<br>"Any symptoms?"  
>"No. None yet."<br>"Me neither." He frowns.  
>"What is it?"<br>"How do they know we're all infected? My blood wasn't part of the sample that was tested."  
>"Nor was mine. Even so, it is likely we were exposed."<br>"So what? Being exposed doesn't mean you've got it. Maybe it doesn't affect everybody the same way. All I know is I feel great."  
>"So do I. Perhaps you should make Doctor Keller aware of this."<br>"Yeah. OK." He gets up and leaves the room.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon walks into the room, pushing past an incoming patient. "'Scuse me." He looks around the crowded room until he sees Jennifer standing at someone's bedside with her stethoscope in her ears. "Doctor Keller. I need to talk to you."  
>"Uh, I'm a little busy right now."<br>"I'm not sick."  
>"Well, if you were lucky enough not to be exposed, you just blew it by coming in here."<br>"No. I know I've been exposed. People I've been working with all day have been in sick, but I'm not feeling anything. Neither is Lucrezia."  
>Keller turned to feel his neck glands. "You think you might have some kind of immunity?"<br>Ronon shrugged. "You're the doctor."  
>"OK. I'm gonna need a sample of your blood."<br>"Take as much as you need."

҉

**THE PRESENT**

Rodney is sitting on a camp bed carefully writing Illyria's name onto his right forearm so that he won't forget it. Jennifer walks over to him.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"I have to remember somehow. I already feel certain things slipping away."  
>He stands and gets up onto a box nearby so that he can be seen by everyone. His sweating appears to have become worse. Katie is lying in a bed just in front of him but she is gazing blankly into the distance, and Rodney of course doesn't recognize her.<br>"All right, now what are you doing?"  
>"Getting out of here." McKay calls out. "All right, everyone, listen up. I need to escape as quickly as possible. Does anyone know how I can do that?"<br>"You can't just leave."  
>"Why not?"<br>"What about the soldiers?" Nurse Marie asked.  
>"We're just gonna have to deal with them. Sorry, call me crazy, but I don't exactly trust them."<br>"That doesn't mean we should be running loose." The second scientist said. "We have no idea what's out there."  
>"Look, something caused this to happen, all right, and we're not gonna figure it out from in here. Somewhere out there, there is a woman ... a woman named..." He trails off, trying to think.<p>

He has already forgotten that he's written her name on his arm. However, Sam then pushes her way through the crowd and provides the answer. Her hair is no longer tied up, so it's fairly obvious that she's as amnesiac as the others, although she has managed to hang onto Illyria's name for a little longer than Rodney has.  
>"Illyria."<br>"Illyria, right. Thank you." He gets off the box, picks up his pen and looks for somewhere on his left arm to write. There's no room left, so he starts to write on his palm. "I think she knows something."  
>"What?" Keller asked.<br>'I don't know. We've gotta get out there and find out."  
>"I think we should listen to him." Sam said.<br>"Why?" Keller asked.  
>"Well, it makes sense. Why haven't the soldiers told us what's happened? Why haven't there been any announcements or any help on the way? Maybe they don't know any more than we do." She turns around to the others. "We need a plan."<p>

҉

**THE PAST**

John trots into the Gateroom and joins Rodney as he makes his way upstairs.  
>"They let you out?"<br>"The second set of random blood tests just came back – all positive. Didn't seem much point in quarantining the Infirmary anymore."  
>"You showing any signs?"<br>"Headache."  
>"Yeah, same here."<p>

"Illyria and the kids?"

"Puddle jumer piolets came up positive. Sent the kids through the Stargate to a friendly world."

"What about Illyria?"

"Stubborn as hell."  
>Rodney chuckled. "Five bucks says you start losing your memories first."<br>"Rodney!" John said indignantly.  
>They walk over to Sam.<br>"All right, we've got food, water and blankets. We don't have enough beds but we're just gonna have to make do." Sam said.  
>"Well, we may need to think about ordering all non-essential personnel to report to the Mess Hall." McKay suggested. "I mean, they're gonna wind up there anyway and this way we won't have people with no memories wandering the hallways."<br>"That's what I'm worried about. I'll send Lorne and a team out, make sure those orders are followed." John said.  
>Sam leads them into her office, picks up a couple of bottles of tablets from her desk and gives them to John and Rodney. "These are from Doctor Neaves. They're stimulants. He thinks they may slow the effects of the memory loss. It's just a stop-gap but at least it may buy us a few hours."<br>Rodney takes one of the tablets out of the bottle but looks at it nervously. "Do we know what's in these, because I'm allergic-"  
>"Just take it." John said.<br>He tosses a tablet into his own mouth while Rodney nervously takes his own. Sam hands John another bottle.  
>"Hand these out to Lorne and his men. One more thing: I've ordered Doctor Zelenka to remove the Gate's main control crystal. No matter what happens, we cannot risk spreading this disease elsewhere in the galaxy or to Earth."<br>"What happens when we all start losing our memory?" McKay asked.  
>"Doctor Keller will come up with something before that happens." Sam said, more hopefully than convincingly.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon comes in again and goes over to Jennifer as she walks away from Doctor Baxter's bedside. She is covered in sweat.  
>"Hey. I thought we were moving everyone to the Mess Hall?"<br>"He's our most advanced case. His vitals are too unstable. What can I do for you?"  
>"I was just wondering if you found anything."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"I'm not showing any sign of the disease, remember?"<br>"Oh. Well, it's possible you could have some sort of natural immunity." She starts to feel his neck glands again.  
>"Doc..." Ronon frowned.<br>"Stay here a minute. I'll take a sample of your blood."  
>"Doc. You've already done that."<br>Jennifer stares at him. "It's happening to me, isn't it?"  
>An alarm sounds. Marie, standing at Baxter's bedside, turns to Jennifer. "Doctor, he's convulsing."<br>Jennifer runs over to his bed. "OK, uh, give him ... um ... uh, meda- ... medazelam, four milligrams." As Marie runs to get it, Baxter stops convulsing. "He's in V-fib. I need a crash cart." Ronon stands aside as a medic brings in the cart. Jennifer grabs the paddles. "Charge it to two hundred." Marie pushes Baxter's top up and Jennifer applies the paddles. "Clear." She shocks him, then looks at the readout on the screens. It doesn't change. "Charge it to three hundred. ... Clear." She shocks him again. The monitor changes to a single continuous tone. Jennifer stares at her team in horror.

҉

**THE PRESENT**

Lorne and his team have captured some more people and are bringing them to the Mess Hall. Reaching the doors, Lorne swipes his hand over the wall panel. As the doors slide open, the people inside have all gathered on the other side.  
>"Go! Go!" Lucrezia yelled. Everyone starts to charge out of the door, shoving the surprised soldiers aside.<br>"Stop!" Lorne yelled. "Stop!"  
>He fires his stunner repeatedly, gunning various people down as they run. Jennifer runs to a nearby corner and beckons to Sam and Rodney.<br>"This way!"  
>At the sound of her voice, Lorne fires at her, stunning her. In an attempt to drag Keller away, Lucrezia, too, was taken out. Sam and Rodney race around the corner and run on as Lorne continues firing at everyone. He and his soldiers chase after the fleeing pair.<br>Sometime later Sam stops for a moment. "All right, I think we're clear." She doubles over, trying to catch her breath.  
>McKay, equally as breathless, said, "Oh, thank God! My lungs were about to give out! So what next?"<br>"I don't know. How do we find her?"  
>"Who?"<br>Sam grabs his left hand and points to his palm. "Illyria! The one we just risked our lives for!"  
>"Right. Right. I don't know."<br>"All right. We'll just have to search room by room. I mean, how big could this place possibly be?"  
>She walks towards a door, which slides open to reveal an outdoor balcony. She and Rodney walk out and stare, awestruck, at the sight of the city's many towers in front of them. They look at each other in horror.<p>

҉

**THE PAST**

Ronon and John are leading a group of people along the corridors.

"Where are you taking us?" A scientist asked.  
>"I already told you: the Mess Hall." John said.<br>"I don't wanna go there!"  
>"Just relax. I know you're scared, but you're just gonna have to trust me. It's for your own good." He speeds up to join Ronon. "So much for coming quietly!"<br>They reach a junction. John walks on, but Ronon stops and indicates to the right. "Hey. Mess Hall's this way."  
>"Right." John turns to the right and they start to walk again. "Don't look at me that way. It's easy to get turned around in this place." They reach the Mess Hall and walk in. Many people are already inside. Sam comes over to them. "Major Lorne's picking up some more stragglers. We're starting to get a little resistance."<br>"Yeah. They're starting to lose their memories. They probably can't understand why there's a bunch of soldiers after them." Sam said.  
>"That's why I told him to take his men to the Armory and equip them with stunners."<br>Sam grimaces. "I'm not sure I like the idea of us shooting at our own people."  
>"Well, they may not have a choice."<br>"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Pretty soon there's gonna be some panicked, confused people out there."  
>"Yeah."<br>"OK, carry on."  
>She walks away. John looks thoughtful.<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>"Come with me."<br>He leads him out of the room.

҉

**ARMOURY**

As Lorne's team arm themselves, Lorne is sitting on a bench shaking tablets out of a bottle into his hand. John and Ronon walk in. John frowns as he sees Lorne shovel a handful of pills into his mouth.  
>"You might wanna go easy on that stuff, Major." John said.<br>"Sir, we need to delay this thing as much as possible. If we all go, there's no coming back."  
>"Yeah, I know. That's what I wanna talk to you about. I've got an idea."<p>

҉

**THE PRESENT**

Sam and Rodney are walking along a corridor.

"Haven't we come this way before?" McKay asked.

"No."

"You sure?"  
>Sam looks back down the corridor. "No."<br>"I have an idea." He takes his pen out of his pocket and draws a cross on the wall.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"If we come back here, we'll know we've been this way before."  
>"Presuming, of course, that we remember that we're the ones who put it there in the first place."<br>Rodney frowns. Just then, they hear footsteps and dive around the corner to hide. Radek comes into view, aiming a Wraith stunner pistol around nervously.  
>"I know you're out there. Drop your weapons and come out slowly."<br>As he continues aiming his pistol in all directions, Sam and Rodney peer around the corner cautiously. Radek is clutching something to his chest with his other hand. Rodney looks at him, then remembers something.  
>"Little guy with glasses."<br>He pulls up his left sleeve and looks at the writing on his arm. Seeing something relevant, he smiles with relief and starts to walk out of hiding. Sam grabs his arm and pulls him back.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"I know him." He steps out of hiding, raising his hands. "Don't shoot." Radek aims his stunner at him, trying to look belligerent, but failing dismally. "I don't have any weapons."  
>Sam follows Rodney out, also raising her hands.<br>"Who are you?" Radek asked.  
>"We were captured by the soldiers. We escaped." Sam said.<br>"Really?" Radek asked, surprised.  
>Rodney sees the something that Radek is holding to his chest. "Listen, what is that?"<br>Radek backs away, holding onto whatever it is possessively. "I found it."  
>"Let me see."<br>Radek shakes his head.  
>"What is it?" Sam asked McKay.<br>"I don't know, but something tells me it's important."  
>"Why?" Radek asked<br>"I don't know."  
>McKay holds his hand out to Radek pleadingly. Radek hands over what he's holding. It's a computer tablet. Rodney takes it and presses the button on the side. Illyria's picture and its message come up on the screen. Radek stares in surprise.<br>"Hey! How did you know to do that?" Radek yelled.  
>"I don't know. I just did."<br>"Well, that's her! Illyria!" Sam yelled.  
>"You know her?" Radek asked.<br>"Well, not exactly." Sam said. "We're looking for her. We think she can help us."  
>"Huh!" Radek looks at the screen. "It says, 'Find her.' How are we going to do that?"<br>Sam and Rodney look at each other. They have no idea.

҉

**THE PAST**

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Jennifer is there with Sam and John, Ronon, McKay, and Illyria. Lucrezia had fallen ill only an hour ago; she is with all the others in the mess hall. Keller calls up an image onto the wallscreen.  
>"This is what I wanted to show you."<br>"This is the bacteria that is causing our disease?" Illyria asked.  
>"Not exactly, but it's very similar."<br>"And you found this in the database?" Sam asked.  
>"I stopped looking in the database." Keller sighed. "I knew there was a reason why Illyria and Ronon are the only people who've tested negative so far. We don't have a lot of information on the Satedans so I started looking through Doctor Beckett's records on the Ancients." Keller indicates the screen. "This is a blood sample taken from the database of a a ten year old boy. He was suffering from something called, um ... er ... I wrote it down ..."<br>"Kirsan fever?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yeah, that's it."<br>"It is a common childhood ailment throughout the galaxy. I had it when I was eight."  
>"I had it when I was ten." Ronon said.<br>"But this cannot be the same disease." Illyria shook her head. "Kirsan fever does not affect adults, nor does it cause memory loss."  
>"Well, that may be true but the structure of the bacteria is too similar to ignore. They have to be related somehow." Keller said.<br>Rodney clicks his fingers several times. "Wait a minute. Maybe they are the same. That would explain why the sensors didn't identify it as a threat."  
>"How is that possible?" Illyria asked.<br>"Well, think about it. I mean, this planet didn't have a Stargate until we came here. Maybe when the Ancients were first scouting this place, they accidentally brought this, er ... Kirsan fever with them. It got trapped here and over the course of ten thousand years it mutated to cause the symptoms we're now experiencing."  
>Keller looked at Illyria. "That would also explain why you and Ronon aren't affected. You have antibodies built up from when you were young."<br>"Well, if they have the antibodies, then..." Sam trialed off.  
>"It would take months to reverse-engineer a cure. I mean, I'm not even sure it's possible." Keller said.<br>"The sap of the enchuri plant." Illyria said, looking around. "I know the Athosians have used it for generations to combat Kirsan fever. It is highly effective and not much is needed."  
>"Let's go get some." John said.<br>"Take a Jumper." Sam instructed.  
>"Wait a minute." Ronon said. "You've disabled the Gate, remember?"<br>Sam looks at him quizzically.  
>"You ordered Doctor Zelenka to take the control crystal. Where did he put it?" Illyria asked.<br>Sam looks blank. John activates his headset.  
>"Zelenka, this is Sheppard. Come in."<p>

҉

**CORRIDORS**

Lorne and his team are walking along.  
>"Check out the rooms down there and there." Lorne said, pointing. "I want this section cleared out in ten minutes."<br>"_Lorne, come in."_ John spoke over the radio.  
>"Yes, sir, go ahead."<br>"_You seen Zelenka?"_  
>"As a matter of fact, I have."<br>"_Did you bring him to the Mess Hall?"_  
>"Uh, sorry, sir, but he gave us the slip. Must have heard us coming. Cracked one of my people over the head with a metal rod and disappeared down a service hatch before I could get a shot off. There's no telling where he is now."<p>

҉

**LATER**

John and Illyria are out in the corridors searching.  
>"Zelenka, respond?" John kept trying to reach him over the headset. "...Zelenka, come in."<br>"Radek? We are not trying to hurt you." Illyria called out. "We need your help."  
>Rodney and Ronon join them from another direction.<br>"OK, this is pointless." McKay said. "Look, we don't even know if he still has a radio, and even if we find him, chances are he's not gonna remember what he did with the control crystal. Let's face it: we're screwed."  
>"There's gotta be some way out of this." John thinks for a moment. "What about the Jumpers? They've got D.H.D.s."<br>"It doesn't matter. Without the control crystal, the Gate can't establish a stable wormhole. We're not going anywhere."  
>John frowned. "I'm missing something. I can't concentrate."<br>"What about the mainland?" Ronon asked.  
>"Ronon is right." Illyria nodded. "The enchuri plant is abundant on many worlds. It may be here as well."<br>"All right. Assuming we can find the stuff, how're we gonna distribute it?"  
>Rodney sighs plaintively. "I'll figure something out."<br>He heads off towards his lab.  
>Illyria turned to Ronon. "I'll stay with Rodney. Do you know what to look for?"<br>"It grows like a weed on Sateda." Illyria turned to leave, but hunched over in pain, clutching her stomach. John rushed over to her and held her up. "You okay?"  
>Illyria nodded, gently pushed John off and followed Rodney. John and Ronon head off for the Jumper Bay.<p>

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

John and Ronon walk in, John looking around the ship vaguely as the lights come on automatically. Ronon steers him towards the pilot's seat.  
>"Uh, there." John sits down while Ronon takes the co-pilot's seat. John stares at the controls blankly. "You can fly this thing. It's in your blood – literally."<br>Not looking very convinced, John puts his hands on the controls and the Jumper rises up out of the Bay and heads out over the ocean.

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney types onto a laptop, then turns towards another one. He stops and puts his hand over his eyes, grimacing in pain for a moment, then lowers his hand and looks around blankly.  
>"Wait a second. What am I doing?"<br>"You said the quickest way to spread the cure was to aerosolize it and distribute it through the ventilation system. You are currently attempting to override base protocol for temperature, humidity and air pressure."  
>"Right, right, OK, it's easy." He bends down to a laptop and types. "Just a simple matter of accessing the root directory and, uh..." The computer beeps at him negatively. "Ah, come on!"<br>"Rodney?"  
>"No-no-no-no-no, I should be able to do this in my sleep." He looks anguished. "Oh, God. It's happening to me too, isn't it?"<br>"You have to remain calm."  
>"Oh, no-no-no-no, you don't understand. My memory was lousy to start with. I mean, people's names, birthdays. I once forgot Mother's Day five years in a row."<br>"What is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter?"  
>"Well, that's pi. It's three point one four one five nine two six five etcetera etcetera. It doesn't count – that's easy."<br>"You are a scientist, Rodney. That is what you care about; that is what you will hang onto the longest."  
>"Right. Right." Illyria pats his arm encouragingly. He turns back to the computer. "So ..." He lifts his head again. "Wait a minute. Doesn't that make me a really bad person?"<br>"It makes you the type of person who is going to save all our lives." She gestures down to the laptop.

"Oh! OK. Hmm!" McKay said, encouraged. He gets back to work.

҉

**THE PRESENT**

The doors to the Infirmary open and Rodney, Sam and Radek go inside cautiously.  
>"What is this place?" Radek asked.<br>"I don't know." McKay looks around. There are boxes of medicine and equipment scattered around the floor. "Looks like they left in a hurry."  
>"She's not here. Let's-"<br>From a distance they heard Lorne's voice. "Down here! This way!"  
>Whispering, Carter said, "Quiet! Go! Go!"<br>The three of them run to find different hiding places in the room. Moments later Lorne and his team come in.  
>"All right, everybody spread out. They've gotta be in here somewhere."<br>The men start to search the room. Sam, Rodney and Radek scrunch deeper into their hiding places behind or beside cabinets. They're not very well hidden and are likely to be discovered at any moment. Lieutenant Kemp walks to an open cabinet behind which Sam is hiding. He looks inside. Lorne, meanwhile, walks slowly along the front of another cabinet. Rodney is hiding around the side of it. A few more paces and Lorne will definitely see him. Just then Kemp calls out.  
>"Sir!" Lorne turns to him. Kemp takes some bottles of tablets out of the cabinet. "Found 'em."<br>"Good." Lorne clicks his fingers at his team. "Let's go, let's move out. Come on."  
>They leave the room. Once they've gone, Sam and Rodney come slowly out of hiding. Radek, still crouched down beside a low cabinet, looks up at them plaintively.<br>"Can we get out of here, please?"  
>Sam looks round at Rodney thoughtfully.<br>"What is it?" McKay asked.  
>"I have an idea. Come on."<p>

҉

**THE PAST**

**MAINLAND**

The Jumper has landed and its rear door is opening.  
>"Let's go." Ronon said. Picking up a couple of sacks and drawing his blaster, he leads John out. John stops on the ramp.<br>"Wait a minute." Ronon rolls his eyes and turns back to him. "What is this place?"  
>"The mainland."<br>"What are we doing here?"  
>"I told you already. We need to get that plant." Ronon said, sounding irritated.<br>"Something seems fishy."  
>Ronon changes the setting on his blaster and shoots John, who drops to the floor unconscious. Ronon smiled. "Never gets old."<p>

••• ••• •••

Ronon has taken John back inside the Jumper and has sat him on one of the side benches. He finishes tying his hands and feet with a rope, then grabs his hair and pulls his still-unconscious head up for a moment.  
>"Sorry, buddy. You're just gonna slow me down."<br>Lowering his head again, he pats him on the shoulder and heads off into the forest, activating the Jumper's door to close behind him.

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

**DUSK**

Rodney finishes typing on one laptop and turns to another.  
>"How's it coming, Rodney?" Illyria asked.<br>"I'm just about finished ... I think." There's a loud clattering noise outside. "What was that?"  
>"I'll go see. Keep working."<br>She leaves the lab. Rodney watches her go, then turns back to his computers. Illyria walks along the inside balcony, looking around cautiously. Just then, Lorne walks around a corner, followed by his team, and raises his stunner as he sees her.  
>"Don't move!"<br>Illyria's eyes widen momentarily, but she tries to smile at him reassuringly. "Major Lorne. It's me, Illyria."  
>Lorne was still aiming his stunner at her. "You shouldn't be out here."<br>"Major, it's me."  
>"Everyone's been ordered back to the Mess Hall."<br>Illyria backs away slowly from him as they speak. One of Lorne's men takes a pair of plastic tethers from his jacket. "But Doctor McKay and I..."  
>"Put your hands on your head, slowly."<br>As the man with the tethers approaches her, she punches him in the face several times and knocks him down. A second marine runs at her but she punches him down and grabs his stunner. As the first marine gets up and heads for her again, she aims her stunner at him and grabs his wrist, pulling him forward while using him as a shield. Lorne shoots him in the back and he cries out and convulses before dropping to the floor. Illyria takes off and races away with the team in pursuit.  
>In the lab, Rodney walks nervously towards the door. He whispered, "Illyria?" He peers out the door but there's nobody around. His eyes widened and said, terrified, "Oh God."<br>Illyria runs along the corridors with Lorne's team firing their stunners at her as they chase her. She ducks around some cases and fires back at them. As they dive for cover, she runs off again. The team gives chase. She jumps down some stairs and hurtles along a straight corridor with no cover, desperately trying to get to the door at the end. As she nears the end, another member of the team comes around a corner nearby and fires his stunner into her back. She drops to the floor and slides along it, unconscious. The rest of the team walks over to her, Kemp kicking her stunner away while Lorne turns her over.  
>"All right, let's get her up."<br>Lorne and Kemp haul her up, sling her arms over their shoulders and drag her away. In his lab, Rodney picks up his digital camera and starts to activate it, frantically muttering, "Come on!" Finally it's ready and he looks into the lens. All right. Look, I know you're probably panicking right now, but there is no time for that. You need to focus. I'm sure you're wondering who tied you to the desk."

҉

**THE PRESENT**

**BRIG**

Illyria is wandering around the cell, holding her stiches, but turns as the door to the Brig opens and Lorne comes in, covered in sweat.  
>"You're awake." He said.<br>"Major Lorne, you must let me free-"  
>"Save it. You're not going anywhere 'til I get some answers. I need to know what you've done to my people."<br>"What I've done? You believe I'm behind this?"  
>"Is it a drug? Some kind of bio-weapon?"<br>"Major, they're sick. You as well." Lorne grins disbelievingly. "The entire base is infected with a disease."  
>Lorne takes his bottle of tablets out of his vest pocket. "Everyone except you."<br>"Yes. I'm _immune_ to its effects."  
>Lorne popped some tablets into his mouth. "Isn't that convenient?"<br>"How many of those have you taken?"  
>"Why don't you just let me worry about that, OK?"<br>"It's the pills. They're what's making you act like this. They're confusing you. They're making you unstable."  
>"Making me unstable? I'm not the one who unleashed a disease on my people, OK? Quit stalling. I wanna know what you were doing in the hallway-"<br>A stunner blast is fired into his back and he collapses. Sam, who just shot him, comes into the room with Rodney and Radek. Illyria stares at them in delight.  
>"Rodney!"<br>"Illyria."  
>"Yes! It's good to see you. Colonel Carter, Doctor Zelenka, you as well. How did you find me?"<p>

"Uh, well, we were having trouble finding you by ourselves, so we followed him." Sam points down at Lorne.  
>Illyria turned to Rodney. "Did you finish your work?"<br>"Wh-what do you mean?"  
>Illyria sighs in anguish. "Can you disarm the force shield?"<br>She walks to the corner of the cell where the shield controls are. Rodney follows her around and looks at the controls in confusion.  
>"I-I don't know."<br>He looks at them for a moment longer, then has a thought. He pushes up his left sleeve and looks at the writing on his arm, then types onto the control panel. The shield deactivates. Rodney stares in amazement, then goes around to the doorway and slides it open. Illyria heads straight for the door, looking over her shoulder briefly.  
>"Quickly."<br>The others follow her.

҉

**MAINLAND**

**EVENING**

Ronon, carrying two large sacks full of plants, runs towards the Jumper but stops short and sighs as he sees that the rear door is open. Grunting in frustration, he runs inside and sighs again as he sees that John has gone. Looking down, he sees that a small box containing cartridges is open. Dropping the sacks, he draws his blaster, charges it and walks back out, looking around carefully but John steps out from around the corner of the Jumper and points his pistol at the back of his head.  
>"Don't move." Ronon grimaces angrily. "Drop it." Ronon drops his blaster to the ground and raises his hands. "Now back away." Ronon walks a few paces away from the blaster, then slowly turns around as John picks it up. "Now, tell me: who the hell are you?"<br>"I know you don't remember everything. You have no idea what's going on. You're confused, maybe even a little scared. I know I would be. But you have to trust me." John cocks his pistol. "We're friends. The things we've been through together – I don't care what anyone says, no disease can wipe that away, not completely." John frowns as if certain very distant memories are coming to him and he's trying to make them clearer in his mind. "OK, deep down, you know I'm telling the truth." John's pistol wavers as he continues trying to think. "Now give me the gun."  
>He reaches for it but John aims it at him again.<br>"Oh, nice try." Ronon raises his hands and backs away, frustrated. "For all I know, you're the one who tied me up."  
>Ronon lowered his hands. "Fine. Then shoot me. Then you'll be all alone in the middle of the dark forest, with no idea who you are, where you're going or what you're gonna do next. How could I possibly make it any worse?"<br>John's face is full of confusion and effort as he tries to think. He grimaces at Ronon. "That's a good point."  
>Ronon smiles sarcastically at him, gesturing at him to lower his pistol. After a couple of seconds, John clicks the safety catch on and lowers the gun.<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Illyria leads the others in and takes Rodney over to one of the laptops. His sweating has become worse and he looks exhausted.  
>"Here. Sit."<br>"Are you sure you wouldn't rather do it?"  
>"I do not know how."<br>"Oh, and I do?" McKay said, plaintively, as he sits down.  
>"Yes. You created the override program. You said you were almost finished."<br>"Oh, then it should be easy." He said sarcastically.  
>"Rodney, listen to me. You must do this. It is our only chance." Rodney blinks in an attempt to clear his head, then looks at the screen. "The knowledge is inside you. You just have to find it."<br>Rodney looks at the screen and the keyboard for a moment, then hesitantly reaches out and presses the Enter key. A schematic of the ventilation system comes up on the screen, then the image changes to two columns of scrolling Ancient text. Sam and Radek gaze at the screen in wonder. The text scrolls for a few more moments, then a message comes up saying, "PROGRAM COMPLETE." Illyria smiles in delight.  
>"Wow." McKay said.<br>"He did it." Radek smiled.  
>"When I said I was almost finished, I guess I wasn't kidding."<br>"Now what?" Sam asked.  
>"Now we just have to hope that my husband and Ronon completed their side of the mission." Illyria said.<br>"Right. Right." McKay smiles at Sam, then he and Sam and Radek look at Illyria blankly.  
>"Who?"<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Kemp comes in and walks over to a soldier who is looking at a laptop screen.  
>"What is it?"<br>"A ship headed for the Bay doors on the roof."  
>"Have they identified themselves?"<br>"No, sir. It could be help."  
>"Could also be some kind of an attack. Get in touch with the others; tell 'em to meet me at the Jumper Bay. And find Major Lorne."<p>

҉

**JUMPER BAY**

The Jumper comes in to land.  
>"Nice flying." Ronon commented.<br>"Thanks."  
>"Come on, help me with the stuff." He leads John to the rear of the ship and picks up the sacks. "We've gotta get this to Illyria right away."<br>"Who?"  
>"Come on."<br>They walk outside just as the soldiers come into the Bay, aiming their stunners at them.  
>"Hands in the air, now!" Kemp yelled.<br>"Listen, Lieutenant, this is medicine. We need to deliver it." Ronon said.  
>"I said hands in the air." Angrily, Ronon drops the sacks and raises his hands as one of the soldiers disarms him. "Let's take them to the Brig."<br>"You're making a mistake." Ronon looks down at the sacks. "There are sick people who need that."  
>John turned to Ronon. "Sure you know what you're doin'?"<br>Lorne arrives. "What the hell is going on here?"  
>"Sir, we caught these men trying to infiltrate the base." Kemp said.<br>"Lorne, you've got to listen to me. Everybody on this base is gonna die if you don't." Ronon said.  
>"And who are you?"<br>"Look in your pocket."  
>"What?"<br>"Just look in your vest pocket." Ronon said sternly.  
>Lorne reaches into his pocket and pulls out what's inside. It's a Polaroid photograph of John. Written on the white strip at the bottom are the words: LT. COL. JOHN SHEPPARD. HE IS YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER. TRUST HIM!<br>"You took a picture of him just in case it came to this. I was there." Ronon said.  
>Lorne turned to his team. "He's telling the truth." He looks at John. "This is our commanding officer."<br>"That's right." John said vaguely. "I am your commanding officer, so you should do what I say."  
>"Yes, sir." All the soldiers holster their stunners. "What are your orders?"<br>John thinks about it for a moment, then jerks his thumb towards Ronon. "Do what he says."  
>Ronon turned to the soldier who disarmed him. "Gun." The soldier hands Ronon's blaster back to him. Ronon bends and picks up the sacks. "Follow me."<p>

҉

**DAYTIME**

John wakes up in bed in the Infirmary. Ronon and Illyria walk over to his bedside.

"John, you're awake." Illyria smiled.  
>"Mmm-hmm. What happened?" He said drowsily.<br>"Illyria distributed the plant in the ventilation system. It knocked you out for a bit." Ronon explained.  
>"How long have I been asleep?"<br>"About a day."  
>"A day?"<br>"Hit some people harder than others."  
>"How are you feeling, John?" Illyria asked, sitting down on the bed. "How's your memory?"<br>"Well, pretty good, I think. I mean, things are a little fuzzy." He smiled. "If I forget your birthday next year..."  
>Illyria brushed his hair out of his face and smiled. "I will forgive you. When you are feeling well enough, Major Lorne wishes to speak with you. He feels badly about what happened."<br>"It wasn't his fault. Just glad he still had the photo I gave him."  
>"That was good thinking, by the way." Ronon said.<br>"Yes. If the distribution of the cure had been delayed any longer, many more people would have died." Illyria said.  
>"What do you mean?" John looks around the Infirmary, frowning. "Where's McKay?"<p>

҉

Elsewhere in the Infirmary, Rodney is sitting at Katie's bedside. His head is bowed down onto his arm and he is holding her hand. Katie's eyes are closed and her head is rolled to one side. Jennifer walks around the corner, stops and looks at them for a moment, then slowly walks over and puts her hand on Rodney's shoulder.  
>"You should get some sleep."<br>Rodney raises his head wearily. "It's OK. I'm fine."  
>"I can let you know when she wakes up."<br>"I wanna stay."

Jennifer smiles at him as he looks up at her. "OK." Rodney looks at Katie again. "She's not giving up, you know. She's a fighter."  
>Rodney nods, not entirely convinced. Jennifer pats his shoulder and walks away. Just then, Katie's thumb moves and she strokes the back of Rodney's hand with it.<br>"Katie?" Katie frowns and shifts slightly in her sleep. "Doctor!" Jennifer comes back in as he stands up to get out of her way. "She's moving her fingers."  
>Jennifer comes over to the bedside. "Katie? Katie!" Katie opens her eyes, turns her head and looks at her. "Hey."<br>"Hello." She said weakly. "Where am I?"  
>"You're in the Infirmary. You're safe. Do you remember anything?"<br>"Um..." She looks over Jennifer's shoulder. "Rodney?" Rodney smiles with delight. She smiles back. "It's good to see you."  
>"Yeah, it's good to see you too." He said almost tearfully.<br>He clasps her hand again, smiling happily.

҉

**INFIRMIRY**

**NIGHT TIME**

Sam walked into the infirmary looking for John. When she got near his bed, she stopped. John was sitting up straight in his bed with a children's book in his hands. Patrick, dressed in footie pajamas with allover outer space print, was snuggled into John's right side. Jennifer was on John's left and wore a white tank top with a whale on it and a pair of matching shorts. Both children drifted quietly to sleep as John read,

"And then something went BUMP! How that bump made us jump! We looked! Then we saw him step in on the mat! We looked! And we saw him! The Cat in the Hat!"

"Woah…" Patrick mumbled.

Jennifer looked up at John. "Can cat really wear hats, Daddy?"

"Of course they can't, silly!" Patrick said, picking himself up to look over John.

"How do you know! You've never seen one." Jenifer shot back.

"I have too!"

"Nah-uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Kids!" John said, pushing them down gently by their shoulders. "AS much as I love to hear you too argue, but I get enough of that at home. Doctor Keller only allowed you in here because you promised to be quite. Now, do you want me to call mom," the kids shook their heads enthusiastically, "or do you want me to read the story?"

"Story, please," Jennifer said, settling back into her spot. Sam could see she was clutching a plush pony toy.

"Alrighty then." John cleared his throat. "And he said to us, "Why do you sit there like that? I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny! I know some good games we could play," Said the cat. "I know some new tricks," Said the Cat in the Hat. "A lot of good tricks. I will show them to you. Your mother Will not mind at all if I do."

Then Sally and I Did not know what to say. Our mother was out of the house for the day. But the fish said, "No! No! Make that cat go away! Tell that Cat in the Hat you do NOT want to play. He should not be here. He should not be about. He should not be here when your mother is out!"

"Now! Now! Have no fear. Have no fear!" said the cat. "My tricks are not bad," Said the Cat in the Hat. "Why, we can have lots of good fun, if you wish, with a game that I call UP UP UP with a fish!"

"Put me down!" said the fish. "This is no fun at all! Put me down!" said the fish. "I do NOT wish to fall!"

"Have no fear!" said the cat. "I will not let you fall. I will hold you up high as I stand on a ball. With a book on one hand! And a cup on my hat! But that is not ALL I can do!" said the cat... "Look at me! Look at me now!" said the cat. "With a cup and a cake on the top of my hat! I can hold up TWO books! I can hold up the fish! And a little toy ship! And some milk on a dish! And look! I can hop up and down on the ball! But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all... "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun but you have to know how. I can hold up the cup and the milk and the cake! I can hold up these books! And the fish on a rake! I can hold the toy ship and a little toy man! And look! With my tail I can hold a red fan! I can fan with the fan As I hop on the ball! But that is not all. Oh, no. That is not all..."

That is what the cat said... Then he fell on his head! He came down with a bump from up there on the ball. And Sally and I, We saw ALL the things fall! And our fish came down, too. He fell into a pot! He said, "Do I like this? Oh, no! I do not. This is not a good game," Said our fish as he lit. "No, I do not like it, Not one little bit! Now look what you did!" Said the fish to the cat. "Now look at this house! Look at this! Look at that! You sank our toy ship, sank it deep in the cake. You shook up our house and you bent our new rake. You SHOULD NOT be here when our mother is not. You get out of this house!" Said the fish in the pot.

"But I like it here. Oh, I like it a lot!" Said the Cat in the Hat to the fish in the pot. "I will NOT go away. I do NOT wish to go! And so," said the Cat in the Hat, "So so so... I will show you another good game that I know!" And then he ran out.

And then, fast as a fox, The Cat in the Hat Came back in with a box. A big red wood box. It was shut with a hook. "Now look at this trick," Said the cat. "Take a look!" Then he got up on top With a tip of his hat. "I call this game FUN IN A BOX," Said the cat. "In this box are two things I will show to you now. You will like these two things," Said the cat with a bow. "I will pick up the hook. You will see something new. Two things. And I call them Thing One and Thing Two. These things will not bite you. They want to have fun."

Then, out of the box Came Thing Two and Thing One! And they ran to us fast. They said, "How do you do? Would you like to shake hands With Thing One and Thing Two?"

And Sally and I did now know what to do. So we had to shake hands With Thing One and Thing Two. We shook their two hands. But our fish said,

"No! No! Those Things should not be In this house! Make them go! They should not be here When your mother is not! Put them out! Put them out!" Said the fish in the pot.

"Have no fear, little fish," Said the Cat in the Hat. "These things are good Things." And he gave them a pat. "They are tame. Oh, so tame! They have come here to play. They will give you some fun On this wet, wet day. Now, here is a game that they like," Said the cat. "They like to fly kites," Said the Cat in the Hat.

"No! Not in the house!" Said the fish in the pot. "They should not fly kites In a house! They should not. Oh, the things they will bump! Oh, the things they will hit! Oh, I do not like it! Not one little bit!"

Then Sally and I Saw them run down the hall. We saw those two Things Bump their kites on the wall! Bump! Thump! Thump! Bump! Down the wall in the hall. Thing Two and Thing One! They ran up! They ran down! On the string of one kit we saw Mother's new gown! Her gown with the dots that are pink, white and red. Then we saw one kite bump On the head of her bed! Then those Things ran about With big bumps, jumps and kicks And with hops and big thumps And all kinds of bad tricks.

And I said, "I do NOT like the way that they play! If Mother could see this, Oh, what would she say!"

Then our fish said, "Look! Look!" And our fish shook with fear. "Your mother is on her way home! Do you hear? Oh, what will she do to us? What will she say? Oh, she will not like it To find us this way! So, DO something! Fast!" said the fish. "Do you hear! I saw her. Your mother! Your mother is near! So, as fast as you can, Think of something to do! You will have to get rid of Thing One and Thing Two!"

So, as fast as I could, I went after my net. And I said, "With my net I can get them I bet. I bet, with my net, I can get those Things yet!" Then I let down my net. It came down then a PLOP! And I had them! At last! Those two Things had to stop. Then I said to the cat, "Now, you do as I say. You pack up those Things and you take them away!"

"Oh dear!" said the cat. "You did not like our game... Oh dear. What shame! What a shame! What a shame!" Then he shut up the Things In the box with the hook. And the cat went away with a sad kind of look.

"That is good," said the fish. "He has gone away. Yes. But your mother will come. She will find this big mess! And this mess is so big And so deep and so tall, we cannot pick it up. There is no way at all!"

And THEN! Who was back in the house? Why, the cat! "Have no fear of this mess," Said the Cat in the Hat. "I always pick up all my playthings And so... I will show you another good trick that I know!"

Then we saw him pick up all the things that were down. He picked up the cake, and the rake, and the gown, and the milk, and the strings, and the books, and the dish, and the fan, and the cup, and the ship, and the fish. And he put them away.

Then he said, "That is that." And then he was gone, with the tip of his hat. Then our mother came in and said to us two, "Did you have any fun? Tell me. What did you do?" And Sally and I did not know what to say. Should we tell her the things that went on there that day? She we tell her about it? Now, what SHOULD we do? Well... what would YOU do If you mother asked YOU?"

John closed the book and glanced down at his sides; both children were fast asleep. He chuckled and tossed to book down by his feet. Sam came up and quietly clapped and whispered,

"You should've been a voice actor."

John smiled and whispered. "I'm guessing you didn't come down here for my story telling."

She shook her head. "No."

"Pull up a seat, Colonel." John said.

Sam pulled a plastic chair and sat down near Patrick. "There're a few unanswered questions that the SGC need answered, John. I'm hoping you can give them to me."

"Questions like what?"

"First, I'd like to say I'm happy for you. The kids are back, Illyria has her memory." John nodded. "For starters, how'd Illyria get from wherever she was to lying naked in a field?"

"She can't remember her time while ascended; she doesn't know what happened."

"What about her former husband? Breen, is it? Couldn't he have sent her back?"

"Breen is a phyopathic bastard who stole his children. I highly doubt it."

"Okay then…what about the children; how'd they get back? Do they remember anything?"

"The only thing they remember is Breen taking them and then waking me up here. And, before you ask, no, Breen didn't do it. Again, we don't know."

"Helpful ascended relative, maybe?"

"That's what we were thinking, too." John nodded. "Look, before you leave, I'd like to ask you something."

Sam nodded. "Fair enough."

"The past few months you've been telling me to forget Illyria. Forget my children. Now that I've got them back you seem…"

"What are you getting at, Colonel?"

"Are you jealous of my family or are you afraid that my wife, the Queen, will take back her position?"

Sam stood up silently and slid her chair back. "It seems you're still groggy, Colonel. Get some rest, we've got plenty of work to do tomorrow."

She abruptly left the infirmary. Illyria waited until Sam was safely away to come back into view.

"You send me out to get jell-O…" She said as she walked over to the bed. She sat down near his feet and handed him two green cups and a spoon.

"I know, I know."

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

"Don't trust her enough," he said around a mouth full of jell-O.

Illyria nodded. "Think she suspected anything?"

John reached out and held her hand. "Doesn't matter now, does it?"


	58. Chapter 56

**ATLANTIS**

Illyria Sheppard walks into the Infirmary where Jennifer Keller is packing a medical kit. "Are you ready? They're preparing to dial the Gate."  
>"Uh, yeah. Almost finished." She zips the kit closed, then she and Illyria look across to the next bed on which is a large bag which look like it's stuffed full. "I know. I'm terrible at packing. I never know how much to bring."<br>"We are only going overnight. I'm sure you have enough."  
>Keller was fetching even more stuff from a cabinet. "Well, you'd think so, but..."<br>"You seem nervous."  
>"Oh, no. I'm fine. ... Well, maybe a little. Going offworld is still kinda new to me. Whole other galaxy and meeting new civilizations..."<br>"The Athosian people are very welcoming and they're eager to meet you." Illyria smiled.  
>"Well, I'm eager to meet them too; learn about their culture and their history."<br>"A gesture for which they will be most grateful."  
>"It's just, I know they were very fond of Carson. I only hope to make half the impression he did." She picks up a large plastic container and puts it into a third bag. Illyria points to the contents of the container.<br>"What are those?"  
>"Oh, lollipops – for the kids. Makes the check-ups go easier." Jennifer looked up and winked at Illyria. "Certainly works for Patrick."<br>Illyria chuckled. "You will make a wonderful impression.  
>Jennifer smiles, reassured.<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

Illyria and Jennifer walk in, Illyria wearing one of John's leather coats, while Jennifer is carrying the two large bags and is wearing the medical kit as a backpack. John looks down at them from the Control Room balcony.  
>John called down to his wife, "Ooh! Look at you! Got a date I should know about?"<br>Illyria rolled her eyes. "You will contact us if you need us?"  
>"Oh, we'll be fine. You kids have fun." He called out to Jennifer, "You're gonna love the Athosians."<br>"I'm gonna experience my first Tendol Feast."  
>"Oh, those are good, but watch out for the, um ... what do you call it?"<br>"Ruus wine." Illyria said.  
>"Ruus wine." John nodded. "Tasty stuff, but hell of a kick."<br>Illyria smiled. "We really should be going, sweety."  
>"Have fun, kids!"<p>

"Oh, John," Illyria said, snapping her fingers, one foot already in the gate. "Remember, Jen has been have nightmares, so if she climbs into to bed, just leave her. Okay?"

Before he could respond, Illyria and Jennifer enter the Gate.

҉

**NEW ATHOS**

The girls exit the Gate, Jennifer looking around at the forest they have arrived in. Illyria turns to her.  
>"The settlement is through the woods."<br>"Lead the way."  
>Illyria looks at the load that Jennifer's carrying and reaches for one of the bags. "It is some distance. Let me help you with those."<br>"Oh, no, no. It's OK. I'm the idiot who over-packed; I should be the idiot carrying them." Illyria smiles and leads her away from the Gate. "So John was right, huh? About that hot date tonight?"  
>Illyria grins, but doesn't reply.<p>

The girls reach the outskirts of the Athosian settlement. Somewhere on their walk Jennifer has given up and has allowed Illyria to take both of the large bags.  
>"I didn't think it would be this far." Keller said. They walk on a little, Illyria looking around a little anxiously. "Is it always this quiet?"<br>"Something is wrong." She drops the bags and walks towards the village, calling out, "Hello?" When there's no reply, she breaks into a run as she enters the village, calling out, "Hello? Is anybody here?"  
>She looks into a tent but there's no-one there and nobody replies to her calls.<br>"Where is everyone?" Keller asked.  
>"I do not know, but they did not leave of their own accord."<br>"Are you saying they were attacked?"  
>Illyria looks around in dread. "Or culled."<br>"I thought the Wraith didn't know about this planet."  
>"That was my understanding as well."<br>"Then how could they just..." Illyria holds up her hand to silence her as she hears rustling nearby. Keller quietly asked, "What is it?"  
>Illyria beckons to her and they hurry to take cover behind a small stand of trees. A couple of men come into view on the other side of the village as they make their way out of the forest.<br>"Do you know them?" Keller asked quietly.  
>The men get closer. Illyria looks at them as they stop to examine the bags lying on the ground. The men have long unkempt hair and are wearing leather and furs.<br>"We must leave." Illyria said.  
>"OK." Keller said nervously.<br>They hurry away and make their way into the forest. Illyria beckons the way. "Over here." They take cover behind a large tree trunk and Illyria looks around. "The weapons cache is too far."  
>"What?"<br>"We'd better make a run for the Gate." She turns to Jennifer and starts pulling her backpack off.

"What are you ... what are you looking for?"  
>"Did you bring a weapon?" Illyria said, unzipping the backpack.<br>"No. That's just medical supplies. Don't you have a weapon?"  
>Illyria pulls a knife out of her boot. "Just a knife. I was coming to visit my people – I did not believe I would need a gun."<br>"Who are those men?"  
>"Bola Kai."<br>"You know them?"

"I know _of_ them." Illyria said, still rummaging through the backpack. "The markings on their faces are distinctive to their tribe but I have never crossed paths with them – until now."  
>"Are they dangerous?"<br>Illyria finds a large scalpel and holds it up. "Beyond dangerous. Let's go."  
>Jennifer puts the backpack on again and they hurry away. When they reach a steep incline, Illyria scrambles up it with little difficulty but Jennifer, less fit and weighed down by her backpack, struggles as she attempts to climb it. Partway up, she loses her footing and falls backwards, rolling over as she tumbles back down to the bottom. She clutches at her right ankle in pain, Illyria scrambles back down again.<br>"Are you all right?" Illyria asked.  
>"I twisted my ankle."<br>"We have to keep moving."  
>"Just hang on a sec." Keller feels her ankle carefully.<br>"Is it broken?"  
>"No, I don't think so. It's probably just sprained."<br>Illyria helps her to her feet. "Leave the bag. It's too heavy."  
>As Jennifer hobbles towards the incline, Illyria takes the backpack to the foot of a tree and covers it with foliage before following Jennifer.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Illyria is helping Jennifer to hobble through the forest. They see the Stargate a short distance away but stop when they see it is guarded by a couple of Bola Kai. Illyria urges Jennifer behind some cover.  
>"Oh, God. What do we do?"<br>"It is too risky to return to the weapons cache."  
>"What weapons cache?"<br>"We gave the Athosians guns to protect themselves in the event they were raided."  
>"Well, what makes you think the guns would still be there? Wouldn't that be the first thing those guys would steal?"<br>Illyria looks out at the men guarding the Gate. One of them is holding a crossbow. "If the Bola Kai stole them, they would be using them. But the weapons cache is too far, especially in your condition, and we have no idea how many more Bola Kai are out there." She bends down and takes her knife out of her boot again. She had also tucked the scalpel in there and now hands it to Jennifer. "Our best option is to take out these guards by ourselves."  
>"Take them out? What are you talking about? How're we gonna do that?"<br>"I don't know yet."  
>"Hey, listen. I am not like you. I don't know anything about fighting."<br>Illyria looks around and finds a stout short stick. "Just do what I say."  
>"I want to, believe me, but I – I don't think I can." She looks at the scalpel, almost sobbing in fear.<br>"You must think otherwise. What we first need to do is to create-"  
>She stops as she sees that the Bola Kai are moving away from the Gate towards them. The men look around, apparently aware that someone is out there. Illyria grabs Jennifer's arm and they hurry away. One of the men sees movement, beckons to his colleague and they give chase. The men run for a while and then reach an outcropping over a river. They stand at the edge and look around, seeing no-one. As they turn away, we see that the girls have someone managed to scramble down the rock and are squatting in a small opening several feet below the men. Illyria has her hand over Jennifer's mouth to keep her quiet. The men walk away.<br>"They are gone." She takes her hand from Jennifer's mouth. Jennifer's eyes are wide. "Are you all right?"  
>Jennifer fights back tears. "I'm sorry."<br>"I know this is something you are unprepared for."  
>"I should be prepared, I know."<br>"Unfortunately, I am afraid things may get worse before they get better. Those guards will alert the others to our situation. They will hunt us. The longer we avoid capture, the better our chances. They will continue to guard the Gate, yes, but in time Atlantis will realize we are late and they will send a rescue team."  
>"But we're not due back 'til tomorrow."<br>"It is therefore critical that we elude capture until then. What do you need to help your injury?"  
>"Well, I should probably wrap it but the bandages are in the medical kit."<br>"The kit is on the way to the weapons cache. Hopefully it'll still be where we..." She stops as a slow single drumbeat begins to sound.  
>"What is that?"<br>"They are summoning the others, gathering them." Illyria sighed and rubber her forehead. "The hunt is beginning." She picks up her stick and lays it across her lap as the drumbeat continues.

҉

**LATER**

The girls have made their way back down the incline. Illyria pulls the foliage off the medical backpack and takes it over to Jennifer.  
>"Oh, thank God." Jennifer sighed.<br>"We need to move quickly."  
>"I will." Illyria checks the area while Jennifer unzips the bag and takes out a bottle of pills. Illyria looks round as the bottle rattles. "Ibuprofen. Helps with the pain and swelling."<br>"Yes. Doctor McKay uses them frequently, along with antihistamines, antacids, motion sickness pills..."  
>"You forgot the prescription I just wrote him for restless leg syndrome." She unlaces her boot and takes it off. "I've always been a wimp. Got a low threshold for pain." She eases her sock off and starts to wrap a bandage around her foot.<br>"People often underestimate the level of discomfort they are capable of enduring."

Jennifer smiled. "I couldn't imagine childbirth…"

Illyria smiled. "Actually, the worst thing was when I was a child; several of us were sent into the woods for ten days, alone."  
>"Ten days alone?"<br>"It was a silly challenge." Illyria shook her head. "No food, no water, forced to survive on our own. None of us believed we could endure it but all of us did."  
>"I went to summer camp." Keller said and Illyria chuckled, remembering all of John's 'band camp' stories. "No, no, listen. There were other kids; we had cabins – with beds ... and electricity ... and food."<br>"I see?"  
>"I didn't even make it three days. Got homesick; called my parents to come and get me."<br>Illyria nods and walks away from her a little, her face filled with dread at what's she's going to have to cope with while travelling with a companion who's going to be useless.

҉

**LATER**

Illyria, now wearing the backpack and carrying her stout stick, runs to a partially covered hole in the ground. She stops and turns away in frustration when she sees that the covering has been removed and the hole is empty. Jennifer hobbles over.  
>"The weapons cache?" Illyria nods. "Well, where are the weapons? I mean, obviously the Bola Kai don't have them."<br>"The Athosians must have needed them to fight off the attack. But then why were they not successful? The Bola Kai's weapons would have been no match against these."

҉

**LATER**

The girls have travelled to the edge of the river. Illyria points to the other side. "Over there."  
>"What?"<br>"There is a blind across the river."  
>"A blind?"<br>"For hunting. It is well hidden. It will provide shelter for the night." She leads Jennifer a little way along the river until they reach a rope bridge. Jennifer stares at it in horror.  
>"We're gonna cross that?"<br>"It is the quickest way across."  
>"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."<br>Jennifer hobbles closer and looks at it. It's a simple bridge with a single large strand to walk on, and two more large strands coming up in a V-shape either side for handholds.  
>"The Athosians built it." Illyria smiled. "I've been across it and it is quite safe."<br>"Oh, I'm – I'm sure it is. It's just ... well, my ankle ... and I've also got this inner ear thing – we call it vertigo – and ..." She stares across the bridge in dread. "Oh, God, look at it!"  
>Illyria turns to Jennifer, looking at her sternly. "John taught me that there comes a point in adversity when fear disappears, leaving only the will to survive."<br>"I know. It's just, I don't think I'm even remotely close to that point." She smiles at Illyria nervously. Illyria looks back at her, her face impassive like she was staring at Jen or Pat.  
>"Fine. Stay here then." She walks onto the bridge.<br>"Oh, wh... well, wait! I mean, I ... I'm sure I could..." Keller looks around "... I could climb down and find a ... shallow spot in the river to cross. I mean, it might take me a little longer but ..."  
>She turns and looks at the bridge again. Her eyes widen as she sees that Illyria is already almost halfway across.<br>"Illyria? Illyria!" Terrified, she realizes she has no choice but to cross the bridge. "Oh God." Whimpering, she puts her foot onto the bridge. "Here we go." She blows out a breath and hesitantly starts to walk forward, talking to herself, "It's perfectly safe. Perfectly safe." As she progresses a few paces forward, the bridge begins to sway with each step she takes. "Wobbly. Too wobbly."  
>She glances up to see that Illyria has almost reached the other side, then looks down and concentrates on putting her feet carefully onto the rope as she continues forward. After a while, she reaches the three-quarters distance.<br>"Almost there."  
>As she smiles with growing confidence, her foot promptly slips and she loses her footing. She grabs onto the handrail, screaming. Losing her grip on that, she clings to a rope attaching the handrail to the bottom rope, then grabs onto the bottom rope. She continues to scream and wail as she tries to hang on – then Illyria is there, grabs her hand firmly and hauls her up. Jennifer gets her feet back onto the bottom rope and they make their way to the other side. Jennifer stops to catch her breath, and looks at Illyria gratefully as she turns to look at her.<br>"Thank you."  
>Illyria nodded to her. "Come on."<p>

They continue onwards, Illyria leading the way.

"Maybe the Athosians managed to make it to the Gate and escape." Jennifer said.  
>"All of them?"<br>"Well, I don't know. Maybe. I mean, we haven't found any bodies, right? From what you said, I doubt the Bola Kai would take the time to bury their victims."  
>"No. They do not. Because when they are done with their victims, usually very little remains."<br>"What are you telling me – they're cannibals?"  
>Illyria turns to look at her silently. Jennifer looks back, then her eyes widen and she gasps as a round serrated metal weapon thunks into the tree trunk just in front of her. She turns and looks in the direction the weapon came from. A Bola Kai runs into view on the ridge above them, aiming another weapon at her. As she stands there uselessly, Illyria throws herself at her and knocks her out of the way. As the man jumps down from the ridge, Illyria wrestles her backpack off, then jumps up and, holding her stick in one hand and her knife in the other, walks forward.<p>

Two other Bola Kai move in and the three of them circle her, at least one of them wielding a large two-headed axe while the others have large knives and a club. Jennifer, still kneeling on the ground, scrambles around until she finds her scalpel, then holds it up, trembling. The men charge at Illyria and they fight. Illyria's superior skills come into their own and after several seconds she has knocked two of them down and one of them has dropped the axe. She snatches it up and slams it viciously into the stomach of the third man, killing him. As Jennifer stares in horror, Illyria grabs her stick from the ground again and stands up. One of the other two is running away while the other one is still on the ground, unconscious or winded. Illyria turns to Jennifer.  
>"Are you all right?"<br>"Yeah."  
>"Stay here." She races off in pursuit of the man who ran away.<br>"What? Illyria? Illyria!"

Illyria charges after the man as he runs through the forest. Seeing the route that he is taking, she swerves off to the right. As he continues to run, she manages to get ahead of him and, as he passes a tree, she is already behind it and jabs her stick out from it at knee level, tripping him over. As he groans and tries to rise, she walks over, kneels onto his back and pulls her stick across his throat, gripping it with both hands as she tugs backwards on it. The man struggles to crawl away, gagging, but Illyria hangs on grimly until the man slumps dead, his throat crushed.

She stands up, glares down at him for a moment, then walks away.

Back at the riverside, Jennifer limps forward nervously as the not-dead Bola Kai starts to revive. She scrambles forward and picks up his long knife, then hops back, holding it before her with both hands as he starts to drag himself up. She looks at the knife in terror, completely unconvinced that she can use it if the man comes at her, but then Illyria arrives. Jennifer points with the knife to the other man on the ground.  
>"That one's dead, but he's still alive."<br>Illyria takes the knife from her as the man continues to groan as he tries to straighten up. She walks towards him and slashes the knife across his throat. As he cries out and crumples to the ground, Jennifer cringes away, then turns back and looks in horror at Illyria as she drops the knife to the ground and turns back to her.  
>"We cannot afford to take prisoners."<br>"Well, we could ... we could have tied him up and left him in the woods."  
>"Then the others would have found him and released him to rejoin the hunt. I know it is difficult to accept but the fewer of them, the better our chances of survival."<br>Jennifer nods, understanding Illyria's reasons but unhappy about the killings. Just then, the girls hear groaning coming from a short distance away. Illyria bends and picks up the long knife again, then runs in the direction of the sound. Jennifer follows her and they find a man lying on the ground. His hair is short, his clothing is different from the other men and he has no markings on his face, so he doesn't appear to be a Bola Kai. His hands are bound in front of him and he is alternately groaning and whimpering in pain.  
>"His hands are tied. He must have been a prisoner." Keller said. She bends down to take a closer look, while Illyria checks the surrounding area. The man has a bloody wound across his stomach. "He's got a stab wound to his abdomen. Will you get me my medical kit?"<br>"We have to leave him." Illyria said quietly.  
>"What are you talking about? He's an Athosian; one of your people."<br>"He is not Athosian."  
>"But, his clothes."<br>"I have never seen him before."  
>"Well, he's obviously not one of them," Keller gestured back towards the dead Bola Kai. "And if I don't suture this man's wound, he's gonna bleed to death."<br>"More Bola Kai will be here very soon."  
>Keller nodded determinedly. "I know, but this won't take long, OK? Please?"<br>Illyria looks down at the young man as he groans, his eyes glazed with pain. Unhappily, but knowing that Jennifer won't leave him, she goes to fetch the medical kit.  
>Roughly ten minutes later, Jennifer has sutured the man's wound and has dressed it. He appears to have lapsed into unconsciousness.<br>"Well, I got the bleeding under control. If the wound doesn't get infected, he should be OK."  
>"It will be dark soon. Stay here with him: I will find the blind."<br>"Uh, is it far?" She asked nervously.  
>"No."<br>She walks away. Jennifer glances at her patient, whose eyes are still closed, then looks around the forest anxiously.  
>Illyria trots along the pathway, checking bushes which line the path for any sign of recent disturbance. She reaches the blind – a small hut covered with foliage – and pulls away the branches covering its entrance. She looks inside for a moment, then turns to a covered hole nearby. Pulling away the branches covering it, she lifts the lid. Apparently the Athosians use this as a storage space for things they'll need while hunting but there's not much in there now apart from rope and some traps. She drops the lid down, then heads back towards Jennifer.<br>"Did you find it?"  
>"Yes." She looks down at the man. "How is he?"<br>"Unconscious, but stable."  
>"Can he be moved?"<br>"Oh, I don't know. He shouldn't be. His condition's precarious – I would hate..." She trails off when she sees Illyria's expression. "Yes, he can be moved."  
>Illyria nods at her, and they walk towards the man.<p>

҉

**LATER**

**NIGHT**

Night has now fallen and Illyria and Jennifer have managed to carry the man to the blind. Jennifer has lit a small lamp and hung it up. Illyria comes in with a leather bag and hands it to her.  
>"Water from the river."<br>"Thank you." She tilts the bag down to the man's mouth.  
>"I have laid traps around the perimeter. If any Bola Kai come near, hopefully we will hear them before they discover us."<br>"Good."  
>The man's eyes flutter as he swallows the water.<br>"How's your ankle?" Illyria asked, gesturing to her ankle.  
>"The swelling's not too bad and the pain's eased up, thanks to the painkillers."<br>"If you want to sleep, I can..." Illyria stops as she hears movement nearby. She frowns and peers out into the darkness.  
>"What?"<br>Illyria points into the darkness. There's movement out there, as if something is moving very close to the ground. Illyria creeps out, picking up a spear she had collected from one of the dead Bola Kai. She walks towards the movement and looks down. Something is burrowing its way towards the blind just underneath the ground. She waits until it is almost at her feet, then stabs her spear down into the ground. Jennifer cringes as something squelches unpleasantly. Illyria pulls her spear out of the ground and impaled on the end of it was a nasty looking beast resembling a squid.  
>"What is that?"<br>Illyria brings it back into the blind, smiling slightly at Jennifer's discomfort. "Dinner. They're attracted to the warmth of our bodies." She lays the beast on the ground and cuts along its length and then, using the tip of her knife, lifts out some of its innards. She offers the knife to Jennifer. "The taste is…undesirable, but it will sustain you."  
>Jennifer cringed. "Oh, uh, no, thanks. I'm not hungry."<br>"You should eat."  
>"This was my least favorite part of "Survivor.""<p>

Looking at her in annoyance, Illyria picks the meat off the knife and drops it into her own mouth. Just then, the man groans.  
>"He's regaining consciousness." Keller said and the girls go over to him. "It's OK. You're safe now."<br>"Who are you?" Illyria asked the man.  
>"Nabel Golan – of the Genii." He said weakly.<br>"The Genii?" Illyria said, outraged. "What are you doing here?"

"Since the death of the Atlantian Queen, I was planted to work inside the Athosian community, to gather intel," Nabel whispered.  
>"What happened to them?"<br>"Dead – all of them."  
>"Who killed my people?" Illyria said calmly, her knife hovering above his stiches.<br>"Wraith. A culling – the entire settlement."  
>"Not the Bola Kai?" Keller asked.<br>Nabel chuckled weakly. "Bola Kai were the ones who told the Wraith about them."  
>"The Bola Kai are <em>Wraith<em> worshippers?" Illyria asked skeptically.  
>Nabel nodded. "I was able to escape during the attack but I was cut off from the Gate. Bola Kai were guarding it. They captured me."<br>"How long have you lived amongst the Athosian people?" Keller asked.  
>"I replaced my predecessor only arrived a few days ago." Grimacing, he lifts his head and looks around the blind. He sees a small Ancient device lying nearby, its screen switched on – perhaps to illuminate the blind a little. He squints up at Jennifer. "Where are you from?"<br>"She's a friend of mine from another world." Illyria said.  
>"Your equipment – it looks Ancestral."<br>"We discovered it on our travels. We've been away for some time, trading."  
>"Trading? With who?" Nabel squinted his eyes. "You look familiar…"<br>Illyria smiles down at him unpleasantly. "If you are still seeking "intel," then you are wasting what few breaths you have remaining, so say, "thank you for saving me," and be done with this discussion."  
>Nabel realizes from her expression that he had better do what she says. "Thank you for saving me."<br>Illyria stands up abruptly and storms out of the blind.

҉

**MORNING**

Nabel was asleep; Illyria and Jennifer sat nearby, Jennifer gazing out of the doorway and Illyria watching Nabel. She turned to Jennifer and said,  
>"You haven't slept all night."<br>"With people trying to kill us, and creatures crawling around under the ground?" She looks away. "Not to mention I'm starving." Illyria sighs and digs another lump of meat out of the beast with her knife and offers it to her. "Not that starving."  
>"It'll give you strength."<br>"It'll make me puke."  
>"Do you know what I tell my children? You don't believe you are capable of eating it, and so you do not."<br>"No – I think it's disgusting and so I do not."  
>Illyria chuckled. "Jennifer is like you; doesn't want to try anything new – afraid to challenge herself."<br>"I'm not afraid of challenges." Illyria looks at her, her eyebrows raised. "I signed up to be Chief of Medicine on an expedition in a whole other galaxy. That's about as challenging as it gets. But eating gross food: sorry, but that's where I draw the line."  
>"Fair enough." Illyria smiled and looked away.<br>Jennifer looks at the knife which she is still holding out. She grimaces, then hesitantly lifts her hand a little. Illyria sees the movement and lifts the knife towards her, offering the meat. Cringing, Jennifer picks up the meat and holds it up, her face full of dread. Eventually she closes her eyes and puts the meat in her mouth, chewing it with a face full of disgust.  
>"See? No puking."<br>"Yet." Illyria leans down to cut some more meat. "You miss them, don't you?"

"Miss who?" Illyria looked up.

"Your children," Jennifer smiled. "You keep talking about them, so I figured you were homesick."

"Aren't all mothers this way?"

Jennifer shrugged. "I wouldn't know…personally." Illyria laughed softly and looked down sadly. Jennifer hesitated, knowing the consequences of what she was about to say. "So, _was_ the Colonel right? About coming here for a hot date?"

Illyria looked up, alarmed. "Jennifer, I am married."  
>She nodded. "That doesn't stop some people." Illyria looked away and Jennifer got her answer. "Tell me about him. This friend of yours. What's he like?"<p>

"He's Athosian. His name is Brom. A natural leader, but he isn't aware of it. Burdened by an overly-cautious nature." She looks down sadly.

"But he's just a friend…right?" Illyria still looked away. "Right, Illyria?"

"Sometimes he could be…more than a friend," she said quietly.

"Illyria…" Jennifer sighed.

Illyria looked up and shook her head. "It's not what you must be thinking. I have _never_ broken my vows to my husband." She looked away again. "There were…_temptations_, of course, but I never…I wouldn't…"

"Sorry – it's none of my business. I should just learn to shut up."

"Jennifer," She looked sternly at her, "I _love_ my husband. Even in my society, adultery is not taken lightly." She stood up. "We need more water."

"I'm sorry," Jennifer called after her sympathetically, "for your loss, I mean."  
>Illyria stopped, whipping something off her cheek before she left the blind.<p>

Nearby, a Bola Kai is creeping around. He must have gone through the bags that the girls left outside the Athosian settlement, as he has a lollipop stuck in his mouth and is sucking on it as he prowls around. He sees Illyria as she stands up. He aims his crossbow at her but loses a clear shot as she moves away. He goes to follow her but puts his foot into a mantrap which viciously snaps closed over his leg. He screams. Illyria turns and runs back into the blind as the man continues to scream.  
>"We have to leave!" She shakes Nabel awake as Jennifer gathers the medical kit together.<br>"What happened?" He asked.  
>"Can you walk?"<br>"I don't even think he can stand." Keller said.  
>"Very soon many more Bola Kai will be here." Illyria told her.<br>"It's all right. I can walk." Clutching his stomach, Nabel drags himself to his feet and the three of them leave the blind.

҉

**ATLANTIS **

John is walking along a corridor with Rodney McKay. "Mr. Freeze. No! King Tut."  
>"Wrong on both. Otto Preminger was Mr Freeze; Victor Buono was King Tut; Vincent Price was Egghead."<br>"Egghead! Right!"  
>"OK, so: Cliff Robertson."<br>"Oh, I know this one. Played the cowboy, right?"  
>"Mmm."<br>Just then, Ronon Dex joins them with the twins walking beside him, Jennifer holding his hand. "Hey. Did Illyria and Keller get back?"  
>"Haven't heard from them yet." John said, picking Jennifer up.<br>"They're late."  
>"Doesn't sound like Illyria." John said, surprised, looking down at his watch.<br>"No, it doesn't."  
>"Well, she had that big feast last night. Maybe she did too much celebrating and needs to sleep it off." McKay said optimistically and smiled up at Ronon. Ronon looks at him.<br>"Yeah, that sounds like my wife!" John said sarcastically and Rodney's smile fades. "Let's give her a call." The three of them start to walk towards the Gateroom. John clicks his fingers. "Shane."  
>"What is?" Ronon asked.<br>"Cliff Robertson. The villain he played – Shane."  
>"Very good. Shelley Winters." McKay said.<br>"What the hell are you talking about?" Ronon asked.

҉

**NEW ATHOS**

Illyria and Jennifer have Nabel's arms slung over their shoulders as they help him along. Illyria is wearing the medical backpack and is carrying her trusty stick with her free hand. Nabel grunts in pain.  
>"I need to rest."<br>He pulls his arms down and, clutching his wound, stumbles to the side of the path and drops to the ground, grimacing in agony. Illyria walks a few paces away. Jennifer hobbles after her.  
>"He is slowing us down and he is making your ankle injury worse." Illyria said quietly.<br>"Well, if we leave him behind, the Bola Kai are gonna capture him."  
>"If we continue this way, we will all be captured."<br>"Look, I'm the first to admit I'm not very good at certain things. I'm not athletic, can't cook, and you don't even wanna hear me try to play the piano, but I do think I'm a pretty good judge of character and I know that you would never sacrifice an innocent man – not even if he was a complete stranger – to save yourself. Which means the only reason you would even suggest it would be because of me."  
>"I brought you here. This is my responsibility. If anything should happen to you..."<br>"I signed up for this, all right? All of it. I may not have had any idea what I was getting into, but that makes me no different from anybody else on Atlantis."  
>Illyria turns as she hears movement nearby. "I'm glad you feel that way."<br>"Oh yeah, I know, I know. Before this is all over, I'm gonna have to find all the courage I can muster."  
>Illyria sees several Bola Kai running through the trees nearby, heading in their direction.<br>"Actually, you're gonna need to find it right now."  
>Taking the backpack off and tossing it to the side, she bends and pulls her knife out of her boot, holding her stick with the other as the men surround them.<br>"Oh, God." Jennifer muttered.  
>This time there are more than just three men for Illyria to deal with – there are at least half a dozen if not more. She squats down as the first couple of men come at her, slashing at their legs with her knife and her stick. More rush in and she gives of her best, hacking and slashing at them while avoiding injury herself.<p>

Nearby, Nabel watches in terror, then turns and crawls away.

Illyria manages to take down a couple of the men but one gets in a lucky punch across her face. As the impetus spins her around, another man swipes her legs from under her with a club. As she drops to the ground, a couple of men grab Jennifer's arms and start to drag her away. She whimpers in terror.  
>"Illyria!"<br>One of Illyria's attackers grabs her arm to pull her up. She swings her legs around and kicks his feet from under him. As he falls, another man rushes towards her. Lying on her back, she lifts her legs, wraps her ankles around his neck and uses them to hurl him over her head. She scrambles to her feet and goes at the men again but one of them clubs her across the face and she drops, unconscious. The men pick her up and drag her away.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John, Rodney, Ronon, and the twins are on the balcony of the Control Room with the Stargate open.  
>"Illyria? This is Atlantis, do you read?" John asked. He exchanges a concerned look with Rodney when there's no reply. "Illyria, this is Sheppard, come in."<br>"She wouldn't turn off her radio." McKay said.  
>"No, she wouldn't." Ronon said. He turned and gestured to one of the techs. "Take the kids."<p>

The tech nodded and took their hands and they children reluctantly went. John nodded in thanks to Ronon and turned back to the comms.  
>"Calling anyone in the Athosian settlement. This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. Do you copy?"<br>On New Athos, John's voice comes over Illyria's radio. It and the contents of the medical kit have been strewn across the forest floor in a clearing where the Bola Kai have set up camp. Nobody is near enough to hear the transmission.  
>"<em>Illyria, this is Sheppard. Please respond."<em>  
>Some distance away, Illyria and Jennifer are sitting inside a low wooden cage with their hands tied to the roof. The Bola Kai are going about their business all around them.<br>"What are they gonna do to us?" Jennifer asked.  
>"They will try to extricate information. We must tell them nothing." Jennifer stares at her in dread. Illyria said sternly, "Doctor Keller, the lives of everyone in Atlantis are at stake."<br>"I know." Jennifer said tremulously, a tear trickling down her cheek. "I'm sorry."  
>Illyria looks at her more sympathetically. "Where are you from?"<br>"What?"  
>"Your home."<br>"Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Little town."  
>"Do you have any family?"<br>"Just my dad. My mom died a few years back."  
>"I'm sorry. You must miss him."<br>"I'm all he's got left." She said tearfully.  
>"Then you must do everything you can to survive – to return home. You must-" She stops as two men approach the cage. Jennifer looks at them in dread. Illyria looks at her sternly again. "You will survive. You will return home. Do you understand?"<br>Jennifer cringes as the men release the bindings tying the girls to the roof of the cage. They slide the door open, take them out and march them to a nearby tent. The girls' hands are still bound in front of them. The men push the girls down onto their knees in front of the leader of the Bola Kai. He holds up an Ancient scanner which was obviously found in the medical kit.  
>"Who are you?" The leader asked.<br>"I am Athosian." Illyria said.  
>The leader stood and walks closer to the girls. He looks at the scanner again. "I don't believe you."<br>"I do not care what you believe."  
>The leader backhands her across the face, then looks down at Jennifer, who cringes under his gaze. "The longer you are silent, the worse it will be for you."<br>"I told you – we are Athosian, and you will suffer for what you have done to our people."  
>"What we've done?"<br>"You murdered them – an _entire_ village."  
>"That village was deserted when we arrived."<br>"Deserted because it was culled by the Wraith; Wraith who were brought here by you."  
>"Do you know who we are?"<br>"You are Bola Kai."  
>"Then you know we are hunted by the Wraith like everyone else."<br>"Unless you are Wraith worshippers."  
>The leader hissed angrily and punched Illyria hard in the face, knocking her almost unconscious. He yelled over his shoulder to his men, "Get her out of here!" The men come in and drag her away. He bends down to Jennifer threateningly. "I'm willing to spare her life if you tell me who you are."<br>Jennifer stares at him in dread, her eyes full of tears.

҉

**LATER**

Illyria is back in the cage and looks as two men march Jennifer towards her. They lift the door of the cage and shove her inside before lowering the door and chaining it shut. Jennifer has a nasty cut on her lower lip.  
>"Did you tell them anything?" Illyria asked, reaching out to touch Jennifer's lower lip.<br>She winced and pulled back. "They said they would kill you."  
>"You told them about <em>Atlantis<em>?" Illyria whispered fiercely.  
>"No! I gave them a Gate address – an uninhabited planet – just to throw them off, buy us more time, like you said." Illyrai nodded in approval. "I don't think they're Wraith worshippers." Illyria frowns, puzzled. "That guy in there – he seemed genuinely surprised when you accused him of working with the Wraith. Why would he deny it if it was true? I would think that would provide an even more effective threat to get us to talk."<br>"So they just happened to arrive here moments after the settlement was culled?" Illyria asked sarcastically. "I find that a coincidence..."  
>She trails off as a man runs into the camp and heads for the leader's tent, who comes out to meet him. "Something just came through the Portal. A flying ship of some kind, but it disappeared before we could do anything."<br>The leader pointed to two other men. "You two: watch them." One of his men tosses a weapon to him. "The rest of you: get your weapons and come with me."  
>The men hurry out of the camp, leaving just the two guards.<br>"Not much longer." Illyria whispered.

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

John, Rodney and Ronon are flying over the forest.  
>"Those guys guarding the Gate certainly don't look Athosian." John said.<br>"They're Bola Kai." Ronon growled.  
>"What?" McKay asked.<br>"It's a warrior tribe. Ruthless. They like picking fights, especially with travelers who are peaceful."  
>"Great! Just what we need: another bad guy."<br>"Don't worry. They're primitive. We can handle them."  
>"Define "primitive.""<br>"Clubs and arrows."  
>"Hey, arrows can hurt!"<br>"Only if you're stupid enough to get hit in the ass with one."  
>John smiles smugly, then looks at Rodney. "Life signs."<br>"All over the place, mostly in the woods. It's hard to get a visual from up here."  
>"OK, we'll have to go on foot, then. Gear up, boys. If these guys want a fight, happy to give it to 'em."<p>

҉

**BOLA KAI CAMP**

One of the guards has found Jennifer's lollipop stash and is sucking on one as he wanders around the cage, kicking it occasionally and leering into the top threateningly. Suddenly a single gunshot hits him in the stomach. As he drops to the ground, the other guard turns for his weapons but an arrow hits him in the chest and he too falls.  
>"John?" Illyria calls out.<p>

But it's not John who comes out of hiding.  
>"Nabel!" Jennifer yelled.<br>Nabel walks over to the cage. "Move back."  
>The girls cringe away from the doorway as Nabel fires a couple of shots into the lock holding the door closed. He bends down to unwrap the chains. Illyria looks at him suspiciously.<br>"Where did you get the gun?"  
>"The Athosians were not the only ones with a hidden cache of weapons. The Bola Kai captured me before I could get to mine."<br>He raises the doorway and the girls crawl out.  
>"We need to get moving. They no doubt heard the gunfire." Illyria said, looking around and brushing dirt off her.<br>The three of them head off into the forest, Nabel untying Jennifer's hands as they go.  
>"Are they coming?" Jennifer asked.<br>"It does not appear so. I believe it is safe to rest." Illyria turns to Nabel. "Thank you for coming for us."  
>"Well, you saved my life. I figured I'd return the favor."<br>"I thought you were dead." Jennifer said.  
>"Well, I can't die yet. I have far too many questions I need answers to first." Without warning, he clubs Illyria across the face with his pistol, knocking her unconscious, then turns to Jennifer and aims his pistol at her. "We can start with you giving me the Gate address to Atlantis."<br>•

Elsewhere in the forest, the Puddle Jumper has landed and the boys appear as they come out the range of its cloak. Rodney is looking at a life signs detector.  
>He points it in various directions as he speaks. "I got life signs there, there, there," he points it back over his shoulder, "and there."<br>"Well, that really narrows it down." John said.  
>"That way." Ronon said, looking forward and slightly to the left.<br>"No reason."  
>"Good enough for me." John said. "Let's go."<br>•

Back with Jennifer and Nabel, she stares at him as he aims his pistol at her. "Why are you doing this?"  
>"Just give me the address and I'll let you go, I promise."<br>"I see you're not as badly wounded as I thought."  
>"Oh, it's bad. I just have a high tolerance for pain. The address, and I'll let you go – both of you."<br>"You're lying. You're not Genii, are you? We have an understanding with them. They wouldn't need to resort to these tactics in order to contact us."  
>Nabel shrugged. "All right, so that part wasn't true. But I was captured by the Bola Kai."<br>"You're the Wraith worshipper. You're the one responsible for the death of the Athosians."  
>Nabel lowers his pistol, then smiles. "Unless I lied about that as well."<br>"What do you mean? They're not dead?"  
>"Give me the Gate address and I'll gladly tell you everything."<br>On the ground behind him, Illyria kicks his legs out from under him. He tries to stand but she kneels up and clubs him across the face with her bound hands. However, she is still feeling the effects of the blow she received earlier and she sags to the ground, breathless.

Nabel stands up and, holding his injured stomach with one hand, aims his pistol down at her. But finally Jennifer finds her courage and hurls herself at him, sending both of them flying to the ground. They struggle for the pistol but then Jennifer realizes that she has to fight dirty and punches him in the stomach. As he rolls off her, groaning, she grabs the pistol and scrambles up, aiming it at him as he hauls himself to his feet.  
>"Don't move." Jennifer said sternly.<br>"Untie me."  
>Still aiming the pistol at Nabel, Jennifer goes to move towards Illyria but Nabel steps into her path, holding his hands up.<br>"Get out of the way." Jennifer said, raising her gun.  
>"Give me the gun."<br>"I'll shoot you."  
>Her wide eyes and shaking hand betray her terror. Nabel smirks. "Huh. No you won't. You don't have it in you. You're a doctor, a healer, not a killer."<br>"You're right. I am a healer. But first I need something to heal."  
>Nabel frowns. Jennifer aims the pistol down and shoots him in the right thigh. He cries out and falls down. As he wails in pain, clutching his leg, Jennifer runs to Illyria and unties her. Illyria, her face bleeding where Nabel hit her, grabs the pistol and stands over him, aiming the pistol at him with a murderous look on her face.<br>"What happened to the Athosian people?" Nabel whines at the pain in his leg. "What happened to them?"  
>Nabel looks up at her, his face twisted in agony. Just then an axe comes flying out of the trees and embeds itself in a tree nearby. From all around them, Bola Kai are approaching. Jennifer steps closer to Illyria as she aims the pistol into the woods but there are far too many of them for her to hold them off for long. However, just in the nick of time the cavalry arrives with a hail of automatic gunfire which takes down several of the men. As the gunfire continues, the rest of the Bola Kai duck down out of sight. John, Rodney and Ronon charge into view, Ronon gunning down another nearby Bola Kai with his blaster. Jennifer sags in relief at the sight of them. Ronon aims his blaster out into the forest but the warriors are running away.<br>John ran over to the girls and embraced Illyria hard, holding her close and kissing her neck. He pulled back and cupped her face. "You okay?" Illyria nodded and looked over at Jennifer.

"Jennifer?"

"Yeah," Jennifer nodded.  
>"What happened?" Ronon asked.<br>"My people – the Athosians – they are gone."  
>"What are you talking about? All of them?" John asked, looking back and forth between them. "What happened?"<br>Illyria turns only to find that Nabel has gone. She calls out into the forest. "Nabel!" Ronon and Rodney frown in confusion. Illyria turns to Jennifer. "Where did he go?"  
>"I didn't see."<br>"What are you talking about?" John asked.  
>Just then, a flurry of arrows fly out of the woods and smash into trees and the ground all around them. Everyone ducks.<br>"Oh, not arrows!" McKay shouted.  
>"We need to move" Ronon yelled, ushering the girls into the woods. "Come on!"<br>"Go!" John yelled, covering Illyria partially with his own body.  
>Ronon and Rodney fire repeatedly into the woods. Again the Bola Kai turn and run. Ronon and Rodney continue laying down covering fire to keep them running, then turn and chase off after John and the girls.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria is lying in bed when John walks in.

"How are the kids?" Illyria asked as soon as she saw him. "Where are they?"

He smiled. "They're fine. Ronon and Rodney are watching them." He sat down on the edge of the bed and held her hand. "Well? How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Doctor Keller insists I remain in bed. She fears I have a concussion."  
>"Well, you should listen to her. Just got back from New Athos; Bola Kai are all gone. Must have scared 'em off. Rodney's got teams going out there to collect clues about what happened to the Athosians."<br>"Did you find Nabel?"  
>John shook his head. "Searched the entire planet. No life signs."<br>"He must have escaped through the Gate."  
>"More likely he's lying dead somewhere."<br>"He knows what happened to those people. I will find them."  
>"I know you will," John whispered, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, "and we're gonna help you, but you've gotta rest and get your strength back."<p>

Illyria gazes off into the distance, her eyes steely. "Whoever did this will pay. I will make certain of it."  
>John frowns at her ferocity. Just then, Jennifer comes in, her leg heavily wrapped.<br>"Hey, Doc. How are you feelin'?" John called out to her.  
>"Oh, it's just a sprain. I'll be fine."<br>"Why is it that you are allowed to resume working and I am not?" Illyria asked with a smile, throwing her hand in the air.  
>"Because I didn't take half the beating you did."<br>"I've suffered worse."  
>"Yeah, well, I believe you but you're on my turf now, so you have to listen to me."<br>"I'll check in on you later." John said. He stood up, kissed her on the head, and left. Jennifer walks closer to her bed.  
>"So I got permission to go home for a few days of R&amp;R. God bless that Intergalactic Gate Bridge, huh?" Illyria was still gazed into the distance, lost in thoughts of her people. "Anyway, I get to see my dad..." Illyria finally turns her head to look at her. "... and I have you to thank for that."<br>Illyria nods in acknowledgement, then looks exasperated. "How long must I stay here? I'd like to tuck my kids in tonight."  
>"About another day or so."<br>"I told you: I feel fine. I do not have a concussion."  
>"You're right. You don't." Illyria frowns at her, puzzled. Jennifer sat down on the edge of the bed and covered Illyria's hands with her own. "Illyria, I've looked over your test results. There's something we need to talk about."<p>

Illyria frowned, concerned.


	59. Chapter 57

**ATLANTIS**

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Illyria Sheppard is speaking with Colonel Samantha Carter, Colonel John Sheppard, Doctor Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex.  
>"They are called the Vedeenans. They've only just come to my attention while I was ascended, but I've never met them. I remember that they do occasionally trade with others in the galaxy but for the most part they keep to themselves."<br>"And you just remembered this piece of information?" Sam asked and Illyria nodded. "And you wanna visit them because...?"  
>"It is said that their leader, a man named Davos, is a great seer."<br>"What do you mean, like a psychic?" McKay asked.  
>"I do not know the full extent of his powers, but it is rumored that he can even glimpse the future."<br>"Oh, gimme a break!"  
>"You do not believe such a thing is possible?"<br>"Well, gee, let me think. Umm, no. Look, in a mechanical, Newtonian universe, not a problem. I mean, you know enough variables, you can predict the outcome; but quantum physics blows that out of the water."  
>"I understand your skepticism. Even among my own people, the stories were not widely believed." She turns to Sam. "But I need to know for myself."<br>"You think this Davos might be able to help you find out what happened to the Athosians?" Sam asked.  
>Illyria nodded. "I realize that it may seem ... desperate, but it has been several weeks and our usual means of investigation have turned up nothing."<br>"Rodney, what's the latest from the forensics team on New Athos?" Sam asked.  
>"Uh, well, they're, they're still searching, but so far they haven't found anything useful."<br>"Intel hasn't turned up anything either." John said. "As far as we know, they vanished into thin air."  
>Sam nods and thinks about it as Illyria turns to her with a hopeful expression on her face.<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

John and Rodney have geared up and are walking in.  
>"Allow me to make a prediction. This will be a complete waste of time."<br>"I knew you were gonna say that." John said with a smile.  
>They walk over to join Illyria and Ronon who are standing in front of the open Stargate.<p>

"Hey, wait, where's Lucrezia?" Rodney asked. "Not that I'm not thrilled about you coming with us-"

"Lucrezia," Sam said from the balcony, "is on Earth for the time being as a consultant of sorts. She'll be back, so just focus on the mission."  
>"Alrigh," John nodded, turning back to the group. "Alright – from what Illyria says, these people sound a little skittish. You can bet that four heavily-armed strangers showing up out of nowhere's gonna set 'em off a little, so let's be on our best behavior, children."<br>They walk into the event horizon.

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>VEDEENA<strong>

The team comes through the Gate and stops in surprise to see six people standing by the D.H.D. They are unarmed and are smiling and showing no fear. A pretty young woman greets the team.  
>"Welcome. You must be the people of Atlantis."<br>John turned to Illyria. "These people don't look very surprised."  
>McKay, too, turned to Illyria. "You sure you didn't tell them we were coming?"<br>"I've had no previous contact with these people."  
>"My name is Linara." The woman greeted.<br>John smiled at her politely. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."  
>"We know. We know all of you. You've been expected for some time now."<br>John's smile fades.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

In the Gateroom, Richard Woolsey comes through the Gate, pulling a small wheeled suitcase behind him. Sam walks over to greet him.  
>"Mr. Woolsey! How was your trip?"<br>"Well, spending a day in quarantine on the Midway Station wasn't exactly my idea of a good time, but I suppose it beats a three-week journey on the Daedalus." He pushes the handle of his suitcase down, picks up the case and he and Sam walk up the stairs toward her office.  
>"Well, that quarantine was only set up at the insistence of the I.O.A."<br>"In response to some recent contagions that have taken hold on this base. Let's face it, Midway is the only buffer between Pegasus and the Milky Way. It can't hurt to err on the side of caution. Anyway, it gave me a chance to prepare for your three-month evaluation."  
>"Right! So – how am I doin' so far?"<br>"That's exactly what needs to be determined, but I want you know I'm here as an observer only. I have no intention of getting involved in the day-to-day operations of the base."  
>"Really? Huh! That's refreshing!"<br>"Well, the I.O.A. has come to realize that bureaucratic interference on Atlantis isn't always as beneficial as we might like to hope. And – on a personal note – it's been brought to my attention in my own performance evaluations that I can, on occasion, be a bit of a busybody."  
>He laughs in an embarrassed way. Just then the Stargate starts to dial in.<br>"Unscheduled offworld activation." Chuck called down from the Control Room.  
>"Excuse me." Sam said and walked into the control room, going over to Chuck's console. Woolsey follows her.<br>"We're receiving a signal. It's Captain Robbins on M2R-441."  
>Sam turned to Woolsey. "They're delivering medical supplies to a planet that was recently culled." She turned back to Chuck. "Patch him in." Chuck activates some controls, then points to Sam to show that she's on the air. "Captain, this is Colonel Carter. Please report."<br>_"We had a bit of a development here, Colonel. According to the locals, a few days after the culling another hive showed up. They didn't kill anybody – they just wanted the surviving villagers to deliver a message."_  
>"A message?"<br>_"That's right. Apparently this particular Wraith wants to meet with both Sheppards."_

҉

**VEDEENA**

Team Sheppard is walking along with the Vedeenans.  
>"So, you're telling me Davos knew we were coming?" John asked.<br>"He had a vision of your arrival." Linara said. "Before I take you to see him, there's something you should know. He is very ill. Our healers have done all that they can, but it's not enough. Some of us were hoping, well ... if you do come from the city of the Ancestors..."

"... we may be able to help."  
>"We would be forever in your debt."<br>"He must be very important to you." Illyria said.  
>"We owe him our lives. Two years ago he had a vision that the Wraith were coming. We had time to gather our provisions and escape to the caves in the northern mountains. Even from deep underground we could hear their ships searching for us. Eventually they went away and never returned. Not a single Vedeenan was taken."<br>"Impressive!" John said.  
>"Of course, for me, it's much more than that." Linara smiled over her shoulder. "He's my father."<p>

҉

**LATER**

The group has reached the village and Linara takes the team into a tent.  
>"Father? The people of Atlantis are here to see you." Linara said, pulling back the tent flaps.<br>Davos is sitting on a throne-like chair cut out of the roots of a large tree. He looks tired and unwell, but smiles as Linara and the team approach. "Yes. Yes, come in. I've been expecting you, and I know why you're here." He looks at Rodney, who has his most cynical face on. "You have doubt in your heart."  
>"Anyone with a basic understanding of body language could have told you that."<br>Davos holds out his hand to him. "Among my gifts is the ability to show others what I can see."  
>Rodney nervously declines his offer with a wave of his hand. John looks at him. "Well, you're the skeptic."<br>John jerks his head towards Davos. Rodney scowls. "Fine."  
>Part-reluctantly and part-nervously, he steps closer to Davos and hesitantly reaches out and takes his hand. Davos grasps it firmly and closes his eyes. Rodney gasps as Davos sends him a vision.<p>

**VISION**

Rodney, in his offworld gear and holding a rifle, is walking with the rest of Team Sheppard through a forest. They walk into a set of old ruins which includes a tall archway. As they enter the ruins, Wraith guards come out of hiding and surround them. The team raises their weapons but there are too many guards for them to defeat.

҉

In the tent, Rodney reels as Davos releases his hand. Davos slumps back in his chair, exhausted.  
>"What happened?" John said, putting his hand on Rodney's shoulder.<br>"I-I think I saw a vision."  
>"Of what?" Ronon asked.<br>"Us, being captured by the Wraith."  
>John stares at Davos as he sits weakly, being supported by Linara.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Team Sheppard is there with Sam and Woolsey.  
>"You said it was a forested planet – misty with ancient ruins." Sam said.<br>"It's what I saw, yes." McKay said and Sam turns to Woolsey, raising her eyebrows. "What?"  
>"While you were gone, we received a report that the people of M2R-441 were recently visited by a Wraith." Sam turned to John and Illyria. "Now, from the description of his facial markings, it sounds a lot like the Wraith who helped John escape from the Genii last year."<br>"My old buddy?" John said with a slight smirk.  
>Sam nodded. "Apparently he has a matter of great importance that he wants to discuss with you, both of you. We already sent an advance team to the address that he proposed for the rendezvous. The interesting thing is, it sounds an awful lot like the planet in McKay's vision."<br>"So, we're believing this now?" Ronon asked.  
>"Davos did know we were coming." Illyria said.<br>"Did you ask him about the Athosians?" Sam asked.  
>"I did not have a chance. After he showed Rodney the vision, he fell ill."<br>"They were hoping we could help him out." John said.  
>"I'll send Doctor Keller." Sam said, making a note of it.<br>"In the meantime, there's only one way to know for sure if he's right: go to the rendezvous, check it out." John said. He turned to his wife. "You're not going."

Illyria looked shocked. "Excuse me?"

"If there is an ambush, I don't want you apart of it. Plain and simple."

"Since when did you make decisions for me, John?"

"Since you became my wife!" Illyria shook her head and John sighed, realizing what he said. Around them, the team did their best to look away. "Look, I don't own you-"

"No, you don't and so I'm going."

"Colonel and Mrs. Sheppard," Sam said, getting their attention. "Perhaps you'd like to have this conversation somewhere more private?"

"Fine," they said in unison and turned away from each other. Woolsey cleared his throat. "Do you have something to add, Mr. Woolsey?"  
>"Well, as I said before, I'm here strictly as an observer." Sam nods and turns away. "But since you ask, I have to wonder how wise it would be. I may share some of Doctor McKay's skepticism but we don't need any mystical visions to tell us that this Wraith probably can't be trusted." He turns to John. "You're talking about walking deliberately into a trap.'<br>"Exactly," John said, staring down his wife.  
>Woolsey turns to Sam, bewildered. Rodney looks equally mystified.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Illyria was walking down the hall, furious about the breifing in Sam's office. John comes jogging down trying to catch up to her.

"Hey," he called out. Illyria looked over her shoulder, saw it was him, then kept moving. "Hey!" He called out again and she stopped with her back to him. John touched her arm and gently turned her around. "What's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me?" Illyria asked ridiculously. She chuckled. "Nice, John." She tried to walk away, but John held onto her arm.

"I mean it, Illyria, what the hells the matter you with you. You bit off my head back there."

"Only because you kicked me off the mission when you had no reason to!"

"No reason to?" John let go of her arm. "We have kids, Illyria! Only one of us can go on a mission like this just incase something happens. It's called being cautous! Maybe you've never heard of it having a prick like Breen as a husband. Allowing you to do crazy shit-"

Illyria's mouth dropped. "Nobody _allowed_ me to do anything, John!" She swiftly turned around an walked off.

"Damnit!" John muttered, smacking himself on the forehead. "Wayto go, John! Nice one!" He shook his head and chased after her. "Hey! Illyria," Hekicked it up and stopped in front of her, holding out his hand to stop her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it-"

"You may not have meant it, but it still hurt."

He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry." He tried to take her hand, but she pulled back. John didn't care so he took her hand anyway. "I know I had no right playing the overbearing husband card back there, but you've got to understand: we have kids. Kids need parents."

"And wives need husbands." Illyria said softly. "Do you trust this Wraith?"

"Well, I wouldn't say trust…" Illyria raised her eyebrow. "Alright…we said the next time we saw each other all bets were off."

Illyria nodded. "And he asked to see us both, did he not?"

"Yes, but-"

"But, wouldn't it anger him to see only one Sheppard instead of both? That would only want to make him hurt you more."

"Illyria, you're not seeing my point!"

"I am, John. I see it _very_ well," she said, her eyes wattering. "Everyday, I wake up wondering if today would be the last time I see you – the last time I might see my children. And I wake up everyday praying to my ancestors to keep us safe. So, yes, John, I see your point very well."

Without hesitation, John pulled his wife to him, holding her close to his chest. He scrunched her hair with one hand and with the other, he held her body close. She wrapped her arms around his waist, breathing in his familiar scent.

"I know," He whispered into her hair. "I know."

"We take risks everyday."

"This one doesn't need to be one you take."

She pulled away slightly to look up at him. "Yes, it does." She stood one her tip-toes to kiss his nose. "Somebody needs to watch your six."

"Illyria," John said earnestly, "please."

**҉**

**M2R-441**

The events of the vision which Rodney was shown are playing out. Rodney, in his offworld gear and holding a rifle, is walking with the men of Team Sheppard through a forest.  
>"This is a bad idea." He said.<br>"You're the one who said it's impossible to see the future." Ronon said.  
>"Yeah, I was thinking about that. I realized that quantum uncertainty doesn't necessarily preclude the possibility of seeing probable futures. It's like blackjack: you never know exactly what's gonna happen next, but a card counter can certainly increase the odds in his favor – and frankly, this feels like hitting on an eighteen."<br>"It's more like doubling down against a ten." John said.  
>The team continues on and reaches the ruins.<br>"Hold on." McKay said, stopping to look around. "This is the place. This is where it happened."  
>As they approach the archway, Wraith guards come out of hiding and surround them. The team raise their weapons but there are too many guards for them to defeat. The Wraith that John escaped the Genii with walked up to them.<br>"You were supposed to come unarmed."  
>"Yeah. Sorry about that."<br>Above their heads, two Puddle Jumpers decloak. The Wraith looks up at them, then turns to John and growls quietly. John shrugs mock-apologetically.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Sam is on the Control Room balcony, talking by radio to Jennifer Keller through the open Stargate. Woolsey is standing by one of the consoles.  
>"How's the patient, Doctor?"<br>_"Well, from what I can tell, he seems to be suffering from a kind of lymphatic cancer. There's not a lot I can do for him here."_  
>"Have you detected any physical anomalies that might be related to his visions?" Woolsey asked. Sam looks at him questioningly. He holds up a hand apologetically. "Sorry. Force of habit."<br>_"I don't really have the equipment with me that's necessary to make that kind of analysis."_  
>"All right, why don't you bring him back?" Sam asked.<br>_"Understood. Um, just so we're clear: are we doing this to try and save his life, or to study him?"_  
>Sam looks at Woolsey, who refuses to meet her gaze. She frowns, realizing that she's not certain of the answer. She spoke into the radio, "I'll have the Infirmary prepped and ready for your arrival. Carter out."<p>

҉

**BRIG**

The door opens and John and Illyria walk in and go over to the cell, Ronon close behind them. The Wraith is sitting on the bench inside.  
>"So much for trust." The Wraith chuckled.<br>"You tried to ambush us." Ronon said.  
>"I had no intention of causing you harm, but I could not guarantee your co-operation simply by throwing myself at your mercy." He stands up. "My intent was to have this discussion on neutral ground."<br>"A discussion?" Illyria asked.

"But, first," the Wraith said, turning to Illyria. He bowed respectably and said, "Queen Illyria, it is an honor to finally meet you."

"You saved my husband's life." Illyria bowed her head. "The honor is mine."

The Wraith straightened. "Thank you. I bring grave news for you."

"What sort of news?" John asked.

"News that only pertains to the Queen."

Illyria held up her hand. "They may hear it."

The Wraith nodded. "As you wish. The Wraith whom you have named 'Sam' has fallen."

"Fallen?" Illyria asked quietly.

"Killed in battle."

Illyria's face fell, her hand hovering over her heart. John and Ronon held onto her elbows as she teetered.

"Illyria?" John asked quietly.

"I-I'm fine…" She said. She straightened, her face blank. When she stepped closer to the Wraith, Ronon was like her shadow. "I thank you for bringing me this news. I give you my word that no harm will come to you while under my protection."

The Wraith gratefully bowed. Ronon turned to her.

"What are you doing?"

"Sam was a great friend, an _old_ friend." Illyria turned to Ronon and John. "This Wraith is under my protection and you will _not_ harm him. Is that understood?"

Illyria's gaze held no question: either obey or suffer the consequences. John reluctantly nodded.  
>"Now," The Wraith said, "the main reason for my contacting you: I require your help." He looked down and smiled a little, perhaps finding it hard to believe that it could ever need to ask a human for assistance. He looked at John again. "We worked together once before."<br>"Doesn't mean I wanna do it again."  
>"You will."<br>"Oh, more predictions. Just what I need." John said sarcastically and Illyria lightly stepped on his foot.  
>"As you know, Wraith are at war. I believe you refer to our enemy as the Replicators."<br>"Sounds vaguely familiar."  
>"While we have a weapon – a virus that was designed to re-set their attack directive, causing them to stand down and return to their planet – at present it is not working."<br>"Get to the part where we care."  
>"It is well known among the Wraith that Doctor McKay made certain changes to the Replicator base code, opening the door for them to alter their own programming. Well, knowingly or not, they have since repaired the weakness our virus exploited which means, in order to get it working again, I need to know the changes Doctor McKay made."<br>"Now, here's the part you're not getting-" John said, looking at Ronon.

"We're glad they're kicking your ass." He finished.  
>"Only because you are as yet unaware of their new tactic."<br>"What are you talking about?" Illyria asked him.  
>"They realized we have a significant vulnerability: our food supply. They have begun to <em>annihilate<em> human worlds."

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Sam is talking with John and Rodney.  
>"Do you think he's telling the truth?"<br>"He gave us an address – claims it was a human planet the Replicators destroyed." John said.  
>"Is it in the database?"<br>"Mmm." McKay said. "M5S-768. We visited it last year. It was a thriving pre-industrial society."  
>"Send a M.A.L.P." Sam ordered.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

A M.A.L.P. rolls across the floor of the Gateroom and heads for the Gate. Woolsey watches it from the balcony, then walks over to where Sam and Team Sheppard are watching a screen.  
>"Receiving M.A.L.P. telemetry. Here we go." Chuck said.<br>The screen switches to the view from the M.A.L.P.'s camera. It is night on the planet and the picture is not very clear but it is obvious that the village has been damaged, and there is no sign of anybody around.  
>"No life signs." McKay said.<br>"How do we know the Wraith didn't do that?" Woolsey asked.  
>"The M.A.L.P.'s detecting residual radiation. Energy signature's consistent with Replicator weapons fire." McKay looked up at the group. "He's telling the truth."<br>"How many people lived on that planet?" Illyria asked.  
>"Estimated somewhere between fifty and seventy-five thousand."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Davos is lying on a bed as a scanner runs overhead. Linara is standing beside him as Jennifer watches the screens.  
>"What does the machine do?" Linara asked Jennifer.<br>"It scans the cells in his body and reports any abnormalities. Hopefully they'll help us figure out exactly what's wrong with him."  
>"And then you'll be able to cure him?"<br>"I'll do my best."  
>The scanner shuts down and Jennifer and Linara help Davos to sit up.<br>"You'll have to forgive her, Doctor. She's not used to dealing with uncertainty. I may have spoiled her in that regard."  
>"Yeah, I've heard about your gift. It's remarkable."<br>"I can see many things, but unfortunately my own fate remains hidden from me."

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney is talking with John.

"If we hadn't deactivated the attack code, this never would have happened."  
>"It was my call, Rodney."<br>"But it was my idea. We had a ZedP.M., we had Elizabeth. All we had to do was leave, but I opened my big mouth."  
>"We never could have known it was gonna go this way."<br>"We don't know that for sure. Look, remember the nano-virus that caused the fatal aneurisms? I always suspected the Replicators were behind it."  
>"Yeah, but you never proved it."<br>"Yeah, but we know how they feel about the humans. They think we're a mistake. Look, we should have seen something like this coming."  
>Sam and Woolsey walk in.<br>"John, Rodney." Sam said. "OK, I know this news is hard for us to accept, but right now we need to focus; figure out what our next step is."  
>"I suppose the most obvious solution would be to shut down the attack code again." McKay said.<br>"Can we do that?" Woolsey asked.  
>"It's been done before – just not by us."<br>"By the Wraith." John said.  
>"What about our prisoner? What exactly is he proposing?" Sam asked.<br>"Well, he claims to have the original virus that deactivated the attack code the first time. It's not working this time around because of the changes we made to the Replicator base code. Theoretically, knowing what we know and knowing what they know, we should be able to work together to shut them down again." McKay said.  
>"Well, obviously that's out of the question." Woolsey said. Everyone looks at him. "Do I really have to remind everyone what happened the last time we co-operated with the Wraith?"<br>"The circumstances have changed. And what happened to non-interference?" Sam asked.  
>"As you said, the circumstances have changed. Colonel Sheppard, you have had the most experience dealing with this Wraith. Do you seriously think this is a good idea?"<br>"I think it's not your call." John said.  
>"I need to contact my superiors."<br>He leaves the room. Sam smiles ruefully at the others.

҉

**THE SHEPPARDS' APPARTMENT**

Illyria was sitting on the couch, reading over some files when John came in.  
>"It's just been confirmed. Two more worlds have been destroyed." He sat down next to her, sighing heavily. "That makes three."<br>"How many are dead?" She asked.  
>"Well, it's just an estimate…"<br>"How many?" She asked again.  
>"Hundred and fifty thousand."<br>Illyria sighs again. :And this is just the beginning, isn't it?" John nods. "There's no reason to assume they're gonna stop."  
>"No. What about Woolsey?"<br>"He's contacted the I.O.A. They're taking the matter under advisement."  
>"Oh! Well, they're good at that! They'll bicker and argue, but in the end of the day they're gonna leave Sam holding the bag just like they did with you, just like they did with Elizabeth."<br>"Now I know why you didn't want the job." Illyria smiled, tossing the files on the floor. "Look, John, Woolsey was right about one thing: you have had more experience with this Wraith. You have a history."  
>"Well, it's not like we're dating."<br>Sam smiles. "I know we can't trust him – not completely – but what I don't know is whether or not it's worth the risk to play along with him, at least for a little while. You're the only one who can answer that." John looks down, thinking about it. "Just remember, he's under my protection."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Sam walks in and goes over to Jennifer who is sitting at a computer. She glances over to Davos who is in bed with Linara standing at his side.  
>"How's he doing?"<br>"Uh, not good. He went into convulsions a while ago. I gave him a sedative. Truth is, we got him here too late. All I can do right now is alleviating his symptoms but whether or not he survives ... it's out of my hands." Sam nods. Jennifer turns to her screen. "This is what I wanted you to see. This is the result of his brain scan. He's showing abnormally high synaptic activity. It's similar to what happened to Doctor McKay when he encountered that ascension device, only not as extreme – and in his case it's not advancing. Presumably he's been like that his whole life."  
>"You're saying he was born this way?"<br>Keller nodded. "He's a genetic accident – one in a million, if not more. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Woolsey's already asked for a copy of these test results."  
>"I'm sorry, Doctor, but like it or not, this is important information. He may be a window into our own evolutionary future."<br>Linara walks over. "Doctor? He's awake."  
>Jennifer and Sam follow her back to Davos' bedside.<br>"How are you feeling?" Keller asked.  
>Davos pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Much better, thank you."<br>"Hi. I'm Colonel Carter." Sam smiled.  
>"You are the leader of these people."<br>"Well, the ones on this base, yes."  
>"Not an easy task, I imagine."<br>Sam smiled. "Some days are worse than others."  
>"I understand. I myself was in a position of authority back on my homeworld."<br>"From what I understand, you had a little bit of an advantage."  
>"Believe me, catching glimpses of the future is not always as helpful as you might think. But there is something you should see."<br>He offers his hand to her. Sam looks at it nervously.  
>"Uh, you're not feeling well. I think ... it's OK. You should rest."<br>"Everything has a purpose, Colonel, including the circumstances that brought me here. Please."  
>He holds his hand out to her again. Rather reluctantly, Sam takes it. Davos closes his eyes and Sam gasps as he sends her a vision.<p>

**VISION**

Drones soar down towards Atlantis from a Replicator warship hovering over the city. They smash into various towers and debris rains down onto the lower city. Inside, explosions are happening everywhere and people run for cover as massive chunks of the walls crash down. Outside, another drone smashes directly into the central tower two-thirds of the way up. The impact destroys the walls and the top third of the tower topples and plunges towards the ground.  
>In the Infirmary, Sam stares at Davos in horror as the vision ends.<br>"Oh my God!"  
>"What is it? What did you see?" Keller asked.<br>Sam looks at Davos, her eyes still wide. He looks back at her, exhausted but sympathetic.  
>"I'm sorry."<p>

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Sam has told John and Woolsey what she saw in her vision.  
>"We should stop trusting that Wraith now." Woolsey said.<br>"I'm not buying it." John said.  
>"Doctor McKay's vision came true exactly as he saw it."<br>"Oh, I don't care. The Replicators are not destroying this city – not if I have anything to say about it."  
>"Maybe Rodney's right. Maybe what Davos can see is only a probable future."<br>"Well, his track record's pretty good, so I'd have to say it's highly probable."  
>"Which means it's gonna be hard to avoid." Sam said. "For all we know, nine out of ten courses of action are gonna lead to the same fate. Now, unfortunately, the vision I saw had no context to it. We have no way of knowing why the Replicators were attacking."<br>"Isn't it obvious?" Woolsey asked. "We're contemplating joining forces with the Wraith against them."  
>"We don't know that that's what causes it."<br>"It's a pretty safe assumption. Right now we're not a target."  
>"No, no. But the rest of the humans in this galaxy are, and it's our fault." John said.<br>"_Nevertheless_," Woolsey stressed, "our priority remains the safety of this expedition and you know as well as I do, the Wraith can't be trusted."  
>"This one may be different."<br>"Yes, I read the file. He helped you escape from a Genii prison and as a reward you let him live. Let's hope we don't all come to regret your decision."  
>Chuck comes to the doorway. "Colonel Carter? We've got a problem." Sam follows him back into the Control Room. John and Woolsey follow them. "We routinely track a number of hives with the long-range sensors. They don't usually do anything out of the ordinary. Most of the time they're just passing through." He sits down at his console and activates a wallscreen. "A few minutes ago, this one suddenly changed course. It's headed straight for us."<br>"They don't know we're here." Woolsey said.  
>"They're not supposed to." John said, turning and leaving the room.<p>

҉

**BRIG**

The door opens and John storms over to the cell. "What did you do?"  
>"What are you referring to?"<br>"There's a ship on the way."  
>"Ah. They picked up my signal."<br>"What signal?"  
>"Ask your Satedan friend. He's familiar with the technology."<br>"A sub-space tracking device."  
>"I had it implanted."<br>"We would have detected it."  
>"I only activated it after you brought me here. The ship is necessary to complete my plan. The Replicator virus is contained within its databanks. When it gets here, we will begin our work."<br>"When it gets here, I'm gonna blow it out of the sky." John turns and starts to leave the room.  
>"Now that would be unwise. That hive is loyal to me. For the moment they are the only ones who know the location of Atlantis..." John stops and turns back. "... but if you attack them, they will broadcast these co-ordinates to every hive ship in the galaxy." John walks back to the cell. "There is no reason for us to be at odds, John Sheppard. We need each other."<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney is working on a computer as Sam and John come in.  
>"Rodney. We need to know if you can shut down the Replicator attack code on your own." Sam said.<br>"I've been looking into that, and it's not very promising."  
>"You're the one who activated it in the first damn place!" John yelled.<br>"Well, that was easy," McKay muttered, "...well, actually it was spectacularly difficult, but then everything's relative."  
>"Rodney." Sam said, annoyed.<br>"Look, the Replicators were originally designed and programmed to do exactly what they're doing. I mean, they were built for this. It's much harder for the Wraith to get them to stop than it was for me to get them to start again."  
>"But with this Wraith's help, you think you could do it."<br>"If he really has the original shut-down virus, yeah, I think we can."  
>Sam looks at John. "He claims he ordered the hive ship not to give away our position unless they're attacked."<br>"Do you believe him?" Sam asked.  
>"Well, are there any other ships headed this way?"<br>"No."  
>"That's it. For the moment, he's telling the truth."<p>

҉

**OUTSIDE BALCONY**

Davos, wearing a bathrobe over his medical clothing, is standing on the balcony enjoying the view. Illyria comes out to join him.  
>"Doctor Keller told me I might find you here."<br>"She was kind enough to let me go for a little walk." He gazes out over the city. "It's quite something, isn't it?"  
>Illyria sighed peacefully. "Yes."<br>"I know I was brought here for a reason – to play a role on a much bigger stage before I die."  
>"Surely it is not time to start speaking that way."<br>"Doctor Keller is a dedicated and skilled physician, but it doesn't take a great seer to know what she is thinking and not saying. My time is coming to an end." Illyria looks out over the city, her face sad. Davos looks at her. "You wish to ask me something."  
>"You know why I came to your planet."<br>"To learn the fate of your Athosian subjects."  
>"Yes."<br>"I can tell you only this: they are still alive..." Illyria's face fills with hope. "... but they are shrouded in darkness. I know you will continue to search for them, but I'm not sure this burden should be borne by someone in _your_ condition."  
>"My condition?"<br>"You carry a life inside you, do you not?"  
>Illyria looked away. "Yes."<p>

"Your second time, but your third youngling, correct?"

"Yes."

"You are married and yet you conceal it from and the others," Davos noted.  
>"I…I-It is complicated."<br>"I see." Davos nodded. "I have something to show you, then."

Illyria turned to him and saw he was holding out his hands. She shook her head. "Doctor Keller says you are far too weak-"

"Queen Sheppard," He said with gentle authority. "Your hands please."

He holds his hand out to her again and Illyria reluctantly takes it. Davos closes his eyes and Illyria gasps as he sends her a vision.

**VISION**

Illyria sits behind Colonel Carter's former desk, the name plate reads 'Queen Illyria Sheppard'. John sat on the couch in the corner of the room, playing with Patrick and Breen. In her arms was a soft, blue bundle. Smiling, she peeled back some cloth and a small, pink face smiled up at her. The baby's hand reached up at her and she offered him her pinkie. She looked up at John and they shared a proud smile.

Back on the balcony, Illyria's eyes shoot open. Davos holds onto the railing for support, slumping over a little. "I-I'm sorry I cannot offer you more…"  
>"That is all right." Illyria gasped, trying to regain her breath. "Thank you."<br>"The future is pre-determined by the character of those who shape it. Remember that. And now…" Davos sighed, "you must take me to Colonel Carter."  
>"Yes, of course. This way." Illyria puts her arm around him to support him and helps him inside. As they walk along, his breathing becomes more labored. "Davos?" Davos collapses to the floor. Illyria supports him as he falls and kneels over him, activating her headset radio. "This is Illyria to the Infirmary. I need a medical team now!"<br>Davos grasps her hand firmly. She gasps as he sends her another vision.

**VISION**

In the Control Room, Rodney stares at a screen, wide-eyed.  
>"We've got a problem."<br>In the Chair Room, John is seated in the Weapons Control Chair, which is reclined and active.  
>"Firing drones."<br>He closes his eyes in concentration as his hand reaches for the control panel on the arm of the Chair. In space, a hive ship explodes.  
>Illyria stares in shock as the vision ends. Davos releases her hand and lapses into unconsciousness.<p>

҉

**LATER**

**INFIRMARY**

Davos was resting in bed with Linara by his side. Jennifer was across the room sitting at her desk when Illyria came in.

"Jennifer?" Illyria called out quietly, looking around the room for her. Jennifer looked up and waved her over. "Your message said it was urgent?"

"Ah, yes," Jennifer said, picking up a bottle from her desk. "I want you to take these twice daily."

"And they are…?"

"Prenatal vitamins and some other things you might need. Prenatal is pink; others are light blue. Once tablet of each; twice a day." Jennifer sighed handing them to her. "I assumed you didn't want to make it obvious so it's labeled sleep medication."

"Thank you," Illyria said softly, turning to leave.

"Hey!" Jennifer called out to her quietly, looking over her shoulder to make sure she didn't wake Davos. Illyria walked back to the desk. "Why am I doing this?"

"Being a doctor?"

"No, no, no, I mean, sneaking around _my own lab_ to get you these."

"Because I asked you for a favor, Jennifer."

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna need more than that." She kicked a chair over and pulled Illyria by the hand to sit in it. "Start talking, missy."

"Excuse me?"

"You should tell me whatever the hell is going on because (A) We're friends – at least that's what I think we are, (B) I'm your doctor, so even if I wanted to tell someone, I couldn't without your permission, and (C) I am risking my job for you," Jennifer counted out on her fingers. "Now start talkin'."

Illyria glared at her a moment, figuring out her options, and sighed when she came up with nothing. "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything!" She said not too quietly.

"Shh!" Illyria said, looking around. "A little more quietly, please? John's men are at the door."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, fine." But before Illyria could even start, Jennifer slapped her on the arm. "How could you even consider cheating on him? You married the hottest man in the universe and you're throwing all that away? For – For what, your Athosian creep mistress? Maybe Sam was right not to like you, 'cause right now I don't." Illyria slapped Jennifer's arm back. "Hey! I'm about the only friend you'll have once this 'little secret' leaks out."

"It's not like that, Jennifer!" Illyria whispered fiercely. "Would you really think I would sleep with any man but my husband? John took me in when he barely knew me; he believed in me; he wanted to marry me and raise my children as his own. Why would I betray him like this?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jennifer asked sarcastically, gesturing to Illyria's stomach.

"I am not a whore, Doctor." Illyria whispered through her teeth.

Jennifer's face softened. "I'd like to believe you're not, but the way you've been acting – not wanting to tell the _possible_ father of your child, your husband, you're pregnant? It raises questions, Illyria."

"I-I…" Illyria looks away, shaking her head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," Jennifer scoffed.

_"Illyria Sheppard to the Control Room,"_ Chuck called city wide. _"Illyria Sheppard to the Control Room."_

Illyria stood up quietly and walked to the door. She turned around in the doorway and held up to bottle. "Thank you, Jennifer."

Jennifer smiled and Illyria left. She turned back to her desk, crossing her fingers, and muttering, "Please be John's; please be John's…"

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Woolsey paces around the room as he talks to Sam and Team Sheppard.  
>"Illyria's vision only confirms what I've been saying all along." Woolsey said.<br>"If we destroy the hive ship, we lose our best chance of stopping the Replicators."  
>"We may not have a choice. One way or another, events are going to result in the destruction of that ship."<br>"Well, if you believe that, then you believe Atlantis is gonna be destroyed, and we might as well pack up our bags and go home." John said. "How 'bout this: we play along. We wait for them to transmit the program to Rodney's computer, then blow 'em out of the sky."  
>"Betray them before they have a chance to betray us." Sam nodded.<br>"They're Wraith. Anyone gonna lose any sleep over this?" Ronon asked and John shrugs.  
>"Rodney," Sam asked, "can you guarantee that you could finish the job without the Wraith's help?"<br>"If I have the original virus, not a problem." Rodney said, smiling confidently.  
>"Can you guarantee it?" Sam repeated.<br>McKay chuckled. "Well, I mean..." He shifts uncomfortably in his chair and his smile fades. "No."  
>"That is not the only problem." Illyria said, rubbing her temples. "If we do not destroy the hive quickly enough, it may have time to send a message."<br>"All right. I think I need to meet this Wraith myself." Sam stands and starts to leave the room. "Mr. Woolsey." She turns to him. He looks at her nervously.  
>"Y-you want me to come with you?"<br>"Well, I'm sure you want your report to the I.O.A. to be as thorough as possible."  
>Woolsey nodded reluctantly. "Of course."<br>Sam turns towards the door again, smiling smugly down at John as she passes. He smiles back as Woolsey unhappily follows her out of the room.

҉

**CORRIDORS**  
>"I've never met a Wraith face to face before." Woolsey said.<br>"Oh, well, you're in for a treat." Sam smiled.  
>They reach the door of the Brig and Sam nods to a marine who activates the code on the wall panel. The door opens and Woolsey gestures to Sam.<br>"Ladies first."  
>Smirking, Sam leads him into the room and looks at one of the marines inside. "Open it."<br>The forcefield around the cell deactivates and the door slides open.  
>"Don't!" Woolsey yelled.<br>"It's all right." The Wraith stands up as Sam and Woolsey walk into the cell. A couple of marines walk around behind the Wraith, aiming their Wraith stunner pistols at it. Another marine stands behind and to the side of Sam holding an Earth pistol ready. "I'm Colonel Samantha Carter."  
>"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He looks enquiringly at Woolsey.<br>"Richard Woolsey." He introduced himself.  
>"I understand you're proposing that we work together on a joint venture."<br>"That is correct." The Wraith nodded.  
>"Last time we went down this road, things didn't exactly work out the way we'd hoped."<br>"You were betrayed. Believe me, I understand your reluctance."  
>"If we do this, we do it <em>our<em> way. Your ship remains in orbit. They make the slightest false move and they'll be destroyed."  
>"Fair enough."<br>"The program will be downloaded into a non-networked computer in one of our labs. All work will be conducted on this base. You will remain under constant guard and when you're done, we keep the virus."  
>"It won't be easy to upload it into the Replicator network. Are you sure you're up to the task?"<br>"We did it before; we'll do it again."  
>The Wraith thinks about it for a moment, then nods. "I agree to your terms. You see, I want this as much as you do."<br>"Let's say that this works. What happens then?"  
>"In my time as a prisoner among the Genii, I lost my position among Wraith. I still have a few loyal followers but nothing like the standing I once had. The Wraith your Queen named 'Samuel' was a close ally until his recent death. I am under his last orders to seek out your help."<br>"So you're going to use this to leverage your way back in?" Woolsey asked.  
>"In a manner of speaking."<br>"Sooner or later we're going to end up on opposite sides." Sam said.  
>"Yes, but not today. Do we have an agreement?"<br>"We do."  
>"I believe among your people it is customary to shake hands." He offers his right hand to her. The marines all raise and cock their weapons as Sam stares down at its hand. The Wraith begins to laugh and waves its hand disparagingly. "Just a little Wraith humor."<br>He laughs again. Woolsey turns to Sam angrily. "I hope you know what you're doing."  
>He storms out of the room. Sam looks at the Wraith which is still chuckling, then turns and follows him. The Wraith sighs in a satisfied way.<p>

In space, a hyperspace window opens and a hive ship flies out of it and heads towards New Lantea. In the Control Room, Chuck reports.  
>"Wraith ship just dropped out of hyperspace."<br>"Are they powering weapons?" Sam asked.  
>Chuck checks his screens. "Negative. They're sending a transmission."<br>Sam activated her headset. "Rodney, you're on."  
>In Rodney's lab, Wraith text is streaming down his screens.<br>"That's it? That's your super-weapon?" Ronon asked from behind McKay.  
>"Well, what were you expecting?"<br>"A big gun? Something that goes boom?"  
>The screens show the message "TRANSMISSION COMPLETE." Rodney activates his headset.<br>"Sam. That's it. We got it."  
>In the Control Room, John looks at Sam. "I can go down to the Chair Room and finish this off right now."<br>"Can't risk it, John." She activates her headset again. "Security, have the Wraith escorted to Doctor McKay's lab."

҉

**LATER**

The Wraith is in Rodney's lab. It has a thick leather belt around its waist which has short metal chains attached to either side of it. The chains lead to leather wrist manacles which prevent the Wraith from moving its hands much. It is standing at a computer and looking at the screen.  
>"No, this is all wrong."<br>Rodney, sitting at a computer behind it, turns and looks at it. "What do you mean?"  
>The Wraith turns to him. "You must iterate all values of the expression before you can aggregate the results."<br>"Are you kidding? We're better off using known data points and extrapolating."  
>"You risk compounding errors."<br>"What?"  
>The Wraith leans down to him. Marines in the room raise their weapons warningly. "If my hands were free, I could help you."<br>"No, it's-it's fine." McKay said nervously. "I'll do it myself. Thanks."  
>"As you wish."<br>He straightens up and turns back to its screen. Rodney gets back to work.

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Sam and Woolsey are sitting at the desk talking as Rodney storms in.  
>"He's holding out on us. Part of the virus is missing. I mean, sure, they're minor subroutines – nothing that would be greatly affected by the changes I've made to the Replicator base code – but still necessary to make it work. Look, I probably wouldn't have even noticed it except ... well ... you know, I'm really good. Look, he's definitely up to something."<br>"We know." Woolsey said.  
>"You know? What do you mean, you know?"<br>"A few minutes ago, we started tracking another hive ship on course for Atlantis." Sam said.

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Ronon is standing facing the Wraith with the muzzle of his blaster jammed against its chest. John and Rodney stand nearby.  
>"I swear I know nothing of this." The Wraith said.<br>"You gave our position away to another hive ship." John said.  
>"Why would I betray you now, just as we were beginning to trust each other?"<br>"We're not, really, are we? You held back some of the virus." McKay said.  
>The Wraith hisses. "Just a small portion. Nothing that prevents us from completing our work, and once that is done, I will gladly transmit the remainder."<br>"I say we kill him right now." John said.  
>"I agree." Ronon said.<br>"I am under the protection of your Queen. She gave me her word no harm will come to me." The Wraith said. "Besides, I had no way of knowing you would not simply take the virus and then turn against me."  
>"I'm offended you could even think that." John said sarcastically and the Wraith chuckled.<br>"The point is, you lied. How do we know you're not lying about the ship?" Ronon asked.  
>"Wraith are divided into many camps. There is much suspicion and mistrust. The last thing I need is for another hive to appear before I can complete this work."<br>Rodney clicks his fingers a couple of times. "That's it. That's why they're coming. They're tracking his ship. Think about it: a single hive off by itself out in the middle of nowhere, orbiting a supposedly uninhabited planet. That's bound to raise a few eyebrows..." he looks at the Wraith and flinches a little "... I mean, if you had eyebrows."  
>"There is only one solution." The Wraith said. "You must cloak the city."<p>

҉

**SAM'S OFFICE**

Sam, John and Woolsey are there.  
>"If we cloak the city, we lose shields. We'd be completely vulnerable to attack." Woolsey argued.<br>"And what if he's telling the truth? If we don't cloak, we'll be giving up our position." Sam argued back.  
>"He's been playing us from the start. This is what he wanted all along."<br>"All right, wait a minute." John said, getting between the two. "A little while ago you thought the Replicators were gonna destroy the city. Now you think the Wraith are gonna do it. Which one is it?"  
>Woolsey looks at Sam, unable to answer. Sam turns to John. "How long until the second hive gets here?"<br>"Two hours."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Sam walks over to Davos' bedside as Linara hands him a cup of water.  
>"Hello again."<p>

"Colonel. It's nice to see you, but I'm afraid I can't offer you any more insight into future events. These medicines dull my mind."  
>"That's all right. That's not why I came, although I did wanna ask you a few questions about your visions if you feel up to it."<br>"Of course."  
>"Have you ever been wrong?"<br>"No."  
>"Knowing how events play out, you haven't been able to change the future or avoid it?"<br>"I'm afraid not."  
>"What about the culling on your planet?"<br>"I did not see a culling, merely the Wraith ships arriving, and that is exactly what happened. Doctor McKay's vision happened as he saw it, but his interpretation was incorrect."  
>"Pretty hard to misinterpret what I saw," Sam said, grimacing.<br>"I make no judgments, but I do know it will come to pass."  
>"It's hard for me to accept that. You're telling me that the future is pre-determined but I have always believed that the future is what you make it."<br>"Perhaps both are true. Perhaps the future is pre-determined by the character of those who shape it. One thing has been clear to me from the moment I set foot in this city: the galaxy is at a crossroads. Never before have I sensed that the future of so many worlds can turn on the actions of so few."

҉

**LATER**

John walks out onto the outside balcony of the Control Room to join Illyria.  
>"The other hive ship'll be here soon. Sam's sending me down to the Chair Room."<br>"So we've decided to take 'em out?" Illyria asked. She kept her back towards him, staring up at the sky.  
>"Right now, Sam's having a hard time deciding anything."<br>"Know what the problem is?"

"The Wraith?"

"Too much information."  
>"Really?"<br>"There's only so much information Sam needs to make a decision. Anything after that complicates it – like these visions. Are they making things better or worse?"  
>"Well, they helped us avoid being captured by the Wraith."<br>Illyria turned to him. "You and I both know we would never walk into a trap unprepared, even if McKay didn't have that vision." She looked away. "The future is pre-determined by the character of those who shape it."  
>"What's that?"<br>"Nothing," Illyria shook her head. "Look, _technically_ Woolsey is correct. The safety of this city is our first priority and, based on that, there is only one decision: take out both the hive ships as soon as possible."  
>"Illyria...?"<br>"What's the point of being out here if you're not gonna help people? We're gonna be safe and sound while the rest of the galaxy gets slaughtered?"  
>"So play it safe, or take a chance with the Wraith and maybe save millions of lives."<p>

Illyria chuckled. "This kind of decision used to be easy, but then I was just making it for myself. Now, Sam's going to ask a lot of people to take a chance with her."  
>"Everybody on this base chose to be here, and they did so because they believe in the same things Sam does." John put his hand on her shoulder. "You always make a great leader."<br>Illyria nods. "If anything goes wrong..."  
>"I'll be ready."<br>He kissed the back of her head before going back inside. Illyria stays on the balcony, thinking over her decisions.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Illyria came back in as Sam gave the order. "Rodney, prepare to cloak the city."  
>"All right, people, you heard her. Let's do this." He sits down at a console as others take their places. Woolsey looks round at them all, obviously unhappy. He walks over to Sam.<br>"My understanding is it takes some doing to switch back from the cloak to the shields. It's not something that can be done right away."  
>"That's right."<br>"So if we commit to this course of action, there's no going back."  
>"I'm afraid not. There's still some time before the second hive gets here. You could return to Midway if you like."<br>"But then my report wouldn't be as thorough as possible, would it?"  
>He smiles slightly. Sam smiles back.<p>

In the Chair Room, John gets into the Chair and it lights up as he reclines it. "_I'm in position, Colonel."_  
>"Understood. Rodney, how are we doing?"<br>"Engaging cloak now."  
>From out in the ocean, the city slowly disappears from view.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Linara looks in concern as Davos, now wearing a nasal canula, begins to struggle to breathe. "Father? Father?" She turns and calls out, "Doctor! Doctor, help him!"  
>Jennifer runs over to the bed. "Davos? Davos?"<br>Davos doesn't reply, staring ahead as his breathing becomes more ragged. Linara starts to cry.  
>"Father?" Davos' heart monitor begins to beep more rapidly, then his eyes close and the monitor emits a single solid tone. Sobbing, Linara called out, "No!"<br>"I'm sorry." Keller whispered.  
>Linara continues to sob, holding her father's hand and bowing her head over it.<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Above the planet, a hyperspace window opens and the new hive ship arrives.  
>"Second hive just dropped out of hyperspace." Rodney announced. He looks up at Sam and Woolsey. "This is it." He looks back at his screens. "First hive is sending a transmission. They're probably trying to explain what they're doing here."<br>_"C'mon, guys, what's happening?" _John asked.  
>"Stand by."<br>"Rodney?" Sam asked.  
>"They're still just talking." His console beeps. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, wait a minute. We've got a problem."<br>_"What is it? What's going on?"_  
>"Both ships just powered weapons."<br>"My God!" Woolsey said.  
><em>"That's it. Firing drones."<em> He closes his eyes in concentration as his hand reaches for the control panel on the arm of the Chair.  
>"John, wait!" Illyria called out. John opens his eyes again, his hand hovering just above the arm panel. "Just give it a second."<br>"Are you insane?" Woolsey said, turning to her. "They're gonna wipe us out!"  
>"Shut up, Woolsey."<br>Woolsey glares at Illyria for a moment, then turns away from her. "Colonel Sheppard. As a ranking member of the I.O.A., I'm assuming command of this base. I'm ordering you to launch the drones now."  
>John flexes the fingers of both hands over the arm panels, unsure what to do.<br>"Belay that order!" Sam yelled, turning to Woolsey, glaring at him. "One more word out of you and I will have you removed."  
>"Hold on. Something's happening. The hives are firing on each other!" Rodney reported.<br>"Are you sure?" Illyria asked.  
>"Definitely! They're not pulling any punches either."<br>Side by side in space, the hives fire at each other. One of them eventually can no longer take the onslaught and explodes. The shockwave from its destruction radiates out and envelops the other ship, causing it to explode too. In the Control Room, Rodney gasps as he looks at his screen.  
>"They just destroyed each other! I guess the other Wraith didn't buy their story."<br>Sam opened her mouth to say something, but Illyria beat her to it. "Was either ship able to get off a sub-space message?"  
>"Oh, right." Rodney checks his screen. "Negative. We're good!"<br>Sam smiles, then turns to Woolsey, who puts his hand to his mouth and turns away, shocked by what he could have caused if he had been able to take command. Sam speaks into her radio.  
>"John, you can stand down."<br>"Gladly," John said, elevating the Chair to its upright position.

҉

**DAY TIME **

In the Infirmary, Linara watches sadly as two marines wheel Davos' covered body out of the room on a trolley. She walks over to Illyria.  
>"I'm taking him back to Vedeena to be buried according to our custom."<br>"It is good that he is going home."  
>"I don't know what my people will do without him. He's always been there, warning us of danger, protecting us from harm." She starts to cry again. "And for the first time in my life, I fear the future."<br>Illyria put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Just because something is unknown does not necessarily mean it needs to be feared. Trust yourself, and the rest will unfold as it is meant to."  
>Linara nods, then turns to follow her father's body. Jennifer walks over to Illyria.<br>"He was an interesting man."  
>"Yes. He knew that I was pregnant."<br>"Really? You know, pretty soon, other people are gonna find out too. You're gonna have to tell them." Jennifer turned to Illyria. "Including your husband."  
>"I know," Illyria said softly.<p>

҉

**BRIG**

The cell door slides open and marines go inside, aiming their stunners at him while others stand outside, some holding rifles and one holding the shackles ready to put onto the Wraith. He stands as John walks in.  
>"So all it took was the destruction of my ship for you to finally trust me."<br>"No, not true. I still don't trust you." He turned to the marines. "Take him to the lab. He's got work to do."  
>The Wraith growls in irritation as the marines hustle him away.<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

Woolsey pulls his small suitcase behind him as he walks to the Stargate, which is open ready for him to leave. Sam stands nearby. He stops and turns to her.  
>"Well. This is awkward."<br>"Yes." Sam nodded.  
>"For the record, I thought I was making the right call."<br>"It was a difficult situation for everyone."  
>"I just have one last question. How did you know the two Wraith ships would fire on each other?"<br>"I didn't. You gonna put that in your report?"  
>"It probably would be better if I didn't." Sam smiles slightly. "There may be such a thing as being too thorough."<br>"Right."

"Oh, before I go, Colonel," Woolsey said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. "These are orders for you coming from both the IOA and the SGC." He handed them to her. "Goodbye, Colonel."

Woolsey turns and walks into the event horizon. Sam stared down at the paper while she walked down the side steps just as John was coming in.  
>"Where's Woolsey?" John asked.<br>"Oh, you just missed him…"  
>"That hurts my feelings. I didn't even say goodbye yet."<p>

"How's McKay doing?"  
>"He and the Wraith are back at it, but I guess they're having a problem getting this virus to work."<br>"I'd hate to think this was all for nothing."  
>"Well, we got out alive and we kept our location secret. That still counts for something."<br>"Hmm."  
>"You're still thinking about those visions, aren't you?"<br>"I can't get them out of my head. Everything Davos saw came true."  
>"For all we know, it won't come true for another thousand years."<br>"Or it could come true tomorrow."  
>"Right! So what else is new?"<p>

Sam sighed and held up the piece of paper. "This."

"What's that?" John asked, taking the paper from her. He turned it over and saw the seal the bound the paper shut. He looked up at Sam, surprised. "It…It could be nothing. Recommendation, maybe?"

"The IOA doesn't make recommendations, John, they make changes."

"We won't know until you open it," John said, handing it back to her.

She sighed and took it back, carefully opening it. Her face fell and hands began to shake slightly as she read the paper further.

"Well," John said, "what'd it say?"

Sam looked up at him. "Illyria is to replace me effective immediately."


	60. Chapter 58

**ATLANTIS**

In a lab, Doctor Rodney McKay stands and frowns at a number of whiteboards in front of him. Behind him, several scientists, including Doctor Radek Zelenka, are seated at various desks and are all frowning down at their laptops. Rodney purses his lips thoughtfully.  
>"Hmm. Maybe if we, umm..." Everyone looks up at him hopefully. "No. No."<br>The scientists sigh, one sinking his head into his hands. A female scientist speaks.  
>"Why don't we bring the Wraith in on this?"<br>Without turning around, McKay said, "No."  
>"A lot of this new nanite coding is based on his calculations, so maybe-"<br>"(A) he wouldn't help us, (B) we don't need his help and (C) ... someone get me some coffee."  
>"You've been silently staring at that board for three hours."<br>"Yeah-yeah-yeah. It'll come to me."  
>"Just e-mail her, already." Zelenka said.<br>The other scientists flinch, grimacing at Radek's nerve. Rodney slowly turns around to face him.  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"Rodney, we're stuck. We've been stuck for ten hours. Just ask her for help, please."  
>"I'm not stuck," McKay said, pointing at himself.<br>"The last time we had a block like this, she helped us through it, right?"  
>"That was something completely different."<br>"I cannot sit here waiting for you to have an epiphany! I'm losing the will to live!"  
>Rodney looks round at the scientists, reluctantly realizing that Radek may be right. "I suppose there could be more important things I should be working on."<br>"However you want to sell it to yourself, that's fine."  
>He shuts down the lid of his laptop. The female scientist follows his lead and shuts her laptop's lid. Everyone else follows suit, closing their laptops, and they all stand up and leave the room, leaving Rodney alone.<br>"Hmm!"

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

The conference room door opened and Ronon Dex, John Sheppard, McKay, and Zelenka, and the heads of the major departments walked in; Sam and Illyria were already in the room. As they took their seats, Sam began to speak.

"Recently we had a visit from Mr. Woolsey off the IOA. Not many people like him, but he does hold authority." She picked up a white piece of paper from the table. "Before he stepped through the gate, Mr. Woolsey handed me this."

"What is it?" McKay asked. "Well, obviously a piece of paper-"

Sam held up her hand to silence him and read, "Effective immediately, Illyria Sheppard is to take command of the Atlantis base, resuming her position as Queen." She folded the piece of paper and slid it across the table. "Signed by the members of the IOA, the President, and General Landry."

Around the room, everyone shared stunned glances, even a few hushed whipsers. It's true that not many of the expedition members fully trust her, but Carter had only been with them a few months. No way in that amount of time could the IOA and the SGC find reason to fire her of her Atlantis command.

"It does not say why." Zelenka asked reading over the paper.

"Well, it was Illyria's city in the first place." Ronon said.

McKay opened his mouth to argue on behalf of Sam, but John spoke first. "What do we do?"

"Simple," Sam said, "I pack my bags and go home. As of right now, Illyria is in charge."

She walked out of the room without another word. All eyes went to Illyria. When she stood up, everyone else did so as well.

"That is all, for now, thank you." She nodded her head. "Dismissed."

Ronon bowed his head respectable and left. Suddenly realizing that she was once again an official 'Queen of Atlantis', Zelenka and Rodney, both, awkwardly bowed and shuffled out of the room as did everyone else. John slowly walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You know you deserve this. Be happy."

She sighed. "I am happy, John."

"You don't seem like."

"Oh, really?" She chuckled sarcastically. "I wonder if it's because of my being here, I got a perfectly good leader fired from her post and shipped off back to Earth! Why shouldn't I be happy about that?"

"Illyria," John said, now placing both his hands on her shoulders, "You were born for this job, literally. I agree that Sam was a good leader, but you were great."

She sighed again and let her husband comfort her, forgetting her troubles for a moment. She thought of something and smiled up at her. "You know, John, you being married to me would make you King…"

He chuckled and kissed her head. "Long live the Queen."

҉

**EARTH**

**VANCOUVER**

**MILLER RESIDENCE**

In the kitchen, Jeanie and Kaleb Miller are watching their daughter Madison as she finishes patting out cake dough into the shape of a huge cookie.  
>"Done! Done!" Madison called out as she patted.<br>"Just one big cookie?" Kaleb asked.  
>"Yeah."<br>"Don't you wanna use your cutters?" Jeanie asked.  
>"Nah. I just want a big one."<br>Jeanie and Kaleb giggle. Just then Jeanie's laptop, which is on a nearby cabinet, beeps notification of a new e-mail. As she goes over to it and washes cookie dough from her hands, Kaleb walks over to Madison.  
>"You may wanna flatten the dough a little bit."<br>"No."  
>"No? Just a giant cookie mountain? That's what you're going for?"<br>"Yeah!"  
>"OK!" Jeanie opens her e-mail and starts to read it. "Anything good?"<br>"It's from my brother." She reads on. "He's stuck again! Do you mind if I...?"  
>"Yeah, I got this." He looks at Madison who is sprinkling flour on top of her dough, and picks up another bowl of dough. "Here, do you wanna help with mine?"<br>"OK, but I want a lot of flour."  
>"How about some more chocolate chips?"<br>"But not the full bowl."  
>"No, that would be too many."<br>As they continue working, Jeanie opens a notebook on the work surface and, stopping to think occasionally, starts to write.

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

Jeanie and Kaleb are in bed. Jeanie turns over towards him and opens her eyes, seeing that he's awake.  
>"You can't sleep?" Jeanie asked.<br>"I thought I heard something."  
>"Madison?"<br>"I don't know. I'll check it out." He gets out of bed.)  
>"She probably just snuck downstairs for more cookies."<br>Kaleb laughs. "That's actually not a bad idea."  
>Before he can reach the door, it is kicked open and several men dressed in black riot gear and wearing helmets burst into the room, aiming pistols with laser sights on them. One of them knocks Kaleb to the floor. Jeanie cries out in terror as another man walks towards her aiming his gun at her. She cringes against the bed head as the beam from the laser steadies against her head.<br>"You're coming with us."

҉

**STARGATE COMMAND (S.G.C.)**

In the Gateroom, the Stargate is open. Rodney walks through with John and Illyria Sheppard and Ronon Dex. As they walk down the ramp, Illyria spots someone walking in.  
>"Julian!" She called out. At the bottom of the ramp waiting for them was Julian Barrett.<p>

"Not that it isn't great to see you," John said, "but what the hell are you doing here?"

"I working for the N.I.D for a little bit. Mr. Woolsey has asked me to help you any way that I can given our history. I'm sorry that we couldn't meet up under better circumstances."  
>"Have the kidnappers tried to make contact with us yet?" McKay asked.<br>"No, I'm afraid not."  
>'OK. Well, I need to get to Vancouver."<br>"OK, the Daedalus is in orbit, so it will be a quick trip."  
>"Have you learned any new information yet?" Ronon asked as Barrett lead them out of the Gateroom.<br>"No, not yet. The N.I.D. is liaising with C.S.I.S. on the ground. They are expecting us."  
>"C-what?" Illyria asked looked up at John.<br>"Canadian Security Intelligence Services. They're kind of like our C.I.A." McKay said.  
>"C.S.I.S. That's the best you guys can do, huh?" John said sarcastically.<br>Barrett leads them into an elevator. "We will be out in the open, so perhaps a change of clothes first."  
>He looks pointedly at Ronon and Illyria. Ronon was dressed in his normal, intimidating nomad clothing: a pretty shabby, ripped, brown shirt and brown leather pants. Around his neck was a necklace with two Wraith finger bones hanging from it. Since it was almost her day off, Illyria wore a pale turquoise dress that was embellished with beads and golden swirls around the shoulders featuring a beaded lace band around the bust and hanging down center were two long tassels. The dress had a long open sleeves-train.<p>

"Why?" Ronon and Illyria asked, looking over each other.

҉

**VANCOUVER**

Several cars are parked outside the Miller house and police officers are wandering about. Another car pulls up and Barrett and Team Sheppard get out. Ronon is now wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and a black jacket. Illyria, too, has changed into a blue ribbed shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, a brown jacket and a pair of brown leather ankle boots.  
>"I look dumb!" Ronon said, slamming his door.<br>"Helps you blend in a little." John said, helping Illyria out of the car.  
>"I'm gonna stand out no matter what you dress me in."<br>"That's a good point," he said, staring at Ronon's hair.  
>Various onlookers are standing around watching all the activity. Most of them are just gawking, but one of them looks particularly interested in the new arrivals. He takes out his mobile phone and presses a speed-dial number.<br>Inside the house, Kaleb and Madison are sitting on the sofa. Some of Madison's toys and games are on the table in front of them – Kaleb has obviously been trying to distract her while various C.S.I.S. officers are working in the room. Kaleb points as Rodney leads the others in.  
>"Hey, look, it's your Uncle Mer."<br>"Hey, lady." McKay smiled down at Madison.  
>"You gonna say hi?" Kaleb asked her.<br>Madison looked up at Rodney. "Where's Mum?  
>"Uh, she..."<br>Kaleb turned Madison to him. "I told you, she's had to go away for a bit, but she's gonna come back soon, OK?" He looks at Rodney and points in the direction of the kitchen. "Can I, uh ...?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"OK, sweetie?"

Madison didn't respond. Illyria stepped forward and knelt down beside her. She smiled over at Kaleb. "I'll watch her."  
>He nodded and stood up, leading Rodney to the kitchen. "Who did this?"<br>"We're not sure, but we have the best people in the world working on this and all the resources-"  
>"You know, when you came back here last year, she almost didn't go back with you to Atlantis. I said, "Go. You have to do it. You'll regret not going.""<br>"I know you did."  
>"She knew it was gonna be dangerous but you two are so competitive."<br>"Listen to me, we're gonna-"  
>"This is your fault, Rodney."<br>"Hey, just a second!"  
>"She got kidnapped because of you!"<br>"OK, we do not know that for sure."  
>"We don't? Really? You figure four masked men with guns broke in here to steal her secret apple dumpling recipe? Jealous neighbor, maybe?"<br>"OK, you're angry. You have every right to be-"  
>Kaleb interrupted, anguished, "If something happens to her…"<br>"Kaleb. We're gonna find her."  
>"Just bring her back. Bring her home."<br>"I will."  
>Shortly afterwards, Kaleb walks back into the living room where John is sitting next to Illyria and Madison, playing with her.<br>"C'mon, Mad." He picks her up.  
>"Where are we going?" She looked down at Illyria and smiled. "I want to play with Aunt Illy!"<br>Kaleb smiled down softly at Illyria before looking at his daughter. "We're going away for a bit."  
>As he carries her out of the room, John stands up and walks over to Rodney.<br>"I told 'em to get a hotel. There's no reason for them to stick around here."  
>Barrett turned to the C.S.I.S. officers. "All right, thanks, guys. Give us the room, please." The officers leave and Barrett turns to Rodney. "So where d'you wanna start?"<br>"Jeanie and I were corresponding via e-mail. She was ... umm ..." He hesitates, reluctant to admit that she was helping him with a problem. "I was bouncing some ideas off her."  
>"What about?"<br>"Well, before Sheppard's Wraith showed up, I was trying to perfect my nanite medical program."  
>"That thing you used to save Weir?" Ronon asked.<br>"Yeah – a better, more complex version of that, but yeah. Of course, as soon as we found out that the Replicators were attacking human worlds throughout the galaxy, we obviously switched our focus to shutting them down once and for all."  
>"And you sent Jeanie the program that you were working on?" Illyria asked.<br>"Yeah. I just – I needed a new set of eyes."  
>"The question is," John said, "what does it have to do with her being taken?"<br>"Yeah. Maybe The Trust, or some other Earth-based organization wanted info on me or about the program. Look, regardless, my e-mail and her capture happened too close together not to be connected."  
>"Right. It sounds like a great place to start." Barrett said.<br>"Has anyone touched her computer?" Rodney asked.  
>"No. No, I told them that you wanted to have a look at it first. Nobody's touched it."<br>"I'm gonna need to take it apart," McKay said, going to the desk where the laptop is. He sits down and looks up at the others. "This is gonna take some time. Why don't you get back to the hotel? I'll call you if I find anything."  
>"That's OK. We'll stay." John said.<br>"Seriously, this could take ten or twelve hours. Just ... there's nothing you can do here. Just go back to the hotel. I'll call you if I find anything."  
>John looks at Ronon and jerks his head towards the door, extending his hand to Illyria to help her up. They leave and Rodney gets to work.<p>

҉

**A LAB SOMEWHERE**

A guard opens the door and a second guard hustles Jeanie into the room. Her hands are bound in front of her with plastic tethers and she has a hood over her head. The room has computers all around the walls, and there are several tables together in the middle of the room with more computers on them. The guard pushes Jeanie down into a chair and takes the hood off her head, then he and the other guard leave, closing the door behind them. Jeanie squints against the light, then stands up and looks around the room. She runs towards the door but before she can reach it, a man's voice speaks.  
>"Here."<br>Jeanie turns and sees the man standing on the other side of the room. He walks towards her, snapping open a flick-knife. Jeanie backs away from him, terrified.

"No. Wait. Please."  
>"Shh. It's all right." He holds out his other hand towards her bound wrists. "Let me?"<br>He cuts her tethers. Jeanie backs away from him again.  
>"Who are you?"<br>"My name is Henry Wallace. I'm sorry to have..." He gestures to her apologetically for a moment as she stands there in her night wear, then looks at her resolutely. "I need you to do some work for me."

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**HOTEL**

Illyria was lying across the bed, flipping through a trashy magazine, making faces as she reads. Ronon looked over her shoulder at the magazine every time she made a noise. John was sitting in an armchair, playing with his coat jacket when his phone rang. He gets up and walks across to the table where the phone is lying, picks it up and answers.  
>"Hello."<br>_"So someone was monitoring my sister's computer."_ Rodney was in a car being driven by Agent Barrett. _"I think I've cracked their Trojan and I've got an address. Barrett and I are on our way there now."_  
>"Thought you said it was gonna take ten hours?"<br>"_Hey, even I underestimate how smart I am sometimes."_  
>"All right, stay at the house and then we'll all go together."<br>"_It's too late – we're almost there. I'll give you an address. You can meet us_."  
>John sighs and reaches for a pen. "Go ahead."<p>

҉

**LATER**

Rodney and Barrett walk towards a warehouse.  
>"This looks like the place."<br>"Shouldn't we wait for Sheppard and Ronon?"  
>Rodney waves his hand negatively, then looks at the door they're approaching. "OK, stand back." He braces himself to kick the door down. At the same moment, Barrett turns the door handle and the door opens. Rodney's foot kicks thin air. He hops on his other foot, trying to keep his balance. "Oh, well, that works too." Barrett takes out a pistol. Rodney walks in the door holding a torch, then looks back at Barrett's gun. "Don't happen to have another one of those on you, do you?"<br>"Yeah, I've got a shotgun in the car."  
>He steps backwards, intending to go to his car but a storm-trooper dressed in black appears out of nowhere and grabs him, punching him in the face. A second man heads towards Rodney, the laser sight of his gun trained on him. Rodney's eyes widen and he holds his hands up to protect his face as the man comes closer.<p>

҉

**LATER**

John, Illyria, and Ronon drive onto the forecourt of the warehouse and screech to a halt at the sight of Barrett lying on the ground. Ronon has the passenger door open even before the car stops and is standing up leaning out of the car and aiming a pistol around. He keeps an eye on the area as John jumps out doing the same. Illyria hops out and runs over to Barrett.  
>"You okay?" She asked. Barrett is conscious but has a nasty cut over his right eye. She helped him sit up. "What happened?"<br>"Two men. They must have been following us."  
>"McKay!" Ronon called out.<br>"He's not here. They took him."

҉

**WALLACE'S LAB**

Two guards hustle Rodney into the lab, his hands tethered behind him and a hood over his head. Jeanie, who has now been given some clothes, is sitting inside the lab but stands as the guards take the hood off Rodney's head and cut his tethers.  
>"Meredith?"<br>"Jeanie! Thank God you're alive!" He hurries over to her and they hug. The guards leave the room.  
>"What are you doing here?"<br>"I came back to Earth as soon as I heard you'd been kidnapped."  
>"Have you seen Madison and Kaleb?"<br>"Yes. They're a little shaken but they're OK. I've put a security detail on them, so you don't have to worry."  
>"Then, how did you ...?"<p>

"I got ambushed trying to track down the guys who took you."

"Oh, great! That's just great! First you get me captured, then you-"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. I got you captured? How do you figure that?"  
>"Oh, come on! They were monitoring my computer, right?"<br>"Yeah, so?"  
>"So would I be here if you hadn't sent me those e-mails?"<br>"Well, possibly…"  
>"Meredith!"<br>"What is this, a lab?" McKay said, looking around the room,  
>"Wow, that's some great detective work there, Nancy Drew!"<br>"Where the hell are we?"  
>"I have no idea. They put me on a plane…"<br>"Yes, me too. Any idea who's behind any of this?" He activates one of the computer screens. Just then the door opens and Wallace comes in with a couple of guards.  
>"Doctor McKay. I've heard a lot about you. It's a pleasure." He offers him his hand to shake but Rodney backs away from him. Wallace lowered his hand. "I thought you might show up if your sister went missing. We couldn't count on it, of course, but it's a pretty big bonus."<br>"Bonus?" McKay said, indignantly. "Look, I have no idea who you are but you have made a terrible mistake bringing me here. Now, I suggest you let us both go right now, otherwise about a hundred marines are gonna come kicking down your front door in the next two minutes."  
>"I'm pretty sure they won't, actually. Your subcutaneous transmitter has been deactivated."<br>Rodney looks shocked. "Who are you?"  
>"I should have started with that." Wallace sits down. :My name is Henry Wallace. I'm the President of-"<br>"-D.M.T. Great!" McKay folds his arms angrily.  
>"You know who I am, then."<br>"I'm familiar with your work."  
>"What's D.M.T.?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Devlin Medical Technologies. They're a predominantly government funded contractor and, unfortunately for us, they manufacture our subcutaneous transmitters."  
>"Oh, great!"<br>"Yeah." McKay turned to Wallace. "How do you even know I exist? Your company's only privy to very basic information about newly-declassified experiments the military's working on."  
>"No. More accurately, my company is given limited access to alien advances discovered through the Stargate program..." Rodney lowers his arms, staring at him in horror. "... and is asked to integrate them into Earth-based medical technologies."<br>"You're not cleared to know that."  
>"No. I'm not. But after years of being stupefied by the military's endless and unbelievable advances, I started to do a little digging. That's how I found out about the S.G.C., Atlantis, you..." He then looks at Jeanie. "... and that's why we've been monitoring your family's e-mails for quite some time now."<br>"What do you want from me?"  
>Wallace stands up. "I've hit a wall and need some help."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Somewhere else in the facility, Wallace leads Rodney and Jeanie to some glass doors. Behind them is a hospital room with one bed in it. Lying unconscious or asleep in the bed is a girl in her late teens.  
>"My daughter, Sharon."<br>"What's wrong with her?" McKay asked.  
>"She's suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia."<br>"Well, I'm very sorry but ..."  
>"She's been particularly unresponsive to induction chemotherapy, prednisolone, vincristine, cranial irradiation..."<br>"I don't even know what all that means. How am I supposed to help?"  
>"The best doctors in the world have told her to start saying her goodbyes, begin making funeral plans."<br>Jeanie looks at him sympathetically.  
>"That's what I'm saying – neither of us are doctors." McKay said. "Look, yes, I have a PhD ... two, actually-"<br>"The latest project my company has been working on for the S.G.C. involves applying advances in nanotechnology to cure injury and disease. We were close to a prototype."  
>"Wait a second, wait."<br>"Sharon was injected with the first batch of nanites one week ago."  
>"You've barely got manufacturing perfected! I'm working on the coding! It's months away! They're not ready!"<br>"My team thought they'd ironed out most of the coding."  
>""Ironed out"? It's not that easy!"<br>"I know that ... now. They're malfunctioning."  
>"Well, of course they are."<br>"And it's not just that they're not working. They're ... they're actually causing more problems than the cancer. Her body's rejecting them. When I intercepted your correspondence with Jeanie, I desperately needed someone familiar with the coding to come fix the programming."  
>"Right, so Jeanie was just the bait."<br>"No. From what I could tell, she had a firmer grasp of the coding than you did."  
>"I don't think it's fair to judge me on a couple of e-mails. I mean, they don't reflect the entire-"<br>"Meredith! It doesn't matter." Jeanie yelled at him.  
>"If we don't do something quickly, Sharon's gonna die." Wallace said. "Get the nanites fully operational and I'll let you go."<br>"Really?" McKay said, folding his arms.  
>"Absolutely."<br>"And if we don't?"  
>Wallace smiles unpleasantly at him.<p>

҉

**S.G.C. **

John, Illyria, Ronon and Julian are in the Control Room with Walter Harriman. Walter is looking at a screen.  
>"That's right, sir. They must have neutralized the transmitter."<br>Ronon turned to Barrett. "What about the lead you were following?"  
>"Dead end. It's a small rented room with a router that ported data through a site in Singapore. I mean, who knows where it was forwarded from there? We've got our best I.T. guys on the job, though. We're gonna start tracing the paper trail – hopefully it's gonna turn up a lead; and we're combing the security traffic and A.B.M. cameras from the area; we've got ambush; talking to witnesses. We've got half the Vancouver P.D. on this one. We're gonna get 'em."<p>

҉

**WALLACE'S LAB**

Rodney and Jeanie are working on different consoles. Sharon's room can be seen on a video link on a screen on the wall.  
>"They're not communicating." Jeanie reported.<br>"What?"  
>"The nanites. That's what's causing all the problems – they're going after some cells redundantly; they're ignoring others. They've caused at least three partially-clogged arteries. Something in their coding is stopping them from understanding each other."<br>"Great, great," McKay said, distractedly.  
>Jeanie was looking across at him. "Are you even listening to me?"<br>"Nah, you lost me at "nanites"."  
>Jeanie clicks her fingers at him. "Hey, idiot. We need to solve this coding problem."<br>"No, what we need to do is get the hell out of here."  
>"I know – by solving the coding problem."<br>McKay sighed. "So young and so naïve."  
>"You got a better idea?"<br>"Yes! Look, they gave these computers network access so we could monitor Sharon in real-time, right? Which means I can also hack into the security mainframe."  
>"What about <em>Sharon<em>?"  
>"What about <em>us<em>?"  
>"We can do this, Mer. We can help this girl."<br>"And then what? He's just gonna let us go? What, you think he's just gonna give up his life, lose his company, get carted off to prison – you think he'll be fine with that?"  
>"He's desperate. I think any parent would understand."<br>"Oh, you think. All right, let's just for a second imagine that we live in this magical land of unicorns and wizards and kind-hearted people who you can take at their word. Let's assume that he lets us go if we save her. But what if we fail, huh? What if she dies? How happy d'you think he'll be then? You think he'll let us just waltz out the door with an "Aw shucks. Well, better luck next time, tiger" attitude?" Jeanie sits back. She's not happy thinking that way but realizes that Rodney may be right. "Exactly. We need to get out of here. I've been working on a code to unlock all the keypad doors." He stands up and look at Jeanie. "You ready?"  
>"What happens after you get the door open?"<br>"Well, I memorized the building's layout from this computer here."  
>Jeanie sighs nervously. "Okay."<br>Rodney types on his computer. Over the floor plan of the building, a message comes up saying, "DOOR CODES: RELEASED." The door of the room buzzes, the lock deactivates and the door drifts open slightly. Jeanie looks at it in surprise.  
>"Huh!"<br>"C'mon."  
>They go to the door and Rodney peers out cautiously. When he's sure there's no-one around, he looks at Jeanie, then they leave the room, Jeanie closing the door behind them. They make their way along the corridors, then Rodney looks around before turning left. Not totally trusting him, Jeanie goes to the door on their right, looks through the small window in it and tries the door but it's locked. Throwing up her hands in frustration, she turns to follow her brother.<br>"You said there was a stairway entrance here," Jeanie whispered.  
>"There's supposed to be!" He whispered back. He points to a blacked-out window on the wall. "Um, OK, wait. W-w-w-w-wait. Uh, we've gotta go back."<br>"Go back? Why?"  
>"Because I got all mixed around. We've gotta start again. Maybe what I thought was north was south. It's hard to tell."<br>Jeanie sighs in irritation. "I can't believe I am betting my life on your sense of direction!"  
>"What are you talking about? I've got an excellent sense of direction!"<br>"Oh, really? Remember when we went to West Edmonton Mall and Dad had to call the police to find you?"  
>"That mall was huge!"<br>"There were maps every seven metres!"  
>"Misleading ones! Now, come on – we've gotta go back."<br>He heads back the way they just came. Furious, Jeanie follows him.

҉

**WALLACE'S OFFICE**

Wallace walks into his office and looks at the security screens on the wall. The one showing the lab reveals that nobody's in there. He picks up the phone and dials.

҉

**CORRIDORS**

Alarms begin to sound.  
>"Ah, sh..." He and Jeanie start to run, but two guards run around the corner in front of them, aiming pistols at them. "Run!"<br>He and Jeanie turn and run back the other way but one of the guards fires into Rodney's back. His pistol is a Taser and Rodney collapses to the ground, convulsing as electricity arcs through him. The shock ceases after a few seconds and he lapses into unconsciousness.

҉

**LATER**

Rodney's eyes slowly flicker open and he raises his head. He's back in the lab, tied at the wrists to a chair. Jeanie sits opposite him, also tied to her chair. Wallace stands nearby watching Rodney as he pulls himself together. He walks closer to him and looks down at him, clearly upset.  
>"Why would you do that? Why would..." He shakes his head and walks across the room to the screen showing Sharon's room. "My daughter is dying."<br>"You kidnapped us. What did you expect?"  
>"I shouldn't have given you network access."<br>"Yeah, well, that's a rookie mistake."  
>"Meredith," Jeanie warned.<br>"You're never gonna help me, are you?" Wallace asked.  
>"You're gonna kill us either way. What exactly is our incentive?" McKay asked.<br>"I gave you my word."  
>"Which means exactly nothing to me."<br>Wallace looks down at him pleadingly. "Please. My wife died three years ago. I can't go through that again. Sharon's all I have. You can save her."  
>"Look, this is an experimental medical program. It may never work. All this might have been for nothing."<br>"Worst case scenario. I thought I would have weeks with Sharon. Now, if things stay as they are, I'm lucky to have days."  
>"You never should have injected her."<br>Wallace looks at him, then glances across to Jeanie, his face desperate. He walks across to a case on a nearby table and opens it. "No. No. It will work." He takes out a large syringe and holds it up as he walks up behind Jeanie. "It has to work."  
>"What is that?"<br>"A dose of nanites." He brushes Jeanie's hair away from her neck. She stares at Rodney tearfully in terror.  
>"Meredith!"<br>"Wait-wait-wait, please. No." McKay pleaded.  
>"I'm sorry. You need an incentive."<br>"Don't!"  
>Wallace plunges the syringe into Jeanie's neck and injects her. Rodney stares at him in horror as he pulls the syringe out again. "Fix this, or they both die."<p>

҉

**LATER**

The siblings have been untied and are working on their computers again. Jeanie sighs as if in pain and rubs her neck where she was injected. Rodney looks at her.  
>"You OK?"<br>"Yeah. I'm fine."  
>"Good. Well, you were right. They're not communicating. They're not doing a lot of things they should be doing, in fact."<br>"Yeah, I know."  
>"See, the thing is, even though D.M.T. manufactured their own nanites, their coding, their programming – most of it's lifted directly from the Replicators."<br>"Right."  
>"The thing is, much as I hate to admit it, we're only just beginning to understand that coding. The Wraith we've been working with has helped us make leaps and bounds but-"<br>"Wait a second. You've been working with a Wraith?"  
>"Yeah, it's a long story." He stands up and goes over to her console. "What I'm trying to say is: this program that we're pushing on it is designed to restrain them very specifically to make sure they don't get out of control. So much so-"<p>

"-that they're completely ineffective."  
>"It's like we tied their hands behind their backs."<br>"So we have to cut them loose."  
>"Exactly. These nanites can't replicate. Technically, by unleashing them we might make all our little problems go away."<br>"OK. That shouldn't be too complex, altering two, maybe three thousand lines of code!"  
>"Yeah, it's a cinch," McKay said, unconvincingly, as he returns to his console.<br>"Yeah!" She starts to type. Rodney looks at her.  
>"Look, I'm really sorry about all of this."<br>"I really don't wanna talk about this right now, OK?" She said, not looking at them. "We need to write this program and upload it to my nanites. I will yell at you later, OK?"  
>"OK."<br>He sits down, then looks at his sister sadly for a moment before getting back to work. Jeanie glances at him briefly, then carries on typing.

҉

**S.G.C. **

John, Illyria, Ronon and Julian are sitting in an office poring over a stack of papers. There are several boxes of papers already in the room and now a soldier brings in another box and puts it on the desk.  
>"We're going in circles," Illyria sighed.<br>"I don't even get what we're doing." Ronon said.  
>"We're trying to match the corporations." Barrett said. "See, the company that rented the space for the internet router was owned by another company, which was owned by another, and owned by another."<br>"Trying to connect the company that was monitoring Jeanie's computer to a company that would want to take her." John said.  
>"Probably a company owned by The Trust. We just haven't found a connection."<br>"They know enough to shut down the transmitter."  
>"Exactly. You know, the fact that they even knew that tells us that they're pretty intimate with the operations of the Stargate program. Again, The Trust."<br>"We should widen the net. Maybe it wasn't one of them."  
>"Other known enemy groups?" Illyria asked.<br>"Or an ally." Ronon said.  
>"Chinese, Russians." Barrett listed.<br>"McKay said he was working on a program to shut down the Replicators. Was he working in tandem with anyone here on Earth?" John said.  
>"No. Not that I know of. Wait – there was a medical company that was working on other nanite programs, but they didn't have any direct dealings with him."<br>"Which company was that?" Illyria asked.  
>"I don't know. Give me a sec – I'll find out." Barrett said, leaving to room. Ronon gets up and starts to leave too.<br>"Where're you going?" John asked.  
>"To get some food."<br>"Well, in case you forgot, McKay and his sister are still missing."  
>"What, you want my help dissecting corporate structures? When you find someone to point a gun at, you let me know."<br>"Fair enough!"

"Oh!" Illyria said, snapping her fingers at Ronon. "Can you pick me up one of those…uh…" She turned to John, "What do you call it. The round thing with cream in the middle?"

He smiled at her. "Cream filled doughnut."

A man poked his head into the office. "Mrs. Sheppard? General Landry would like a word with you."

҉

**GENERAL LANDRY'S OFFICE**

"Ah! Illyria," Hank greeted from behind his desk as she walked in.

"General Landry," Illyria nodded.

"Please, call me Hank." Illyria took a step forward, but stumbled a little. Hank got up from his seat and walked over to her, holding her up. "You alright? You look a little faint."

"No, I'm alright," She smiled faintly, "just a bit lightheaded."

"Here," he said, guiding her to a chair, "have a seat."

"Thank you, Hank."

"After all," he smiled, walking back to his desk, "can't have my Atlantis Base commandeering getting ill on me."

"I was wondering why you called me here."

Hank slouched back in his armchair, his brow furrowed. "I had assumed Colonel Carter told you."

"Yes, she did. We had a briefing yesterday with all the heads of the departments."

"I would have though you pleased! After all, you're getting your position and city back."

Illyria sighed. "I am as pleased as one can be in a situation like this."

"What do you mean?"

"Why am I to replace Colonel Carter? Has she done something I should be worrying about?"

"We – the IOA and I – have felt that Colonel Carter hasn't…lived up to our expectations."

"And so you see fit to replace her base on your opinions?"

"Are opinions are what counts." Hank sighed and straightened up. "Now, I'm not saying Colonel Carter is a bad leader, far from it, but we feel you would be the better commander. You know the city like now one else – heck, you were born there! The civilian and military personnel respect you; civilians on other worlds worship you-"

"I'm not looking for disciples, Hank."

"And I know that, Illyria." She sighed and looked away. "What do you want? Hm?"

"I would like to raise my family in peace," she said quietly.

"And you can do that from an office instead of a battlefield."

҉

**WALLACE'S LAB**

Rodney is pacing around the lab. "What's it been, a couple of hours?"  
>"Something like that."<br>"So, what, no updates? I mean, I know we're hostages an' all, but come on! It took me, like, ten seconds to upload the program to you. What's taking them so much time?"  
>"It's gonna take a while to figure out if our coding patch actually makes the nanites fight the cancer."<br>"When we activated them in Weir, she was healed almost instantly."  
>"But that time the Replicator cells actually replaced her damaged cells. Our guys have to heal them."<br>"But still! By now they should have seen massive changes in her condition. I mean, why aren't they telling us anything?"  
>"OK, sit down. You're driving me crazy." Rodney sits down and folds his arms, glaring at her in a sulky way. Jeanie looks awkward, then thinks of something to talk about. "So, are you gonna marry that Katie girl?"<br>"What?"  
>"You heard me!"<br>"Where did that come from?" McKay said, unfolding his arms.  
>"I'm trying to take my mind off the fact that I have tiny robots running through my veins because you needed help with your homework. Would you rather talk about that?"<br>"Not really."  
>"So, are you gonna marry her?"<br>"I don't know."  
>"You've been dating for over a year now."<br>"I'm aware of that, thank you!"  
>"You think you're gonna find someone better?"<br>"No, it's not that."  
>"'Cause you're not!" Jeanie said, laughing.<br>"Hang on…"  
>"The fact that you found a nice girl who's willing to put up with all your many little flaws is a miracle."<br>"Look..."  
>"Plus, physically you're ... well, how do I put this? You're no John Sheppard." She smiled. "Illyria's one lucky girl. Two beautiful children, hunk of a husband-"<br>"Okay!" He stands up. "Let's go back to talking about how this is my fault, because I think I liked that better..."  
>He trails off as the door opens and a guard comes in.<br>"Come with me."

҉

**SHARON'S ROOM**

Sharon is sitting up in bed, with her father sitting at her bedside. He stands as the siblings approach the door and beckons to them.  
>"Oh, come in, come in. Sharon, I wanna introduce you to Rodney McKay, Jeanie Miller. They're the ones that saved you."<br>He sits down again as Sharon smiles at them.  
>"It's very nice to meet you. Thank you so much."<br>"How are you feeling?" Jeanie asked.  
>"Better than I felt in years."<br>"And the cancer?" McKay asked.  
>"We can't find any trace of it." Wallace said.<br>Sharon smiles happily.

҉

**S.G.C. COMMISSARY**

Ronon has been joined at his table by Walter.  
>"I'm nervous, right, because, you know, it's an admiral I'm talking to. So I say to him, "Sir, if you use an I-37 form instead of an N-1, you can save yourself from using like, like, like a hundred G-72s." And there's this pause." Ronon reaches for something on his plate but before he can get it to his mouth, Walter grabs his wrist. "No-one says anything for, like, I dunno, it felt like minutes."<p>

Ronon drops his food back onto his plate and sinks back in his seat, bored to death. "And finally, the admiral looks over at Landry and he goes, "Hank, not only is your boy here right, but I think we found ourselves a new bingo caller for Sunday nights!"" He laughs as Ronon glares at him. "Bingo! "I-37! N-1! G-72! Bingo!"" He giggles. "Whoever said the admiral didn't have a sense of humor?"  
>He stops giggling as he remembers something else. "Oh! Then there was this other time that General O'Neill and I, we were-"<br>The doors to the Commissary open. Ronon looks up and leaps to his feet with a look of desperate hope on his face. "Tell me you have something!"  
>John and Illyria come over.<br>"Devlin Medical Technologies." John said.  
>"That means...?"<br>"You've got somebody to point your gun at," Illyria said, picking up one of the cream filled doughnuts. She bit into as Ronon went hurrying from the room.  
>"Sweet!"<br>John picks up a French fry from Walter's plate and follows Ronon out, Illyria's arm intertwined with his. Walter watches them go, then laughs fondly at his memories.

҉

**WALLACE'S OFFICE**

Wallace pours a glass of champagne and Rodney looks at him anxiously.  
>"What are you gonna do with us?"<br>"Hey, we're celebrating here."  
>"She's still got nanites inside her and we are both still hostages," he said, indicating Jeanie, "so you'll excuse me if I skip the champagne."<br>"I'm a man of my word. I'm gonna let you go."  
>"What, just like that?"<br>"Just like that." He goes to a side desk to collect another glass.  
>"But you'll be arrested." Jeanie said.<br>"Not helping!" McKay said through his teeth to her.  
>Wallace came back with the glass and filling it. "I know. I've known I was going to prison from the moment I decided to kidnap you. I don't care. My daughter's gonna live – that's all that matters." Jeanie smiles at him. Wallace turned to McKay. "I can't expect you to understand."<br>"Well, you're right. I don't."  
>"We've done a great thing here today, and not just for my daughter. Hell, we might have just cured cancer altogether." Wallace said, offering glasses to each of them. "So, please, a toast." Rodney and Jeanie take their glasses. Wallace picks up the third glass and raises it. "To the future."<br>Jeanie lifts her glass but before she can clink it against Wallace's, the door opens and the guard comes in.  
>"Sir? We have a problem."<p>

҉

**SHARON'S ROOM**

Sharon is lying flat on her back on the bed and her heart monitor is emitting a single tone. A nurse is pumping air into her as the doctor holds defibrillator paddles.  
>"Clear." He shocks her. The tone remains unchanged. "Nothing. Going again." Wallace walks in, followed by Rodney and Jeanie. They stop at the doorway. "Charging. Clear." He shocks Sharon again. The single tone continues. The doctor takes Sharon's wrist to check for a pulse. He turned to the Nurse. "Turn it off." The nurse turns off the monitor. "I'm so sorry."<p>

His face full of anguish, Wallace walks over to the bed. "She was fine. I don't understand."  
>"Her heart just stopped. We couldn't get it pumping again. I'm not sure what happened."<br>Wallace pushes him aside gently and walks to his daughter's bedside. He gazes down at her, his eyes filling with tears. Jeanie watches, her face sympathetic. Rodney walks closer to her, his eyes wide with the realization of what could happen to her next.  
>"We need to get out of here." McKay whispered.<br>"I know." Jeanie whispered back.  
>"Look, I need to get you back to the S.G.C. Your nanites are running the same program-"<br>"I know."  
>"OK. I'm gonna see if I can distract the guard. I need you to go-" Jeanie starts to walk towards Sharon's bed. "Jeanie. Jeanie! What are you doing!"<br>Jeanie walks over to Wallace, who has sat down and is holding his daughter's hand against his cheek. "I'm so sorry. My brother and I need to leave. We need to get to a bigger lab with more scientists. Please."  
>Wallace shakes his head, too full of loss to be really paying attention to her. "I don't know what to do."<br>"I can't imagine what you're going through right now, and I know you're angry – I would be too – but if I go untreated ... Look, I have a family, a husband, a daughter. Please. I need to get help and I can't do it here."  
>"I'm sorry." He said tearfully. Just then the heart monitor beeps and Sharon opens her eyes and gasps. Startled, Jeanie steps back as the doctor hurries forward and takes Sharon's wrist in his hand to check her pulse. "Sharon?" Sharon gazes around, her eyes half-closed and uncomprehending. Wallace looks at the doctor. "You said she was dead!"<br>"She was!"  
>The heart monitor settles to a steady beep. Wallace gently puts his hand on Sharon's head as she continues to gaze around blankly.<p>

҉

**LAB**

Rodney is working on the computer while Jeanie stands beside him. "The nanites are still active." "No. Once they've beaten the cancer, they're supposed to shut themselves down."  
>"It's never been tested in a live subject and it's only worked sporadically in simulations." McKay looks up at Wallace. "Look, I told you – this programming is nowhere near ready to implement."<br>"Wait. You're saying the nanites brought her back to life?" Wallace asked.  
>"It's the only viable explanation."<br>"Then why did she die in the first place? Shouldn't they have kept her alive?"  
>"That's a good point." Jeanie said.<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-wait. The doctor said her heart just stopped, right, seemingly out of nowhere?"  
>McKay asked.<br>"Right," Wallace nodded.  
>"Does Sharon have any heart problems unrelated to the cancer?" Jeanie asked.<br>"Yes, she has a mitral regurgitation problem – heart murmur."  
>McKay turned to Jeanie. "Whoa, you don't think-"<br>"We broadened the parameters. They weren't just programmed to cure the cancer."  
>"Once they were done with the leukemia, they moved onto the heart murmur, and the easiest way to fix that-"<br>"-is shut it down while they repaired it." Wallace interjected.  
>"That doesn't make any sense." Jeanie said. "Shutting down the heart and starving the brain of oxygen would cause severe brain damage."<br>"Damage they could technically fix." McKay said.  
>"They could repair the tissue, yes, but the patient would lose their memories, their language skills, any sense of self."<br>"They don't care about that. Look, they were designed to fix the body of all physical maladies. I mean, preserving a sense of self isn't one of their directives."  
>"So she's gonna be stuck in this vegetative state?" Wallace asked.<br>"Technically, her brain is perfectly healthy. It's like she's been re-set to zero, so to speak." McKay said.  
>"Meredith, what about me?" Jeanie asked nervously. "I don't have any cancer. They'll look around and go straight for-"<p>

"-your epilepsy." McKay said horrified.  
>"I don't wanna be shut down for repairs."<br>"OK, OK. The first thing we've gotta do is make sure-"  
>Just then a gun blast blows the lock out of the door. A soldier kicks in the door and rushes in, followed by John, Ronon – who has taken the time to change back into his normal attire – Illyria and several other soldiers. One of the soldiers grabs Wallace and shoves him down to the ground.<br>"Are you guys OK?" John asked.  
>"How did you ...?" Jeanie asked.<br>"We need to get Jeanie to the S.G.C. immediately!" McKay said. "Is the Daedalus still in orbit?"  
>"You're welcome! It was a daring rescue." John said.<p>

"John," Illyria said, putting her hand on his shoulder.  
>"Yes-yes-yes, thank you, but we're nowhere near out of the woods yet. We have to get to the S.G.C. now."<br>John activates his headset radio. "Daedalus, this is Sheppard. We need a lift."  
>As the soldier tethers Wallace's hands behind him, a transporter beam whisks the others away.<p>

҉

**S.G.C. LAB**

"OK, I've put Jeanie in a medically induced coma, and I've broken her legs." McKay said walking into the lab where John, Ronon, Illyria, and Barrett were in.  
>"You what?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, we need to slow down the nanites. Look, this could buy us ten hours at least."  
>"You broke her legs? Could you not just give her a disease?" Illyria asked, horrified.<br>"She needed an immediate and severe trauma. Besides, if we shut them down before she's properly healed, all she has is a few broken bones."  
>"Instead of a disease she'd have to fight alone." John nodded.<br>"Exactly. Now, I'm pretty sure we can't just keep doing this. I mean, sooner or later the nanites are gonna abandon her broken bones and move to her brain, so we need to move fast."  
>"Can't we just blast her with an electro-magnetic pulse?" Barrett asked.<br>"No. These nanites were designed specifically to be immune to E.M. field fluctuations."  
>"Wonderful!" John said.<br>"So we have a little over ten hours to come up with a program that shuts down the nanites." Barrett said.  
>"Right," McKay nodded.<br>"So, what is the plan?" Illyria sighed.  
>"Well, as embarrassing as I find this to say, I need some help."<p>

҉

**GATEROOM**

The Gate is open and Illyria and John are waiting at the foot of the ramp.  
>"This is a bad idea." John said.<br>"Yes, well, it is the only one Rodney has got."  
>Two Atlantis marines back slowly out of the Gate, aiming Wraith stunner pistols back into the event horizon. The S.G.C. troops in the Gateroom ready their weapons. A moment later, Atlantis' captive Wraith comes through the Gate. It is wearing the thick leather belt around its waist which chains its wrists closely to the belt. It is also wearing shackles around its ankles. It stumbles down the ramp, breathing heavily, and looks down at John and Illyria.<br>"Why have you brought me here?"

҉

**LAB**

Rodney and the Wraith, together with several guards, are inside.  
>"Look, you understand the Replicator coding better than anyone. If we're gonna do this quickly, then we need your help." The Wraith looks around the room as if distracted. Rodney sighs. "And why should you care? I mean, we're gonna kill you either way, right? That's what you're thinking?"<br>The Wraith still doesn't reply.  
>"OK, OK, so, um ... incentives. Uh, first off: we have no interest in killing you. Of course, you've probably already figured that out by now; but we can't let you go either because you know too much about Atlantis – unless you could prove that you were trustworthy, and this would go a long way towards proving that."<br>The Wraith grunts. It looks tired and its face is even more oily than usual.  
>"Right. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't buy that, either." He laughs nervously, then walks a little closer to it. "Do you have any relatives? Do the Wraith have brothers or sisters? I don't know how it works. But with us, with my people, those bonds mean a lot. My sister's in trouble and it's pretty much all my fault. You could help us. You could save her."<br>The Wraith yawns.  
>"Doesn't mean anything to you, does it? I suppose it wouldn't mean much to me either if I was in your place. OK. OK. You and I both know that if we can figure out how to shut down these Earth-made nanites, it would be a giant step towards shutting down the Replicators. I know you lost your hive – I have no idea how horrible that must have been for you. But knowing that they're still out there – that you alone could do something about it – that's gotta be driving you crazy. So don't do this for me. Don't ... don't do this for my sister. Do this for yourself. Do this because you know you can and because you know it'll help destroy the Replicators once and for all."<br>Finally the Wraith meets his gaze.  
>"What do you say?" The Wraith nods, grunting. "Thank you."<br>Shortly afterwards, two guards unstrap the cuffs around the Wraith's wrists, then kneel down to release its ankle shackles. Over the next hour Wraith text streams across a large computer screen and the Wraith points at part of the text and it and Rodney discuss what it has seen. In the Infirmary, a nurse checks on an unconscious Jeanie. In the lab, Rodney and the Wraith type onto two separate computers. The Wraith looks at a screen behind it and then turns around again, blinking and shaking its head as if exhausted. More time passes and a screen shows that a simulation is running.  
>"All right, just a few bugs to code out but I think we're close."<br>"We?" His voice is deep and pained and it is shivering slightly. Rodney doesn't notice.  
>"Hey, I have been contributing. Now, if I could suggest a few targets-" The Wraith groans, slumps out of its chair and falls to its knees. "You OK?"<br>"No," he said weakly and collapses to the floor.

҉

**OFFICE**

John is sitting on the edge of a desk as Rodney stands in front of him, Illyria sitting down in the chair beside him.  
>"What if he's faking?" John asked. "What if he's just milking it for a hot meal?"<br>"The Wraith do not 'fake', John." Illyria said, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. "I believe his pain is real."  
>"Hmm, as do I." McKay said. "He can't finish the coding without feeding. I understand exactly what he's doing, but he's far more versed at implementing it than I am. Maybe if I had a couple of weeks, but he's the only one that can do it in a day."<br>"I don't know what to say, but the N.I.D. is not gonna provide us with a human for him to feed on." John said.  
>"I know. It needs to be me." McKay said and John and Illyria's eyes both widen.<br>"What?" They said in unison.  
>"I want him to feed on me."<br>"You wanna what?" John yelled, standing up.  
>"Let him feed off me – get his strength back, then he can finish the coding and save Jeanie."<br>"Then what? Force him to give you your life back? He's not gonna do that."  
>"Sharon died half an hour ago."<br>"I don't understand." Illyria said. "What happened? I thought the nanites were-"  
>"This time it wasn't a problem with the programming. It was a manufacturing defect. In layman's terms, the nanites ran out of steam while they were repairing her arteries. She bled out internally. There was nothing we could do." McKay stares at John in anguish. "I can't lose my sister, John. How am I gonna explain it to her husband, to her kid? What would you say to your kids if this was Illyria?<p>

"I've been through that, Rodney, and it wasn't pleasant, but we got through it. That Wraith'll kill you."  
>"It's my choice to make."<br>"No, it's not. You're an invaluable member of my team and you report directly to me."  
>"Really? You wanna talk about chain of command right now?"<br>"You are not doing this."  
>"She's here because of me. I can't fix the problem, but I can help the guy who can. Look, this was not an easy decision to make."<br>"I can't," John said and Illyria looked away, nearly in tears.  
>"Please," McKay said, near tears.<br>John looks at him and the pleading desperation in his eyes and quietly said, "I'm sorry."

҉

**LATER**

Illyria is sitting at a table in a holding cell. Wallace is sitting on the other side of the table, his face full of grief at the loss of his daughter.  
>"We are going over the data. We do not understand what happened and I am sorry for your loss."<br>"And Jeanie?"  
>"She is not gonna make it. We brought in a…specialist from the Pegasus galaxy – part of an enemy race called the Wraith. Somehow Doctor McKay has convinced him to create a program to shut down the nanites in Jeanie's body."<br>"And?"  
>"He was very close, but he hasn't fed in a few weeks so he collapsed. He is too weak to finish the coding modifications."<br>"I don't understand. If it means saving her life, why not just feed him?"  
>"Well, he feeds on...humans – their life force."<br>"I see," Wallace nodded.  
>"A little hard to find volunteers."<br>"So Jeanie will..."  
>"She is gonna die, just like Sharon."<br>"I'm so sorry," Wallace said, anguished.  
>"I am sure you are." Illyria reaches into her pocket and takes out some photographs. She puts the first one down on the table in front of Wallace. It's a picture of Kaleb holding Madison in his arms, both of them smiling at the camera. "This is Kaleb, her husband..." She drops another photo onto the desk. This one is of Madison sitting on some steps with her head propped in her hands. She's grinning at the camera. "...and Madison, her little daughter."<br>Wallace picks the photos up and looks at them, starting to cry. "I never meant for any of this to happen."  
>"I know you didn't. But it did. Now McKay's blaming himself, but I know better." She looks at Wallace. "You know better."<br>Wallace looks back at him, his eyes full of tears, and sighs.

҉

**LATER**

Rodney walks to the closed door of the lab. He swipes his keycard through the reader but it beeps negatively at him. He swipes it again but gets the same result.  
>"Oh, come on!"<br>A guard standing nearby walks over to him. "Can I help you, sir?"  
>"Uh, no. No problem," McKay said nervously.<br>"May I see that, sir?" The guard said, holding out his hand for the card.  
>"Uh, no, you may not."<br>"Sir, the card, please."  
>"Right." Reluctantly, he hands the card over. Fuller looks at it.<br>"You're not Doctor Lee, sir."  
>"Oh, is that Lee's card? You know, we were just at the gym and, uh, must have swapped pants, so, uh, would you just open the door for me?"<br>"Not without a card, sir."  
>"Look, I am Doctor Rodney McKay. This is my lab. Would you please open the door?"<br>"I can't do that, sir."  
>"This is a matter of life and death. Open the door!" McKay shouted angrily.<br>Fuller opens his mouth to reply but just then the door slides open. Rodney looks inside. Illyria is standing inside next to the Wraith which is back on its feet.  
>"Illyria?" McKay asked.<br>"Let him in," Illyria said to Fuller.  
>As Fuller steps aside and Rodney walks into the lab, the sound of a zipper being pulled closed can be heard. Rodney looks around and sees that two medics have just zipped a bodybag closed. As the Wraith types on its computer, Rodney stares in horror as the medics wheel the bodybag out of the room.<br>"What?" McKay shouted.  
>"I was showing Wallace the labs." Illyria said. "The Wraith got the upper hand. That is what the report is gonna say."<br>McKay stars at her in shock. "You..."  
>"Come on. You have got work to do."<br>"No, he does not." The Wraith said. "I've completed the reprogramming."  
>"Well, then, get it uploaded." Illyria instructed. Rodney pulls himself together and goes over to help the Wraith.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Sometime later, Jeanie wakes up. Rodney is sitting at her bedside.  
>"Jeanie?"<br>"Mer."  
>"It's okay, it's okay."<br>"Man, medical comas are weird."  
>"Yeah. You're not the first to mention it."<br>"Did you...?"  
>"Yes."<br>"So, I'm...?"  
>"You are absolutely fine. I mean, aside from a few inert nanites in you."<br>"Thanks, Mer." She pulls herself up into a sitting position.  
>"I'm really sorry about all this."<br>"Oh, I am gonna hold this over your head for..." she pauses for a moment as she thinks about it "...forever."  
>"Oh, that's totally fair."<p>

Jeanie starts to get out of bed. "Like, you're gonna eat a lot of vegetarian food...and not complain about it."  
>McKay picks up a pair of slippers and putting them on the floor near her feet. "Sure, sure."<br>"And you're gonna read Madison three stories instead of her usual two."  
>"Right."<br>As Jeanie slowly gets to her feet, Rodney looks around and fetches her a robe.)  
>"You're gonna buy me a car."<br>"Let's not get out of control here."  
>"You almost got me killed. That's at least a car – a nice one. A hybrid."<br>"Yeah, well, we'll talk about it on the way home."  
>"Oh, home! That sounds great." She looks at him for a moment, then wraps her arms around him and hugs him. "I love you."<br>"I know," McKay said, smiling. They break the hug. Jeanie looks at him as if to say, 'Well?' McKay said a little embarrassed, "I love you too."  
>Jeanie sighs as he hands her the robe, but smiles fondly at him as she puts the robe on.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Illyria slept like the dead, well, probable as close to any human could. When she finally got up, it was past ten in the morning. There was a knock at the door and, after looking around to see that John and the children weren't around, Illyria pulled on a clean pair of John's boxers and one of his black short sleeve shirts and stumbled down the hall to open the door.

The first thing she saw was boxes.

"Queen Sheppard," said the tall, strapping young marine who was holding the flattened boxes.

"Not officially Queen yet," She yawned.

He smiled slightly. "I have orders to bring you as many boxes as you need. Will ten do to start with?"

"Oh, yes, that'll be great."

"I also have orders," he said precisely, "to bring you anything related to moving that you might need. I have here strapping tape, masking tape, some Magic Markers, knife, and stick-on labels." Illyria smiled; John had given her a personal shopper. "Do you want colored dots, ma'am? Some people like to put certain rooms with certain dot colors."

"I don't think I will need the dots, but thank you anyway." Illyria smiled.

"I can assemble them for you, ma'am," he said with a smile. He had military short brown hair and long, thick lashes framing his kind, ice blue eyes. He was wearing slim-fitting, black, short sleeve shirt and black pants, along with black military boots.

Illyria nodded and he walked past her and into the middle of the room. His muscles moved prominently under his shirt with each step. When she caught herself starring at his fine backside, she shook her head and shut the door.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," she said as he pulled out a roll of strapping tape from one of his deep pockets.

"Oh, sorry," he said, and it was the first time he'd sounded natural. "My name is Jeremy Renner – Lieutenant Colonel Renner."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said and he paused long enough for them to shake hands. "Do you mind if I call you Jeremy?"

He chuckled. "No, ma'am, Queen – I mean – Mrs. Sheppard."

"_Please_," Illyria rolled her eyes. "Call me Illyria."

"Alrighty then, Illyria," Jeremy nodded, sure of himself. Since he was looking away, he couldn't see the smile on Illyria's face.

"Nasty scar on the back of your neck," She pointed out.

He stopped working and unconsult touch the long scar on the back of his neck that trialed down his shirt. "Got it on a mission few years back."

Illyria nodded, realizing he didn't want to talk about it. "How'd you come to be here?"

"Well, when the SGC recruited me right out of my black ops division, they told me I could visit Atlantis; becoming the second highest ranking U.S soldier in the galaxy." He looked up at her and smiled, recovered from his earlier statement. "Who wouldn't jump at that?"

"Indeed," Illyria smiled back.

He looked back down at the boxes and began talking again. "Just flew in on the Daedalus few weeks ago and, apparently, I made an impression on your husband."

"You did, now?"

"The Colonel wouldn't let just anybody in his quarters with his wife." He looked up at her and winked, making Illyria giggle. He looked back down and finished his third box. "Since the colonel was busy, and it was my day off, he sent me over here to help."

"And in return?"

"_In return_," Jeremy smiled, "I get to sit in on his next five missions."

"Are you missing any rounds…training?"

"Get my training early in the morning." He's already worked out and accumulated all this stuff before Illyria had even woken up. Illyria nodded, impressed. "If you don't mind me asking, ma'am, what are all these boxes for?"

"Earth sent over paper work, mission reports, things of that nature." She sighed. "Now that I'm taking over, I'm sending back our mission reports, pay raise statements...boring things."

"Price of being a leader. Do you need me to take them out?"

"Yes, please."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, after you take the boxes, can you skip over to the mess hall and pick me up something to eat?"

Just then a call came from out in the hall made Illyria look over her shoulder. She opened the door, stuck her head out, and down the hall was John. In his hand was a brown paper bag with something greasy inside.

"Looks like the food is covered," Illyria told Jeremy, walking back into the room.

"What can I do to help?" John said, coming in. "Figured you wouldn't wake up until late, so I brought you some crêpes from the _Daedalus_ and coffee so strong it'll grow hair on your chest."

"That's my goal," she smiled. "I would have got my own but Jeremy here is a take-charge kind of guy."

Jeremy smiled up from his fifth box. "Thank you, Illyria."

After John handed Illyria the bag, he set off to helping Jeremy with setting up the rest of the boxes. She sat in an armchair and ate every crumb of crepes that were in the bag and drank every drop of coffee. She got powdered sugar all over her black shirt but didn't care one bit. John turned to look at her and tried to hide his smile.

"You're wearing your food, babe."

She peeked under her shirt and said, "No hair on my chest."

"Can I check?"

Illyria laughed and went back to the bedroom to brush her hair and teeth. She checked out John's clothes in the mirror. The red and white plaid boxers were loose and came to mid-thigh; the black shirt was tight around her chest, showing the outline of her bra. Getting a chill in her feet, Illyria put on some knee high black socks.

Rather yelled, she stepped from the bedroom and into the hall with her brush and elastic hair band to talk to John about packing. She bent over at the waist, the boxers riding up in the back to slight see her butt cheeks. She brushed her long hair while inverted and gathered it into a pony tail on top her head, wrapping it into a ponytail. She straightened up, her hair swinging well past her shoulder blades. John and Jeremy both had stopped their task to stare. When Illyria looked back at them, the two men hastily bent back to their tasks.

She shrugged, walking back into the bathroom for a few minutes. When she came out, Jeremy was gone and John was leaning against the couch.

"Lorne and a few other officers are getting together for a game of football on the west pier. He took the boxed clothing when I sent him off." John shrugged and crossed his arms. "Guess you didn't need me after all."

"Jeremy didn't bring me grease and caffeine."

"So, since I'm here, how can I help?"

"Well we can…we can…" she trailed off, her vision getting dark.

"Illyria?" John asked, standing up. When she stumbled back, John grabbed her arms and steadied her. "Illyria, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, everything just got dark for a second." She put her hand to her forehead and widened her eyes to let more light in. "Bit lightheaded."

"You have been getting sick lately…"

She shook her head, looking away from him. "Just a stomach bug, nothing to worry about."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she smiled up at him, patting his chest.

"Good, he smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "How much more work you've got?"

"Sorting the paperwork into 'Earth and Atlantis' piles. Pack all the Earth papers into one box, put it in the control room. Pack the Atlantis papers into another box and put it into my new office."

"Sounds like a plan."

Illyria looked over his shoulder and out the glass doors of the balcony. The sunny morning was clouding over fast. "I hope the rain stays away."

Despite the threat of bad weather, they worked all morning, called in for lunch, and resumed working in the late afternoon. The stuff they didn't want went into boxes and John furthered in muscular development by carrying them down to the gate room and putting them in a small storage room that held various things that would go back to Earth.

Being with John all day not only stroked her never ending fire even hotter with every passing moment, but fed her guilt about the secret growing inside her. More than once she ran to the bathroom, but always held that feeling off until John was out of the room. Jennifer's words kept running through her head,

"What are you going to do when you get too big to lie? What happens when you go into labor in the middle of a briefing? What are you going to do, Illyria? What are you going to do?"

Illyria had enough presence of mind to slide her hand over a panel to light the living room when she heard the first crack of thunder in the distance. The light nearly reached the small table near the entry way, but the rest of the apartment was dark. Atlantis was about to be drenched.

Illyria turned, ready to ease her guilt and tell John everything, only to find he was right behind her. His face was intent with a look she could not mistake. He was ready for something different.

"John…" She whispered as he slowly stepped closer.

"Hmm?" he asked just as quietly.

"I just…I need to say…"

"What?" He had stopped extremely close to her, his breath teasing her face.

"N-Nothing."

He leaned in and he was kissing her. Illyria squeezed her eyes shut, a tear rolling down her cheek as she kissed him back.

When the height difference became an issue, John just picked her up and put her on the edge of the small table. A clap of thunder sounded outside as she parted her knees to let him get close to her as he could. She wrapped her legs around him. He pulled the elastic band out of her hair and ran his fingers through the tangles. He crushed her hair in his hand and inhaled deeply. His fingers found to bottom back edge of her shirt and sneaked up under it. He examined her bra tactically and opened it swiftly.

His hands pushed the bra aside and ran his thumbs across her already hard nipples. Illyria thought she was going to explode! Only the anticipation of better things to come held her over. She wriggled even further to the edge of the counter so the big bulge in front of John's jeans was pressed against the notch of her boxers. He pressed against her again, released, and pressed again. The ridge formed by the stretch of the jeans over his penis hitting just the right spot, so easy to reach through the thin material.

He pressed harder again and again until she cried out, holding onto him through the blind moment of orgasm when she could swear she'd been shot into another galaxy. Her breathing was more like sobbing, wrapping herself around him like he was her hero. Certainty, in that moment, he was.

His breathing was ragged, moving against her again, seeking his own release since she had so loudly had hers. She sucked on his neck while her hand went down between them, stroking him through his jeans. Suddenly he gave a cry as ragged as hers, and tightening his arm around her convulsively. His eyes were closed tight with his release, kissing her neck, her cheek, her lips, over and over. When their breathing was more even, John said,

"Well that was a little…_unexpected_." He pulled back to smile at her and saw her silently crying. "Hey," he lifted her chin, brushing back hair from her face with the other, "what's the matter? Did you not – Did I-"

She shook her head, patting his chest, sniffling, "No, John, it wasn't anything you did."

"Then, why are you crying?"

"I-I just…" She sighed, her lower lip trembling. "I think I did something very wrong."

"Hey, now," he whispered as she began to cry again. He pulled her into his chest and held her close. "Hey now, shh, I've got ya; I've got ya." He stroked her hair and rubbed her back, whispering in her ear, "No matter what wrong you think you might have done, I'll always love you, you know that, right?"

They stayed clinched for a moment, and Illyria became slightly aware of the rain beating against the windows and doors, the thunder that boomed. With both his and Keller's words echoing in her head, all she wanted to do was make them stop.

҉

**LATER**

In his quarters, John is lying half-naked, under his covers in bed, reading a magazine. Sleeping beside him was Illyria, curled around one of Jen's baby animals. There was a knock at the door and, after glancing at the clock to know the Daedalus has arrived, got up pulled a pair of pants over his boxers, threw on a shirt, and opened the door. The door opens and Rodney comes in.  
>"Hey!" John said.<br>"Hey."  
>"Look who's back. How was the family?"<br>"Uh, great. Bought 'em a Prius," McKay said, sitting down on a nearby chair.  
>"Guilt."<br>"Yeah." He looks at John awkwardly. "Listen, I can't believe what Illyria did."  
>"I don't really wanna talk about it," John said as he sat down on the couch.<br>"She talked Wallace into sacrificing himself."  
>"No, she didn't."<br>"Well, then, how did he...?"  
>"She..." John shuts the magazine, tossed it on the couch, and gazes into the distance for a moment. "She presented a situation. He volunteered."<br>"Still, she talked a man into killing himself."

John looks at him, his face haunted. "He wanted to make things right. She merely, uh..." He trails off, still struggling with the guilt of letting it happen. Rodney, realizing this, helps him out.

"...presented the situation," Illyria said quietly from the doorway. She had pulled on an oversized shirt and an old pair of sweatpants and was walking towards the couch to lean over the back.  
>"Thanks," McKay told her. After a moment, he stands up and sighs, gesturing towards the door. "Wanna get something to eat?"<br>John and Illyria look at each other before saying, in unison, "Sure."  
>"Say, you and I are about even when it comes to looks, right?" McKay asked John, walking out of the apartment with the couple.<br>"Who's been lying to you?"  
>"No, I'm serious."<br>"I am too. Who's been lying to you?"

"Well, your wife," McKay said, pointing to Illyria. She smiled slightly and began to walk faster.


	61. Chapter 59

**ATLANTIS**

In the Control Room, Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka are sitting at two separate consoles looking at their laptops.  
>"Initiating secondary diagnostics...now," McKay said, typing.<br>After a couple of seconds, Zelenka said, "No variances."  
>"Huh. Are you sure?"<br>"Yeah, positive."  
>"Well, check again."<br>"Rodney, there's nothing here."  
>Rodney stands up and starts walking over to Radek's console. "OK, just get over here and monitor power readings." Sighing, Radek stands up and Rodney takes his seat. Radek takes Rodney's former seat. Rodney looks at Radek's laptop, which is showing a schematic of the Stargate. "Huh! No variances." Radek shrugs in an 'I told you so!' sort of way. "You catching any discrepancies on your end?"<br>"Nothing."  
>"You sure?"<br>"Rodney!"  
>"OK," McKay said, standing up, "just go back, go back, go back, go back, go back, go back, go back."<br>They swap seats again. John Sheppard walks into the room.  
>"All right. Do we know what the problem is?"<br>"Yeah. The Gate's not working." McKay said.  
>"I think we figured that much last week when you broke it."<br>"I did not break the Gate."  
>"It just happened to stop working around the same time you were screwing around with it."<br>"I wasn't screwing around with it! I was running a streamlining program designed to boost its operating efficiency."  
>"Yeah, well, good job!"<br>"It had nothing to do with why the Gate malfunctioned! Look, we've been able to eliminate a number of possible reasons, including my streamlining program, and I feel confident that we're making some progress and that things will be up and running in-" Just then there is the sound of a distant impact somewhere in the city. "What was that?"  
>A female Chinese technician answers as her screen shows a red dot on the edge of the main city. "An unidentified object just struck the city."<br>"Well, why didn't the sensors pick it up?"  
>"I don't know. It came in so fast.<br>Rodney looks at the screens. "I'm getting a low-level energy signature."  
>"What could it be?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Let's find out," John said.  
>At the edge of the city, a two-tiered room has a large hole in the roof. On the floor lies a cylindrical object, surrounded by debris from the roof. The room has some sofas and armchairs in it, and there are a few bookshelves around the walls. As soldiers stand guard, a scientist is squatting by the object and running a scanner over it. John, Rodney and Radek come in. John turns to one of the soldiers.<br>"Any injuries?"  
>"No, sir."<br>"Thank God it hit the reading library or somebody really could have gotten hurt," McKay said. He, John and Radek walk over to the object and squat down around it as the scientist walks away.  
>"What is it?" Zelenka asked.<br>"It's obviously some kind of mobile self-contained unit – a drone, possibly a probe. It's definitely not Wraith design."  
>"Perhaps it's Lantean, you know? A de-orbited satellite or a device on a recall directive."<br>"Uh, maybe," McKay said, looking at his Ancient scanner. "It's still emanating a trace energy field."  
>John leans away from the device nervously. "Is it dangerous?"<br>"No, it's just interesting."  
>John leans closer to the device again and points to the top of it. "Check that out."<br>There's a long gouge in the casing of the device.  
>"It was damaged on re-entry. So what?" Zelenka asked.<br>"Re-entry wouldn't have caused that." McKay said, looking up from his scanner.  
>"Looks like weapons fire." John pointed out. "Maybe it took a hit before it came down."<br>"And yet it came out in one piece."  
>"Tough little bastard!"<p>

҉

**LATER**

John has left the room and meets up with Major Renner.  
>"Colonel, do we know what it is yet?"<br>"Looks like a probe of some kind."  
>"Any idea who sent it?"<br>"McKay and Zelenka'll figure it out."  
>"And in the meantime, who's working on the Gate?"<br>"The Gate can wait. This is more important."  
>"Well, with all due respect, sir, I think they're equally important. Wouldn't it make more sense to keep Zelenka working on this mystery object and move McKay back to his Gate diagnostics? It's already been over a week now."<br>"Major, not being able to use the Gate is an inconvenience. The possibility that someone may have pinpointed our location is a threat. The threat gets the priority."  
>"Yes, sir."<p>

**LATER**

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney and Radek are again working on two separate laptops. The probe is standing in between the two computers and is wired into them. Rodney takes a bite out of a sandwich as he stares at his screen.  
>"This is pointless," Zelenka sighed. "Even though the object survived re-entry physically intact, its internal systems are shot. These are just incomprehensible readings."<br>"By design," McKay said through a mouthful of sandwich.  
>Radek sighs. "There's no design here, Rodney – just meaningless data."<br>His mouth still full of food, McKay said, "But my instincts tell me that's because they're running an advanced masking program, to fool us. They're good – I'm better."  
>"Who's 'they', Rodney?"<br>"Just do me a favor. Re-launch your decrypt sweep." Radek looks at him as if to ask, 'What's the point?' "Humor me."  
>Radek rolls his eyes but starts to type. "Fine." Rodney's screen beeps as the program starts to run again. "You realize we don't have to stand around here waiting for the results. It could take hours. Why don't we go back to the Gate?"<br>McKay looks at his screen. "Hang on." The text on his screen starts to alter slowly. "It's working. I'm getting something." Radek starts to type again. "Hey, d-d-d-d-d-d-d-don't touch anything!"  
>Radek stops typing. Rodney watches as the text on his screen continues changing. The text disappears briefly, then some different text scrolls briefly down the screen, then suddenly everything disappears.<br>"Oh! Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. What happened?" McKay looks at Radek. "What did you do?"  
>"Nothing!"<br>"I told you not to touch anything!"  
>"I didn't touch anything! The diagnostic program must have crashed."<br>"You lost all the data!"  
>"What did you see, Rodney?"<br>"Nanite code. It's the Replicators."

҉

**CORRIDOR**

As John walks along, Rodney runs to join him.  
>"It's the Replicators. They've found us."<br>"Are you sure?"  
>"The drone we recovered contained nanites."<br>Radek catches them up. "You cannot be certain of that, Rodney." He turned to John. "The program went down before we had a chance to retrieve any significant data."  
>"I know what I saw." McKay said defensively. "It was nanite code a split second before the system crashed."<br>"I saw nothing," Radek said to John.  
>"That's because you weren't looking." McKay told him.<br>"Our laptops were retrieving the same data stream, Rodney. If there had been anything, I would have seen it."  
>"Well, obviously you didn't, otherwise we wouldn't be having this dis-" Just then there is the sound of a distant explosion somewhere in the city. "Another one!"<br>_"Colonel Sheppard. Major Renner here."_  
>"Go ahead, Major."<p>

_ "There's been an explosion in Doctor McKay's lab. I suggest you get down here."_

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

The place is a burnt-out mess and smoke is rising from the table which held the probe and the computers. Rodney, Radek and John come in to join Renner, Lorne and his team.  
>"What the...? What happened?" McKay yelled.<br>John picks up a soggy mess from the table. "Well, either your sandwich exploded or that mystery drone had a built-in self-destruct protocol."  
>"We must have inadvertently initiated it when we ran our analysis." Zelenka said.<br>"Sorry, Doc. At least you weren't around when it went off," Lorne said.  
>"Lucky us!" McKay said sarcastically.<p>

҉

**LATER**

John and Rodney are walking through the city.  
>"Something's not right," McKay said quietly. He waits for a couple of scientists to walk past, then continues. "That diagnostic program should never have crashed. It's perfectly capable of handling any of the data coming from the probe. And then before we get a chance to get it up and running again, what happens? The probe gets destroyed."<br>"What are you talking about?"  
>McKay sighed. "I don't know. I just...it feels like someone or something is working very hard to get in my way. And yes, I know what that sounds like. Just do me a favor: keep an eye out, OK?"<br>"Mmm."  
>As Rodney walks away, John frowns around the city suspiciously.<p>

҉

**GYM**

John is sparring with Ronon Dex. They trade blows for a while, and then stop moving as John blocks Ronon's attack.  
>"Think he's imagining it?" He pushes John backwards and wanders away a little.<br>"Maybe he needs a vacation." Ronon rushes in again and they trade a few more blows before Ronon gets behind John and smacks him hard across the back with his stick. John grunts in pain. "I guess you disagree, huh?"  
>"Uh, I don't know. Just seems like people are acting different lately."<br>"Different?"  
>"I don't know how to explain it. They just, uh, haven't been themselves."<br>They spar for a few more seconds, then break.  
>"Huh!"<br>"Illyria's noticed it too."  
>"Well, maybe everyone's getting a little stir crazy not being able to get offworld. You know, acting a little weird, getting a little paranoid."<br>"I'm not paranoid," Ronon said, charging in and leaping into the air. He continues to talk as they fight. "People have been acting weird lately."  
>They fight on, then Ronon gets in a blow that smashes into John's right eyebrow. John shakes his head, his eyebrow covered in blood. He touches his hand to the wound.<br>"You make a compelling argument!"  
>"I think you're gonna need stitches," Ronon smiled a bit. He drops his stick and walks across to the wall where a towel is hanging up. He tosses it over to John. "Here." John catches it and holds it to the wound. Smiling in an insincerely apologetic way, he said, "Sorry."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

John walks in, still holding the towel over his eye. Jennifer Keller is sitting at a computer but looks up as he comes in.  
>"What happened?"<br>"Well, Ronon decided to knock some sense into me." He sits down on the side of a bed.  
>"Well, let me take a look." She picks up some medical gloves and walks over the bedside just as John lowers the towel. She peers at his eye. "You're fine."<br>John frowns. "No stitches?"  
>"No. Not even a Band-Aid." She picks up a mirror and hands it to him. "There's nothing there."<br>John holds up the mirror and looks. Although there is some blood on his eyebrow, there is no wound underneath it. "Well, I'm bleeding."

He starts to wipe his eye with the towel.  
>"Well, not from any head wound. It was probably Ronon's blood."<br>John lowers the towel and the blood has almost gone. "No. He hit me. I was bleeding." He puts the mirror down and looks at Jennifer thoughtfully. "Run a scan on me."

He hops down from the bed and goes over to another bed which has a scanner over it.  
>"A scan?"<br>"If McKay's right and there are nanites in that probe, there's a good chance I got infected."  
>He lays down on his back on the bed. Jennifer looks at him, a little bewildered, but walks to the scanner's screen.<br>"OK. Hold still."  
>She activates buttons on the screen and the scanner fires up and begins to run along the bed. As John gazes upwards, Jennifer covertly moves the screen round a little so that John can't see it from the bed. The scanner moves back up the bed again and shuts down. Jennifer smiles.<br>"No nanites." She shuts the screen down and walks over to the bed. "You're clean."  
>John sits up on the bed and thinks for a moment. "Run a blood test."<br>"John, if you were infected with nanites-"  
>"Forget the nanites. Something like this happened to me before. I got infected with a retrovirus and I was able to heal right away."<br>"I'm sure that's not the case now, since you haven't been exposed-"  
>"Maybe it's a relapse. I don't know."<br>Keller smiled. "I seriously doubt-"  
>"Just run a blood test," John said loudly, a bit anxious.<br>Jennifer's smile fades. John nods to her pleadingly.  
>"OK."<p>

҉

**LATER**

In the corridors somewhere, Lorne is talking with Jennifer.  
>"I thought the problem was dealt with. I destroyed the drone."<br>"You made them suspicious in the process."  
>"So what do you suggest we do?"<br>"We're still a long way from knowing the truth. For now, we just need to be careful."

҉

**LATER**

Jennifer joins John as he is walking along. She hands him a computer tablet. "Colonel. I got your test results back. I'm pleased to tell you you're one hundred percent bug-free. No sign of the retrovirus in your system."  
>John looks at the results, then looks up and gazes off into the distance for a while before handing the tablet back to her.<br>"What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy."  
>"All that says is my blood's clean. Doesn't explain the magical head wound."<br>"Well, maybe it doesn't make sense because you're refusing to consider the only possible explanation for what happened. You made a mistake."  
>"Ronon wasn't bleeding. I checked."<br>"Well, maybe the blood was already on the towel and you mistakenly transferred it to your forehead."  
>"Ronon saw the cut. He was the one who said I needed stitches." He sarcastically said, "Unless he was wrong too."<br>"All right. Well, I'll run your blood work again and if I still can't find anything, we'll do a complete physical."  
>She smiles at him and walks away. John watches her go, his eyes narrowed.<p>

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**RODNEY'S LAB**

The damage from the explosion has been repaired. Rodney walks in to find John, Ronon and Illyria waiting for him.  
>"Hey," McKay said.<br>"Hey," Ronon said back.  
>"What are you all doing here? What's going on?" McKay asked, walking over to John. John holds up a knife and looks at Rodney seriously. "Uh, I'll be right back. I just remembered that I forgot to unplug something...or plug it in..." He turns to leave but Ronon grabs his arms from behind and holds him still. "Whoa. Whoa-whoa-whoa. Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. Wait-wait. Wh-what are you doing?"<br>Reaching out and taking his right hand, John said, "This may hurt a little."  
>"What? No-no-no! Wait-wait-wait-wait!" McKay shrieked, his eyes wide. John drags the tip of the knife across Rodney's palm. Rodney wails in pain as blood wells out of the wound. He gasps in shock and anger as Ronon lets him go. "What is the matter with you?"<br>John hands him a clean cloth. "Here."  
>McKay pressed the cloth to his hand. "I'm gonna need more than that! I'm gonna need disinfectant and some stitches-"<br>"Shut up and hold on a second." There's silence for a couple of seconds as John, Ronon and Illyria look expectantly at Rodney's hand. "All right. Let's take a look."  
>Anxiously, Rodney lifts the cloth away. There is blood on the cloth, but his palm has completely healed. "Oh, it's gone! That's impossible! How could ... how could it..."<br>"That's the reaction we were hoping for." Ronon said.  
>"If it's any consolation," Illyria said, "I can assure you we all underwent the same test."<br>"Test? What test? What the hell's going on here?"  
>"That's what we'd like to find out."<br>"Rodney," Illyria said quietly, trying to calm him down, "you're not the only one who's noticed the strange behavior of many of the people on this base. They've been acting unusually withdrawn, even secretive."  
>"Yeah. I wasn't sure what to make of it. At first, I was ready to dismiss Zelenka's screw-up as just gross incompetence, but then the more I thought about it, the more I thought it didn't make sense, even for him. No, no, that was no accident. I mean, he crashed that diagnostic system on purpose."<br>"I'm assuming what happened with that drone was no accident either." John said.  
>"But what does any of this have to do with my super-healing abilities?"<br>"Last night Ronon clubbed me in the head."  
>"By accident...sort of," Ronon said. Rodney looks at him and he shrugs.<br>"I was cut," John continued. "I went to the Infirmary to have Keller check it out and by the time I got there it was completely healed."  
>"Oh, but the last time that happened, it was the, uh, it was the retrovirus." McKay reminded him.<br>"That's what I thought, so I had her run a blood test."  
>"And?"<br>"She says she didn't find anything."  
>"What, you think she's lying?"<br>"I don't know, but we've gotta find out."  
>"Well, I can access the Infirmary's database from here. Just..." McKay looks at Ronon and gestures towards his computer, seeking his permission to go and use it. Ronon nods.<br>"Yeah."  
>Wiping the last blood off his hand, Rodney goes over to his computer and starts to type. "OK, I'm in." He types some more. "Now...And..." He frowns. "Huh."<br>"What?" Illyria asked.  
>"There's no record of any blood test. If she did one, then she didn't enter the results."<br>"She did a full body scan too." John said.  
>"Well, there's nothing here."<br>"That's impossible," Illyria said, "The scanner is wired directly into the computer. Results are recorded automatically."  
>"It doesn't mean they can't be erased."<br>"All right," John nodded. "We need to run our own tests. Until we figure out what's going on, we can't risk trusting anyone outside this room."  
>"We have to get to the Infirmary without anyone knowing."<br>"I have an idea."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John and Illyria make their way through the city, looking nervously at anyone who passes them. John speaks quietly into his headset radio.  
>"How's it goin', Rodney?"<br>_"I've patched into the life signs detector, but there's a problem."_  
>"What problem?"<br>_"Just ... I'm not sure. Just-just-just hold on a minute."_  
><em>"Looks like it's working fine to me,"<em> Ronon said.  
><em>"Right! Thank you for your input."<em>  
>"Is the Infirmary clear?" John asked.<br>_"Hold on,"_ McKay said as he typed.  
>"Rodney!"<br>_"This is bizarre. I mean, I can't get it to give me a live feed. It's like it's stuck in a loop."_  
>"Well, fix it!"<p>

Rodney sighs and carries on typing. Finally, the laptop beeps. "_Ha! All right, I got it."_  
>In the Lab, the screen shows an overhead shot of the entire city, indicating life signs all around the city. As Rodney's reprogramming kicks in, all the life signs go out except four in the central tower. The image shifts to a side-on view of the tower and the four life signs are shown about two thirds of the way up. Rodney stares at it in amazement.<br>_"What the hell?"_  
><em>"Oh, now you broke it,"<em> Ronon said.  
><em>"I didn't break it! It's working fine!"<em>  
>"Is the Infirmary clear or not?" John asked from the corridors.<br>_"Yeah – the Infirmary, the corridors, the surrounding towers. I mean, according to this, we're the only people on the base!"_  
>"How is that possible?" Illyria asked.<br>John glances at people walking around behind him and Illyria.  
><em>"Off-hand, I would say it's not, but right now I am reading four life signs."<em>  
>"Let's keep moving," John whispered down to Illyria.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

John and Illyria run in.  
>"All right. Let's make this quick."<br>He trots across to the scanner bed and lies down on it. Illyria goes to the computer and activates the scanner, which starts to run along the bed.  
>In the lab, Rodney looks at his screen in concern.<br>"I've got something. It's another life sign. It's the outer edge of the city."  
>"Let's check it out. Come on."<br>"Maybe we should-"  
>"Come on!"<br>Reluctantly, Rodney follows Ronon out of the room.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Illyria looks at the scanner results in dread, then turns to the bed.  
>"John?"<br>John gets off the bed and comes across to look at the screen. "What the hell?"  
>"Nanites!"<br>The screen shows that John's entire body is teeming with thousands of the little buggers.

҉

**OUTER EDGE OF THE CITY**

Rodney and Ronon exit a transporter and Rodney checks his life signs detector. They make their way along a corridor but partway along Rodney stops and looks at the wall.  
>"There's supposed to be a room here." McKay puts his hand against the wall and looks at the detector again. "There is a room here."<br>He presses against the wall and it opens, revealing a room behind it.  
>"Wait," Ronon said.<br>He takes out his blaster, raises it and precedes Rodney into the dark room. As Rodney steps inside, the lights come on. They stare in amazement as they see someone lying on her back on a table in the middle of the room. She is wearing an Atlantis uniform and her eyes are closed.  
>"Elizabeth!" McKay yells.<br>They run across to her and help her to sit up.  
>"Easy, easy." Ronon coaxed.<br>Elizabeth looks at them in confusion.  
>"How did you get here?" McKay asked.<br>"I-I don't know."  
>"I can answer that," Keller said. The three of them look around to see Jennifer standing in the doorway with a couple of armed guards. She smiles at them. "This is where we made her. This is where we made you all."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

John and Illyria are still looking at the scanner screen.  
>"This explains why we can heal so rapidly." Illyria said, horrified. "We get injured and the nanites effect repairs."<br>"We'd better tell the others."  
>They turn to leave but Lorne is standing in the doorway with two armed guards. "That won't be necessary."<br>"What the hell's going on?" John demanded.  
>"I'm sorry, Colonel. You're gonna have to come with us."<br>"I don't think so." He slowly reaches towards his pistol holster.  
>"That won't do you any good."<br>"I'm warning you, Major. Stand down."  
>"Go ahead," Lorne said, stepping forward. "Shoot."<br>John snatches out his pistol and fires it into Lorne's right thigh. A hole appears in the leg but Lorne doesn't even flinch. He looks down as the wound heals instantly, then smiles up at John.  
>"You see?"<p>

҉

**ROOM IN THE OUTER CITY**

Rodney glares at Jennifer.  
>"You're Replicators."<br>"That's right. Until you began making changes to our base code, we were forbidden from assuming the form of any living human, but now we can take any form we like."  
>Her outward appearance melts into a silver sheen, then morphs into the form of a dark-haired woman. She holds that form for a few seconds, then melts back into silver before re-taking the form of Jennifer Keller.<br>"You couldn't have replaced everyone on the base. It's impossible!"  
>"Only because you believe this is the real Atlantis, and that you're the real Doctor McKay."<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**  
>"So you're saying that we're also Replicators?" Illyria asked Lorne.<br>"No. You are flesh and blood – ordinary humans in every way except that you were manufactured from the inside out by nanites, some of which remain in your system, effecting repairs as necessary."  
>"I'm not buying it." John told him.<br>"All that you are – your thoughts, your memories – everything was taken from the real John Sheppard and his team when their minds were probed over a year ago."  
>҉<p>

**ROOM IN THE OUTER CITY**

"Ah ha! See, now I know you're lying," McKay yelled at Keller, "because a year ago Carson Beckett was our Chief of Medicine, not Doctor Keller. In fact, she hadn't even arrived yet."  
>"This scenario was updated with information obtained from the last member of your expedition to be captured by the Replicators – Elizabeth Weir."<p>

҉

**BRIG **

Team Sheppard and Elizabeth are locked in the cell.  
>"You sure about this?" John asked Elizabeth.<br>"Yeah. I need to see for myself."  
>John takes out his knife and hands it to her. She takes it, sighing. Rodney half covers his face and looks away as, a little reluctantly, she draws the knife across her hand, grimacing. Rodney can't help looking but then cringes with nausea. Blood appears in the cut but before it can well out, the wound heals again. John scowls and turns away as Elizabeth stares down at her hand in shock.<br>"Oh my God."  
>"All right. We're all infected by nanites." Ronon said.<br>"Not infected with – constructed by." McKay corrected.  
>"I don't believe it."<br>"I know it's tough to swallow. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it myself, but it would explain a couple of things."  
>"Such as?" John asked.<br>"Such as why the Gate's not working, for one. Look, if none of this is real, if this is all just a lab rat experiment, then it stands to reason the Gate's not real either."  
>"If this is not the real Atlantis, Rodney, you of all people would have noticed. The stars alone-"<br>McKay interrupted Illyria, "The whole time the Gate's been down, it has been solid overcast. That's over a week now. Think about it: when was the last time any of you saw stars?"  
>Everyone looks at each other as the truth begins to sink in.<p>

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Elizabeth is escorted by two armed guards to the room where Jennifer is waiting for her. The guards wait outside as the doors close. Jennifer smiles at Elizabeth.  
>"Doctor Weir."<br>"That's what you named me."  
>"There's no point in calling you anything else. You're exactly like her in every way."<br>"Except that I'm not her."  
>"No. The real Elizabeth Weir was killed several months ago." Elizabeth looks shocked. "Part of her brain had been replaced by nanites. It was done to save her life but it made her dangerous. Whenever she linked with other Replicators, the human part of her exerted an unhealthy influence – at least, that's the way Oberoth saw it."<br>"But you don't agree?"  
>"Why do you think we did all this? Your humanity is what we're interested in. Because the Ancients created us with one fatal flaw."<br>"You can't ascend. That's what you're after, isn't it?"

҉

**BRIG**  
>"All right," John said. "I know this is a lot for everyone to deal with, but we're just gonna have to ... suck it up and re-focus."<br>"Re-focus on what?" McKay asked.  
>"Getting the hell out of here," Ronon said.<br>"So we can go where? Back to Atlantis to resume our lives?" Sarcastically saying, "Oh, yeah, I forgot – they're not ours."  
>"Says them."<br>"There's no point in denying the facts. They were telling the truth. We're not who we thought we were."  
>"Well, I may not be the original, but you're gonna have a hard time convincing me that I'm not pretty damned close!" John shouted.<br>"Our origins do not make us any less human – not physically and certainly not mentally." Illyria sighed. "Not while we can think for ourselves. And in my heart there is no doubt – we must return to Atlantis."  
>"OK. We'll go back – take things from there." John nodded.<br>"Great! We're all in agreement – we're gettin' out of here. Now, all we have to do is figure out how!" McKay said.

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**  
>"You're part of Niam's group."<br>"Most were reprogrammed, but some of us managed to stay hidden within the collective."  
>"You think by studying us, you'll discover the secret ingredient?"<br>"You're all fully human. You have the same minds as your original selves, the same thoughts, the same emotions. More importantly, you have something that's always eluded us, something that kept your kind apart from the very beginning and made you special in the eyes of our creators. You would call it a soul. It is that "secret ingredient" you referred to – the key to ascension."  
>"That is not something you can learn to acquire simply by studying us."<br>"Why not? The human brain is just an electro-chemical machine – biologically created, but a machine nonetheless. Everything is quantifiable."  
>"Now you sound like Oberoth."<br>"The others have given up on ascension. They're destroying human populations throughout the galaxy as a tactic in their war with the Wraith. They're consumed with hatred and revenge. We believe there is another path."  
>"Why are you telling me all this?"<br>"You're open-minded, and it's important that we gauge your reactions."  
>"Why?"<br>"So we can avoid the same mistakes next time," Jennifer said, smiling.

҉

**BRIG**

Elizabeth has been returned to the cell and was explaing the situation. "They're gonna wipe our memories and then start again on another planet. That probe was sent by Oberoth and the other Replicators. Our friends out there tried to destroy it, but they only managed to disable it."  
>"If that thing hadn't crashed into the city, who knows how long this could have gone on?" McKay asked.<br>"Yeah, but the point is, this position's been compromised. Once the other Replicators find this city, they'll destroy it."  
>"Oh, yeah, and us too." John said.<br>"Is that any worse than having our memories erased and starting this whole process again?" Illyria asked.  
>"We've gotta find a way out of here." Ronon said.<br>Jennifer comes in and walks over to the cell. "I'm sorry it's come to this."  
>"Listen to me." Elizabeth pleaded. "You have probed our minds. You know everything there is to know about us. You should know, we will never accept this. No matter how many times you wipe our memories, we'll always figure it out."<br>"She's right. We're genetically pre-disposed to being ... stubborn, really pesky." John said.  
>"You want to understand what it means to be human, right? You wanna know what qualities might eventually lead to ascension? You can start with compassion."<br>Jennifer's eyes fill with tears. "I understand what you're saying, and under different circumstances I might even agree with you. Unfortunately, it's too late."  
>"What are you talking about?" Illyria asked.<br>"The other Replicators have found us."  
>Above the city, an Aurora-style Replicator warship heads downwards, multiple drones deploying from it. The Brig shakes as the first drones impact the city.<br>"They failed to break down our mental defenses and bring us back into the collective, so now they want to destroy us."  
>"Well, you have to raise the shield!" McKay yelled.<br>"We can't. Your creation required too much power and we couldn't get our hands on multiple ZeeP.M.s without drawing too much attention."  
>The Brig shakes again as more drones hit the city.<br>"Let us out." John demanded.  
>"Your fellow Replicators are targeting human worlds. They are murdering thousands of innocent people. If you are serious about following the footsteps of your creators, you will let us go so we can stop this." Elizabeth said.<br>"Oberoth is too powerful." Jennifer said, shaking her head.  
>"If this city falls and we're destroyed with it, this will be nothing more than a wasted opportunity – a failed experiment. You know what that feels like."<br>"That's what the Ancients considered us – failed experiments."  
>"Now's your chance to prove 'em wrong." Ronon said.<br>"All we are asking is that you give us a chance to make a difference." Elizabeth pleaded.  
>Above the ocean, drones soar down towards Atlantis. Inside, explosions are happening everywhere and people run for cover as massive chunks of the walls crash down. Jennifer, followed by Team Sheppard and Elizabeth, races up the stairs into the Control Room. She grabs a device and hands it to John.<br>"Take this."  
>"What's this?"<br>"It's the core drive of a ship's tracking system. With this, you should be able to pinpoint the locations and movements of every one of Oberoth's Aurora-class vessels in this galaxy. Take this to Atlantis – it will be their best chance of stopping Oberoth. Go up to the Bay – take a Jumper."  
>John turns and leads his team to the stairs. Elizabeth turns back to Jennifer.<br>"Come with us."  
>"I can't. Oberoth might be able to track me. I'll only be a liability." Reluctant to leave her, Elizabeth reaches towards her but Jennifer holds up her hand. "Go."<br>Elizabeth turns and runs up the stairs. Outside, drones smash into various towers and debris rains down onto the lower city. In the Control Room, Jennifer turns and braces herself for her inevitable destruction. Outside, another drone smashes directly into the central tower two-thirds of the way up. The impact destroys the walls and the top third of the tower topples and plunges towards the ground.  
>In a Puddle Jumper some distance away from the city, the team stares in shock at the devastation.<br>"That's it. The city's gone." McKay said, horrified.  
>"So now what?" Ronon asked John.<br>"Well, we're already cloaked. All we need to do is follow the ship out of the atmosphere and catch a ride before it jumps into hyperspace."  
>"Catch a ride?" Illyria asked.<br>"Yeah. Watch."  
>The Replicator ship heads up into space. The Jumper follows, flies closely over the ship and lands in a narrow gap between two protruding sections.<br>"OK. Re-appoint drive pods."  
>The heads-up display appears on the windshield. It shows the engine pods deploying so that they touch against the two sections of the Replicator ship, holding it tightly in position.<br>"OK. Nice and snug."  
>The Replicator ship jumps into hyperspace.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Rodney is asleep in the co-pilot's seat. His head is back against the headrest, his mouth is open and he is snoring. John glances round to see that Elizabeth is sitting on one of the benches in the rear section. He stands up and goes to join her. Rodney snores on as Teyla and Ronon exchange a despairing glance. Ronon shakes his head in exasperation and kicks the back of Rodney's chair ferociously. Rodney shifts in his seat and closes his mouth. In the rear section, John looks at Elizabeth.  
>"You doing OK?"<br>"Sure, all things considered." She smiled. "Not bad for a dead woman."  
>"Everything'll be fine. My guess is we're headed back to the Replicator homeworld. Once we get there, we can find a ship with a hyperdrive."<br>"And go where?"  
>"Well, obviously we can't fly straight back to Atlantis. They'd probably take us out before we had a chance to explain – but maybe New Athos. We can contact 'em once we get there."<br>"And then what? How d'you think the real Sheppard's gonna react when he sees you? How would you react?" John is unable to answer her. "Hmm. In a way, I'm lucky. At least I know I'm the only Elizabeth Weir out there."  
>Just then, the ship comes out of hyperspace and heads towards a planet. John and Elizabeth head for the front of the Jumper as Rodney calls up the H.U.D.<br>"You were right. It's the Replicator homeworld. Looks like they've been busy."  
>"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.<br>Rodney calls up a close-up of part of the planet. "Remember those shipyards we destroyed? That's one of them."  
>"They rebuilt it." Illyria said.<br>"And then some!"  
>"Good. Then we should be able to find a ship they won't miss." John said.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS **

**(THE REAL ONE)**

Rodney is talking with John in the Control Room.  
>"It's a streamlining program designed to boost its operating efficiency. Look, the Gate'll be offline for, what, one hour, two hours tops."<br>Just then the Gate starts to dial in. It kawhooshes. John and Rodney look at it as Chuck the technician activates the shield over it.  
>"We expecting someone?" John asked.<br>"No, sir, but it's Major Jordan reporting in from M34-227."  
>"You got video?"<br>"Yes, sir."  
>He lowers the shield and activates a wallscreen nearby. John and Rodney walk over to it as Major Jordan appears on the screen.<br>"What's the situation, Major?"  
><em>"Well, sir, there's someone here who would like to have a word with you."<br>_ Rodney frowns in confusion and Jordan steps out of the way. A couple of seconds later, Elizabeth walks into view. John and Rodney's eyes widen and they stare in disbelief.  
>"Elizabeth!"<br>"_Hello, John_," She smiled.  
>"Elizabeth! What happened to you? How did you get away?" McKay asked.<br>_"I'm not Elizabeth. Well, not the Elizabeth you knew. I have all of her memories and all of her thoughts – everything that makes her me. But I'm a duplicate. I was created by a faction of the Replicators as a means to attaining ascension."_  
>"But you ... look and sound just like her," McKay said, shocked.<br>"_I'm sorry, Rodney, but it's true. This group managed to isolate themselves from the others in order to pursue their study in secrecy, but they were eventually discovered and destroyed."_  
>"I ... don't know what to say. This is all very, uh..." John trialed off.<br>"_Strange? Yeah, I know. But we need to meet. We have some information that you can use against the Replicators."_  
>"We?"<p>

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>NEW ATHOS<strong>

The Replicator versions of Team Sheppard are waiting in a tent and look up as Elizabeth leads the real Team Sheppard inside. The latter foursome stare in amazement.  
>"Well, I suppose introductions aren't really necessary." Elizabeth joked.<br>"Great! Last time I came face to face with myself, I ended up kicking my own ass." John smiled.  
>Ronon walks over to face his Replicator self and they stand toe to toe and glare at each other. RepliRodney looks admiringly at Rodney's leather jacket.<br>"Nice jacket!"  
>"Uh, yeah, it's new. We got new versions of those uniforms. The old ones used to-"<p>

RepliMcKay and McKay simultaneously said, "-bunch up under the arms."  
>John turned to Elizabeth. "You said you've got something for us."<br>"Yeah. McKay," RepliSheppard said. Both Rodneys look round at him. "No, my McKay."  
>"Oh, yeah, right," RepliMcKay said.<br>Clicking his fingers, he walks to a different part of the tent to fetch something. The Ronons are still staring at each other, the real one smiling humorlessly. RepliRodney brings the core drive over to the group.  
>"What is that?" Illyria asked.<br>"This is the core drive of a Replicator ship tracking system." RepliMcKay announced. "Once it is up and running, we'll be able to track every Aurora-class Replicator ship in the Pegasus galaxy."  
>"It's not much, but it's a start." RepliSheppard said.<br>"Are you kidding? This is huge! We can get working on a-"  
>RepliMcKay and McKay simultaneously said, "-modification program-"<br>"-uh, reconfigure the base sequencing-" RepliMcKay said.  
>"-run it through one of the Ancient relays so the information's-" McKay said.<br>And both RepliMcKay and McKay simultaneously said, again, " -automatically adapted and outputted."  
>"'Outputted'? Is that even a word?" John asked.<br>"Of course it is!" McKay said.  
>"We can't both be wrong," RepliMcKay said and John grimaces. "Look, we need to get started on this now."<br>"Whoa, whoa. Not so fast." RepliSheppard looks at John. "Where do you plan on doing this? We're too big of a security risk to be allowed back on Atlantis."  
>"He's got a...I've got a point." John turned to the Rodneys. "You two are gonna have to find another way to do that."<br>"It's not a problem." McKay said, shaking his head. "I'll just go back to Atlantis and get what we need. We can do all the work right here."  
>"Oh, this is great!" RepliMcKay said. "Finally, someone in whom I can have a hundred percent confidence! I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to working with you!"<br>"And this is just the beginning!"  
>The Johns grimace at each other.<br>"Humanity's about to benefit from one of the greatest living scientific minds times two!"  
>"Can you imagine?"<br>"I'm trying not to." RepliIllyria said, looking over pathetically at her counterpart.  
>Grinning, Rodney stands aside and gestures his double towards the exit of the tent. Smiling happily, RepliRodney leads him outside. John turns to the rest of the other team.<br>"We appreciate all this, but the truth is, we came here for another reason. You were with the Replicators. What do you know about our Elizabeth, and are you willing to help us get her back?"  
>RepliJohn and Elizabeth look at each other, wondering which of them should break the news.<p>

҉

**LATER**

John and Elizabeth are walking through the forest.  
>"You think this other Keller was telling the truth?" John asked.<br>"I do not know why she would lie."  
>"It's kinda weird, that's all. I mean, we've mourned for you, searched for you, and after all this time we find out that…" he trailed off.<p>

"...that I'm dead. Don't worry – the moment I learned the truth, I knew there'd be no going back the way things were – not for me, not for any of us."  
>Elsewhere in the forest, the real Illyria and Ronon are walking along.<br>"I don't like him," he said.  
>"I know, it's odd."<br>"I know I'm me, so who the hell's this other guy?"  
>"He's you as well."<br>"No, there's only one me."  
>"Apparently not!"<br>"He's nothing but a copy, then."  
>"From what I understand, even though he's not the original, he's as much Ronon Dex as you are."<br>"I don't like him."  
>Elsewhere, the copies of Ronon and Illyria are also walking.<br>"I didn't really believe it – not until we got out here," he said.  
>"I know. I was holding out hope as well. I thought that the Replicators had captured us and implanted the nanites and that they were lying to us to keep us from wanting to return."<br>"Yeah, well, it worked. I'm not going back with them."  
>"Ronon."<br>"What? I've been on my own before. At least, that's how I remember it. Now I've got these nanites that'll heal me if I get injured."  
>"You are not invincible. The nanites can only do so much."<br>"Yeah, well, I'll take my chances."  
>"I understand your anger and your disappointment, but it makes no difference who came first. You're as much Ronon as he is."<br>"Oh yeah? Well, why's he leading my life on Atlantis while I'm treated like an outsider?"  
>"Their circumstances are different."<br>"You mean we make them feel uncomfortable, so they'd rather not have us around."  
>"Given our origins, they see us as a potential threat. Can you blame them?"<br>"I guess not. I'd probably do the same. Still, it doesn't change the-"  
>He stops and glares as the real Ronon and Illyria walk into view. The four of them look uncomfortably at each other for a moment.<br>"We'll go back to the camp," RepliRonon said.  
>"We'll go find Sheppard and Weir," the real Ronon said and the two teams split up again.<br>Back with John and Elizabeth, John was saying,  
>"It's not like this hasn't happened before. The other Elizabeth got infected by those little nanite things and we figured out how to stop 'em somehow. Maybe we can do the same for you."<br>"So we wouldn't be a security threat?"  
>"You can contribute. Things'll just be ... different." He said awkwardly.<br>Elizabeth sighs and shakes her head ruefully. "That's not really the issue, John. I guess what really bothers me is just knowing that you and the others will always consider me less than what I really am."  
>A deep humming sound begins but John and Elizabeth don't notice it.<br>"That's not true."  
>"Of course it is – and I don't blame you."<br>John frowns upwards, noticing the sound as it gets louder. "D'you hear something?"  
><em>"John, this is Illyria. Please respond."<em>  
>"Go ahead, Illyria. What's wrong?"<br>_"The Replicators are here."_  
>"They managed to track the ship." Elizabeth said.<br>She and John walk into a clearing and look up into the sky.  
>"<em>John, do you hear me?"<em>  
>"Oh, yeah, I heard ya."<br>A Replicator warship comes into view.  
>"Our ship must have had a hidden sub-space transponder," Elizabeth muttered.<br>"All right, run."  
>They race off into the forest as the ship fires drones towards the ground. Fortunately these drones must have taken lessons from the Wraith and are useless at finding their targets. They hit the ground all around John and Elizabeth but all explode too far away to injure them.<br>In the tent, the Rodneys look up at the sound of explosions.  
>"What was that?"<br>RepliRodney runs to the door of the tent to look out. In the forest, Ronon points in the direction of the explosions.  
>"That way. Come on."<br>He races off in another direction.  
>"Ronon, wait!"<br>He doesn't, of course, and Illyria chases off after him. Nearby, a drone explodes near enough to blow Elizabeth off her feet. John pulls her up again and they run on and meet Ronon and Illyria.  
>"Where's McKay?" John asked.<br>"He's still at the compound." Ronon said.  
>John activated his headset. "Rodney, this is Sheppard. We need you to fall back to the Gate immediately."<br>_"Colonel, this is Major Jordan. The Gate is a no-go. I repeat, the Gate is a no-go. There's a Replicator ship in position ready to take us out the second we show ourselves."_ Major Jordan reported over the radio.  
>"All right, everybody fall back to the Jumper. Rodney, did you hear me?"<br>"Yeah, I heard you. We're on our way."  
>"John, regarding the Gate: they have us trapped." Elizabeth reminded. "Even cloaked, if the Jumper so much as rustles a bush, they will pinpoint our position and blast us out of the sky. We need a diversion."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

The Rodneys run through the forest, stopping as they meet RepliIllyria and RepliRonon.  
>"What happened?" RepliIllyria asked.<br>"It's the Replicators. Let's go." RepliMcKay said.  
>They run off together. Back with John and Elizabeth, she was saying,<br>"We'll all have a better chance this way."  
>"I don't want you doing this because you feel any less, uh..."<p>

"...human? From the beginning we've been trying to convince ourselves that we're just like you." She smiles. "Now we've got a chance to prove it."  
>Reluctantly, he said, "All right. Let's go."<p>

҉

**STARGATE**

A second Replicator warship is hovering over the Gate. The Puddle Jumper whizzes into view and flies across its nose. The warship turns and chases after it, followed by the other warship. Behind them, unnoticed, the Gate begins to dial, presumably activated by the Jumper's dialing system. The Jumper flies into the clouds, trying to avoid the warships for as long as possible. A drone hits it but doesn't do much damage and the Jumper flies on. A second drone deploys from the leading warship and this one blows off the left engine pod. The Jumper rolls and plunges into the forest.  
>Shortly afterwards, Replicators make their way through the forest towards the crashed Jumper. Drawing their weapons, they look inside. Elizabeth is lying dead or unconscious on the floor just inside. The Replicators climb inside and see Ronon lying a little further in. His head has hit a metal box and there is blood all over it. One of the Replicators walks to the front section and sees Rodney and John slumped over the console. It pulls John up into a sitting position. John turns to face it, his face and cheek cut, but moments later the wounds heal. The Replicator backs away a little, startled but still aiming its weapon at him.<br>"Yeah," RepliSheppard said. "We tricked you, but don't feel so bad. After all, we almost had ourselves convinced."  
>The Replicator fires.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS GATEROOM**

Team Jordan and Team Sheppard run through the Gate. John looks up to the Control Room.  
>"Shut it down!" John yelled. The Gate closes. John looks at the rest of his team. "No-one else is coming."<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney and Radek are working on computers. The two men have their backs to each other. Rodney has the core drive on his desk. Radek takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes, exhausted.  
>"Shall we take a break?"<br>Without looking round at him, Rodney said, "You go ahead."  
>"Oh, Rodney," Radek said, turning to him, "we've been working for five hours straight. We should take a break."<br>"Yeah, I will – when I'm finished."  
>"I know what you're trying to do."<br>"Yeah, what's that?"  
>"Lose yourself in your work to avoid thinking about Elizabeth." Rodney looks up from his computer but still doesn't turn around. "You must realize it's only a temporary distraction."<br>"That's one of the perks of the job. Something terrible happens, you don't have enough time to dwell on it 'cause you're too busy trying to stop the next terrible thing from happening. Seriously, if it wasn't for the Replicators and their plan to wipe out every human in the galaxy, I'd be in pretty bad shape right now." McKay said, his voice full of pain. Radek looks at him sympathetically. "Now, this is Carson all over again and I'm just not ready to deal. Not yet."  
>McKay turns back to work.)<br>"You're not the only one who misses him, Rodney." Radek gently said. "I don't suppose you want to talk about it."  
>"Eventually, but not now."<br>"Okay," Radek sighed, standing up. "Oh, shall I get you anything?"  
>"No. Radek turns and starts to leave, but McKay calls to him. "Radek." Radek stops and turns back to him. Rodney turns his head towards him but still doesn't meet his eyes. "Thank you."<br>"You're welcome, Rodney."

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

Rodney is still working on the core drive, frowning at his laptop. John comes in.  
>"How's it going?"<br>"S'all right."  
>"Why don't you call it a night?"<br>"No, I wanna finish this. What about you – isn't it past your bedtime? Illyria kick you out or something?"

"Fells like it," he sighed. "She's moody all the time, gets sick; can't touch her without her jumping."

"Think something's wrong?"

"I don't know, she won't go see Keller." He shook his head. "She's not telling me something. I can just feel it."

"Yeah…"

He looked down at McKay and said quietly, "I'll approve the removal of Elizabeth's personal items tomorrow – have everything shipped back to Earth." Rodney nods understandingly, his face sad. "I would have done it sooner, but I actually thought we were gonna bring her back."  
>"Yeah. Me too."<br>"Let me know when you get this thing working."  
>He pats Rodney's shoulder and starts to leave the room.<br>"Will do." Just then, his computer beeps. "Oh! Wait!" Data begins to scroll across his screen as John comes back over to him. "Huh! If this works, we should be able to track every Aurora-class Replicator ship in the galaxy in real-time." He types, and a map of the galaxy appears on the screen. The computer beeps six times as six dots appear on the map in various places. "That's not so bad. I guess the Wraith have really taken a toll." The computer beeps eight more times and corresponding dots appear on the map. "Oh the other hand, my duplicate did say they were building more." There are fifteen more beeps, and fifteen more dots appear on the screen. John and Rodney stare in horror. "A lot more!"

About eleven more beeps sound.  
>"Oh, crap!"<p> 


	62. Chapter 60

**ATLANTIS**

**CONTROL ROOM**

Ronon Dex is sitting near the bottom of the stairs leading to the Jumper Bay. John Sheppard, geared up for an off-world mission, is pacing nearby.  
>"Don't worry – we're ahead of schedule." Ronon said.<br>"I know."  
>"All the settlements we've been assigned have been evacuated."<br>"I know, I know. It's just that most of the planets that are in the Replicators' path are people that we've had almost no contact with, so-"

"So Illyria wants me and her out there as much as possible."  
>"Yeah, well, I think it might be the 'flu. She's been looking a little green lately."<br>Just then nearby doors open and Illyria Sheppard walks in, geared up. She has heard what John said. "I am fine. Where are we going to now?"  
>"M9R-373."<br>Illyria sighs as Ronon stands up and the three of them walk across the room.)  
>"The Sions. Should be interesting!"<br>"Look," John said. "I'm sorry we're having to go out so much. I know you don't feel so hot, but you're the one with all the contacts out there, so..."  
>"It's all right. I'm feeling much better now."<br>As the team reaches the top of the stairs down to the Gateroom, the Stargate begins to dial in. Chuck the technician reports.  
>"Offworld activation."<br>John and the others stop and watch as a marine walks through the Gate, followed by a small boy.  
>"Must be Lieutenant Kemp's team."<br>More refugees follow the boy out of the Gate. Some scientists go over to greet them.  
>"Receiving video transmission. Coming in now, Colonel." Chuck reported.<br>John and the others go back into the Control Room and walk over to a wallscreen. Lieutenant Kemp appears on the screen. He is squatting down to a M.A.L.P. and looking into its camera.  
>"Lieutenant. Looks like things are going well."<br>_"Most of the settlement's on their way through, but a good number of them have decided to stay behind. I'm not sure they believe us, sir. Queen Illyria, may I request that you come back and try to talk some sense into the stragglers, 'cause I'm not gettin' anywhere with 'em."_  
>"Hell. I don't think we can do that." John said. "The Replicator ship's gonna be there within a half hour."<br>_"Well, I don't know what to do. They…"_ He trails off and looks up as he hears the sound of a ship above him. He calls out a warning to his men. _"Incoming!"_ A missile strikes nearby. He ducks down as it explodes, then raises up again and yells into the camera. "_Too late! They're already here!"_  
>"Lieutenant, get your men through the Gate!" Illyria yelled.<br>"_I can't! There's no way through-"_  
>The transmission is cut off and the Gate closes.<br>"We lost transmission," Chuck reported.  
>"Dial them back," Illyria instructed.<br>Chuck punches buttons on his console but the Gate doesn't respond. "Can't get a lock."  
>"They must have taken out the Gate." John said.<br>"How many people were left on that settlement?" Ronon asked.  
>"Just under two thousand," Illyria sighed.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Two hyperspace windows open above New Lantea and Apollo and Daedalus fly out of them and take up orbit around the planet. In the Control Room of Atlantis, Illyria and Rodney McKay are waiting with John.  
>"Both ships at the same time. This is a first." McKay joked.<br>"It's the first time we've needed them." Illyria said. John and Rodney turn and look at her pointedly. She looks round and sees their expressions. Embarrassed, she rephrased, "Since I've been back."  
>Two Asgard transporter beams appear and deposit Colonels Steven Caldwell and Colonel Abe Ellis on the balcony. They nod to each other.<br>"Colonel."  
>"Colonel."<br>They turn to Sam.  
>"Queen."<br>"Colonels."  
>"Colonel," Ellis turned to John.<br>"Colonels."  
>"What, seriously?" McKay said, grimacing.<br>"Good flight?" Illyria asked Caldwell.  
>"Long flight."<br>"We'll make it worth your while." John said.  
>"That's what I hear. You have a way of tracking the Replicator ships?" Ellis asked.<br>"We do," Illyria nodded.  
>"That'll make finding and destroying them a lot easier." Caldwell said.<br>"Why don't you come into my office? We'll get you briefed."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

As Replicator coding streams up a wallscreen, Rodney is in full flow to his assembled audience.  
>"It is this recent discovery of the essential duality of this particular stem of the nano sub-code that has opened up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to the expedient and permanent deactivation of the inter-nanite bonds."<br>John and Caldwell are sitting in chairs, both looking bored to tears.  
>"Rodney..."<br>"Yeah, I'll let you know when I'm ready to take questions. Thank you."  
>Ellis is standing nearby with Illyria. He said to Rodney, "Have you created an anti-Replicator weapon or not?"<br>"If you just let me continue, I think you'd have a better understanding of the complexity that I am-"  
>"Yes or no, Doctor?"<br>Rodney hesitates. "Well ... no."  
>He opens his mouth to start speaking again but Illyria quickly clears her throat and turns to Ellis. "All right, we move on to Plan B."<br>"What, just like that?"  
>"The Replicators are destroying every human colony they can find in an attempt to wipe out the Wraiths' food supply. We cannot wait. We have to act now."<br>"Yeah, but Plan B – it's not a good plan."  
>"Oh, no?" Ellis asked McKay.<br>"Sure, the Apollo and the Daedalus have been retrofitted with the new Asgard plasma beam weapon which – given – are very, very powerful, but they still can't destroy the Replicators."  
>"Well, we don't have to destroy them; we just have to destroy their ships." Caldwell said, "I mean, from what I understand, once they're exposed to the harsh environment of space, they'll essentially be neutralized."<br>"Well, essentially neutralized and neutralized are two very different things." McKay clarified.  
>"Back when we blasted Niam into space, he froze solid. We didn't have a problem 'til we warmed him up." John told McKay.<br>"That's what I'm saying. Look, your way leaves Replicator cells inactive, just waiting around for someone to reactivate them. My way shuts them down for good."  
>"But our way is actually operational. You know, come to think of it, what exactly is your way? From what I understand, you haven't even gotten your programming done yet, let alone a delivery method." Ellis said.<br>"Well, you didn't let me finish my presentation-"  
>"I think I got the gist of it," Ellis said sarcastically.<br>"Really?" McKay said angrily.  
>"Rodney," John warned.<br>"No-no, I'm just wondering when the colonel here became a math and physics expert."  
>"Doctor, you came into this meeting knowing that you had nothing, but instead of just saying that like a man, you thought that you'd dazzle us with a lot of fancy talk and think that we were too dumb to notice."<br>"Oh, so now you're questioning my manhood?"  
>"All right, that is enough!" Illyria yelled, gesturing angrily at both men.<br>"No! He just told-"  
>"Rodney," John warned more sternly than before and Rodney looked at him. "Move on."<br>Rodney pauses for a second while he regroups, then turns to everyone. "Look, I think we've got this tracking system down. We can peg where they're gonna be within a thirty minute window, and given current data we've got at least twelve hours before any of their ships are even close to an inhabited planet." He looks at Illyria. "Just give me and the Wraith, like, ten hours to get this shut-down program working." Illyria can't help but look a little exasperated at the amount of time he is requesting. "If I don't, then you can just feel free to go ahead and open up on 'em with your beam weapons."  
>"All right, you have ten hours. Go."<br>"Right." He turns off the screen with a remote control and leaves the room. Ellis sighs.  
>"I don't understand how you guys put up with-"<br>Illyria interrupts him as she walks around to glare into his face. "If you ever talk like that to someone under my command again, you will not be welcome in this city, Colonel. Is that clear?"  
>Ellis nods. "Yes, it is."<br>"Good." She looks round to include John and Caldwell. "We're done here. Thank you."

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney is with the Wraith and a couple of guards.  
>"Why would you lie to them?" The Wraith asked.<br>"I didn't lie to them."  
>"It is most improbable that we complete our task within ten hours."<br>"That is quitter talk." He smiles at the Wraith. "Look, you don't know me. This is when I'm at my best. This is when I shine: impossible deadlines. Did I ever tell you about the time I once got a damaged Ancient hyperdrive system online moments before me and my crew were incinerated by a supervolcano?"  
>The Wraith sighs. It has obviously heard the story several times. "Yes – you have."<br>"Well, there you go. See? I work best under pressure." He turns away to a console. The Wraith steps closer to his back.  
>"Then perhaps I should threaten to feed on you if you do not complete the coding in time."<br>The guards raise their Wraith stunner pistols and aim them at it. Rodney turns and holds out his hands to the men.  
>"Easy, easy. He's just kidding." He looks at the Wraith. "Just tell 'em you were joking." The Wraith stares at him silently, tilting its head. Rodney looks nervous. "Right." He moves around to the other side of the table. "I'll work in this area."<p>

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

The Wraith and Rodney are working at separate consoles.  
>"Time's up," John said, walking in.<br>"What, so soon?" McKay asked, looking down at his watch.  
>"I guess that means you're not ready."<br>"Well, no, I'm not."  
>"Well, we're going with Plan B. Wanna go for a ride?"<br>Rodney sighs. "No. I'll stay here. It still needs to get done. Good luck."  
>John leaves as Rodney gets back to work.<p>

҉

**SPACE**

Daedalus and Apollo jump out of hyperspace. John is sitting in the pilot's seat to the left of Ellis on board Apollo.  
>"Daedalus, this is the Apollo. Our scans are clear – we don't have any other contacts. Can you confirm?" Ellis asked.<br>"Copy that. We have the same reading." On board the Daedalus, Caldwell turns to Illyria who is sitting to his right in the weapons officer's seat. "Queen Illyria, how long before our guest arrives?"  
>"Should be any second now."<br>"Won't they be surprised?" He touched his headset, "We're going weapons hot, Apollo."  
>"<em>Copy that. We have done the same."<em>  
>Aboard the Apollo, on Ellis' right, his weapons officer, Lieutenant Marks, reports, "I'm detecting a hyperspace window opening."<br>"Stand by to fire forward beam weapons."  
>Ahead of the ships, a hyperspace window opens and an Aurora-style Replicator ship flies out.<br>"Fire!" Caldwell called out.  
>The two ships begin to fire repeated bursts from their Asgard plasma beam weapons at the Replicator ship. It crumples under the onslaught and within a few seconds disintegrates and then explodes.<br>"Contact has been neutralized." John reported.  
>"I wish we'd had these a few years ago," Caldwell said, turning to Illyria.<br>"The first attack is easy. They did not know we were coming. The Replicators have proven very effective in changing strategies when faced with failure."  
>"Still, we took that ship down without breaking a sweat."<br>"Right! One down, thirty-seven to go."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Caldwell exits a transporter to find John waiting for him.

"Welcome back, sir."  
>"I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by and re-supply."<br>"How's it going out there?"  
>"Splitting us up was a good call. The Daedalus has downed another three ships."<br>"Ellis got another two – that brings us to seven. That's not bad at all."  
>"I'll need about an hour to get what we need, then we'll get back out there."<br>"Well, there's been a little change of plans."  
>"Really?"<br>"Yeah."

҉

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

John and Caldwell have joined Illyria and Rodney in her office. Ellis is on a video screen.  
>"<em>They're falling back?"<em> Ellis asked.  
>"Safety in numbers," Illyria said.<br>"Evidently they haven't figured out how we're tracking them and-"  
>"Or they haven't figured out how to stop us," John said, interrupting McKay.<br>"Either way, they wanna stop losing ships."  
>"So they're all headed back to the Replicator homeworld?" Caldwell asked.<br>"That is correct," Illyria nodded.  
><em>"Well, that's good. I mean, they're finally all in one place. We can wipe them all out at once."<em>  
>"Ideally, yes, but our two ships versus an entire Replicator fleet..." Illyria trailed.<br>"Not to mention the drones that'll be firing from the surface." John said.  
>"The new weapons we have are very effective but they are no match for that kind of fire power."<br>"_Well, sounds like the perfect time to finally use that killer program you've been working on, Doctor."_  
>Rodney's eyes widen as he tries not to look panicked. "Yeah!"<br>"_Remember when you said all you needed was ten hours to finish it?"_

"...Vaguely."

_"Well, it's been ten hours ... and a week. Are you finished?"_  
>"Oh, I'm just dotting some i's, crossing some t's…" He said unconvincingly.<br>"Look, whatever our plan is, we need to act quickly." Illyria said. "Our current intel suggests that they are putting all their resources into building new ships. I figure we have less than a week before they head back out into the galaxy, and in much greater numbers."  
>"When they start travelling in packs, our kill rate's gonna drop drastically." Caldwell said.<br>"We can't let that happen. We need to take them out while they're all in one place, and we need to do it quickly." Illyria said.  
>"Mmm." Illyria turns and looks at him. John does likewise, and so does Caldwell. Ellis looks at him from the screen. Rodney finally gets the message. "Hey, I should, um, just get back to my lab."<br>He leaves the room.

҉

**LATER**

Rodney and the Wraith watch as a screen shows the message "SIMULATION RUNNING." A line runs across the screen showing the progress of the simulation. It reaches the end, then the message "FAILED" comes up. Rodney groans.  
>"Look, I have to tell them. I have to tell them we don't have anything."<br>"This is most troubling."  
>"Ellis is gonna love this. I don't get it. We tried reconfiguring your stand-down code; we tried programming the nanites to turn themselves off. Something should've worked."<br>"They are a very complex and ingenious design."  
>"Yeah, well, I thought I was ingenious-er." The Wraith turns to him and opens its mouth but Rodney speaks first. "Yes, I know it's not a word, Mr Helpful." The Wraith sighs and they both turn back to look at the screen. "All right, look, maybe we can figure out some way to use the Anti-Replicator Guns somehow."<br>"From what you have told me, they have almost certainly become immune to it."  
>"And even if they haven't, we still have to get them all in one place." After a few quiet moments, McKay lifts his head as he starts having a lightbulb moment.<br>"What is it?"  
>Rodney spins around on his chair, his eyes wide, and stares off into the distance. "I think I got my first good idea in three weeks."<br>He stands up and heads out of the lab. The Wraith watches him go.  
>"Hmm!"<p>

҉

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

Illyria is sitting at her desk and John is sitting on the edge of it as Rodney talks to them.  
>"Our old anti-Replicator technology relied on disrupting the bonds between each individual nanite cell. They just collapsed in a pile of dust, right?"<br>"We're familiar with the technology, yes," John said sarcastically.  
>"Right. Well, the thinking was always to continue down that line: to break the bonds, to turn them off, sever their connections to one another, because dust we can deal with, right?"<br>"Rodney," Illyria said impatiently.  
>"We do the opposite. Instead of severing their connections, we significantly dial up their attraction to one another. We turn each cell into an incredibly powerful nanite magnet. You know, one cell attracts another cell, those two attract two more, and as more and more nanite cells bond to the core group, they become stronger and stronger and stronger – to the point where every Replicator cell on the planet, in orbit, all of them, are massed in this, in this, in this giant super-dense blob."<br>He grins at the other two. They stare back at him in disbelief.

"A "super-dense blob" – that's your great idea?" John asked.  
>"It is, yes, actually."<br>"What do we do with the blob, then? Aren't we in danger of creating some Godzilla-sized super-Replicator?"  
>"No – at least, not at first. Look, this is not their normal form of bonding. I mean, it'll take them some time to adapt, to figure out how to function within the new parameters."<br>"How much time?" Illyria asked.  
>"Well, I mean, I hate to speculate-"<br>"Oh, since when?" John yelled sarcastically.  
>"Look, it doesn't matter anyways, because long before that happens, they're gonna fuse together so tightly, they will be rendered essentially inert. Remember, this bond is occurring on a sub-space level."<br>Illyria sighs. "Please break this down-"

"Which helps them get past the normal repulsive force between nuclei to the point where their electrons are fusing with their protons and once that starts happening, they're toast. I'm talking about neutron star levels of density." Grinning excitedly, Rodney points both index fingers at her.  
>"Wow." Illyria turns to John. "It sounds crazy, but this could work."<br>"Well, how do we make it work, then? Just upload a new command into their base code?"  
>Rodney, still grinning, points out of the office. "I have a better idea."<br>He leads them out and takes them to a lab where there is a large Ancient table in the middle of the room. He gestures to it triumphantly.  
>"Ta-da!"<br>"What's this?" John asked.  
>"My scientist used it as part of their research into the creation of human-form Replicators," Illyria muttered, looking over it carefully. She looked up at Rodney and asked, "What are you suggesting?"<br>Rodney gestures to the table again. "We have the technology. We have the understanding of nanite coding; I mean, we have the Ancients' blueprints, for crying out loud."  
>"You wanna make your own Replicator." John summed up.<br>"Well, not a whole one – just, just a block of nanite cells, say, you know..." Rodney draws a square in the air about two feet square, "... yay big. Look, just enough to get the ball rolling."  
>"I don't know, Rodney," Illyria said, shaking her head.<br>"I'm not talking about creating anything with normal Replicator abilities – just a group of nanite cells that can serve as a platform for us to upload the new bonding program. We take it to the Replicator homeworld, we switch it on, we beam it into a populated area and we sit back and watch. It couldn't be easier." John and Illyria frown, not totally convinced it'll be that easy. Rodney hesitates for a moment. "There is the one problem."  
>"Only one?" John asked and Illyria smiled.<br>"The Replicators on the planet will be affected fairly quickly but there'll be a definite delay until there's enough mass to attract the nanite cells in orbit."  
>"So the ships'll have plenty of time to escape," John said.<br>"Unless we disable or destroy them."  
>"They have thirty ships. We have two." Illyria reminded him.<br>"Well, if we don't disable them, they're just gonna fly away, lay low and replicate a new army."  
>"Thirty ships versus two. It cannot be done."<br>Rodney looks defeated. John, however, is having an idea. "We might be able to get more ships."

҉

**BRIG**

Illyria, John and Rodney are in the cell with the Wraith and have explained their plan to it.  
>"Depending on what has happened since I've been in captivity here, I could easily bring another twelve ships to the battle," he said.<br>"Twelve ships willing to fight shoulder to shoulder?" John asked.  
>"For a chance to destroy the Replicators once and for all? Of course."<br>"This brings the odds down two to one," John said, turning to Illyria.  
>"An alliance like this must be negotiated. I will need to personally convince them that this is the proper course of action." The Wraith said.<br>The humans look unhappy about that. The Wraith grins.

҉

**LATER**

John, Ronon and Illyria, geared up for offworld travel, walk along a corridor. With Illyria going on the mission, Lt. Colonel Jeremy Renner was put in temporary command of the base.

Two guards carrying Wraith stunner pistols follow, and they are followed by the Wraith wearing the belt which shackles its wrists close to its waist. Two more guards with stunner pistols follow it. They go to the Jumper Bay where John, Ronon and Illyria enter a Puddle Jumper followed by the Wraith. Ronon grabs the Wraith's arm and hustles it to the front cockpit.  
>"Sit down."<br>He shoves it into the seat behind the pilot's chair and sits next to it, holding his blaster on it. As Illyria takes the co-pilot's seat, John walks to the pilot's chair but turns to the Wraith.  
>"First sign you cross us-"<br>"-I die. I know."

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL**  
>The Jumper exits a space Gate and its engine pods deploy. As it moves forward, we see that it is flying into the midst of a fleet of Wraith hiveships.<br>"Well, this is different." John said and the console bleeps.  
>"Receiving transmission," Illyria reported. The heads-up display appears on the windscreen. "Docking instructions."<br>"All right, let's get this over with." The Jumper heads into one of the hiveships and lands. As its engines shut down, John turns to the Wraith. "Now what?"  
>Someone bangs three times on the outside of the door.<br>"You open the door?"  
>John and Ronon exchange a glance, then John stands up and starts to walk towards the rear of the ship. The Wraith stands and indicates its shackles.<br>"Perhaps we should remove these. I think it sends the wrong message, don't you?"  
>Ronon looks at John. "This is a mistake."<br>"We need his help." He walks back to the Wraith and he and Ronon start to untie its wrists.  
>"I've got a bad feeling about this," Ronon told John.<br>"Well, we're here. Let's see it through."  
>They undo the belt around the Wraith's waist and drop it to the floor. They all walk to the rear door, Ronon pressing his blaster against the Wraith's back, and John hits the button to open the door. Four Wraith guards are waiting outside with stunner rifles aimed at them. John holds up a hand placatingly, but Ronon shoves the Wraith to the side so that he can aim his blaster at the guards.<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, take it easy," John said to the guards.  
>The guards open fire while the Wraith ducks out of the way to give them clear aim at all three humans. John and Illyria drop immediately but Ronon tries to struggle up. The guards fire several more shots into him until he is unconscious. As the guards lower their rifles, the Wraith looks down at the humans in satisfaction.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

In the lab, the Ancient table now has a silver puddle on top of it. Rodney is standing on one side of the table while Radek Zelenka stands on the other side.  
>"All right. Basic nanite material has been formed. Let's see if we can get them to interact."<br>McKay picks up a small device and takes it around to Radek's side of the table while Radek smiles down at the puddle in admiration.  
>"I must say, Rodney, this is quite an ingenious idea."<br>"Were you expecting anything less?" He said smugly.  
>"Well..." Radek hesitates.<br>"Well what?"  
>"Well, you have been in a bit of a rut lately."<br>"I have not!" He yelled indignantly.  
>"OK, well, like a dry spot, maybe."<br>"That is not true."  
>"Okay."<br>"It is not!"  
>"OK! Okay. Now, are we certain that these nanites will not go beyond simple cohesion?"<br>"Of course. I've disabled most of the normal protocols. It won't be able to do anything beyond form a simple block. All right, here we go."  
>He types on the device and the puddle pulls together and forms into a block about six inches square.<br>"It worked! You did it, Rodney!"  
>"Naturally."<br>"McKay's back!"  
>"Will you stop that? I was never gone!" His device beeps and he looks at it, panicked. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. Wait a minute." He begins to type furiously. "We've got a problem. The cells aren't communicating properly." The block collapses back into a puddle. The men both sigh. "This could be tougher than I thought." Radek raises a finger, but McKay cuts him off. "And I don't wanna hear you say anything."<br>Radek lowers his finger again as Rodney goes back to the table.

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

Illyria, Ronon and John are lying unconscious in the back of the Jumper. The Wraith reaches down and shakes John awake. Grimacing, he opens his eyes and drowsily looks up at it, then his eyes widen and he struggles to push himself up into a sitting position.  
>"Be calm." He said, offering him his pistol back. "Here."<br>John snatches the pistol from it. "What the hell's goin' on?"  
>"Apparently my fellow Wraith wanted to speak to me without you being around."<br>"Well, they might have just politely asked us to stay in the Jumper."  
>"Come now, you would never have let me leave your sight."<br>"Well, we'll never know now, will we?" John asked sarcastically.  
>The Wraith walks a couple of paces away, then turns to face him again. "We have a deal. Seven hives will join us in the fight."<br>"Seven? You said twelve."  
>"Not all of them were convinced that the mission was achievable, plus many of our ships are without Queens. We'd be unable to create new soldiers should they fall. If you prefer none..."<br>"All right, seven."  
>The Wraith bows slightly to him. John looks at Ronon. "How'd I wake up before Ronon?"<br>"We had to stun him several times. I thought it would be best that you were awake before he was." He pointed to the cockpit where Illyria was already sitting in her chair. "I naturally woke your Queen first."  
>"Probably a good idea." He looks up and sees stars through the windshield rather than the interior of a hiveship. Getting to his feet, he asked. "Are we in space?"<br>"The hives have already left. They jettisoned your ship before they jumped into hyperspace."  
>"Anything else happen while we were unconscious that I should know about?"<br>"He must return to Atlantis to help Doctor McKay complete their plan." Illyria said.  
>John looks at her for a moment, then uncocks his pistol and puts it away, turning to the Wraith. "Help me to wake the big guy up and we'll get out of here."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**  
>"All right. Lookin' good." McKay said.<br>In the lab, the puddle has formed back into a block but it is surrounded by a glow.  
>"Rodney, it's being held together by a forcefield."<br>"I know. I just wanna give the cells time to establish their own internal cohesion. Now, we drop the field..." he types on his device and the forcefield disappears "...and it should hold together." The block stays in place. Rodney smiles. "Not bad. Not bad. Structure's intact, bonds are holding."

He laughs and looks at Radek, who smiles back, but then the device beeps and the block drops back into a puddle. Rodney sighs.  
>"Dammit!"<br>"Mmm. It's no use, Rodney. You have disabled too many of the cells' basic protocols. It was never designed to work this way."  
>"In that case, there's only one thing we can do."<br>He starts to type on his device. Just then, Chuck's voice comes over their radio headsets.  
>"<em>Doctor Zelenka?"<em>  
>"Yes?" He said, activating his headset.<br>"_They need to see you right away in Section seven. We're having some power problems in the Infirmary."_  
>Radek sighs and looks at Rodney. "I should ... This won't take long. Is it all right if I ...?"<br>"Just go, go!" Radek starts to leave the room. To his departing back, McKay yelled out, "You're only holding me back anyway."  
>He types on the device again, then looks at the puddle thoughtfully.<p>

҉

**SPACE**

The Puddle Jumper is heading back in the direction of the nearest space Gate. John looks over his shoulder and sees Ronon glowering at the Wraith.  
>"Ronon, let it go. Take it as a compliment. They were afraid of you." Ronon continues glaring at the Wraith. John looks at Illyria. "Dial the Gate."<br>Illyria hits the first three buttons on the D.H.D., but then the console beeps. "I'm detecting a hyperspace window forming."  
>John turned to the Wraith, "You guys forget something?"<br>A hyperspace window opens and an Aurora-class battle cruiser flies out of it, directly in front of the Jumper. John throws the Jumper into a tight bank to avoid colliding with the ship and skims along the side of it.  
>"It's an Atlantian warship!" Illyria called out.<br>"Replicators! Dial the Gate!" John ordered.  
>"How did they find us?" Illyria asked as she dialed.<br>"I have an idea," Ronon said, glaring at the Wraith.  
>"You are mistaken," the Wraith said.<br>The console bleeps.  
>"Receiving transmission." Illyria said.<br>"What?" John asked.  
>A familiar woman's voice comes over the radio. "<em>Sheppard, that'd better not be you."<em>  
>John stares in disbelief. "Larrin?"<br>He activates the H.U.D. and the face of Larrin appears on the windscreen.  
>"<em>What the hell are you doing here?"<em>  
>"What the hell are you doing here?"<br>_"We picked up on seven hives orbiting a single planet. It seemed like something big was going down, so I thought we'd stop and do a little intel."_  
>"Yeah, well, you just missed 'em."<br>_"I see that. Now, tell me, what are you doing here? And better yet, why didn't those hives destroy your puny little ship?"_  
>"I take great offence to that – but those are all good questions, so ... we should talk."<br>"_Yes, we should. Use Bay three."_ She deactivates her comms and the H.U.D. shuts down.  
>"Better her than the Replicators, right?" Ronon asked.<br>"Let's see what kind of mood she's in," John said shrugging.

"The only question I have," Illyria said slowly, looking out the window, "is who is she?"

Ronon tried not to smile as John hesitantly explained about their first meeting.

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

The Jumper has docked and its rear door opens. John, Ronon and Illyria stand facing the exit while the Wraith is sitting on one of the side benches, mostly obscured by Ronon. Larrin and three guards are waiting outside. John smiles sarcastically at her.  
>"Larrin."<br>The Wraith stands up and looks over Ronon's shoulder. Larrin backs up a step. "That Wraith'd better be a prisoner."  
>"Now, look, I know how it looks-"<br>Larrin looked over her shoulder at her guards. "Kill it."  
>As the guards draw their weapons, Ronon promptly runs out of the way to give them a clear shot. John, on the other hand, draws his pistol and steps in front of the Wraith while simultaneously aiming his pistol at the guards with one hand and holding up his other hand placatingly.<br>"Hey, whoa! Hey, hey, hey, no, no, no, no. No killing, OK? Just, just hear me out."

҉

**LATER**

Larrin is hearing John out. She is doing so in another room of the ship where John has been tied to a chair with thick plastic ropes. He looks really fed up as she walks around the chair.  
>"So the idea is to keep the Replicator ships from leaving orbit until this McKay guy can suck them back down to the planet."<br>"Couldn't have put it better myself."  
>"And since you only have two ships..."<p>

"...we needed the Wraith to help. We figure the Replicators have close to thirty ships guarding the surface. The Wraith bring another seven to the fight."  
>"Still not very good odds."<br>"No, no, but unless we ... I don't know ... meet someone with access to ships, it'll have to do."  
>"One of the planets we trade with was completely wiped out a few weeks ago. We thought it was the Wraith but it didn't fit. They weren't culled – they were levelled."<br>"Replicators."  
>"Last time we worked together, I said I'd let you keep a few secrets..." she bends down and puts her face close to his, "...but not anymore." John can't help but glance down at her cleavage for a moment, then looks back into her face. "If we do this, we go all the way. No holding back."<br>She stands up and continues walking round the chair. John sighs.  
>"All right. Look – your ship is still a mess. We have scientists that have the Ancient gene. Maybe they can help you soup it up."<br>"Well, I'll have to talk to our governing council, but even if they agree to move forward, it'll be up to the individual ship captains if they wanna join us or not – and fighting alongside the Wraith isn't gonna be popular."  
>"Well, we know how persuasive you can be."<br>"I'll start making the calls."  
>"Oh, great." She heads towards the door behind him, which slides open. "This is all working out for the best. It's, uh ... except for the part where I'm still tied up, Larrin."<br>He clears his throat expectantly but Larrin has already gone. A guard outside swipes his hand over the wall panel and the door starts to close.  
>"Larrin?"<br>The door closes. John grimaces and sighs.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Rodney is waiting near his lab and looks irritated as Radek hurries to join him.  
>"You and I have two very different definitions of "this won't take too long.""<br>"I know. I'm really sorry. The naqahdah generator in Section seven is giving us all sorts of trouble, but it's fixed now. I'm all yours. What would you like to try now?"  
>"Actually, unencumbered by the continual need to explain things to you, I've actually made remarkable progress."<br>"Oh, really?"  
>"Mmm. The systems the Ancients had in place were designed to create fully functional humanoid replicants, right?"<br>"Yes," Radek said, frowning.  
>"Well, turns out that trying to create something much simpler is – ironically – much more difficult. In the end I was forced to compromise."<br>"Wait, you're not suggesting that-"  
>"Ah, I know it wasn't part of the plan but it was either this or nothing."<br>He walks into the lab. Radek stops in the doorway and stares in horror as Rodney stops at the side of the Ancient table and looks up at a woman with long dark hair sitting on it. She is wearing Replicator clothing. She looks at Radek and smiles.  
>"Hello."<br>Radek walks slowly into the lab and stares at the Replicator with a mixture of shock and awe. There is an armed guard in the lab behind the Replicator. Rodney calmly smiles at Radek as he continues to gape.  
>"Oh, my."<p>

҉

**NEW LANTEA**

John's Puddle Jumper flies over the ocean and heads towards the city. After docking, John, Illyria and Ronon make their way out of the Jumper Bay.  
>"Just gonna check on McKay – see if he made any progress." John said.<br>"I must go see Doctor Keller," Illyria said, hurrying off.  
>"Why's that?" John said, grabbing her arm gently.<br>"I was stunned." She said, turning back to him.  
>"We get stunned all the time – shake it off." John said, take his arm off her.<br>He and Ronon turn to walk away. Uncounsiusly she spoke up and said rather loudly, "Circumstances are ... different."  
>The boys turn back to her. John raised his eyebrow, "How so?"<p>

Illyria hesitates. She smiles and shakes her head, turning to leave, but not before John saw her insticivly reach for her stomach. He's only ever seen her do it when she was pregnant or talking about the kids. He reached his arm out to her and turned her around.

"Illyria what aren't you telling me?"

As they stared each other down, Ronon quietly made his way out the door, but kept his ear close to the door.

"John," Illyria said quietly, "please let go of my arm."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." When she wouldn't he sighed angrily. "This isn't how marriage is supposed to work, Illyria!"

"I know that, John."

"Then what are you hiding from me?" He stepped in closer, his face only a few inches from hers. She looked around to see if anyone else was nearby.

She sighed and looked at him. "Not here."

"Fine," he whispered. He backed, taking her hand, and walked back into the jumper. He lightly shoved her in and slammed his hand down on the control to shut the outer hatch. "Private enough for you, your highness?"

"What is the matter with you, John?" Illyria asked, stepping back from his slightly.

"What's wrong with me? I'm not the one keeping secretes in this marriage!" She opened her mouth to yell back, but shut it. That's when John released he was right. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Illyria…_why_ wouldn't you tell me?" She shook her head and he saw tears in her eyes. He stepped closer and cupped her face with his hands, touching their foreheads together. "Illyria…Illyria, baby, don't do this to me…let me in."

"I can't," She whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks, shaking her head, "I can't."

"Why?" he whispered back, stroking her hair.

"I-I-I…" was all she could stutter before breaking out in tears. Confused, John tried to comfort her by hugging her, but that seemed to only make it worse. She pushed away from him and collapsed in tears on the bench. "I-I'm carrying a child..."

"You're what?" He asked, shocked.  
>"I am pregnant, John!"<br>He chuckled, sitting down next to her. "Then why are you crying?" He smiled and took her hand, turning her face towards him. "I thought this is what we've been wanting?"

She turned her head away from him, her cries became soft sobs. "I-It's not so simple, John..."

"What - What do you mean?"

Illyria abrubtly stood up from the bench and began to pace the small isle as she began to come clean with John. It took her about twenty minutes to explain as best she could, but she was faintly aware of John no longer paying attention. He sat on the bench, his head in his hands.

"John..." Illyria whispered, not wanting to get too close.

"Did you cheat on me?" John muttered barely audiable from between his hands.

"What...?"

"I said," John looked up, his eyes red, "did you cheat on me?"

"I would never," She said clearly, unwavering in her convictions as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Then why," He said, raising his voice and standing up. "Then why sneak out while i'm away to see this 'mystry friend' on New Athos? Then why call yourself an Athosian? Then why risk your unborn child raising hell looking for them?" He stepped closer to her, backing her up hard against the jumper's wall. He was breathing heavy, his heart beat erratic. "Why do all those things and then lie to me; why not tell me you're pregnant?" He slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, his eyes pained. "If it's mine why not tell me?"

"Because i was scared!" She yelled in his face, beginning to sobb. She covered her mouth with her hands to keep from crying out and shakily collasped on the bench. "I-I was afraid to t-tell you becuase I was scared!"

"What?" John asked, stunned. Illyria was sobbing too hard for him to get anything out of her, so he knelt down in front of her and tried to hold her hand, but she pulled back. He sighed. "Illyria what the hell is going on?"

"I-I-I can't!" She gasoed between sobs.

"Fine," he said calmly. He stood up, punched the door handle making Illyria jump, and he walked away. Illyria sat in the back of the jumper, crying into her hands, when Ronon slowly rounded the corner and looked in on her.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Can I come in?" Illyria pulled herself togther enough to nod her head. Ronon walked in and sat next to her. He didn't say anything, just held her hand and let her finish cry out onto his shoulder. After a few minutes, once Illyria had calmed down enough to breath normally, she strightened up.

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't mind," he muttered, cleaning off her face with a corner of his sleeve.

"Supose you want to know what that was about."

"Don't have to tell me."

She sighed, leaning her head back on the seat. "You need to know. Sooner or later, the city's rumor mill will flow with ridiculouse acusations and I at least owe you the respect of letting you know the truth."

Ronon nodded. "Okay."

She looked up at him. "I'm pregant."

Ronon blinked in surprise, gazing down at her stomach. "How ... far along are you?"  
>"About three months."<br>"Three. How long have you known?"  
>"Just under two."<p>

"You've been out in the field when you've known you're three months pregnant? Stupid move, Illyria."  
>"PLease," she sighed, closing her eyes. "I know."<br>She gets up and walks out of the jumper. She was heading out the hanger bay doors when Ronon called after her, trotting out of the jumper.  
>"Hey," he smiles at her. "Congratulations. I would've thought you and John'd be happy?"<p>

"I..." She looked away. "It's complicated."

"Try me," He takes her hand as they begin to walk away. "You can tell me about it on the way to get you checked out." Hand in hand, they start to walk to the Infirmary. "You know, uh, "Ronon" – it's a good name ... boy or girl."

Illyria laughed as she momentarily forgot her woes.

҉

**LATER**

John is walking with Jeremy.  
>"So that brings the grand total to...?" Jeremy asked John.<br>"Fourteen. Larrin said she can get three or four more ships."  
>"Well, that's great!"<br>"Yeah," he said unenthusiastically.  
>"You okay?"<br>"Yeah," He sighed. "I've taken Illyria off any active duty. She is to be remanded to the base."  
>"Why?" Jeremy looked at him, puzzled.<br>"She's pregnant."  
>"Congrats!" He smiled, patting his on the shoulder. When he was John's face, he dropped his smile and his hand. "You're not happy."<p>

"Might not be the father," John muttered.  
>"Wow! Well, it has been one hell of a day." Jeremy said, whistling. "There's one more thing you need to see. McKay has kind of thrown us a curve ball."<br>"Oh, great! I was just thinking we need more of those today."  
>Jeremy chuckles.<p>

҉

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

John stares in disbelief at a video link to Rodney's lab where the Replicator is wandering around looking at the equipment. He turns to Rodney furiously.  
>"This is not what we talked about, Rodney!"<br>"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but the block idea didn't fly. This was the only way."  
>"Do you have any idea what kind of a security threat this is?"<br>"It's not as bad as you think. I stripped down its programming as much as I possibly could without sacrificing basic viability. It can walk, it can talk, but it can't replicate or change its form or anything."  
>"Does she know why she was created?" Jeremy asked.<br>"Of course," McKay nodded.  
>"Well, then, she has a certain amount of self-awareness." Jeremy said, waving his hand to the screen.<br>"Yeah, so?"  
>"So? Honestly, I'm not sure how comfortable I am sending her to her death."<br>"Death. It can't die – it's not alive! It's a program! I mean, its consciousness is just a bunch of ones and zeroes. I mean, you can call it "she" all you want but it's still just a thing. It's a prop – it's a really advanced radio-controlled weapon. I mean, you don't feel sorry for your bullets, do you, your bombs?"  
>"All right," John said, putting himself in the middle of the two. "Still, it's weird."<br>"Yeah, well, at the end of the day it doesn't matter anyways, because we don't have any other choice." McKay said.  
>"Well, we are teaming up with the Wraith. I guess it's that kind of a mission."<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Rodney comes in to find the Replicator typing on a laptop while Radek frets behind it. He hurries over to Rodney.  
>"We have a problem."<br>"What is it?"  
>"I've been going over your calculations." The replicator said. "I thought it would be prudent for the good of the mission." Behind its back, Rodney looks at Radek, who shrugs. The Replicator turns to Rodney. "I hope you don't mind."<br>"No, no, it's fine."  
>"I think you've under-estimated how quickly the nanite cells will adapt to their changing circumstances. The mass will be able to manipulate its own form before it reaches critical density."<br>"What, are you sure?"  
>"I'm quite positive. Once the nanites regain control, they will be able to halt their own collapse. At that point they will be extremely dangerous."<br>"Yeah, in other words, we're back to Godzilla." Radek said.  
>"I may have a solution," The replicator said and Rodney stares at it. It smiles and turns back to the laptop.<p>

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Larrin has arrived and is sitting in the room with Jeremy, John, Caldwell, Ellis, and the Wraith. Rodney is explaining the latest plan to them.  
>"We overload their ZedP.M.s – about half a dozen of them in a symmetrical pattern around the Replicator mass. The force of the explosion causes the mass to compress even further, essentially creating our own Replicator fusion bomb. The whole planet's gonna be destroyed in the process."<br>"You don't mess around, do you?" Larrin said.  
>"All this is based on information provided by a Replicator? We have no reason to trust it." Ellis said.<br>"We're not trusting it – we're trusting..." John points at Rodney, hesitating for a moment, then going with it, "...Rodney."

John frowns as if he can't believe what he just said. Jeremy tried to hide his sympathetic smile.  
>"Now, this causes a slight new wrinkle in the plan. I'll need to beam down to the Core Room." McKay said.<br>"Along with Ronon and a squad of marines." John added and McKay waved him off.  
>"From there, I should be able to hack into their systems and set the ZedP.M.s to overload."<br>"In the meantime, we'll be keeping their ships occupied. The seven hives will space themselves around the planet equally and our smaller ships will fill in the holes." Jeremy said.  
>Larrin turned to John, "I could use you in my Chair, Sheppard. We have an arsenal of drones but none of my guys can fire them quite like you can."<br>Jeremy raises his eyebrows and looks at John. He shrugs and smiles sarcastically at Larrin. "No place I'd rather be."  
>"The hives will be dispatching sizeable waves of Darts to target the Replicators' hyperdrive engines." The Wraith said.<br>"My 302s will join you." Caldwell said.  
>"Very well," The Wraith said, nodding its agreement.<br>"Now, while I'm working in the Core Room," McKay said, "we'll beam Fran down to the city."  
>"Wait a minute: "Fran"?" Ellis asked.<br>"It's, uh, Friendly Replicator ANdroid."  
>"I didn't realize we were naming things," John said, glaring at him.<br>"It noticed that Zelenka and I both had names and, um ... and she asked for one, so..."  
>John grimaces while Jeremy rolls his eyes.<br>"All right," John called out, "Let's move out."

҉

**SPACE**

Daedalus, Apollo and Larrin's ship exit hyperspace and join the fleet of Wraith and Traveller ships. Sitting at the weapons station on board Daedalus, Jeremy can't help but smile in amazement at the sight.  
>"Wow! It's quite a sight."<br>Beside him, Caldwell also smiles, but a little more ruefully. "I remember when the Cold War ended and we started doing joint missions with the Russians. I thought that was strange!"  
>Jeremy's console beeps. "I've got confirmation from the fleet: we're ready to go."<br>Caldwell turned to his pilot. "Set coordinates for the Replicator homeworld."  
>The fleet heads out and one by one the ships jump back into hyperspace.<p>

҉

**HYPERSPACE**

**APOLLO**

Fran the Replicator is gazing out of the window as hyperspace rushes past. It turns and looks at Rodney as he types on a computer tablet.  
>"This is quite exciting, isn't it?"<br>Rodney looks up at it awkwardly. "It's a bit nerve-wracking, yeah."  
>"I quite look forward to it."<br>"You do?"  
>"One always wishes to fulfil one's purpose."<br>Behind Rodney, Radek is frowning at Fran in surprise.

"...Right. And you're fine with all this?"  
>"Why would I not be? It's my reason for being."<br>"Well, I know. It's just that you're ... you're gonna cease to be."  
>"Yes."<br>"Well, I just ... I just imagined you'd rather keep being than, uh ... uh, than not."  
>"Certainly you're not worried for me, are you, Doctor?"<br>"No, no, that would be silly."  
>Fran was smiling at him. "Yes, it would."<br>Rodney turns away and walks over to Radek. "Should never have given it speech."  
>"Yeah."<br>Ellis spoke from over comms. "_Doctor McKay. We're approaching the target. You need to get with Ronon and the marines."_  
>"On my way." He starts to leave the room, but Fran calls him back.<br>"Doctor McKay?"  
>Unhappy about having to talk to it again, Rodney turns back. "Yeah."<br>Fran smiles at him. "Good luck."  
>Rodney can't help but smile back at it. "You too, Fran. Good luck."<br>He leaves the room as Fran smiles proudly.

҉

**REPLICATOR HOMEWORLD**

The fleet comes out of hyperspace above the planet and the ships immediately open fire on the Replicator ships in orbit. Caught by surprise, several of the latter are blown apart in the first attack. On board Apollo, Ellis turns to Marks.  
>"Target their hyperdrives with the beam weapons and launch all 302s." He turns to his pilot. "Beam the Replicator and McKay's team down to their separate coordinates."<br>In the city below, Fran is beamed into an empty corridor. It looks around for a moment, then heads off down the corridor.  
>In the Core Room, Ronon, Rodney and three marines beam in. Ronon and the marines are aiming A.R.G.s (Anti-Replicator Guns). Ronon gestures to his new colleagues.<br>"Fan out. Fan out." Ronon commanded. As they spread out around the room, Rodney heads towards the control panel. "All right, we're clear."  
>"OK. This won't take more than a minute."<br>McKay gets to work.  
>Above the planet, Wraith Darts deploy from one of the hives and head for the nearest Replicator ship. They swoop along its surface, aiming for the hyperdrives. Despite the Replicator ship being shielded, the onslaught is too great and part of it explodes even as it continues to return fire, blowing up parts of the hive. Inside the hive's control room, a Wraith technician reports to 'our' Wraith which is piloting the ship.<br>"Power down in interior section," A Wraith technician reported.  
>"Transferring power from non-critical systems to hull regeneration," The friendly Wraith said.<br>Outside, Daedalus swoops over the top of the hive and fires its Asgard beams at the Replicator ship, which explodes. Inside, Caldwell radios down to Rodney.  
>"How's it coming, McKay? I don't wanna be doing this all day."<br>"I'm done. I've got total control of the power grid and the ZedP.M.s, and Fran is..." he smiles as he looks at his computer tablet "...Fran's just about to activate."  
>Elsewhere in the city, Fran walks into a room containing several Replicators working on various consoles.<br>"Hello," She called out.  
>The Replicators all look at it, puzzled. It smiles and closes its eyes serenely. The Replicators look down at themselves in bewilderment as they slowly start to disintegrate. Their dispersed cells flow towards Fran and begin to integrate with it. In the Core Room, Rodney looks at his tablet.<br>"It's working. Just hold those ships off a little longer."  
>In space, F-302s swoop around as the battle continues. One of Larrin's fleet is attacked by a Replicator warship and is destroyed. On Daedalus, Caldwell grimaces.<br>"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."  
>"We just have to keep them busy. I don't think they realize what's happening yet." Jeremy said.<br>From a viewpoint above the city below, Replicator cells stream from all parts of the city towards a large building where Fran began its work. The "super-dense blob" becomes too large for the building and the walls disintegrate as the mass expands. More Replicator cells pour towards it from all directions.  
>On board Larrin's ship, a technician reports to her on the Bridge.<br>"One of the Replicator ships is heading towards us at maximum sub-light. They're powering their hyperdrives."  
>"Sheppard. Do you see that?" Larrin asked.<br>In the ship's Weapons Control Platform Room, John is sitting in the Chair looking at a screen on the wall.  
>"Yeah. I got it."<br>He reclines the Chair, closes his eyes and concentrates. Drones head out from the ship towards the Replicator ship. Some of them are intercepted by Replicator drones but enough get through to blow the Replicator ship to bits. Nearby, a hiveship which has been under attack from another Replicator ship blows up.  
>In the Core Room, Rodney looks at his computer tablet.<br>"It's working much faster than I ever imagined."  
>"When's it gonna be big enough to start pulling 'em down from orbit?" Ronon asked.<br>"Soon. Really soon."  
>On Apollo's Bridge, Ellis flinches from the light from explosions outside, and the ship jolts violently.<br>"Our shields can't take much more of this, sir!" Marks called out.  
>"Hopefully they won't have to – but get ready to transfer power from the beam weapons to the…"<br>He trails off and stares in amazement as Replicator cells begin to stream out of all the enemy ships and head down towards the planet. Marks gazes at the sight.  
>"What the hell?"<br>"Son of a bitch." Ellis smiled. "He actually did it."  
>Above the city, the Replicator mass is now bigger than the tallest towers around it, and continues to expand as cells stream down from the sky. In the Core Room, Rodney looks up nervously as the room begins to shake.<br>"What's happening?" Ronon asked.  
>"It's the Replicator mass: it's so heavy, it's sinking into the planet's surface."<br>"_McKay, according to our readings, every Replicator nanite is now part of the mass. Can you confirm?"_ Jeremy asked from Daedalus.  
>"Copy that, Renner. I'll set the countdown at-"<br>Just then the lights go out and the control consoles go dark.  
>"Did you do that?" Ronon asked.<br>"No." McKay looks at his tablet. "It's the mass. It's collapsed the subterranean power grid. It's a blackout! We're not gonna be able to overload the ZedP.M.s."

The Replicator mass writhes as it tries to take control of itself. In the Core Room, Rodney holds onto the control console as the room continues shaking.  
>"Not good, not good, not good!"<br>"_Do you want me to beam down there and help you_?" Jeremy asked.  
>"The power grid's been destroyed. There's nothing either of us can do."<br>From Larrin's Chair, John asked, "_What's the big deal? If you can't overload ZeeP.M.s, why don't we just send some nukes down there and get this over with?"_  
>"It's not as simple as that! Look, in order to implode a mass this large, the explosion has to be timed down to the nanosecond. The force needs to be exactly right. I mean, you can't just fire a few nukes down here and get the job done."<br>The room shakes even more violently.  
>"<em>Well, it's gotta be better than nothing!"<em>  
>"<em>I have to agree,<em>" Caldwell said.  
>"<em>McKay, my sensors indicate that the ground around the mass is rich with neutronium,"<em> Jermey said.  
>"<em>Neutronium<em>?" Caldwell asked.  
>"It's the base raw material in the Replicator cells. It makes all the sense in the world why the Ancients would set up on a planet where it's abundant."<br>"_This could be very useful. Neutronium is incredibly dense_," Jeremy said.  
>"<em>And that helps us how?"<em> John asked.  
>"Jeremy, we are geniuses!" McKay yelled into the radio, typing on his tablet. "OK, the mass is so super-heavy that it's sinking into the planet's surface. If I dial it up just a little bit, it'll attract the neutronium and sink all the way to the core."<br>"_And the planet will exert enough pressure on it to cause an implosion_," Jeremy concluded.  
>McKay spoke as he typed on his tablet. "Just give me one...more..." His tablet beeps. "Got it!"<br>Outside, the writhing mass stops writhing and sets solid as it integrates with the neutronium, then begins to sink into the ground.  
>"Um, we need to get out of here," McKay said nervously.<br>"All right, let's go!" Ronon said, turning to the marines. "Come on!"  
>Rodney disconnects his tablet from the console and Ronon grabs his arm and supports him as they stumble into an open area of the room. The marines gather around them and a transporter beam whisks them away, depositing them onto Daedalus' Bridge.<br>"Much as I'd love to, we shouldn't stick around and watch this go down." McKay said, pointing at the window.  
>Jeremy turned to Caldwell. "We should tell the fleet to jump to the rendezvous point immediately. The planet's become unstable."<br>Above the planet, the fleet begins to enter hyperspace. Below, the surface of the planet begins to break apart and lava spews out of the gaps. As the last of the fleet jumps away, leaving only the unmanned Replicator ships drifting helplessly, the planet explodes in a massive fireball.

҉

**NEW LANTEA**

Above the planet, Apollo and Larrin's ship are in orbit. John is talking with Larrin on board her ship.  
>"Sorry you lost a ship."<br>"They knew what they were getting into."  
>"Yeah, but still ... You gonna stick around and let my guys check this place out?"<br>"Well, they already gave us a head start when they got us battle-ready. Besides, I have some things that need to get taken care of."  
>"Yeah? Like?"<br>"Oh, nothing for you to concern your pretty little head with."  
>"Look, um, now that we're allies and stuff, I should probably have some way of, of contacting you –in case we need help again."<br>Larrin smiles. "I know where Atlantis is now. Don't worry – I'll stay in touch."  
>"<em>Colonel Sheppard, are you ready to beam?"<em> Marks asked over the radio.  
>"Good seeing you again," John told Larrin.<br>"I bet it was." Larrin smiled.  
>She steps back as John smiles ruefully and takes another moment to look down the length of her body before activating his headset.<br>"Ready to beam."  
>A transporter beam whisks him away. Larrin smiles and walks away.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney, working on a console, looks up as John beams onto the balcony.  
>"Welcome back."<br>"Good to be back. How are our good friends the Wraith?"  
>"Well, they never showed up at the rendezvous point."<br>"Hmm. Think they got caught in the explosion?"  
>"I doubt it. I guess they just figured that there was nothing left to talk about, so, as soon as the planet blew up, we were back to being enemies."<br>"Hmm! Wraith back being enemies; Replicators don't exist anymore; you end your dry spell."  
>"Hey!" McKay said indignantly.<br>"All is right with the world." He smiled, but when he remembered Illyria, he lost his smile. Shaking his head, he looked up at McKay. "What are you working on, anyway?"  
>"Well, you'd be surprised to hear that removing a planet from the database is actually a lot of work."<br>"thought you'd be pretty good at that by now."  
>McKay glared at him, irritated. "You really just can't resist bringing up the fact that I once accidentally destroyed a couple of planets, can you?"<br>"It was an entire solar system."  
>Rodney sighs, then offers him the laptop. "You wanna do the honors?"<br>"No, go ahead."  
>"All right." He looks at the wallscreen showing the Replicator system. "M7R-227, you were a constant pain in the ass. It's good to see you go."<p>

He presses the Enter key on his laptop. On the screen, the dot designating M7R-227 beeps and flashes, then goes out.  
>"If only that easy in real life," John muttered.<br>"Mmm. Area 51's working on it." He poked John on the chest. "Hey, I heard the good news! Congrats, by the way." When he saw John's face, he dropped him smile. "Yoou don't look to excited-"

"I'd rather not talk about it, Rodney."

"Oookay," McKay said, rolling back on his heels. "You wanna get a late dinner?"  
>John sighed. "Absolutely."<br>"All right." He shuts down his laptop, then looks at John. "I would have loved to have seen Ellis' face when my plan worked. He's such a tool."  
>He and John head off for the Mess Hall.<br>"I like him." John said.  
>"You do?"<br>"Yeah. Good guy. Excellent judge of character."  
>"Oh, I see." He chuckles. "I see where you're going."<br>They disappear around the corner, still chatting.

At the real location in space, a massive debris field surrounded the area where the planet used to be. In the middle of the debris field there was a Replicator warship. On the Bridge of the ship, two Replicator technicians sit at consoles either side of the Command Chair in which sits someone wearing black trousers, a black leather jacket and black boots.  
>"Our intel was correct. The planet has been completely destroyed." Replicator one said.<br>"Can you detect any trace Replicator cells?" Replicator two asked number one.  
>"Negative. They've been completely wiped out."<br>The first replicator turns to face the Command Chair. It's none other than Elizabeth Weir. She smiles in a satisfied way.  
>"Good. We can finally get to work without having to look over our shoulders. It's time to begin."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**GUEST QUARTERS**

John stood in front of the bed, a duffle bag laid open on top. He was taking clothes out and putting them on the bed when a chime went off at the door. He glanced at his watch, seeing that it was nearly midnight. He went to the door and opened it. His jaw dropped slightly when he saw who it was.

"May I come in?" Illyria asked from the doorway.

"Uh, yeah," John said quietly, stepping to the side. "Come in."

"Thank you," She nodded, stepping in. She looked around the room as she took off her long, brown coat. The room was bare of anything personal, just basic needs: bed, dresser, couch, table, and a door to the side that lead to the restroom. Illyria stood in the middle of the room with her coat draped over her arm.

"Please," John said, gesturing to the bed, "sit." She moved some of his clothes off to the edge and sat down. John stood a few feet away. "It's late, I thought the kids would be in bed with you."

"They were," She looked at him sadly. "They missed you at bedtime."

"What'd you tell them?"

She sighed. "That you were working late."

"If it's alright with you, I could take them to breakfast tomorrow morning?"

She looked up at him. "You don't have to ask, John."

"Right," he nodded. He fiddled with his hands for a moment. "It's late."

"You have said that already," she said softly. "You're wondering why I'm here."

"Among other things," he nodded.

"Jennifer said that the stunner did not affect anything," she said.

"That's good," he nodded.

"Ronon and I were talking-"

"Were you now?"

She glared up at him. "This is hard enough as it is, so a little patience would be nice, John."

"So would honesty, Illyria."

"What do you think I'm trying to do?"

"Talk to my friend behind my back!" He scoffed. "Tell everyone the truth but me."

"As I was saying," She sighed, still glaring at him. "Ronon and I were talking and he reassured me that you would understand the truth once you knew it. _That_ is why I'm here."

He nodded, gritting his teeth. "So tell me."

She sighed, looking away. "When I was beginning to recover my memory, I started to remember things from when I was ascended. They were shattered, like broken glass strewn across the floor. It wasn't until later that I was able to piece all the pieces together."

"And?" He asked. After a silent moment, his eyes bulged and he straightened up. "Don't tell me this is Breen's?" Illyria didn't look at him. "Oh, come on! After everything, you still went back to that psychopath?"

"John-"

"Did our vows mean nothing; you let him stick his-"

"I didn't let him do anything!" She screamed, standing up, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her shoulders began to shake as she fiercely said through clenched teeth, "I didn't let him do anything. I slept, unguarded, when he came. I did not know what was happening until it was too late. I fought, John, I fought with everything ounce of my being I fought…." She gasped for breath as she began to sob, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "But he was too strong! I screamed! I fought! B-But no one came…I yelled and no one came…" She was sobbing so hard that she could barely talk; she had to gasp every few words to catch her breath. "I tried, J-John. I tried s-so hard, b-but I couldn't fight him…I-I-I couldn't fight…"

"Oh, God…" John whispered, realizing what she was saying. "Oh God."

He pushed aside all his anger and stepped forward. She tried to push him off, but he pulled her arms apart and wrapped them around him. He tightened his arms around her and stroked her hair as she sobbed, letting out a terrible cry.

҉

**LATER**

John and Illyria were lying down on the bed. Illyria was curled against John's side, her head on his chest and her fingers grasping desperately on this shirt. He was stroking her hair with one hand and gently rubbing her back with the other.

"Do you feel up to talking?" He asked softly.

She nodded into his chest, adjusting her head to speak. She spoke quietly, resigned. "After I…I remembered, I felt as if an outcast amongst your people, so I confided in Teyla when I journeyed to New Athos. She spoke of a man amongst her people who could help me."

"Help you how?"

"Help me to forget," She whispered.

"He was this 'mystery man' you snuck off to see," John whispered back and Illyria nodded. "But how could he make you forget?"

"The Athosians are quietly known for some of their more…unique remedies. Teyla said that he could make me forget."

"What's his name? I can't keep calling him 'mystery man'."

"Kanaan," She lifted her head and looked up at him. "His name is Kanaan."

"He was a great friend of yours. You miss him."

"I do." She looked away and laid her head back down. "I continued going to see him because his remedies weren't working. So…he tried something different."

John lifted his head to look down at her. "What'd he try?"

"An old ritual; it may not even be Athosian."

"What ritual?"

"A blood ritual," she said softly.

"W-What's a blood ritual?" She held up her hand, revealing a thin scar. "I thought you said you cut it when we went on a mission?"

"No, the night before, when you were spending the night off world, I went to New Athos to see Kanaan. His remedies weren't working. He told me there was another way: to share the pain."

"By cutting yourselves?"

"I wasn't sure of it myself, but…" she trialed off.

"But?"

She shook her head. "From what he explained, we would share my pain, alleviating the pressure as it were. He cut his hand and I cut mine. Once we joined hands, he tied a ribbon laced with a special herb around our hands. And then the most brilliant light shot through my body. I felt it, not on the outside, but on the inside, the light coursing through my body." She sighed longingly. "It was the most incredible feeling in the world."

"You mixed your blood?" John asked, lifting his head. "Do you know how dangerous that can be?"

"Do not lecture me, John." Illyria patted his chest. "May I continue?"

"Yes," he sighed, laying his head back down on his pillow.

"Kanaan explained that since we now shared blood, my pain was his; no longer would I feel…alone in what happened. Our blood, our life force, was the same."

"And you're sure that mixing your blood-"

"When Keller and I came back from New Athos she did a full work up."

"And besides the pregnancy, what else did she find?" Illyria wouldn't answer him and John sighed. "Illyria, please stop trying to keep things from me."

"…she found something extra in my blood. It was beginning to intertwine it's self with my DNA."

"What?" John asked, sitting up. He looked down at her concerned. "And you didn't think to tell me you have something changing your DNA?"

"John, settle…settle," Illyria said softly, gently pushing him back down. "It is not something you could catch, if that was your concern."

"Then what was it?"

"As you know, some Athosians can…predict the Wraith, sense that they are near. Since childhood, Kanaan had realized he was among the few members of his people who possessed Wraith mental abilities."

"And by sharing blood, you were given some of these abilities?" John asked.

"Yes," Illyria looked up at him. "I felt it weigh heavily every time our Wraith was within the city."

John sighed, trying to control his anger. "And you never thought to mention it?"

Illyria sat up. "John, there are reasons why I do not tell you these things."

John sat up as well. "'These things' as in _Wraith_ abilities? Pregnancy? _Rape_?" Illyria looked away sharply. John mentally kicked himself in the ass and reached out to touch her neck. "Illyria, these are things you don't keep in a marriage."

"I know," she whispered, laying her head on his hand. "In my culture, as well as others, a woman who is carrying another man's child is shunned from the community. In extreme cases even killed."

"You…You thought…" John trailed off, absorbing the information. He shook his head. "How...far along are you?"  
>"About three months…just before I fell from ascension."<br>"Three. How long have you known?"  
>"Just under two."<br>"Two." He repeated quietly, stroking her face. "We've been...You let me put you out in the field when you've known you're three months pregnant."  
>"I tried to tell you."<br>"You didn't try hard enough," he said, still quiet, but obviously angry. He kept in anger in check as to not scare her.  
>"I am more than capable of-"<br>"You got stunned, Illyria."  
>"Atlantian women remain very active in the community well up-"<br>"This is different." John interrupted. "We get shot at, beat up, stunned. We take a chance every time we walk through the Gate. Before, with the twins, you had enough sense to step down!"  
>"John-"<br>He leaned in close, touching his forehead to hers, his hands on either side of her head. He whispered softly. "As of this second, you are relieved from active duty. Illyria, be a leader to people, not a warrior. Why didn't you speak up sooner?"

"Like I said before, John," she said, pulling back to look at him. "I was scared."

He slid his hands down to cup her face and kissed her lips softly. When he pulled back, he looked at her with soft eyes. "You said three months."

"I did," she whispered.

"Then, we don't know."

"Know what?" she asked, confused.

"We don't know if it's his or mine." He kissed her forehead. "We'll tell people that it's mine; nothing of Breen, nothing of Kanaan. As far as they're concerned, this baby is ours."

"Oh, John…" Illyria sighed, tearing up. She smiled, kissing the back of his hand, holding it to her cheek. "Even though this child might be Breen's-"

"Jen and Pat are his, that doesn't mean I love them any less." He layed back down, pulling Illyria down with him. "Besides, once it's born, we'll have Keller run tests."

"And if it's his…" she whispered.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."


	63. Chapter 61

Above the Replicator homeworld, Replicator cells begin to stream out of all the enemy ships and head down towards the planet. Inside a Wraith hive ship, a technician reports to 'our' Wraith.  
>"The Replicator ships have ceased firing. The human's plan – it worked."<br>"Give me status on the Darts."  
>"Approaching the Replicator city."<br>Three Darts scream through the city, dodging in and out of the towers. The Replicator mass continues to expand as cells stream down from the sky.  
>"The Replicators mass is sinking into the planet. We do not have much time." The tech reported.<br>"We're not leaving without those Darts."  
>The Replicator mass stops writhing and sets solid as it integrates with the neutronium, then begins to sink into the ground.<br>"The mass is approaching critical density. An explosion is imminent. Commander, we must jump into hyperspace."  
>"Not until I get what I came for."<br>Above the planet, the rest of the fleet begins to enter hyperspace. Below, the surface of the planet begins to break apart and lava spews out of the gaps.  
>"Darts are on approach." The tech's console beeps. "We have them."<br>The Wraith smiles in satisfaction. Outside the hive, a hyperspace window opens and the hive jumps into it, leaving only the unmanned Replicator ships drifting helplessly as the planet explodes in a massive fireball.  
>"I have the rematerialised cargo from the Darts."<br>Another Wraith accompanied by two guards walks onto the Bridge, carrying a bag in its arms. The Wraith commander opens the bag and pulls out a Z.P.M. – one of three in the bag. It holds the module up and smiles in delight.  
>"Now we have all we need to complete our mission."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM**

John Sheppard and Ronon Dex walk up the stairs to join Rodney McKay who is standing by a screen.  
>"Rodney, what have you got?" John asked.<br>"It's only been a week since the battle but a pretty clear pattern is emerging – you can see it on the long-range scanners. The Wraith have split up into distinct groups."  
>"Now that they're done with the Replicators, they're sizing each other up." Ronon said.<br>"Too many Wraith, not enough humans to feed on. Intel's claiming there are several different factions." John said.  
>"Yes, well, with any luck they'll find themselves in the middle of a nice long civil war – but what I find particularly interesting is this." McKay types and the screen homes in on a red flashing dot.<br>"What is it?" John asked.  
>"That's our old friend, the Wraith that helped me save Jeanie and got us all those hive ships."<br>"How do you know?"  
>"Well, the sub-space tracking device he used – it's the same signal."<br>"Why would he reactivate it?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, I have no idea. I think it's safe to assume that he'd know we were monitoring that frequency."<br>"You think he's sending us a message?" John asked.  
>"Maybe. Look, it's like I said: the hive ships that we've been tracking have formed into distinct groups, but this one's out there by itself. From what we can tell, it's just floating in the middle of empty space, nowhere near a habitable planet and almost an hour's sub-light from the nearest Gate."<br>"So what does he want?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, that's the question."<p>

҉

**GYM**

Queen Illyria Sheppard is sitting on a cycling machine and pedaling hard.  
>"Hey," Ronon said, walking in.<br>Continuing to pedal, Illyria said, "Ronon. Do you wish to use this machine?"  
>"No. I just didn't expect to find you here."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Shouldn't you be taking it easy?"<br>"I'm pregnant, Ronon, not ill. If you forgot, I've spared pregnant with you before. In any case, Doctor Keller said it wouldn't hurt to continue exercising. In fact, it's beneficial."  
>"Yeah, well, you're hitting it pretty hard."<br>"Well, I have to remain in top physical condition if I'm to keep up with you and the rest of the team."  
>"Who says you have to keep up?"<br>Illyria looks at him and laughs ironically. As Ronon walks away, she starts to pedal faster.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

John and Rodney walk over to Radek Zelenka who is watching the screen monitoring the Wraith's tracking device.  
>"Any change?" John asked Radek.<br>"No – he's still sitting out there."  
>"It's been almost twenty four hours."<br>"His ship could be disabled."  
>"You think it's a distress call?"<br>"Yes, maybe."  
>"Any other hive ships picking up the signal?"<br>Radek shook his head. "If they are, they're ignoring it. We're showing no other Wraith activity in the area."  
>"How far did you say the nearest Gate was?"<br>"Well, it's about an hour by Jumper." McKay grimaces as he realizes why John asked. "Oh, look, I know we worked with this guy before and he has helped us out in the past, but he still a Wraith! We don't seriously feel like we owe him anything, do we?"  
>"Well, no, of course not – but it doesn't mean it's not worth checking out."<p>

҉

**LOCKER ROOM**

John, Rodney and Ronon are gearing up for an offworld trip together with Major Lorne and three other marines when Illyria walked in.  
>"Illyria," John said, tying up his boots.<br>"John. I just heard." John deliberately turns his back on her. "I would like to accompany you on this mission."  
>"Well, we've got it covered."<br>"John, I understand what you are trying to do, but I assure you it is not necessary." Lorne and Rodney look at each other, their eyebrows raised. John turns to Illyria. "My skills have not diminished, and I still have much to offer the team."  
>John looks at her for a moment, then looks at Lorne and jerks his head sideways. Lorne takes the hint, turning to the others. "All right, guys, let's head out. We'll wait for you at the Jumper Bay, sir."<br>He, Ronon and the marines leave the room. Rodney, sitting on a bench, continues tying his shoelaces. Ronon walks back in, grabs Rodney's jacket and hauls him to his feet.  
>"What? I'm not even-"<br>Ignoring his protests, Ronon drags him out of the room. Once they're gone, John picks up his rifle and then turns to Illyria.  
>"I'm not having this conversation again."<br>"We have not had it _yet_. In fact, we've barely spoken since I told you the truth. You still sleep in the guest quarters!"  
>"It's been a little busy around here."<br>"I understand why you did not want me to join the attack on the Replicator world, but that was a special circumstance."  
>"Look, even the simplest op can become dangerous."<br>"And I accept that."  
>"You think it's that simple?"<br>Illyria was starting to get angry. "Is this about you trying to protect me, or are you still angry because I did not tell you sooner?"  
>"This is about the missing Athosians; this is about your…whatever missing. You wanna go out; you wanna tear it up; you wanna kick ass – but you can't, and the sooner you realize that, the better." He stepped closer to her and squeezed her shoulder. "We have two beautiful children, you're pregnant with a third, and you're a leader of nearly a thousand people. Stay where you belong, for now."<br>Illyria stares at him and John looks awkward and leaves.

҉

**SOME TIME LATER**

**SPACE**

**PUDDLE JUMPER**  
>"Pull up the H.U.D. – I think we're in range." John commanded.<br>Rodney calls up the heads-up display onto the windshield and it shows the hive ship. "I've got it dead ahead. Looks like it's been shot up pretty bad."  
>"From the Replicator battle?" Ronon asked.<br>"No, I'm picking up residual radiation from Wraith weapons fire."  
>"Were they attacked by another hive?" Lorne asked.<br>"Well, it looks that way," McKay said sarcastically.  
>"Any life signs?" John asked.<br>"I'm not picking up anything."  
>"Maybe they're hibernating."<br>"Seems like an odd thing to do after being attacked – plus they usually land the ship."  
>"All right. Well, we didn't come all this way to turn back, so..." he looks round at everyone briefly, "...we're goin' in."<p>

҉

**HIVE SHIP**

Team Sheppard makes its way cautiously through the ship.  
>"Lorne, you got anything?" John asked through the radio.<br>"_Nothing so far."_  
>At John's position, Ronon clicks his fingers to attract his team's attention and points ahead. "Well, we've got bodies."<br>"_Acknowledged. We'll keep lookin."_

Team Sheppard walks towards several Wraith bodies lying on the floor. After checking that the area is clear, Ronon lifts up one of the dead Wraith. Its face is shriveled and ravaged.  
>"Looks like they were fed on."<br>Rodney's scanner beeps. "Still picking up the Wraith tracking device." He nods to his left. "It's that way." The team moves on and reaches the Bridge. Rodney's scanner beeps again. "Reading's stronger in here."  
>The team looks around but there are no Wraith in sight, alive or dead.<br>"I don't see our guy. Do you?" John asked.  
>"No." Ronon said.<br>The scanner beeps a third time. Rodney looks down. "We're not gonna find him."  
>"I thought we were tracking the device?" John asked.<br>"We are." He bends down and picks up a small item from the floor with a pair of tweezers. "Someone cut it out of him."

҉

**LATER**

As Rodney works on the control console, Lorne and his team arrive.  
>"No sign of the rest of the crew. Whoever attacked the ship must have taken them prisoner."<br>"Including our friend," McKay said, gesturing to the tracking device.  
>"Stop calling him that. It's weird." John said.<br>"Then what do we call him?" Ronon asked.  
>"I don't know. Let's go with ... Todd." Rodney grimaces at him. "It's a guy I knew in college. He was very pale."<br>"Todd's a terrible name!" Rodney said.  
>"You got a better one?"<br>"As a matter of fact, I do-"  
>"You know what? Forget I asked."<br>"Colonel, what do we do now?" Lorne asked.  
>"Well, it all depends." John turned to Rodney. "Is this thing gonna fly?"<br>"Well, the hull's severely damaged; I'd say about thirty percent of the ship is sealed off and exposed to space, but with a bit of work I think we could get main systems back online."  
>"Right, that settles it." John, somewhat fondly, touched the ship. "We've got ourselves a new ship!"<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Radek is talking with a female scientist in the corridor but excuses himself as he sees John walking past and hurries after him.  
>"Colonel. I didn't expect to see you back so soon."<br>"No engagement. The only Wraith on board were dead."  
>"Was the ship badly damaged?"<br>"It's definitely taken a few hits. McKay's working on repairs, but that is the easy part."  
>"Well, what's the hard part?"<br>John groans and walks on without answering him. Radek stops and watches him go, puzzled.

҉

**MESS HALL**

John has joined Illyria at a table.  
>"The ship's been secured; we're in no immediate danger; and you're the only one who can fly it given your…new talents."<br>Illyria smiled sarcastically at him. "Even in my condition?"  
>John sighs. "All right, I might have been a little tough on you before, but that's only because I love you."<br>"No, you were right. I'm just trying to understand my position…yet again."  
>"You're still our leader."<p>

"Yes."

"And a member of my team."  
>"Am I?"<br>"You always were. Look, it's my call whether or not you go on a mission – take it or leave it."

"I thought I was the leader?" Illyria looks at him for a long moment, then decides not to continue to argue with him. "When do we go?"

҉

**HIVE SHIP BRIDGE**

Rodney is working on a computer tablet while Ronon is mooching around investigating. Lorne walks in.  
>"Hey, found these in the Jumper." Lorne tosses an energy bar to Ronon and hands another to Rodney.<br>"Oh, thank you – I'm starving." Rodney looks at it and grimaces. "Apricot Jubilee?"  
>"Well, if you don't want it..." Lorne said, reaching for it.<br>Rodney snatched it out of his reach. "No-no-no, I'm fine."  
>"So how are we doing in here, anyway?"<br>"Well, it's coming along." He said, opening the bar. "I've got the hyperdrive operational, but it's not gonna help much if I can't get the neural interface to work."  
>Nearby, Ronon is idly poking around. Just as Rodney takes a bite from his bar, a wallscreen beeps and lights up. Rodney turns to Ronon, his eyes wide.<br>"What did you do?"  
>"Nothing," Ronon said, straightening up and looking guilty.<br>"You touched something, didn't you?"  
>"No...Maybe just a little."<br>Rodney and Lorne walk closer to the screen.  
>"What is it?" Lorne asked.<br>"Looks like a map," Ronon said, coming over to join them.  
>"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Of course it's a map. The question is, a map to what?"<p>

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

John and Illyria are on their way back to the hive ship.  
>"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I found out shortly after Doctor Keller and I returned from New Athos. It was a difficult time."<br>"It's okay. I get it."  
>Fighting back tears, she continued, "Kanaan has Wraith DNA. When he mixed it with mine, my Atlantian DNA, I gained some of him powers. Then what is to become of my child? He would have both Atlantian and Wraith DNA. What have I done, John?"<p>

"We don't know that yet."

"Now, along with everything else, I'm burdened with the thought that this child may be Breen's."  
>"We don't know that yet."<br>"But you understand why I cannot just stay in Atlantis and do nothing. My best hope in learning my child's fate is to be out here with you."

҉

**HIVE SHIP BRIDGE**

As Rodney works on consoles, John and Illyria come in.  
>"How's it coming?" John asked Rodney.<br>"Ah, you're back. Well, I've managed to get the neural interface talking to the main systems, but I've got no way to test it, so it's gonna need some tweaking. The biggest problem I've had so far has been with the weapons array but I think I've managed to-"  
>"Wait, wait, wait. Weapons array?"<br>"Well, I thought they'd come in handy when we go after the Wraith."  
>"What are you talking about?"<br>"Well, I figured out where the ship was headed before it was attacked."  
>"<em>We<em> figured it out." Ronon stressed.  
>"Yeah, right! All you did was activate a screen!" Ronon turns and rolls his eyes at Illyria as she walks over to the central control console. "I'm the one who searched through the ship's log and found the mention of the top secret Wraith outpost."<br>"What Wraith outpost?" John asked.  
>"I'm sorry – I assumed a level of uncertainty was implied by my use of the phrase "top secret"." Rodney said sarcastically.<br>"In other words, he doesn't know." Ronon said.  
>"The log didn't specify. Look, whatever this thing is, they talk about it like it was sacred. From what I can gather, it played a pivotal role in helping the Wraith win their war against the Ancients."<br>"Which is why we've gotta check it out." Ronon said.  
>"Just hold on here a second – let's just slow down." John said. "We don't even know if this thing can fly, let alone-"<br>Just then most of the lights on the Bridge go out and a spotlight illuminates the central console where Illyria has just put her hands onto the controls. The boys turn and stare at her as she looks up in surprise.  
>"How did you do that?" McKay asked, shocked. "I mean, Sheppard told us about getting some Wraith abilities, but-"<br>"I don't know." She said nervously. "My abilities appear to be stronger than we thought."  
>"She's not kidding!" Rodney looks at the wallscreen ahead of them as Wraith writing spools down it. "According to this, navigation, propulsion and communications are online."<br>"Illyria?" John asked. "You okay?"  
>"I cannot explain it. The moment I connected with the ship, everything became available to me. I can feel the various systems at my disposal."<br>"Can you fly it?" Ronon asked.  
>"I'm not sure."<br>She closes her eyes and concentrates. Outside, the ship's sub-light engines ignite and the ship begins to move forward.  
>"She's flyin' it, all right!" McKay shouted, excitedly.<br>John frowns at Illyria, repeating his question. "Are you okay?"  
>Illyria opened her eyes. "Yes. Fine. It seems easier than what Teyla described it as. It's almost ... effortless."<br>John frowns at Rodney and Rodney said, "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't do anything."  
>"The coordinates to the outpost are in the computer. I can take us there." Illyria said.<br>John makes a negative noise and shakes his head. "That's not why I brought you here. We can wait for the Daedalus."  
>"The hive that attacked this ship had access to the same information and by now it is almost a day ahead of us. Now, if that outpost is as important as the log suggests, do you really think we can afford to wait?"<br>A little reluctantly, John said, "All right. Get us close – but keep us out of sensor range. We'll take a Jumper from there."  
>Illyria closes her eyes and concentrates again. A hyperspace window opens ahead of the ship and the hive flies into it.<p>

҉

**SOME TIME LATER**

As Illyria continues to fly the ship, John walks back onto the Bridge and goes over to Rodney.  
>"Well, what's up?"<br>"I decided to go over the remainder of the ship's log for any other mention of the outpost."  
>"And?"<br>"There's nothing. Do you believe it? This thing goes back a long way. As far as I can tell, they haven't been to this place in thousands of years."  
>"Why now?"<br>"We have reached our coordinates." Illyria reported. "I'm dropping us out of hyperspace." The ship vibrates as it drops back into normal space. "The planet is just ahead. I've established an orbit around one of its moons, just out of sensor range."  
>"All right – let's get to the Jumper." John called out. Illyria turns to leave the console but stumbles weakly and almost falls. John catches and supports her as Ronon and Lorne hurry towards her. "Woah!"<br>"It's all right. I'm fine. I'm fine."  
>As she supports herself on the console and catches her breath, John jerks his head at Rodney. This time he takes the hint and he and Ronon leave the Bridge. Lorne withdraws to a respectful distance. John turns to Illyria.<br>"This is exactly the kind of situation I didn't wanna put you in." John said softly.  
>"I know."<br>"I need somebody to stay behind and fly the ship in case we get into trouble."  
>"Of course."<br>"So I'm gonna have Lorne and his men stay here."  
>Illyria nodded, squeezing John's hand. "Good luck."<br>Shortly afterwards, the Puddle Jumper leaves the hive and heads towards the planet, cloaking as it goes. John looks across to Rodney.  
>"Anything?"<br>"Should be in sensor range ... now." Information comes up onto the H.U.D. Above the image of the planet, part of the screen flashes and a familiar circular shape appears. "Oh!"  
>"What?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, there's a space Gate."  
>"What, now you're telling me this?" John yelled at Rodney.<br>"I didn't know! Look, the log wasn't exactly easy reading!"  
>"All right. Anything else?"<br>Rodney checks the readouts. "Yeah. I'm picking up an energy reading on the surface."  
>"Do you have any idea what it is?"<br>"No." He looks at the readouts again and pulls a face. "There's something else." The image of what he's found comes up on the H.U.D. "A hive ship in orbit."  
>"Well, at least we didn't miss the party."<p>

҉

**PLANET'S SURFACE**

The small outpost, obviously Wraith in design, is built into the foot of a mountain. Rodney activates an entrance door and it slides open. Ronon and John walk in aiming their weapons and check around.  
>"No guards," Ronon noted.<br>"They're not expecting any visitors. What say we keep it that way?" John turned to Rodney. "Which way?"  
>Rodney checks his detector and indicates to the left. "Energy reading's strongest over here."<br>They head off. And sometime later, they're still exploring.  
>"How <em>big<em> is this place?" John asked.  
>"Don't worry – I've got an excellent sense of direction." McKay said.<br>"Didn't you say you got lost in a garden maze once?"  
>"I was ten! Plus I was running from a bee."<br>John holds up his hand as he sees something ahead. Turning off the light on his rifle, he gestures for the other two to follow him. They quietly walk forward and peer into a room. John quietly asked, "What the hell is this?"  
>A large chair is in the center of the room. Seated in it with her eyes closed is a Wraith Hive Queen. Her body is covered with tendril-like cables, leaving only her head clear.<br>"It's a Queen!" McKay whispered fiercely.  
>"Nice work, Sherlock, but what's she doin'?" John asked.<br>"I have no idea."  
>Ronon has been checking their six and now whispers to John. "Sheppard."<br>As John looks round at him, he jerks his head and leads them away. They head down the corridor to another chamber in which are several large organic tubes stretching from the floor to the ceiling. They have an eerie bright green light emanating from them. The boys shine their lights on the nearest one and can see a large grey mass inside it about halfway up. The mass is pulsating and writhing as if it is alive. Rodney grimaces.  
>"Oh, that is just revolting."<br>"What is it?" John asked.  
>"Hey, check this out." Ronon said, looking at another of the tubes.<br>As they go over to him, Rodney flashes his light onto a third tube inside which the grey mass is much larger than the first one. He goes over to Ronon and John. The mass inside the tube which Ronon called them to is even larger – it is almost six feet tall, is humanoid in shape and it is writhing as if it's trying to burst out of the tube. Ronon checks the corridor and whispers to the other two.  
>"Hey, we've got company. Go, go, move!"<br>They hurry out of the chamber and take cover around a corner before peering back into the chamber as a Wraith and two guards walk in. The Wraith looks at the tube they just left and at the writhing mass inside. The top of the mass is now clearly a head, and its mouth is open in a silent scream.  
>"This one is ready."<br>The guards begin to tear the tube open. The creature inside groans as it gasps for breath and falls forward. The guards support it. As it continues to gasp, the Wraith reaches into the tube and takes out an object that was also growing in there. It's the mask that all Wraith guards wear. The Wraith wraps it around the face of the newly-born guard and seals it in place.  
>"Put him with the others."<br>The guards drag their new companion away.  
>"Oh, I'm definitely gonna have nightmares about that," McKay said quietly.<p>

҉

**LATER**

The team is cautiously making its way through the complex.  
>"Do you think this is some kind of Wraith farm?" John asked McKay.<br>"That's what it looks like. The Queen secretes genetic material which gets distributed through the structure into those pods. Presto – new-born Wraith."  
>"Nice!"<br>"Yeah, I know. It sounds disgusting. But it actually makes sense. I mean, you've gotta remember – they're descended from insects, right? The only thing I don't understand is why here? I mean, I always just assumed that this took place on their hive ships, but what's so special about this place?"  
>Ahead of them, Ronon has stopped and is staring at what he can see, his eyes wide. "I think I have an idea."<br>John and Rodney join him and stare in amazement. Ronon has found an enormous room, its ceiling so high that it can't be seen in the gloom. Filling the room are ranks and ranks of chambers similar to those previously seen on hive ships.  
>"Oh my God! Pods! Thousands of pods!"<p>

҉

**LATER**

Rodney has attached his computer tablet to a console near the entrance to the chamber.  
>"I've patched into the Wraith console. We've got internal schematics." Rodney flicks through the schematics. "Woah."<br>"What?" John asked.  
>"If I'm reading this right, what we saw from the surface was just the tip of the iceberg. I mean, this thing is miles in diameter."<br>"Are there any other chambers like this?"  
>Rodney types, then raises his head in shock. "Over a hundred."<br>They look at each other in horror.

҉

**LATER**

The team is on the move again.  
>"It doesn't make any sense." McKay said. "There's no way a single Queen could provide enough genetic material to fertilize all those pods."<br>"Maybe there's more than one." Ronon suggested.  
>"Queens don't work together – at least, not as far as we know."<br>"All I know is this place was built to create some kind of a Wraith army and we can't let that happen." John said.  
>"You've seen how big it is. I doubt our C4's gonna make much of a dent." McKay said.<br>"So we fire at it from orbit." Ronon suggested.  
>"See, theoretically that could work. The problem is, there's another hive ship out there. They'd be on top of us long before we could finish the job."<br>"What about the power supply, huh?" John asked.  
>"Maybe. I guess we could shut 'em down for a while." McKay said.<br>"It's a start." John said.  
>Rodney gets his detector out of his vest and looks at it. "The problem is, these readings are coming from all around us. We're basically in the middle of a giant machine. I'm not sure I can pinpoint the source."<p>

҉

**QUEEN'S CHAMBER**

A Wraith scientist walks into the chamber accompanied by two guards. It looks at the Queen as she sits in her chair with her eyes closed, then turns to one of the guards.  
>"Wake her."<br>The guard goes to a console and presses it. All the tendril cables withdraw from around the Queen's body and she opens her eyes and looks at the scientist. It bows its head respectfully.  
>"What has happened?"<br>"You have done well. The second batch of warriors is flawless." The Queen smiles in satisfaction. "We now have a suitable genetic template with which to proceed to the next phase."  
>"Where is the commander of the fallen hive?"<br>"He is in a holding cell. He completed the recalibration that was required."  
>"I must regain my strength. Bring him to me."<br>"His understanding of this technology is impressive. You may wish to keep him alive."  
>"You said the device was ready."<br>"It is. We are simply making final adjustments before we bring main power online."  
>"Then he has outlived his usefulness, and I must feed." She stands. "Unless you are volunteering yourself."<br>The Wraith lowers its head, then turns to one of the guards. "Bring him."  
>The guard nods and it and its companion leave the room. The Queen hisses in anticipation.<p>

҉

**CELL**

The Wraith now known as Todd turns as the two guards approach and open the door.  
>"I believe I'm about to receive my reward." The guards raise their stunner rifles and aim them at it. Todd snarls. "So be it."<br>Just then, two shots from a Satedan blaster take the guards down. Todd looks in surprise as Team Sheppard comes into view and Ronon disarms the guards.  
>"Sheppard! How did you find me?"<br>"We followed them."  
>"You picked up my signal. I wasn't sure you would come."<br>"What are friends for?" John said sarcastically. Todd walks closer to him. Ronon promptly runs towards it and aims his blaster at its head. "Now – tell us everything you know or you're gonna join your two friends here on the floor."

҉

**HIVE SHIP**

Illyria is sitting on a bench near the Bridge's control console. Lorne walks in.  
>"Hey. Any word yet?"<br>"No. They've not been in contact."  
>"Well, guess there's not much to do but wait, huh?"<br>"Mmm."  
>Lorne sits down next to her. "Listen, I never got a chance to congratulate you. It's really great." They smile at each other. "My sister has a couple of kids. Two boys: five and seven. I miss being around them."<br>"Come over more often and you can babysit the twins." She lost her smile and looked down. "I'm not really sure what to expect with this one."  
>"Nobody ever is – at least not with the first one. But you'll get through it like the last time." Illyria nods. "Ah, you're already a great mom."<br>She looks at him gratefully. "Thank you."

҉

**WRAITH CELL**

Ronon still has his blaster aimed at Todd's head as he talks.  
>"Doctor McKay is quite correct. It would be impossible for a Queen to breed so many warriors all at once, except by artificial means."<br>"What are you talkin' about?" John asked.  
>"The Queen creates a handful of warriors, each of which is then reproduced thousands of times over. This is a cloning facility."<br>"That's why it was key to their victory over the Ancients." McKay said. He walks closer to Todd. Ronon steps away and goes to watch the corridor. "We always knew they did it with greater numbers – we just never knew where they came from."  
>John looks at Todd. "Aren't there too many Wraith in the galaxy already? A couple of weeks ago when you were fighting the Replicators, it might have made sense, but why now?"<br>Todd doesn't reply immediately.  
>"Answer the man." Ronon growled.<br>"We didn't use this facility during the Replicator war because we didn't have the means to power it. The energy requirements are enormous."  
>"ZedP.M.s. He's talking about ZedP.M.s." McKay said.<br>"I managed to acquire a few before the Replicator planet was destroyed."  
>"And I was all set to feel bad about killing you." John said.<br>"My intention was to create an army to wipe out the other Wraith, but I was betrayed by one of my crew. He informed another hive of my plans."  
>"The one that disabled your ship." McKay said and Todd looks at him and nods. "This is good news, right? It means all we have to do to shut this place down is get our hands on the ZedP.M.s."<br>"And I know where they are. I'm sure you haven't come all this way just to rescue me, but it would be in your best interests." Todd said.  
>"Let's go." John said.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Todd leads the team through the corridors, then gestures ahead.  
>"Through there."<br>"We'll see if it's clear. You stay here." John said. He walks on ahead, Ronon following him. Rodney turns back to Todd.  
>"There's one thing I don't understand. Back when you defeated the Ancients, how did you get your hands on a ZedP.M?"<br>"The Lanteans were powerful but careless. Believing their ships were unbeatable, they sent them deeper and deeper into Wraith-controlled territory, trying to weed us out. It took months, but eventually we were able to capture three of them, each one powered by a ZeeP.M."  
>"At which point you brought them back here."<br>"Within weeks, our army had grown to hundreds of times its original size. From that point on, the tide of war turned in our favour and there was nothing the Lanteans could do."  
>John trots back to them. "Save the history lesson for later. Let's go."<br>They head off down the corridor, but just then the familiar scream of a Wraith alarm begins to sound.  
>"They've discovered my absence." Todd said.<br>"All right, then we're gonna have to move quickly." John said.  
>Ahead of them, several Wraith guards approach. John ducks down and fires his P-90 at them. He guns down one and Ronon takes down another with his blaster.<br>"This way!" Todd yells, racing off. The others are pinned down by stunner fire. John looks at Rodney.  
>"Go!"<br>As John lays down covering fire, Rodney breaks cover but is hit by a stunner blast. John too gets hit by a lucky blast. Ronon runs out to try to drag Rodney clear but a couple of stunner blasts hit him and he too drops to the floor. The guards approach the unconscious team, followed by the Wraith scientist. It hisses in satisfaction.

҉

**SOME TIME LATER**

Rodney regains consciousness on the floor of a Wraith cell. He groans as he pulls himself up into a sitting position.  
>"Oh, man! I got stunned."<br>Nearby, John is sitting against the wall rubbing his neck. "Yeah, we know, Rodney. We all did."  
>"You did? How come I'm the last one to wake up?" Ronon, sitting near the door, raises his eyebrows but says nothing. Rodney looks around the cell. "Hey, where's Todd?"<br>"He escaped."  
>"That's good, isn't it? He'll come back for us. I mean, after all, we saved him."<br>"Something tells me we're on our own with this one."  
>"Something tells me it's not gonna matter." Ronon said.<br>He stands as several Wraith guards approach the doorway. John and Rodney also stand as the Wraith scientist walks to the door and looks in at them. It glances at one of the guards.  
>"Open it."<br>The door slides open.  
>"Lettin' us out, huh? That's very kind of you." John said.<br>The Wraith turned to the guards. "Bring them."  
>It walks away. Ronon walks out of the cell and John nods to Rodney in an "After you," way. Rodney follows Ronon and John brings up the rear. The Wraith leads them to the Queen's chamber where she is sitting in the chair. By now the guards have seized each of the humans and are holding each of them by the neck or the shoulders to prevent them from trying to attack the Queen.<br>"The commander of the other hive escaped, but I brought you these."  
>The Hive Queen stands and walks over to John. Smiling unpleasantly at him, she raises her hand and, without touching him, runs her hand along the side of his face in a downward movement. The power of her mind forces him down onto his knees. Still looking at John, the Queen speaks to the Wraith scientist.<br>"Inform the hive. Have them begin searching the area for their ship." She runs her finger along John's chin as he struggles against her mind. "In the meantime, I have a few questions that need to be answered."

҉

**HIVE SHIP**

Lorne hurries onto the Bridge in answer to a summons from Illyria.  
>"What is it?"<br>"I have detected a Dart approaching our position."  
>"It could be a scout. Have they spotted us?"<br>"I don't know."  
>"Have you detected any communication between the Dart and the other hive?"<br>"No."  
>"Well, then, we still have a chance. We should destroy it."<br>"My husband has flown a Dart before."  
>"He would have radioed us by now. We can't risk sending out a signal of our own."<br>Reluctantly, Illyria moves to the weapons console. "Charging weapons."  
>She activates a control, but just then Todd's face appears on the wallscreen ahead of her. "<em>Do not fire. Do you recognize me<em>?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Have you seen our people?" Lorne asked.  
>"<em>I have. I will tell you everything, but you must allow me on board<em>."  
>The Dart approaches the hive and lands. Shortly afterwards, Illyria, Lorne and the marines escort Todd back towards the Bridge.<br>"They were captured?" Illyria asked.  
>"I saw them get stunned." Todd nodded.<br>"Funny how you managed to get away." Lorne said.  
>"I was lucky, yes. If I had been captured, they would have killed me instantly."<br>"So how do we rescue them?" Illyria asked.  
>"By now, they will have been brought before the Queen."<br>"So there's still a chance, if you fly us back down there." Lorne said.  
>"You don't understand." Todd shook his head. "The hive in orbit will have detected my Dart leaving the planet. They will grow suspicious and begin searching for us. Our only hope is to leave now and come again later, undetected."<br>"Well, we're not going anywhere." Lorne said.  
>"There is no way to help your friends right now. You must face this."<br>"Wait, there is a chance. I have an idea." Illyria said, walking faster.

҉

**WRAITH OUTPOST**

**QUEEN'S CHAMBER**

The Queen is still running her fingers over John's chin as he kneels before her.  
>"How were you able to find this place?" John struggles against her mental influence. "I don't believe that I have ever encountered such resistance from a human before."<br>Through gritted teeth, John said, "I've had a lot of practice."  
>"Well, there is a simpler way." She looks down at him and her voice hardens. "Tell me what I want to know, or I feed on one of your friends." John still doesn't answer. "As you wish."<br>She turns towards the other two.  
>"Well, if you're hungry, I'm the one you're lookin' for." Ronon said.<br>The guards holding him grab his hair and haul his head back, silencing him. The Queen points at Rodney.  
>"This one."<br>"Oh, great!" He said, plaintively. "In my entire life I've never been chosen first!" He groans as the guard behind him forces him to his knees and whimpers, "And now fate decides to restore the balance."  
>The Queen runs her finger down the side of his face and looks across to John, who surges to his feet and tries to rush at her but the guard behind him grabs him and holds him still. Hissing, the Queen pulls back her hand ready to strike and feed on Rodney but suddenly her hand hesitates and she shakes her head, bewildered and grimacing. Slowly she lowers her hand to her side as the Wraith scientist looks at her, confused.<br>"What is it? My Queen?" The Wraith asked, stepping forward.  
>The Queen turns to it. "Take them back to their cell."<br>"I do not understand."  
>"Get out!"<br>As the guards haul Team Sheppard away and everyone leaves the room, the Queen grimaces again, shaking her head, hissing and growling.

҉

**HIVE SHIP BRIDGE**

Illyria is sitting on the bench near the console while Lorne and Todd stand in front of her, watching her. Lorne has a Wraith stunner pistol trained on her while his marines are aiming their weapons at Todd who looks totally confused.  
>"What did she say?"<br>"She's not talking to us." Lorne said. "She's taking control of the Queen's mind."  
>"Impossible!"<p>

Lorne glances at it briefly. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."  
>He returns his gaze to Illyria who sits staring blindly ahead of her. In her mind, the Queen walks up behind her and stares down at her. As she speaks, her voice echoes in Illyria's head.<br>"Who is this who dares to enter my mind?"  
>"Who I am does not matter." She is speaking aloud. Todd looks at her in confusion. "What matters is that I am stronger than you."<br>"Really? {Really?} {Really?}"  
>"Even now I am gaining control of your body."<br>Behind her, the Queen grimaces and struggles against her control. "Yes. {Yes.} {Yes.} You do have strength {strength} {strength}. I can feel it now {now} {now}. But even you cannot sustain this level of concentration forever."  
>"I do not need forever. Now get <em>up."<em>  
>In the Chamber on the planet, the Queen rises from her chair, hissing in frustration, and walks to the doorway of the room.<br>"Turn _right_."  
>The Queen turns and walks off down the corridor. On the hive ship, Illyria's mental image of the Queen looks down at her.<br>"You are hiding something from me. I can sense it." Illyria grimaces, trying to keep the Queen out of her own mind. The Queen smiles in satisfaction. "Of _course_. Now I feel it. You're not working alone. There is another life {life} inside you {inside you}, helping you."  
>Illyria gasps in frustration and doubles up on the seat. Redoubling her efforts, she straightens up again, gasping as she struggles to keep control. Lorne looks at her in concern and nervously raises his stunner a little higher.<br>"Stay away." She told the Queen. In her mind, the Queen bends down close to her.  
>"You cannot resist me for long. Combined, your two minds are very powerful, but all I need to do is distract you for a single moment {moment} to get to the other." She hisses. "One thought {thought} is all it will take to crush {crush} it out of existence."<br>Illyria whimpers and closes her eyes in concentration.

҉

**WRAITH OUTPOST**

**CELL  
><strong> "That was just weird." Ronon said.  
>"Weird?" McKay yelled. "Did you see how close I just came to becoming Wraith food? I don't think "weird" quite cuts it. Like, maybe "paralysing" or "sickening" or, or "heart-stoppening"-"<br>Ronon turned to John. "What do you think happened to her?"  
>"I'm not sure."<br>Just then, a Wraith stunner blast takes down one of the guards outside. The Queen walks into view, gunning down the second guard.  
>"Oh, great, she's back!" McKay whimpered.<br>The Queen opens the door to the cell and drops a bag onto the floor. "Here are your weapons." Rodney stares at the bag in amazement. John frowns at the Queen. She looks back at him. "It's me, John."  
>"Illyria?"<br>The Queen nods. "Yes."  
>Rodney and Ronon stare at each other in surprise, then bend down to pick up their weapons.<p>

҉

**HIVE SHIP**

Illyria is still struggling as her mental image of the Queen grins in delight behind her.  
>"You are weakening. I can feel it."<br>Illyria groans and doubles up on the bench again. Lorne looks at her in concern, his stunner still trained on her.

"Illyria?" Illyria raises her head again, forcing her eyes open. "Illyria, you okay?"  
>Outside the cell on the planet, the Queen sways, her eyes half closed, as Team Sheppard gears up.<br>"You must go, quickly. I don't know how much longer I can control her."  
>John turned to Ronon and Rodney. "Go on. Move."<br>"Uh, can you get her to hold the train, 'cause I kinda got turned around." McKay said.  
>"Just go!" John yelled. Ronon and Rodney hurry away. John looks at the Queen. "You can let go of her now – we're leaving."<br>On the hive ship, Illyria wails, doubling up over her stomach. Outside the cell, the Queen doubles up, clutching her stomach. As John turns back to her, the image of the Queen on the hive ship behind Illyria smiles in satisfaction.  
>"There it is." Illyria wails again. "The other life inside you."<p>

Outside the cell, the Queen turns to John, her face anguished.  
>"Illyria, let go."<br>"John! Help me!" She yelled.  
>John raises his pistol and fires multiple shots into her. On the hive ship, Illyria gasps and collapses backwards. Lorne rushes towards her.<br>"Illyria?"  
>Outside the cell, John looks down at the Queen for a moment, then hurries to catch up with Rodney and Ronon.<br>"Let's blow up the ZeeP.M.s and get the hell out of here." John instructed.  
>"The only problem is we have no idea where the hell they are." McKay reminded him.<br>"We pulled up the schematics in the pod room."  
>"It didn't have any reference to ZedP.M.s."<br>"Maybe you didn't look hard enough. Let's go."  
>In the Queen's Chamber, the Wraith scientist walks to a console and begins to work on it. Team Sheppard runs back into the Pod Room. John and Rodney hurry over to the console while Ronon watches the doorway.<br>"Make this quick."  
>"It's a lot of data – I'm gonna need a minute."<br>In the Queen's Chamber, the scientist's console beeps. In the Pod Room, the team looks up as they hear noises.  
>"What was that?" Ronon asked.<br>Red lights come on deeper into the room.  
>"We're too late." McKay said softly. All the pods begin to illuminate with red lights and Wraith guards can be seen inside. "They've started to clone the warriors."<br>"Forget that. Just find the ZeeP.M.s."  
>"I'm gonna need more time."<br>"Rodney!"  
>"Look, there are hundreds of pages of information here and it's all in Wraith."<br>A Wraith alarm begins to scream.  
>"They found the Queen." Ronon said.<br>"All right, I've got a better idea." John said.  
>"You do?" McKay asked.<br>"Let's get outta here."  
>They turn and run from the room.<p>

҉

**HIVE SHIP BRIDGE**

Lorne is kneeling in front of Illyria as she grimaces and struggles to come back to herself.

"Illyria, are you okay?"  
>Illyria looks at him, a little confused. "Major Lorne?"<br>"What happened?"  
>"I saw them – John, Ronon, and Rodney."<br>"Did they get away?"  
>"The Queen ... was ... was going after my child." She said, anguished.<br>"It's OK. It's OK. Just take it easy, all right?"  
>The wallscreen activates. Todd turns and looks at it. "Major? The other hive is on its way. They've found us."<p>

҉

**WRAITH OUTPOST**

Team Sheppard peers out from around a corner towards the exit. Wraith guards are waiting there.  
>"Isn't there another way out of here?" John asked.<br>"You want a different exit?" McKay asked. "It was hard enough to find this one!"  
>Ronon looks back the way they just came and sees more guards approaching. "We'd better make a decision fast. We've got more of them coming."<br>"Oh, crap!" John said.  
>He raises his rifle and opens fire on the guards at the door. Rodney follows suit while Ronon fires his blaster at the approaching guards. They continue firing until John and Rodney have gunned down the guards by the exit.<br>"Let's get outta here!"  
>They run towards the door. Rodney reaches for the wall panel while John guns down more approaching guards. The door opens and the team races out.<p>

҉

**HIVE SHIP **

Todd takes hold of the flight controls.  
>"The hive ship will be here momentarily. We need to leave now."<br>"Not before our people get back," Lorne said.  
>Todd looks at the console. "Weapons capabilities are limited at best. The hull is still severely damaged. We can't survive an attack."<br>"Colonel Sheppard will be here shortly," Illyria said, straining to stand up from the bench.  
>"You don't know that." Todd said.<br>"I have seen them. They are alive and we will wait for as long as is necessary."  
>Todd turns to her, snarling. Just then there's a repeated beeping sound.<br>"What's that?" Lorne asked.  
>"The other hive. They've entered weapons range."<br>The ship jolts as a weapons blast hits it. The enemy hive approaches, continuing to fire. Inside, Todd looks around as part of the console explodes.  
>"This is foolish. They will target our hyperdrive, making it impossible to escape. We can't wait any longer."<br>Some distance away, the Puddle Jumper flies away from the planet. John activates the comms. "_Illyria, Lorne, come in."_  
>"Colonel, where are you?" Lorne asked.<br>"_On our way_."  
>"You must hurry. The other hive has found us." Illyria said.<br>"_Can you hold 'em off?"_  
>"Not for long," Todd said, hurrying over to the weapons console. Snarling, he activates the controls and the hive begins to fire back. Illyria takes the main controls.<br>"_Approaching Dart Bay."_  
>"Acknowledged."<br>After a moment, Todd reported, "They're inside."  
>"Colonel, request permission to jump to hyperspace immediately." Lorne asked through the comms.<br>In the jumper, John said, "Negative. I have another idea."  
>"Are you crazy?" McKay asked, knowing what he was thinking.<br>"We still have to destroy the cloning facility."  
>"How? In case you hadn't noticed, we're under attack!"<br>"I know." John activated his comms. "Illyria, I want you to set a new course."  
>As the hives continue to exchange fire, Illyria gets her ship moving and it heads away from the enemy hive. In the complex below, a Wraith technician approaches the scientist.<br>"Commander."  
>"What is it?"<br>"We just received an urgent communication from the hive. The enemy – they're headed straight for us."  
>The scientist turns to look at the other Wraith in horror. Outside, the hive ship plunges out of the sky and smashes nose first straight into the complex, setting off a massive explosion. A safe distance away, Teams Sheppard and Lorne narrow their eyes against the light as they watch from the Jumper. As the light fades, Rodney turns to John.<br>"Well, I think that should probably do the trick."  
>"Let's get outta here."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**GATEROOM **

Lt. Colonel Jeremy Renner walks with John and Rodney up to the Control Room.  
>"So what happened to the other Wraith?" Jeremy asked.<br>"You mean Todd?" John asked.  
>Jeremy looks at Rodney in confusion. Rodney sighs. "Don't ask."<br>"He took a Dart." John said.  
>"Either he escaped through the Gate like we did or he was captured by the other hive ship." Rodney said.<br>"I can't imagine they could have given him a very warm welcome." Jeremy smiled.  
>"No."<br>John stops at the top of the stairs as he sees Illyria standing on the balcony outside, looking over the ocean. As Rodney and Jeremy continue into the Control Room, John looks at Illyria for a while, then goes outside to join her.  
>"Did you talk to Keller?"<br>Illyria nodded. "I've just come from the Infirmary. Everything is fine ... at least, physically."  
>"What does that mean?"<p>

Illyria sighs. "I exposed my unborn child to the mind of a killer, even before he has opened his eyes on the world."  
>John's eyes widen. "He?"<br>Illyria smiles. "It's a boy."  
>"Really? I thought you didn't want Keller to tell you anything."<br>"She didn't."  
>"Okay..." He said, confused.<br>Illyria sighs again. "You were right to question my involvement in this mission. There was a time when I would have laid down my life for you, or Ronon, or Rodney without hesitation. But I have other considerations now. I've always had other considerations, I haven't…fully appreciated them until now."  
>"It's understandable."<br>"You have no idea how close she came to extinguishing his life." Her eyes fill with tears and she sniffles. "If you had hesitated for even a moment-"  
>Still sniffling, she finds herself unable to finish the sentence. Instead, she walks over to John, puts her arms around him and lays her head on his shoulder. John, in his usual awkward way, holds her.<p> 


	64. Chapter 62

**ATLANTIS**

**RODNEY'S LAB**

On one of the large screens, a computer golf game, obviously brought from Earth, is displayed. Applause can be heard from the speakers and the game has just finished. In front of the screen, Colonel John Sheppard is sitting in front of a laptop computer which is also showing the game. Patrick, his son, was sitting in his lap wearing a classic red polo, cargo shorts, a white hat and golf shoes. He was daddy's little golfer. Doctor Rodney McKay stands a short distance away with his back to him.  
>"C'mon, dude, one more round." John said.<p>

"Yes, dude," Patrick repeated running his fingers over the keyboard. John smiled down at him.  
>"No, I can't." Rodney said.<br>` "We don't have to do eighteen; we can do nine – easy course."

"Par three?" Patrick asked, looking up at John. John smiled proudly and high fived Patrick.  
>"No, Katie's expecting me." Rodney said.<br>"Well, be late. Women like it when guys are late."

"They do?" Patrick asked.  
>"No they don't," Rodney told him, "and I can't be late – not for this lunch." He walks over to stand behind John, smiling. John turns his head slightly to look at him and Patrick starts another round of golf on the computer.<br>"Why's that?" John asked.  
>"Can you keep a secret?"<br>"No," Patrick called out. John made a face a lightly slapped him upside the head. Patrick smiled and continued playing his game.  
>"Right," Rodney said. Grinning, he walks closer to him, rummaging in the pocket of his trousers. He takes out a small box and opens it. "I, uh, I got this on my last trip to Earth." Inside the box is a white gold ring with a small diamond in it. John takes the box and looks at the ring. "I feel it's time that Katie and I move the relationship to the next level, so..."<br>"Second base?"  
>"Marriage." Rodney said indignantly.<br>"Really?!"  
>"Yes."<br>"You?!"  
>"Yes."<br>"Married?!"  
>"What, you don't think I'm ready? You think I'm rushing things?"<br>"I didn't say that-"  
>"Well, I'm not. I'm not ready to set a date or anything but…"<br>"Is that a diamond?" Patrick said, putting his game on hold to look at the ring, squinting his eyes.  
>"Yes," Rodney said indignantly, taking back the ring. "Eighth of a carat, actually – conflict-free and got a good deal, actually."<br>"Well, I'm sure you did!" John smiled.  
>"All right, so..." Rodney takes out his radio earpiece, "...here I go!" He drops the earpiece onto the table.<br>"Well, I'll...I'll buy you a beer later. We can celebrate." John said, still looking a little startled.  
>"Yeah – or drown my sorrows should she say no."<br>"No, no, none of that."  
>Rodney smiles at him nervously. "Right." He gazes towards the door, hesitating for a moment.<br>"Well, go get the girl!"  
>Rodney points towards the door, makes an incoherent sound, then puts the box into his pocket and heads towards the exit. Queen Illyria Sheppard now very visibly pregnant, walks in; her daughter, Jen, ran ahead of her.<p>

"Uncle Rodney!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around his legs.

"Oh, hey, now, little one," Rodney smiled, putting his hand on her forehead and gently pushing her away.  
>"Hello, Rodney." Illyria smiled.<br>"No, can't talk." Rodney said, waving his finger.  
>Illyria watches him leave and run off down some stairs, then turns to John. "John. Do you have a moment to talk?"<p>

"Yeah," he patted Pat's bum, "hop off." He picked Pat up, stood up, and put Pat down in the seat. "Teach your sister how to play. Mommy and Daddy need to talk."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon Dex walks in and goes over to Jennifer Keller. His lower right arm is covered in blood.  
>"Another sparring accident?" Keller asked, walking his to a bed.<br>"Actually, I slipped in the shower."  
>"Oh, really?"<br>"No. Sparring accident." He smiled. He sits down on the side of a bed as Jennifer fetches some medical gloves.)  
>"This is the third time this week I've had to patch you up." She bends down to look more closely at the wound. "You know, there are a lot of other ways you can spend your free time."<br>"Not as much fun, though."  
>Jennifer rolls her eyes and starts to put her gloves on.<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Colonel Jeremy Renner walks towards a transporter. From another direction, Doctor Radek Zelenka, holding a computer tablet, also approaches the transporter. They smile at each other as they reach the doors.  
>"Colonel."<br>"Doctor. Where are you headed?"  
>"Control Room."<br>"Oh, me too. We can share."  
>"Splendid."<br>The doors to the transporter open and Jeremy and Radek stand aside as a couple of scientists step out.

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney walks in and looks around. "Katie?"  
>Katie Brown is sitting in the next room working on some plants and calls out to him. "I'm in here."<br>"Great. Awesome!" He walks over to her. "Hope you're hungry."  
>"Oh, I am!" She takes her gloves off.<br>Rodney began to babble nervously. "Yeah, me too. Very hungry. Hungry, hungry, hungry."  
>Katie looks at his anxious expression. "Are you all right?"<br>"I'm ... fine. Yeah, uh, yeah. Wow, this is much more, uh..."  
>Katie walks around the table and looks at him closely. "You're sweating."<br>"Oh, am I?" He runs his fingers over his forehead. "Oh, I suppose I am. OK, um, I guess I, I should just, uh, jump right into this, you know – rip the Band Aid off, as they say ... not, not that this is painful in any way ... it's quite the opposite, actually."  
>"Rodney! What's wrong?" She asked, laughing.<br>"It's nothing." He said, smiling at her but still nervous. "In fact, everything's right ... with us, I mean. So, I was thinking – and I don't know about you, but the way I see it, um ... I thought that, uh, maybe, it's time that we ... you know..." Katie puts her hands behind her back and looks at him coyly. "... start entertaining the notion..."  
>He reaches down to his trouser pocket and opens the Velcro flap. Just then an alarm starts to sound and the doors to the room slide closed. Rodney stares at the doors in surprise.<br>In the Infirmary, Jennifer is stitching Ronon's arm. The alarm sounds and the nearby doors slide closed. They turn and look as, across the room, a second set of doors closes.  
>All around the base, doors are beginning to close.<br>In Rodney's lab, an entire bulkhead wall slides downwards, sealing John, Illyria, and the children inside.

Back in the Botany Lab, Rodney and Katie hurry to the door. Rodney waves his hand over the wall panel but it beeps negatively at him.  
>"What happened?" Katie asked, but Rodney kept running his hand over the panel but it just beeps. "Why did the doors close?" Rodney tries to pull the doors open manually. Katie helps but they can't budge them. "Rodney? What's going on?"<br>"It's locked. We're trapped."

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Illyria runs her hand repeatedly over the wall panel of another entrance to the lab but the panel beeps negatively each time. John tries to slide the door open manually but can't manage it. In front of the computer's, Patrick sat holding Jen's hand, her eyes wet with worry.  
>"We are locked in." Illyria said.<br>Activating his radio headset, John said, "Rodney? Come in."  
>Illyria tries the wall panel again but still gets a negative beep.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer and Ronon are each trying to get a set of doors open. Jennifer turns from her doors towards Ronon.  
>"This one's locked too."<br>"What the hell's going on here?" As he continues to try to get his doors open, Jennifer activates her headset.  
>"Doctor McKay, this is Doctor Keller. Are you there?"<p>

҉

**TRANSPORTER**

Inside the transporter, Radek has opened a panel in the wall and has slid out the crystal tray inside it. As he tries to manipulate the crystals, Jeremy presses various locations on the wall panel at the back of the transporter with one hand and activates his headset with the other.  
>"McKay, this is Colonel Renner. Do you read?"<br>Radek slides the tray back into the wall. "The control mechanism is not responding. Perhaps I can physically open the door." He puts his computer tablet on the floor and he and Jeremy turn to the doors. "You know, transporter doors are lighter. They're not really as heavy as other doors in the city."  
>They try to push the doors apart but are unsuccessful. Radek curses in Czech and Jeremy activates his headset again. "McKay, this is Renner. Please respond." He taps the headset a few times. "Colonel Sheppard, do you read?" Radek taps his own headset and Jeremy looks at him. "Are you getting anything?"<br>"No. Communications must be down."  
>"Oh, great!" He sighed.<p>

҉

**BOTANY LAB**  
>"All right." McKay said, clicking his fingers several times. "I'm gonna need a radio. I left mine in the lab."<br>"Uh, radio?" She thinks for a moment, then points through the closed doors. "In there."  
>"What do you mean? What, you don't have a radio in here?"<br>"It's a plant cultivation room – we haven't needed one."  
>Walking away from the doors, he starts to look around the room. "Well, you need one now. Look, that alarm was the quarantine lockdown."<br>"Quarantine?"  
>"It's Atlantis' self-protection against another outbreak, sealing off sections of the city to prevent the spread of a disease. I tweaked the system after the recent Kirsan fever outbreak."<br>"But there was no lockdown during that outbreak."  
>"Well, hence the need to tweak the system, you know – institute more vigorous protocols." He said, still searching the room. "OK, I need to get to a computer – assess the degree of the situation. I mean, is this just a few sections that have been sealed off, or maybe the whole tower?" He stops searching and stands still, his eyes widening. "The computer's in the other room, isn't it?"<p>

Katie nods.  
>"With the radio," Rodney sighed.<br>Katie looks sheepish.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon is still trying to force the doors open. Jennifer stands nearby.  
>"There must be another disease outbreak." She commented, chewing on her thumb. Ronon grunts in frustration and lets go of the doors. "McKay said he was gonna modify the quarantine system to make it more efficient."<br>"How does cutting off the radios make it more efficient?"  
>"Well, obviously there's a glitch in the program. Problem is, without communications, he can't tell me how bad the outbreak is or give me the pass codes to open whichever doors are deemed safe."<br>"Huh, great!"  
>"Well, in any case, I should be ready to treat the sick when they bring them in. Will you help me?"<br>"Tell me what to do."

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

John has his hands against the bulkhead wall that lowered down. "I could really use Ronon's gun right about now."

"Daddy, look." Patrick called out. John turned to see him pointing at the screen.  
>"What?" John asked.<br>"It appears there's been another outbreak." Illyria commented, walking over to the screen.  
>John goes over to the computer and calls the information up onto the larger screen. It shows a schematic of the city, all outlined in red. More screens come up showing various information, then a message comes up on the bottom of the screen saying "CATEGORY FIVE QUARANTINE INITIATED."<br>"What's a cat…cat-e-go-ry five?" Jen sounded out, looking up at her parents.  
>"Well, I'm guessing it's a lot worse than categories one through four." John said and Patrick giggled. Jen still looked confused. John sighed and stroked her hair. "We could be here a while."<br>The suddenly, as if remembering something, he looks down nervously at Illyria's large bump. She looked down as well, asking,  
>"What?"<br>"It's just that every time one of these things happens in the movies, the pregnant woman goes into labor."  
>"I am still a long way from my due date."<br>"Yeah, it's the same thing in the movies and then…wham!"  
>"Relax, John. I will be fine," Illyria smiled.<br>"Why don't you sit down?"  
>"I am all right."<br>"You know, just to be on the safe side, sit down." He gently kicks the kid's chairs back a bit and pulls a stool over for her. Sighing, she sits down. John turns back to the computer. "Let's see what else we can find out."

҉

**TRANSPORTER**  
>"Quarantine lockdown." Jeremy said, looking down at the tablet.<br>"Yes."  
>Jeremy turns back to the wall panel. "I don't know why communications would be affected."<br>"Well, Rodney did say he was going to modify some of the Ancient protocols. Perhaps he made a mistake – made the security measures a little too aggressive."  
>"We need to try and access the mainframe." He bounces the tablet lightly in his hands as he thinks.<br>"Yes, but unfortunately that's all you'll be able to do. This tablet has limited RAM. It's configured mainly for read-only field diagnostics."  
>"Well, we should at least be able to determine the extent of the lockdown."<br>"Yes." Zelenka said and Jeremy activates the tablet and its desktop picture appears. Jeremy looks in surprise at the photograph of a pigeon. "Oh, sorry." He laughs nervously and takes the tablet. "It's one of my pigeons." Jeremy frowns at him uncomprehendingly. "I raise them as a hobby back home."  
>"Ah!" Jeremy said, uninterested.<br>"Right, let's see what we have here."

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

John has sat down, pulling Patrick onto one leg and Jen on the other. Illyria sat on a stool beside him and they began working on separate laptops. John kept glancing at her nervously.  
>"You comfortable? You want anything? You wanna lie down, eat?"<br>Illyria sighed. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about."  
>"What?"<br>"Your decision to remove me from the team's missions."  
>"We're not gonna go through this again, are we?"<p>

"No, no, no, it's all right. I understand."  
>"It's not permanent. You're just gonna have to ease off, then you have your baby and in a few months you're back in action…occasionally. You keep forgetting one thing; one very important thing – you're our leader ounce again. Sure you can come on missions, but that's only for diplomatic reasons. You're job now is to continue being a mom and a leader to this city."<p>

"John-"

"No, Illyria." He turned to her with an unrelenting look in his eyes. "I don't know if it's the hormones of being pregnant messing with you or your truly aren't listening to me. If it is wrong to place yourself and _our_ unborn child in danger now, will it be any less to do so when he is born? Illyria, it's bad enough that there's a chance every time I step through the gate that he may grow up without a father, but if you were to be hurt or killed, he would be left without a mother as well." He sighed and reached over to hold her hand. "It's tough, I know. I've got a friend from college: she's a cop; three kids, like us. She goes through this every day when she goes to work."  
>"How does she make peace with herself?" Illyria asked quietly, looking away.<br>"She figures she's fighting the bad guys, keeping 'em off the streets, so not only is she protecting her kids, she's protecting other kids too." He looks down at the twins and smiles at them before turning back to Illyria. "Look, you have to understand – the kids have a family here in case anything ever happens – to either of us."  
>Illyria smiles at him and they get back to work. Jen and Patrick shared a confused gaze, but shrugged it off.<p>

҉

**TRANSPORTER**

Radek has accessed the mainframe and he and Jeremy stare at his tablet in surprise.

"Category five?!" He called out, surprised.  
>"The entire city?! You know, this disease spreads more rapidly than anything I've ever encountered before. Something's-"<br>Radek began talking over him. "Something's wrong, yeah. Look at the levels: primary and secondary systems. Look, wild fluctuations in every sector."  
>"Other systems are down too – not just communications. Long-range scanners are out; ventilation in several areas, including this tower."<br>"Oh, oh, and plumbing too! Oh dear!"  
>"It's like the city's entire operating system is on the fritz. This may not even be an outbreak at all. This entire lockdown could be the result of a malfunction. Don't worry – I'm sure McKay is sitting at a work station fixing this problem as we speak."<p>

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney has his arms folded in frustration. Katie, standing beside him, looks at him.  
>"I'm sure others are working on the problem. Doctor Keller, Doctor Zelenka, Colonel Renner...I hear he's very smart."<br>"Well, they'd better be."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon has taken a drip stand, has wedged the end of it into a gap between the doors and is trying to lever them open. The stand bends beyond its tolerance and snaps. Hearing the noise, Jennifer runs in from the next room.  
>"Hey! Hey-hey-hey-hey!" She trots over to him and takes his arm. The bandage covering his wound is soaked in blood. "You tore your stitches." She pulls him towards a bed. "God, honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone with such a reckless aggression." Ronon smiles smugly. "That's not a compliment."<br>"If you say so."  
>"Lay down." She said, pointing to the bed. Ronon lies on the bed as Jennifer wheels over a trolley and puts on another pair of gloves. "OK, look – I don't think we're gonna have any luck opening those doors on our own. We're probably just better off waiting for McKay and the others to figure out what needs to be done and which doors are even safe to open."<br>"So we're just supposed to sit here and wait?"

"Yes! And be ready at a moment's notice to treat the sick."  
>"I'm not very good at sitting and waiting."<br>"No kidding!" Jennifer laughed. She starts to cut away the bandage from his arm. "Well, maybe we could pass the time by getting to know each other better."  
>Ronon narrows his eyes at her. "What do you have in mind?"<br>Jennifer's eyes widen. "Oh, I, I mean, I didn't ... you know, I meant ... just, like, talk." She laughs nervously. "I didn't mean ... Yeah! So, anyway, um, let's talk!"  
>Ronon looks at her blankly and Jennifer grimaces.<p>

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

At the doorway, Katie tries to pry off the wall panel but fails. She turns to Rodney who is slumped against a table.  
>"Can't you fiddle with this thing and get the door open?"<br>"I could fiddle with it, sure. As to actually getting the door open, not a chance. Quarantine protocol completely disables the doors' control mechanism. I mean, the whole point of it is to keep people from getting out."  
>Katie walks towards him. "Oh, it's gonna be okay. Doctor Keller and Zelenka-"<br>"We don't know that." Rodney interrupted. "We have no idea if it's gonna be okay. For all we know, Zelenka and Keller could already be infected. We don't even know how much of the city is in quarantine! If this is serious – and we have no reason to believe otherwise – we could be looking at a city-wide lockdown."  
>"You are thinking the worst-case scenario." She said, folding her arms.<br>"Hello! This is what I do! Someone needs to think ahead to the worst possible outcome to any situation in order to properly defend against it."  
>"Any situation – even the good ones."<br>"Hey, it doesn't take much for a good situation to turn ugly. One minute you're happily riding your bicycle back from a senior Lagrangian mechanics mid-terms – you know, the warm breeze in your face – next thing you know, you're flying through the air because you just hit a pothole."

Katie unfolds her arms and walks towards him sympathetically. "Oh, Rodney! Did that happen to you?"  
>Rodney pulled away from her. "The point is, one must always be on guard, you know, always looking out for the potholes. Now, you can call me a catastrophist, but it's a necessary burden I bear." He walks over to the doors and looks at them.<br>"A mindset like that and a person would live in a constant state of worry and fear."  
>Rodney turns back to her. "You forgot despair."<p>

҉

**TRANSPORTER**

Radek is looking at his computer tablet. "Oh, it's definitely a malfunction – and surprisingly it's nothing Rodney did." He shows Jeremy the screen. "Look at that: I'm reading a sudden spike in power caused by an intense ionospheric storm earlier today. This new planet continues to surprise us. It is going to require some drastic recalibration to account for any future ionospheric activity, that's for sure."  
>"Well, first things first – we need to get to a work station and fix this malfunction."<br>"Yes, I agree. You know, I'm a little bit puzzled as to why Rodney hasn't solved this problem yet. He's been a little off his game lately."  
>"Maybe he doesn't have access to a computer."<br>"Rodney?! Without his computer?!" Radek chuckles. "This I have yet to witness."  
>"Whatever the cause, since there's no outbreak, there's no reason for us to be stuck in here."<br>"Well, yes, other than the doors being sealed shut..." Jeremy closes his eyes in despair at him stating the obvious. "...and heavier than we had previously thought."  
>"Can you use this tablet to access this control panel?" He opens the wall panel that Radek had previously opened. The crystal tray slides out. "Maybe we could at least figure out a way to get the doors open."<br>"Doubtful. The transporter panel has no wireless interface, and even if we could hook it up directly, you know, with the limitations of the RAM on this tablet-"  
>"May I?" Jeremy takes the tablet, pulls its cable out and starts to plug it into the panel. "Thanks."<br>"Yes, of course."

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

John and Illyria are still working on their computers and looking at information on the screen while the kids ran around the room.  
>"Well, life signs all over the city. Everyone is trapped as we are." Illyria reported.<br>"Ventilation is down, which means they're running out of air." He rubs his brow tiredly. "Where's McKay when you need him.

"Uncle Rodney's in the Botany Lab." Patrick said, stopping at the table, breathless from chasing Jennifer.

"Of course," John said, looking down at Rodney's radio earpiece lying on the table.

"Why would he be in there?" Jennifer asked. She climbed the edge of the table and sat down near the computer, kicking her feet off the edge.  
>"He went to ask Ms. Brown to marry him." Patrick said, tossing up a bottle of water to her.<p>

"Have you been in that plant room? There's no computers, no radios..." John ticked off with his hand.  
>"If he's locked in there..." Illyria trailed off.<br>"...he's gonna be freaking."

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney is using a metal trowel to try and pry the doors open. Failing, he pulls it free and sighs. Closing his eyes, he doubles over, breathing heavily. Katie looks at him.  
>"Oh, are you all right?"<br>"I don't know. I feel all dizzy, a little feverish."  
>"Here," she said, fetching him a stool. "Rodney, come on, sit down."<br>"Right." He walks over and sits on the stool. Katie puts her hand on his forehead and coos sympathetically, then puts the back of her hand against the side of his face.  
>"You don't feel warm."<br>"You sure? 'Cause my joints ache. It's usually the first signs of a fever."  
>Katie takes his left hand, turns it so that she can see the watch he is wearing and starts to take his pulse. "Pulse ... ooh, one twenty."<br>"It's normal."  
>"Oh?" She smiles for a moment, then frowns at him.<br>"Yes, I've always had a rapid heartbeat, even since I was a kid, even when I was in a deep sleep. Our family doctor once wrote a paper about it."  
>"Oh!"<br>"How are you feeling?"  
>"I'm fine."<br>"OK, well, you let me know when you start feeling sick, all right?"  
>He stands up and goes back to the doors.<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

John and Illyria are still working on the computers. In a corner of the room, the kids were napping on a cot Illyria set up for them.  
>"It seems that there was some sort of disturbance in the planet's ionosphere a few hours ago." She said. "After that is when the system became unstable."<br>"New planet, new problems."  
>"There may not even be a disease outbreak."<br>"Yeah, but the city's still in lockdown. You know, if Rodney can't get ahold of a computer, he's not gonna be able to shut it down."  
>"Perhaps Doctor Zelenka or Colonel Renner can do it."<br>"If they could have, they would have done it already. They probably can't get ahold of one either."  
>"Can anyone do it?"<br>"They'd have to know Rodney's password." John shook his head and Illyria sighed. "Fortunately, I do."  
>"He told you his password?!"<br>"Well, he didn't think I'd remember it," he said, starting to type. "One-six-four-three-one-eight-seven-nine-one-nine-six-eight-four-two." The computer beeps. "See? Doesn't take a genius."  
>"It doesn't?" Illyria asked, raising her eyebrow, smiling.<br>"1643 is the year Isaac Newton was born; 1879, Einstein; and 1968..."  
>"The year Rodney was born."<br>"Never underestimate the size of that man's ego."  
>"Wait – there other numbers…"<br>"Forty-two," John nodded.  
>"What is that?"<br>"It's the Ultimate Answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything." He types on as Illyria looks bewildered. "Okay – we're in."

҉

**TRANSPORTER**

As Jeremy continues to work on the computer tablet which is now plugged into the crystal tray, Radek sighs. The small space has become hot and so he takes his jacket off. Jeremy looks at him.  
>"Oh, that's a good idea."<br>He puts the tablet down, unzips his own jacket and takes it off. Radek, who has just dropped his jacket to the floor, turns back to find himself staring down at Jeremy's impressive chest. Still looking down at the tablet, Jeremy is unaware of it as Radek looks awkward and turns away. Jeremy drops his jacket to the floor, pushes up his sleeves and pulls his collar out and flaps it for a moment to get some air inside his top.  
>"Okay, much better." Jeremy picks up the tablet again. Radek pulls his own top away from his chest and flaps it to try to cool himself down.<br>"Yes, much better!"  
>"The control panel won't recognize authentication," Jeremy said while typing on the tablet.<br>"It's because it's not configured, as I said earlier-"  
>"Yeah, I know, which is why I've written a work-around to free up memory to allow for local device input."<br>"Oh, so fast!" Radek said, startled.  
>"Well, there's obviously not enough RAM to handle the city's entire operating system, but we should at least be able to open these doors. All I need to do is get it to recognize the authentication command."<br>"Perhaps if you bypass the secondary crystals and go direct to the..." He reaches into the panel and starts to move the crystals.  
>"No, I don't think-" The panel explodes, throwing Radek across the transporter. "Oh, Doc! Radek!"<br>Radek falls to the floor. Jeremy crouches down to him as he whimpers and shakes his hand, then looks up at the doors. "They didn't open."  
>"No." Jeremy looks at the tablet. "And the tablet's fried."<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Illyria has left the computer and is sitting by the children while John continues to work on his. He looks at it as it beeps.  
>"Oh, crap."<br>"What is it?" Illyria asked, looking up from the kid's sleeping faces.  
>"Part of the lockdown program includes broadcasting an alert beacon to approaching ships to warn them about a disease outbreak."<br>"I thought told Rodney to get rid of that…" Illyria grumbled.  
>"Five by five – clear enough for the entire neighborhood to pick up."<br>"Can you shut it off?"  
>"Not from here. It can only be turned off from the sub-space transmitter which is up in the Control Room – which means the guys upstairs either haven't noticed it or, more likely, they don't have Rodney's password to turn it off."<br>"As long as that signal is broadcast, Atlantis is vulnerable to discovery."  
>"If it hasn't already happened."<p>

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney and Katie are standing near the doors.  
>"How are you feeling?" Katie asked.<br>"The same." He looks at her unhappy expression and reaches to take her hands. "Hey. You look like you could use some cheering up."  
>"As a matter of fact, I could." Rodney gazes at her for a long time. She frowns at him, confused. "What is it?"<br>"Nothing, I..." He trails off and looks around the room for some distraction. He points at a plant that caught his eye. "Oh, hey, isn't that the, um...?"  
>Katie looks. He's pointing at a tall cactus with feathery fronds growing out of the top of it. "Oh, the Rodneyana Villosa? The plant I named for you."<br>They walk towards it.  
>"Right. It's grown."<br>"Yes, it's really flourished here." She runs her fingers around the rim of the pot. "I've been kind of doting on it, giving it a little extra T.L.C..." she gestures slowly up the length of the cactus "...and it just gets bigger and bigger..."  
>Rodney coughs in embarrassment but then it turns into a full coughing fit. Katie goes over to him, concerned.<br>"We need to get you to the Infirmary."  
>"I already told you it's impossible. Look, the whole point of the lockdown is to prevent the spread of disease, which means no-one's going anywhere."<br>"But how are the doctors supposed to treat anyone if they can't reach them?"  
>Rodney gazes at her. "I'm sorry, Katie. Look, I've no doubt infected you by now."<br>"I feel fine. You think I'd have at least a few symptoms."  
>"Every disease is different. I mean, we have no idea what the incubation period for this strain is. It could be hours, it could be days. I mean, who knows when I caught it? No, it's just a matter of time before you succumb too." Katie frowns. "Anyway, what were we talking about?"<br>Katie smiles bravely for him. "You were gonna cheer me up."  
>"Oh, right!"<br>He gazes into the distance, lost for something to say.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon is still lying on the bed while Jennifer paces back and forth at the foot of the bed. It seems that they haven't spoken to each other for some time. Ronon pulls himself up into a sitting position.  
>"You okay?"<br>"Yeah. I just ... I don't like sitting around either." Jennifer said, biting her thumb again and Ronon smiled sympathetically. "Especially when there's people out there who need me."  
>"You're not letting them down."<br>"There's a disease outbreak and I'm a doctor stuck in this room."  
>"That's right. "Stuck." It's not your fault you can't get to them, so don't put the blame on yourself." Jennifer smiles gratefully at him. He smiles back. "You remind me of someone I used to know. She put way too much pressure on herself."<br>Jennifer walks closer to him. "Someone from Sateda?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"Who was she?"  
>"She was someone I cared about." He clears his throat uncomfortably. "She was killed during the siege."<br>"I'm sorry," She said, sympathetically.  
>"Yeah. I wanted her to leave but she chose to stay behind and help the others." He coughs again, then smiles at Jennifer. "Should have forced her to go."<br>"It's not your fault. She chose to stay. Don't put that blame on yourself."  
>They gaze at each other for a long moment, then Ronon nods.<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

John has got the cover off the wall panel and is swapping the crystals around. He puts the final one back in but the panel beeps negatively.  
>"Oh, come on!"<br>"Nothing's working."  
>John starts looking around the room. "Okay, on to Plan B."<br>"Which is...?"  
>"Which is blast our way out of here and get to the Control Room. Start searching for any explosives Rodney might have left."<br>"Well, I doubt that he would-"  
>Turning to look around the room, she suddenly turns back and stares down at her stomach wide-eyed. John sees her expression and stops, staring at her nervously. She looks up at him briefly, then down at her stomach again and gasps. John points to her anxiously.<br>"Don't tell me that you're, uh..."  
>Illyria smiles. "The baby just kicked."<br>"Really?" He asked excitedly, walking towards her.  
>"There it is again. Here..." She takes his hand and places it on her stomach. He smiles.<br>"I forgot how freakishly cool this was. Maybe he wants to get out of here as much as we do." Illyria's smile begins to fade. John looks at her in concern. "Illyria, you okay?" She sighs as if in pain, but nods. "Just hang in there. I'm gonna get everybody out of here."  
>He walks over to a window overlooking the city and looks through it, then turns and picks up a stool. Illyria stands up from the stool and walks towards him.<br>"What are you...?"

"Stand back," he said, waving her away. He hurls the stool at the window, which shatters. Hearing the noise, Patrick jumps up from the cot, his eyes wide. Illyria hurries over and grabs John's arm.  
>"John, what are you doing?"<br>"The Control Room is only four floors above us. All I have to do is climb up and I'm in."  
>"Climb the tower?! Is that even possible?"<br>John clambers up onto the window sill and steps out onto a narrow ledge outside. "Sure. Batman did it all the time!"  
>Outside, it's a straight drop several hundred feet into the ocean if he should fall. He looks up the side of the tower. There are lots of ledges and vents all the way up but they're not close together and they only jut out a little way. To add to the difficulty, there's a strong wind blowing. He looks down to Illyria.<br>"Piece of cake. Don't worry – I'll be fine. Gotta turn off that beacon."  
>He bent down to place a quick kiss on her lips before slowly and carefully starting to climb. Once he was out the window, Patrick ran over to his mom and gripped her arm.<p>

"What's Daddy doing?"

She sighed and rubbed his back. "Being the hero."

҉

**TRANSPORTER**

Jeremy and Radek are sitting on the floor covered in sweat. Radek also appears to still be in pain from the shock he received earlier.  
>"I'm sorry. I honestly thought that if we bypassed the secondary crystal-"<br>"Radek, I know." Jeremey said, talking over him. "We've been through this. I'm not angry with you." He nods and smiles reassuringly at him. "We could really use one of your pigeons around now."  
>Radek frowns. "Well, they're not for eating."<br>Jeremy chuckles darkly. "I meant to get help." Radek turns his head to look at her blankly. "Like homing pigeons – you tie a little S.O.S. note to their feet and..." He mimes throwing the pigeon into the air. Radek looks upwards.  
>"Yeah, but there's no window in here."<br>"I know. I was just..."  
>He gives up, realizing that Radek doesn't seem to understand that he's just making small talk.<p>

҉

**OUTSIDE OF THE TOWER**

John carefully hauls himself up what look like a couple of vents. Above him is what appears to be an external light, though it's not lit at the moment. There's a thin strap of metal wrapped over the light and he reaches for it. As he puts his full weight on it, the top of the strap tears loose and he loses his footing and swings around so that he is facing away from the tower. Clinging onto the strap with both hands, he manages to swing himself around again.

He hangs for a moment, gathering his strength, then hauls himself upwards using only his arms until he can get his feet onto a very narrow ledge. Carefully straightening up on top of it, he jumps across to a long ledge sticking out from the tower and dangles from it with his fingers. Again he takes a few breaths, then hauls himself up on top of it.  
>Sometime later, his fingers appear over the top of the railing of the Control Room exterior balcony and he starts to pull himself over it.<br>Inside the Gateroom, Major Lorne and a group of scientists are still trying to pry open one of the doors. Up in the Control Room, Chuck the technician is watching them from the balcony but turns and goes back to the consoles as a female technician reports from one of them.  
>"Okay, I've got ventilation restored to most of the tower. Still working on getting air up here but so far nothing's responding."<br>Just then she and the others look round in surprise as someone hurls a tree in a pot in through one of the glass doors. John steps through the gap.  
>"Colonel! How did you get out there?!" Chuck cried out, surprised.<br>"Long story." He said as he ran over to a console. "We've got to turn off the beacon. It's broadcasting our location to every ship in the neighborhood."  
>"We already tried that. It's password protected." The female technician said.<br>As John starts to type, Lorne and the other scientists run up the stairs, looking at the broken glass on the floor.  
>"What happened?" Lorne asked. He looks over at Chuck and notices John leaning over a console typing in Rodney's password. "Colonel! Where the hell d'you come from?"<br>Chuck looks over at the computer as the image on screen changes. "Beacon's deactivated."  
>John straightens up, relieved. His relief lasts all of a couple of seconds before a very familiar alarm starts to sound. As John frowns, all the computer screens go dark. Chuck runs to another laptop and types but his screen stays dark.<br>"Computers just shut down – all of them."  
>"Is that the, uh ...?" Lorne asked, referring to the alarm.<br>"Self-destruct."

҉

**TRANSPORTER**

Jeremy and Radek scramble to their feet as they hear the alarm.  
>"That's the self-destruct sequence!" Jeremy said, confused.<br>"Why would anybody arm it?"  
>"More importantly, how much time do we have?"<br>"I don't know. Whoever arms it designates the duration – you know, depending on how quickly he wants to ... blow up the city."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Hearing the alarm, Ronon gets off the bed and storms towards the doors.  
>"Ronon," Jennifer called out as he starts hauling on one of the doors, trying to slide it open. "Ronon, we've already tried. It's not gonna open."<br>Ronon turns away from the doors and starts looking around the room. "We'll just have to blast a hole in it."  
>"With what? You don't have your gun."<br>"Got any C4 in here?"  
>"In the <em>Infirmary<em>?!"  
>"Anything we can use to act as an explosive."<br>"I don't know. Uh..." She thinks for a moment, then heads for another part of the room. "The oxygen tanks, maybe?"  
>Ronon smiled broadly. "Right! Shoot 'em like Sheriff Brody did in the movie 'Jaws.'"<br>"Yeah, I know, I've seen it. How do you-"  
>"Sheppard showed it to me." Ronon said, walking over to one of the tanks. "It was a good movie!" He picks up the tank and looks at it, smiling. "Flammable." He carries the tank across the room and puts it onto a bed. "All right, all we need is a gun to shoot it with. You got one in here?"<br>"Again, Infirmary, not Armory."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**  
>"I don't get it." Lorne said. "Why would you arm the self-destruct?"<br>"I didn't." John said.  
>The alarm stops. Everyone looks upwards for a moment, then John turns to Chuck who smiles in satisfaction. "Finally."<br>"You shut it down?" John asked.  
>"No, just the alarm."<br>The female technician turned to Lorne. "The city actually armed the self-destruct by itself, Major."  
>"Well, why?"<br>"Last thing I saw on the screen was a breach of quarantine alert." Chuck said.  
>John and Lorne both turn and look at the broken door.<br>"My coming into the room caused the city to think the disease was spreading." John explained.  
>Lorne turned to the female technician. "Whoa-whoa-whoa – but you said earlier that there was no outbreak."<br>"No, there isn't," John said, "but the city doesn't know that."  
>The female technician nodded. "It's all part of the system-wide malfunction. The city must think there's a disease and now it's out of control."<br>"So blowing up Atlantis is its final counter-measure." Chuck said.  
>"Did you see how much time was left on the self-destruct?" John asked him.<br>"No. The computer shut down before I could see."  
>John walks over to the broken door and looks out onto the balcony for a moment before turning back to the others.<br>"All right. If we can't shut it down from here, we're gonna have to turn it off at the source."  
>"But that's in the main Power Room." The female technician said.<br>"That's six levels down." Chuck said.  
>"We can't get there. The Jumper Room's sealed off, as well as every other corridor out of the Gateroom." Lorne added.<br>"I'll just have to climb back down." John said, pointing over his shoulder at the broken window.  
>"The Power Room's in the center of the tower." The female technician shook her head. "Even if you climb back down, you'd still have to get through several sealed doors before reaching it."<br>John turns to Lorne. "You got any C4?"  
>"Yeah, a little bit." He reaches into his vest pocket and takes out a small block.<br>"That's it?!"  
>Lorne shrugged. "That's it."<br>John grimaces, then looks at Chuck and the other technician. "You two, with us."

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney and Katie are sitting side by side on stools, facing the doors.  
>"The alarm turned off. That's a good sign, right?" Katie asked.<br>"I don't know," Rodney said quietly.  
>"I mean, maybe someone found a cure for the disease, or at least figured out how to turn off the self-destruct."<br>"Or maybe someone just figured out how to turn off the alarm." He said despairingly. He sighs and sags on the seat. "Oh, I have to lie down." He stands up and walks to an open space on the floor. Katie follows him, putting her hand on his back comfortingly.  
>"Rodney, you can't give up." Ignoring her, Rodney starts to lie down on his back on the floor. She kneels down beside him. "You have to keep fighting. I know it looks bleak but..." She trails off as Rodney settles back onto the floor and something drops out of his trouser pocket. She picks up the ring box. "What's this?"<br>Groaning, Rodney lifts his head again and sees what she's holding. "Oh, that's ... When I came here today, I was..." Katie opens the box and gasps as she sees what's inside. "... I was gonna propose – ask for your hand in marriage."  
>Closing his eyes and groaning, he lays his head back down on the floor.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Standing by the bed with the oxygen tank lying on it, Jennifer puts a protective plastic shield over her face as Ronon picks up the second tank and starts to carry it across the room.  
>"This is not gonna work." Keller told him.<br>Ronon put the tank down and turned to her. "What are you talking about? This is your idea."  
>"Yeah – after which I immediately said there was a one in a million chance it would work."<br>"Yeah, well, this is that one."  
>"If I cut more than a millimeter too far..."<p>

"...the tank'll blow. I know. So just make sure you don't cut too far. Just score it, like you said." Jennifer looks down at the tank anxiously. Ronon smiled at her. "Hey, look, if you don't do it, I'm gonna do it." Jennifer nods nervously. "C'mon, you've got this."  
>He picks up the other tank and takes it across the room. Looking at the tank on the bed in dread, Jennifer picks up a surgical drill and puts it against the neck of the tank. Wincing, she fires the drill for a split second. Sparks fly. She grimaces, then fires the drill again, and again.<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Jennifer sat up in the cot, rubbing her eyes.

"Mommy…where's Daddy?" She asked, sleep coloring her voice.

"He fell out the window," Patrick said cheerfully, sitting down beside her.

"What?" She asked, her eyes widening. "Mommy?!"

"Patrick!" Illyria yelled walking over to them. "Do not scare your sister like that!" Patrick giggled like a wild man. Jennifer, a scowl on her face, punched him in the shoulder. "Jennifer Arin Sheppard!"

"He started it!" She whined, pointing at him.

"Did not!" He yelled back at her.

"Did too!" She yelled, poking the arm she just punched.

"Did not!" He yelled, pulling on one of her pig tails.

"Children!" Illyria yelled kneeling down, putting her arms between them. "I do not care who started it, I am finishing it! Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am…" they mumbled.

"Good." She stood up, and the moment her back was turn, they simultaneously stuck their tongues out at each other. "I saw that," Illyria called over her shoulder. Their eyes widened and sucked their tongues back into their mouth.

Illyria walked over to the broken window, looking out, then stepped up onto a box, leaned out and then stepped up onto the window sill.

"Mommy…" Jennifer said, scared.

"It's alright, Jenny." Illyria smiled over her shoulder.

Patrick hopped up and ran over to his mom, stepping up on his tip-toes to hold her arm, trying to keep her balance. Illyria smiled down at him then turned to look up the length of the tower. She stepped out onto the ledge outside and Jennifer gaped, covering her eyes, scared.

Clinging onto the window, Illyria looks up again before looking down at the enormous drop below her. After a few moments, she sensibly climbs back into the lab, Patrick holding out his arms just in case she fell.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon walks across to Jennifer as she continues firing short bursts of the drill into the neck of the oxygen tank. Finally she looks up at him.  
>"OK, that's it. I mean, that's as far as I should go."<br>"All right. Let's do it."  
>He picks up the tank and takes it across to the doors. He has pushed one bed – the bed with the scanner above it – so that it is parallel to the doors. A second bed is at right angles to the foot of the scanner bed. The second oxygen tank is standing on the second bed with its neck propped up against the scanner. He lays the drilled tank onto the scanner bed so that it is underneath the scanner, with the neck facing directly away from the doors. Once he is confident that everything is in position, he picks up a small Ancient device and takes it over to Jennifer, smiling. They go into the next room and take cover behind the wall as Ronon switches on the device. He looks at Jennifer.<br>"All right. You ready?"  
>"No."<br>Grinning, Ronon activates the device. The scanner starts to run up the bed. The second oxygen tank falls downwards and drops onto the neck of the drilled tank. Weakened by the drilling, the neck breaks and the pressure from the escaping oxygen sends the tank soaring towards the doors. It smashes into the doors and bounces off, hitting the wall beside the doors. The wall is slightly curved and this turns the tank around 180 degrees and sends it flying into the Infirmary. Ronon and Jennifer duck down as the tank races across the room and smashes into the wall on the other side. Ronon looks at Jennifer.)  
>"You okay?"<br>"Yeah."  
>"All right."<br>They get up and hurry over to look and see whether the tank made any impact on the doors.  
>"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."<br>Ronon looks at the undamaged door. "It's a lot stronger than a shark."

҉

Somewhere in the city, John has put a small piece of C4 onto a set of doors and attached a firing mechanism. Pulling out the safety tab, he turns and walks around the corner to where Lorne, Chuck and the female technician are waiting. He holds up the detonator.  
>"Fire in the hole."<p>

He activates the detonator and there's an explosion. Somewhere nearby in the transporter, Jeremy and Radek hear the explosion.  
>"What's that?"<br>They scramble to their feet and press their ears against the doors, then start to hammer on them while shouting loudly.  
>"Hello?" Jeremy called out and they began banging on the door.<br>"Hey!"  
>"Hey!"<br>"We're in here!"  
>A short distance away, John and the others look round at the sound of distant shouting.<br>"You hear that?" Lorne asked.  
>"The transporter. Somebody's in there." John said. As Jeremy and Radek continue yelling, the others run towards the transporter. "Grab a side."<br>He and Lorne each seize one of the doors, which have more handholds on the outside, and pull the doors open. Radek and Jeremy stumble out, gasping for air.  
>"Colonel. You all right?" John asked Jeremy.<br>"Yeah, I'm fine."  
>"I'm fine too!" Radek said, hunching over.<br>"There's no outbreak. It's just a malfunction." John told Jeremy.  
>"We know. Was Doctor McKay the one who finally disabled the self-destruct?"<br>"No, it's still on, but I haven't heard from Rodney."  
>"Maybe I can fix that, but I need to get to a work station."<br>"The computers are down." Chuck said.  
>"We're trying to get to the main Power Room so we can physically cut the power to the self-destruct." Lorne added.<br>"But all the doors are sealed shut. We just used the last of our C4 getting here." John said.  
>"Does that mean we're still stuck here?" Radek asked.<br>"That's what it looks like."  
>"How much time is left on the self-destruct?" Jeremy asked the female technician. She blushed when he looked at her.<br>"W-We don't know. The computer shut down before we could see."  
>"So it could happen any time?" Chuck nods. "Great!"<p>

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney is still lying flat on his back on the floor. Katie has stood up and is smiling down at the ring in its box.  
>"You were gonna propose to me? Today?"<br>Rodney raises his head. "Oh – I mean, before the ... before the lockdown."  
>Katie smiles and turns to him. "So? Why don't you?"<br>"Now? Do I wanna propose now?"  
>"Don't you wanna hear my answer?" Katie asked, smiling down at him.<br>Rodney lays his head back down again despairingly. "Well, it doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"  
>"How can you say that?"<br>"Oh, I dunno – maybe because we're moments away from our deaths."  
>"Don't talk like that." She said angrily. "There's still a chance. Someone could come through this door and-"<br>Rodney lifted his head. "Katie, please. Enough already. Look, much as I'd love to believe that someone's gonna swoop in and save the day, the fact that no-one has tells me it's probably not gonna happen. I'm sorry if that's bleak and horrible and fatalistic but there it is."  
>Grimacing, he lays his head down again. Katie sighs sadly.<p>

҉

Out in the corridors, Jeremy is trying to tweak the crystals in a wall panel while Lorne tugs at the doors, but to no avail. Sighing, they turn back to the others.  
>"Well, what are we going to do now?" Radek asked.<br>"Well, what can we do?" Lorne asked.  
>"Does this vent go to the Power Room?" John asked, pointing up at a vent high up on the wall.<br>"Yes, yes. I believe it leads to the tower's main ventilation flue." Radek said.  
>"Well, that system's shut down. Those vents'll be closed off." Jeremy said.<br>"Not anymore." The female technician smiled at him. "We were able to get it back online in most of the tower just before the computers went down."  
>John climbs up onto a chair and prys the cover of the vent off. Stepping up onto the back of the chair, he peers inside, then holds out a hand to Lorne who takes a torch out of his vest and hands it to him. Taking it, John shines it along the shaft.<br>"All right, it looks clear. It's gonna be a tight squeeze, though – there's no way I can move in here."  
>"I'll do it," Jeremy volunteered.<br>"No. I'll do it." Radek waved him off.  
>"Are you sure?"<br>"Yes. I'm small enough. I can crawl through there. I'll have the power off in no time."  
>"All right."<br>"Atta boy," John smiled. He steps down and hands the torch to Radek who puts the end in his mouth, steps onto the chair and hauls himself up to the opening. He looks into the shaft, then glances back at Jeremy for a moment. He nods to him encouragingly.  
>"Ready?" Lorne asked.<br>"Yeah."  
>John and Lorne take hold of his feet and boost him up, carefully pushing him into the opening. He starts to drag himself forward.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon and Jennifer are sitting side by side on the floor with their backs against one of the beds. Ronon smiled to himself.  
>"I had you wrong." Jennifer looks inquiringly at him. He smiles at her. "When you first came here, I thought you were weak – that you didn't belong."<br>Jennifer shook her head and looked away. "It's the story of my life." She pauses for a while, then continues. "Growing up, I skipped through grades and graduated at fifteen. Got my Bachelor's Degree before I was even old enough to vote. I missed out on a lot of things – any kind of social event, you know, parties and dances." She smiles ruefully. "I don't ever remember a time in my life where I belonged."  
>"Yeah, well, blowing up that tank – you really showed yourself."<br>She smiles at him. "But it didn't work."  
>"That's not the point."<br>They gaze at each other.

҉

**VENTILATION FLUE**

Dragging himself along the narrow shaft, Radek mutters to himself in Czech.  
>"I'll have the power off in no time. Jesus, that's unbelievable. I'm such a moron. They'll think I'm a total idiot. "<br>He reaches a junction and initially goes straight on, then shuffles backwards and shines his torch down the side turning.  
>"Well, what else should I do? No, not this again..." Still muttering to himself in Czech, he turns and wriggles along that shaft. "Don't fit here ... Ugh, this place stinks!"<br>After a while he reaches another junction, but it's going to be difficult to go in any direction because the floor is open and there's a long drop down a deep shaft. He stares down it.  
>"Jesus Maria!" He shines his torch along the left and right turnings, then groans. "Oh, tell me this is not happening!"<br>Taking a deep breath, he wriggles forward and, wailing plaintively, plunges downwards.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Ronon shuffles sideways across the floor towards Jennifer. Smiling, she leans sideways and puts her head on his shoulder. He looks down at Jennifer's head leaning against his shoulder. He gently puts his face into her hair and breathes in deeply. She lifts her head and smiles at him.

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

As Rodney continues to lie on his back on the floor, Katie sits on a stool nearby and watches him. His eyes are closed and, oblivious to his girlfriend's needs, he appears to be preparing himself for death.

҉

**RODNEY'S LAB**

Illyria sat on the cot with her children on either side of her. She rubbed Patrick's back as he and Jennifer played with her baby bump.

"Mommy," Jennifer said quietly, "are we going to die?"

"Shhh," Illyria soothed, stroking Jennifer's back. "It'll all be okay." She looked up and out the window, saying more to herself, "We'll be okay."

҉

**CORRIDORS**

John, Jeremy and Lorne gaze up at the opening to the ventilator shaft.  
>"Come on, Radek." John chanted softly.<br>"He'll make it." Jeremy said confidently.  
>John and Lorne look round at him a little doubtfully but he looks confident until they look away again, then his own doubt creeps into her face.<p>

҉

**MAIN POWER ROOM**

An alarm is beeping. With a scream, Radek plummets headfirst through a vent in the ceiling and crashes to the floor.

Groaning, he stumbles to his feet, shaking his right wrist in pain. Bending down, he picks up his glasses which had fallen off, puts them on, looks around the room and then, still shaking his wrist, goes across to the power levers on the wall and starts to pull them down one by one.

҉

In the Infirmary, Ronon and Jennifer slowly lean towards each other. Just before their lips meet, all the lights go off. They pull away from each other and look up in surprise.

҉

In the Power Room, Radek, still shaking his wrist in pain, continues to pull down the power levers. In the corridor, John, Jeremy and Lorne look up as the lights go off.

Jeremy smiles. "He did it!"  
>Lorne laughs as John blows out a relieved breath.<br>In the Power Room, Radek starts pushing all the levers back up again, reinstating the power.  
>In the Infirmary, as Ronon and Jennifer lean towards each other again, the lights come back on again. They look round as the doors slide open.<br>In the corridor, the doors slide open behind Jeremy and the others.  
>In Rodney's lab, the bulkhead wall slides up. Illyria smiles in delight, the children whooping for joy, and they head for the stairs.<br>In the Botany lab, Rodney scrambles to his feet as the doors slide open.  
>"Oh my God! Well, they found a cure or figured out how to override the program! I don't believe it! We're gonna make it!" He turns and hugs Katie, chuckling as she laughs. "We're not gonna die!"<br>He pulls back, then hesitates as he looks at her holding the ring box. She looks down at the box, then folds her arms to hide it. Rodney looks awkward.

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**MESS HALL**

John, Illyria and Ronon are sitting at a table with Radek.  
>"You crawled the entire way there in those tiny vents?" Illyria asked, amazed.<br>"I'm surprised he even fit in there." Ronon said.  
>"Oh, he fit, all right. There's plenty of room." John said.<br>"Well, not plenty." Radek shrugged.  
>"You should have seen him. He looked like one of those little hamsters in one of those-"<br>"Yes, yes, yes, yes. Listen, the important thing is I was able to make it and shut off the power in time."  
>Ronon looks at Illyria. "Hey, d'you hear? McKay thought it was a real outbreak. He even started getting sick! Thought he was, um..." He trails off and takes his feet off the chair beside him as Jennifer approaches, smiling. "Hey, uh..."<br>Smiling at all of them, she said, "Hi. Mind if I join you?"  
>"Yes, please," Illyria smiled.<br>Glancing at Ronon significantly, Jennifer puts her tray down and sits down beside him. Ronon looks awkward, then frowns at John and Illyria who are both looking at him curiously, aware that something is going on.  
>"What?" He asked, belligerently.<br>"Nothin'." John shrugged.  
>Jeremy comes over to the table. "Status update, Queen Sheppard?"<p>

Illyria cleared her throat and sat up straighter. "Yes, thank you."  
>"Well," Jeremy sighed, "it's been several hours now and there is no indication that anyone out there's picked up our alert beacon. I think we're in the clear, ma'am."<br>"Well, we should keep an eye out, just in case." John suggested.  
>Jeremy looks down at Radek, patting him on the shoulder. "Great work, Radek. Everyone on this base owes you a debt of gratitude."<br>Radek smiled up at him. "Oh, thank you, Jeremy."  
>John turns to Illyria. "McKay would love this."<br>Jennifer laughs and looks at Ronon again.

҉

**BOTANY LAB**

Rodney walks in, calling out to Katie, whom wheels a trolley of plants in from the next room.

"Hullo. Rodney. I see you're feeling better."  
>"Uh, yes. I, uh, well, I mean, it was probably just, you know, an allergic thing. I'm fine." He stammered out awkwardly.<br>"And the quarantine? Is it true there was no outbreak?"  
>"Uh, no. It was a malfunction. Uh, a planetary anomaly, um, an ionospheric disturbance. I've actually recalibrated the system so it'll take into effect future activity, so we should be fine."<br>"Someone said it was Doctor Zelenka that finally turned off the self-destruct?  
>"Technically, yes, but it was actually more of a group effort. But that's not why I came here. I, um ... Here's the thing. Over the last year and a half, I have become aware that I have certain ... I don't wanna use the word "flaws" ... uh, "shortcomings", perhaps? For example, on occasion I can be negative ... and demanding and-and-and a tad arrogant, but I'm also finding that just being aware of your, uh, shortcomings is just the first minute step on the road to betterment, and the real trick seems to be to actually do something about it."<br>"I know. It's difficult," she said, smiling.  
>"The point is, I came here earlier today to propose marriage to you, but after what happened, I realize that I may have been rushing things. I just don't think I'm ready for this."<br>"I know."  
>"You do?"<br>Katie nodded. "I don't think I'm ready either."  
>"Oh. OK. That's good." He briefly laughs nervously. "It's not that my feelings have changed or diminished…"<br>"No. No, of course not."  
>"It's just, I mean..." He sighs. "If we got married now, I would make your life miserable, and you are far too good a person for that."<br>"Don't be so hard on yourself." She said softly.  
>Rodney smiles. "Yeah. Easier said than done, right?" Katie smiles briefly, then her face becomes sad. Rodney gazes at her. "OK. So – rain check on lunch?"<br>"Absolutely." She said, smiling.  
>"All right." He smiled back and turned to walk away.<br>"Rodney?"  
>He turned back to her from the doorway. "Hmm?"<br>She looks at him for a moment. "Bye."  
>"Right." He waves to her. "Bye."<br>He turns and walks to the other side of the lab doors, then turns back to look at her again. She gazes at him as the doors close between them. Rodney turns, his face sad, and walks away.


	65. Chapter 63

**ATLANTIS**

**MORNING**

"I don't see why I have to wear this," John called out from the closed door of the bedroom. "My normal off-world gear would have been fine."

"No, it wouldn't." Illyria said from the main room. She was like a dream in the sunrise in a simple looking periwinkle gown that was reminiscent of the Greek chiton since it was held on the shoulders.

"Yes, it would have." He got closer to the door to say more loudly, "I'm the military leader of this city. I shoulder be wearing my gear not this…this Lord of the Rings fairy costume!"

"I-I have no idea what that means…" Illyria trialed looking confused.

"It means McKay's going to kick a kick out of this."

Illyria sighed and stood closer to the door. "Yes, John, you are the military leader, but this is not a military operation. Since they are having a small gathering as thanks for our generosity, I must attend as _Queen_. You will also be attending, yes, as our military leader, but also as my husband, the King."

"And that means I have to dress like an elf?"

"It means you dress like a King, not a soldier."

"I am a soldier, Illyria!"

"Please, for one afternoon, John," Illyria raised her voice, getting angry, "can you please act like a King!"

John was quiet for a moment, realizing that he'd lost the argument. He said as quietly through the door as he could, "Can I at least bring my gear?"

Illyria sighed, realizing that this was as much as she was going to get out of him. "How much gear?"

"Backpack, knives, and my P-90."

"John-"

"Hey, it was your idea to bring McKay along instead of Ronon so…"

"Fine, fine, fine," She sighed, "at least keep the knives hidden."

He chuckled. "So you can find them later?"

She rolled her eyes. "Will you come out of there? You are worse than I am."

"Hey, I did not grow up wearing these corset things. I don't know how to put on half this stuff."

"Just try your best and I will correct you once you come out."

"Alright, alright…" It took him a few more minutes, but once he was ready he called out, "Promise not to laugh?"

"John-"

"Hey, I'm entrusting my manliness to you."

She sighed with a smile on her face. "Fine, I promise not to laugh."

"Good." The bedroom door opened and John stepped out. "Because I feel like a dork."

Instead of laughing, Illyria raised her eye brows, looking down the length of his body slowly. "John, you…"

"Look silly?"

"No," She shook her head. She looked up at him and smiled. "You look like a King. Rugged, yes, but…"

"But…?"

"But nothing. I'm guessing this is the best you are willing to go?"

"What's wrong with it?" John asked, looking down at himself.

The outfit was layered - He wore a fine, grey linen tunic, embroidered around the neck and a smocked panel at each shoulder; over it a long, brown leather sleeveless-type waistcoat; black leather trousers; tall soft boots; and a long, brown leather duster cloak.

҉

**OFFWORLD PLANET**

In the castle of a settlement, John stood awkwardly in his new outfit, his P-90 slung over his shoulder and his backpack at his feet. Illyria stood, smiling, next to Doctor Rodney McKay. Standing before them were two beautiful young women dressed in long elaborate gowns. The four of them are holding glass goblets of red wine, Illyria's held water, and they all clink them together in a toast.  
>"And to another fine year of trading," Flora toasted.<br>"Hear, hear!" McKay said, doing his best seductive smile.  
>"Truly, the medical supplies you have given to us over the past several years have made an immeasurable difference to our people."<br>"Not to mention your warning last harvest that the Wraith were nearby." Mardola added. "You saved many lives."  
>"Well, uh, you know." John said modestly. Illyria mentally scolded him for not using better language.<br>"My favorite missions are when we come here to do our trading – and I've said that, I can prove it. I'm not just saying that." McKay said.  
>"You don't need to prove it, Rodney," Illyria said politely, putting her glass onto a nearby table. "Forgive me, Mardola, Flora," Illyria nodded to each of them, "but we must be going."<br>"So soon?" Mardola asked.  
>"Yeah, so soon?" McKay asked, turning to Illyria.<br>"We were hoping that you could stay." Flora said, smiling at the men coyly when Illyria wasn't looking and Rodney's eyes widened.  
>"Well," Illyria smiled, "I guess <em>they<em> could stay a little longer, but I must be going."

"Yes, the life of a Queen is never easy," Mardola smiled pleasantly, "especially one carrying a life within her."  
>"Again, forgive me."<p>

"Queen Illyria, one more thing?" Flora asked.

"Yes, Princess Flora?"

"I hate to..." She pauses for a moment, then shakes her head. "No, never mind."  
>"What is it?" Illyria asked kindly.<br>"Well, I wouldn't dream of imposing. You've been so generous to our people already."  
>"What's the problem?" John asked.<br>"Our sister. She is in great need of your help."  
>"I didn't even know you gals had a sister." McKay said.<br>"We do indeed." Flora nodded.  
>"I imagine she is as beautiful as you two," Illyria smiled.<br>"Even more so," Mardola said and Rodney smiled over at John.  
>"And she is in great need of guidance." Flora added.<br>"Guidance – that I can do." McKay said.  
>"You are most generous. Excuse us for one moment. I'll get her." She leaves the room, followed by Mardola. Rodney turns to John.<br>"Dibs."  
>"What?!" John asked.<br>"I'm calling dibs on the third sister."  
>"You can't call dibs!"<p>

"Rodney, she is a person," Illyria smiled tolerantly at him.  
>"Look, we both know that Flora and Mardola have been suckered in by the whole cliché heroic King thing Sheppard's got going, but maybe this other sister – maybe her taste in men will run more to the..." "...geeky?" John asked.<br>"I was gonna say "cerebral" but, um ... who knows, maybe we'll hit it off."  
>"I do not need your love life interfering with our trade relations." Illyria told him.<br>McKay waved her off. "I'll try not to break her heart, but no promises."

Hearing approaching footsteps, McKay takes a large swig from his wine and puts the glass onto the table. Flora walks in, addressing her unseen sister.  
>"These are the men I was telling you about." She smiled at her guests. "King John, Queen Illyria, Rodney, this is our sister, Harmony."<br>A young girl walks into the room with Mardola and smiles at the boys, curtsying at Illyria. Rodney's smile fades.  
>"Super!"<br>"As you know," Flora said, "our mother and Queen passed at the beginning of this lunar cycle. A secret, sacred ceremony was held to determine which of her three daughters would succeed her. It was determined that Harmony shall be the new Queen."

Illyria bowed her head out of respect, smiling at the young girl. "Your Majesty."  
>"Congrats," John smiled at her and she smiled back.<br>"Before she is crowned," Flora continued, "all future Queens must perform a time-honored rite of passage."  
>"A rite of passage normally performed alone," Mardola said pointedly to Flora.<br>"It is not written one way or another," Flora told her. Mardola opens her mouth, then decides against it. Flora turns back to her guests. "And Harmony is so young and it concerns me greatly."  
>"I can do it." Harmony told her.<br>Flora turned to her and said, "You are very brave, but the trail is difficult. It would bring me great comfort to know that you had someone looking out for you."  
>"What kind of rite of passage must she complete?" Illyria asked.<br>"Deep in the forest lies the ruins of the great Temple of Larris." Mardola told them. "Every Queen must take a pilgrimage before the end of the first lunar cycle of their selection. Once there, she must meditate on the journey that lies ahead of her and pray to be endowed with the knowledge and power to govern her people."  
>"How deep in the forest?" John asked.<br>"No more than a day's trek." Flora said.  
>"I see. Yes – no – I mean, we are very honored, but, um," McKay said, turning to look at Illyria before turning back the Flora, "why don't you just have a couple of your own guards escort her?"<br>"Although it is not written so, our people will expect their new Queen to have completed the journey on her own."  
>Illyria smiled at the sisters. "So you do not want her to be alone but you do not want anyone to know she is receiving help."<br>"Precisely." Flora nodded.  
>"Right." John grimaces. "Love to lend a hand but-"<br>Seeing his discomfort, Illyria turned to him with a smile on her face, turning the full power of her charm on him. "John. Our peoples have enjoyed such a fruitful alliance."  
>"Yeah..."<br>"One that has greatly benefited both parties."  
>"Right…"<br>"I would hate to think that you would put that in jeopardy over a simple day's walk in the forest."  
>John struggles to think of a good excuse, while Illyria continues to smile appealingly at him. He glances at Rodney for help but then gives in.<br>"When do we leave?"  
>Rodney sighs. Harmony smiles in delight.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Before they had left, Harmony had taken the time to change into more appropriate clothing for a trek through the forest while John had walked Illyria to the gate. Now, Harmony and the boys are walking across wetlands towards the forest; John now had his backpack strapped to him.  
>"I must confess: I'm quite looking forward to this." Harmony said. "I rarely get to leave the confines of the castle, although I've had much training in forest survival."<br>"Oh, you have, have you?" John asked.  
>"Oh yes. I have completed three sessions with Nolar Lumsbrik. He is one of the greatest hunters amongst my people."<br>"Three whole sessions, huh?!"  
>"With the Nolar Lumsbrik!" McKay added sarcastically.<br>"They were all I needed." Harmony told him. "I am a quick learner."  
>"I'll bet you are!" John smiled down at her. Since having the twins, John has become more accustomed to dealing with children. He thought of this as practice for when Jen grew up.<br>"Tell me: which one of you is the superior officer?"  
>"You mean, who outranks who?" McKay asked.<br>"Yes."  
>"I'm a civilian; I don't have a rank, but basically we're equals."<br>"I'm a King, so, no, we aren't." John said, throwing Rodney a glance.  
>"A King? I thought so." Harmony nodded. "You have all the makings of an excellent leader, John."<br>"Well, thank you!" John smiled down at her.

҉

**FOREST**

As the group enters the forest, Rodney finishes off the last of his power bar.  
>"You gonna eat your power bar?" Rodney asked, looking towards John.<br>"Yes, Rodney. Told you – shouldn't have eaten yours so early in the day."  
>"I'm starving! Usually Flora feeds us some sort of food when we visit. Come on – you hardly ever eat yours!"<br>"No, Rodney!"  
>"Well, will you give it to me later when you decide you're not gonna eat it?"<br>"You allow him to question you so incessantly?" Harmony asked John.  
>"I guess I'm just used to it by now."<br>"Would it not be easier to beat him?"  
>"We don't beat people where we come from."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Well, we find it's not very effective in the long run...," He glanced back at Rodney, "unfortunately."<br>"Really? You are a truly gentle leader, John. I admire that."  
>"Thank you, Harmony!"<br>They have reached a ravine overlooking a river. The uprights for a bridge stand at the edge of the ravine but the bridge itself is not there. John consults a scroll he has been given.

"Isn't there supposed to be a rope bridge here?"  
>"Well, maybe you're reading the map wrong," Rodney said.<br>"No, I think it's pretty straightforward." John peers over the edge of the cliff before glancing over at Harmony. "How old is this map?"  
>"It has been passed down from too many generations to know for sure."<br>"Okay, guess that bridge doesn't exist." He rolls up the scroll and puts it into his waistcoat. Turning back to the others, he unclips his backpack and puts it down. "You two stay put. I'm gonna try to find a safe way across the river." Rodney makes incoherent noises, unhappy about being left alone with Harmony. "Don't worry – I'll be right back."  
>He heads off into the forest while Rodney makes vague and pointless 'don't leave me here with her!' gestures behind his back. Harmony turns to look at him. Rodney lowers his hand and smiles awkwardly at her, then turns and walks a few paces away. Harmony promptly goes over to John's backpack and starts rummaging through it. Rodney finds a fallen tree trunk to sit on, then stares at Harmony as she approaches.<br>"Where'd you find that?!"  
>"John's bag," She said through a mouthful of food. She walks over with the already opened power bar in her hand and sits down on the trunk beside him.<br>"But, it's not yours!"  
>"I'm hungry," She said sternly, taking another bite.<br>"Well, you can't just take it like that!"  
>"When I'm hungry, I eat."<br>"What's gonna happen when Sheppard finds out?"  
>"Well, he's not going to now, is he?"<br>"Oh yes he is, 'cause I'm gonna tell him."  
>She looked at him severely. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."<br>"Yeah, or what?"  
>"I'm the Queen."<br>"Not yet you're not, little sister. And he's a King!"  
>"Trust me, you don't wanna be on my bad side."<br>"Right! And what are you gonna do? You gonna have me beaten?!" Harmony narrows her eyes at him. Rodney looks nervous as she takes another bite of the bar. "All right, Princess." He stands up and holds his hand out to her. "Just hand it over." She hands him the wrapper, which by now is empty. "Oh, see, now you're in trouble. You just wait 'til Sheppard gets back here, 'cause he's gonna..."  
>"All right, I think I've found a place for us to..." John said as he rejoins them. He trailed off when he saw Rodney holding the empty wrapper. "Is that my power bar?"<br>"She stole it," He said, pointing to Harmony.  
>"I did not!" She yelled, standing up indignantly.<br>"Oh, what?! You so did! Tell him!"  
>"I would never do such a thing!" Harmony said, turning to John.<br>"The second you were gone she went into your bag!" Rodney said turning to him as well.  
>"You are a liar! You are a lying liar!" Harmony yelled at Rodney.<br>"Oh, please!" Rodney turned to John. "Who are you gonna believe?"  
>"Well, if she stole it, Rodney, how come you've got the wrapper?" John asked.<br>"Well, because I was trying to take it back from her, and then she wolfs it down and hands me the wrapper!"  
>"Really?!"<br>Rodney turns to Harmony, furious. "OK, you'd better come clean, brat."  
>Harmony stares at him, wide-eyed, then her face crumples and she starts to cry. She buries her face in her hands and sobs. She look up at John and holds out her arms to him. Some of his fatherly instincts kick in and John walks towards her. She wraps her arms around him and continues to grizzle.<br>"It's okay, sweetie." John said soothingly. "Sometimes he makes me cry, too."  
>Unseen by John, Harmony stops pretending to cry, looks at Rodney and holds up a threatening fist to him, then goes back to whimpering for John's benefit. He patted her back.<br>"All right, we need to get going here." He pulls himself away from her. "I've found a path."  
>As he starts to walk away, Harmony said tearfully, "Can I navigate from the map?"<br>"Sure, soon as we get back on the path," he called over his shoulder.  
>Behind him, Rodney turns and glares at Harmony. She smiles at him smugly and follows John.<p>

҉

**LATER**

Harmony is leading the other two along a narrow track. She is consulting the map but apparently isn't sure which way to go.  
>"Now ... we go ..." She trailed of hesitantly.<br>Without even looking at the map, John said, "Right."  
>"Correct." Harmony nodded. She turns right onto another track and the boys follow her. They stop as they hear an eerie whooshing sound. John and Rodney raise their rifles and look in all directions.<br>"What was that?" Rodney asked.  
>"That's probably the Beast." Harmony said.<br>"Sorry, the what, now?"  
>"The Beast – the protector of the ruins of Larris. Did Flora not tell you of it?"<br>"I guess she forgot to mention it." He said sarcastically.  
>"Don't worry." She takes out a small penknife and opens out a blade.<br>"When you say "Beast", I'm assuming that's a figure of speech, right?" John asked her.  
>"Oh, no. It's a beast, all right. While no-one is quite certain what it looks like, those who have cast their eyes upon it have quickly perished."<br>Rodney cynically gestures at her holding up her small blade. "But your little knife will protect us."  
>"I'm the Queen. It will not harm me."<br>"Well, we may not get the chance to tell the Beast that." John said.  
>"It will know," Harmony said, snapping the blade back into the penknife. She turns and continues along the path and Rodney trots after her.<br>"Listen: why don't we just tell your sisters we made it as far as the ruins?" Rodney said. "We don't actually have to make it there. I mean, they'd never have to know the difference."  
>"I would know."<br>"Yeah, but you're gonna be Queen, so who cares, right?"  
>"I care. My people care."<br>"Listen-"  
>"Perhaps it would be best if you stopped speaking. Your voice hurts my ears."<br>"Well, that Beast can hurt my whole body, OK, so I'm sorry, but this is not what we signed up for. Sheppard, back me up here." They both turn back to look at John, only to find that he's not there. Rodney nervously called out, "Sheppard? John?"  
>Harmony starts to open out her knife again. "According to legend, the Beast attacks silently."<br>"But I thought you said the Beast would know you were the Queen."  
>"Well, it didn't attack me."<br>Rodney activates his headset radio. "John? John, are you there?"

There's no reply.  
>"It is strange, though." Harmony said. "The Beast is supposed to only attack the enemies of the throne. If it was going to kill anyone, it should have killed you."<br>"I'm not an enemy to the throne! I'm not! I'm here to protect you!"  
>"Don't move," a male voice called out.<br>As the sound of guns cocking can be heard and men appear out of the trees aiming pistols at them, Rodney raises his hands. Harmony turns and steps back closer to him, then glares at him over her shoulder.  
>"So far, I'm not impressed."<br>Rodney looks around cautiously and sees three Genii solders standing behind him, aiming their pistols at him and Harmony.  
>"Drop your weapon." A soldier said. Slowly, Rodney unclips his rifle from his vest and, turning towards the soldiers, carefully puts it on the ground. The soldier takes out a radio from his pocket and speaks into it. "We have her. Map grid eleven, in the small clearing."<br>"_On our way."_  
>Putting the radio away, the soldier looks at Rodney while Harmony peers around from behind his back. "Hand her over."<br>"You're Genii." Rodney noted.  
>"Step aside and hand her over."<br>"This is obviously some sort of huge misunderstanding, all right? I am Doctor Rodney McKay. I'm a close personal friend of Ladon Radim ..." The soldiers don't react in any way to this news. "... you know, your leader? I'm your greatest ally! You don't know who I am? I'm the genius scientist, the friend of John Sheppard. I gave you the bomb! ... No? Nothing? What do they teach you in Genii school?!"  
>"Hand her over, right now."<br>"OK, let's just talk about this."  
>"I'm growing impatient." The Soldier walks closer. "Our quarrel is not with you. Once you hand her over, you're free to go."<br>"Really?"  
>"Yes."<br>Rodney looks thoughtful. He looks down at Harmony. She stares at him indignantly.  
>"You wouldn't! You took a sacred oath to protect me!"<br>"Naah, I don't remember doing that."  
>"I'm going to count to three." The Soldier said, pausing dramatically. Rodney stares at him nervously as Harmony looks terrified. "One ..."<br>Shots ring out from the forest. Bullets impact the three Genii and they drop as Rodney cowers and Harmony ducks behind his back. John comes out from behind a tree, aiming his rifle down at the soldiers.  
>"Where have you been?!" McKay yelled, high-pitched with indignation.<br>"Well, my spidey-senses felt an ambush coming on."  
>"Wh... and you couldn't have mentioned it?!"<br>"Not without tipping them off, no."  
>"Well, what took you so long?! We were just about to get-"<br>"I had to take up position so I could shoot all three at once." He walked over to Harmony and knelt down before her. "Are you okay?"

"No." She hesitates for a moment, then regains her regal attitude. "No, I most certainly am not." She points at Rodney. "This one was going to hand me over to those men!"  
>"No I wasn't." McKay told John as he stood up.<br>Harmony turns to him. "I saw it in your eyes. You were considering it to save your own worthless, cowardly hide."  
>"I was keeping them talking, you know? I was buying us time – a little thing called strategy. Obviously you're too young to know anything about it."<br>"Oh, I understand strategy. In fact, I'm forming one right now. The second we return to the castle, I will instruct my guards to-"  
>John interrupted. "All right. Plenty of time to come up with punishments along the way."<br>He starts to walk away, Rodney following him. Harmony turns and calls after him.  
>"But John!"<br>"Thumb screws. D'you like them?" John called over his shoulder.  
>"Yes! Thumb screws are good." Harmony said smiling and starting to follow him.<br>"We'd better find some cover. The back-up he called's gonna be here any minute."

҉

**LATER**

John finds an area where several trees have fallen and formed a natural hide. "All right. This'll work."  
>"Those were Genii."<br>"I picked up on that, Rodney, thanks."  
>They go inside and settle down, John and Rodney looking out at the surrounding forest.<br>"Yeah, so what are the Genii doing here? And why do they wanna kill her ... I mean, aside from the obvious reasons?"  
>"Harmony?" John asked, turning to her.<br>"I don't know. I don't like the Genii."  
>"But you know who they are. What are you, trading partners?" McKay asked her.<br>"Not anymore."  
>"But you were."<br>"Yes – but they cheated my mother on many trades. She banished them from our land."  
>"What about you, huh? When you're Queen, are you gonna start trade back up?"<br>"No! Absolutely not!"  
>"Maybe somebody in the Royal Court's a little more willing to play ball – you know, once the path is cleared." John suggested.<br>"If I were to die, my sister would succeed me. But if the Genii think that she would be more willing to trade than me, they are sadly mistaken."  
>McKay turned to John. "You really believe that Ladon would give the marching orders to kill a little girl – even this one?"<br>"I don't know how these people work. Maybe he told someone to fix the problem and this is what they came up with."  
>"It's creative!"<br>"Knowing why they're here really doesn't help us out. All right – I need to get a take on how many are out there. You stay with her, OK?"  
>"Sure." He said, sighing in a resigned way.<br>"All right. Stay here – and stay quiet."  
>"Of course, John. Thank you for taking care of us." Harmony smiles sweetly at him. "I'm not sure what I would do if you weren't here." John looks at her nervously for a moment, before heading off. Harmony's smile fades and she glowers at Rodney as he watches John go. "Tell me something, Doctor. The place where you sleep at night – is it guarded?"<br>Rodney looks round at her. "I know what you're trying to do and it's not gonna work, OK? I'm not scared of you. You're just a kid – a bratty little kid. I don't care less that you're gonna be Queen. In fact, nothing could impress me less, so why don't you just cool it with the bad seed act and just go back to ignoring me?"  
>He looks away.<br>"Surely they can't guard you all the time?"  
>Rodney looks round at her again, his expression now a little nervous. She smiles and blinks at him.<p>

҉

**RIVER**

About half a dozen Genii are searching along the riverbank. A voice comes over their radios.  
><em>"Squad three, take up position on the ridge. Squad four, move to map grid nine."<em>  
>"Acknowledged," A soldier replied.<br>Nearby, John is hidden and watching them. "Wonderful!"

҉

**HIDE**

Rodney is becoming increasingly uncomfortable as Harmony continues to glare at him.  
>"Stop it. What are you doing?"<br>"I'm burning your face into my memory."  
>"You...?"<br>"This way, I can give the bounty hunters an extremely accurate description of you."  
>"All right, your Highness. I have had just about enough out of you with this whole-"<br>As John approached, he spoke in a loud whisper. "I thought I said keep talking to the minimum!"  
>"I was ... She was..." Rodney angrily trailed off.<br>"How many Genii are out there, John?" Harmony asked.  
>"If I had to guess, I'd say all of 'em."<br>"What, so a lot of them?" Rodney asked.  
>"Yes, Rodney, a lot."<br>"This will make the pilgrimage most difficult." Harmony said, her brow furrowed.  
>"That's funny – I was thinking the same thing." John said.<br>Harmony moved closer to him. "I find we have much in common, John."  
>John glances toward her nervously as she smiles at him. "Mmm. Yeah. Anyway, I figure wait for nightfall and then head back to the settlement."<br>Her smile fades. "Back to the settlement?"  
>"Yeah. Road trip's over."<br>"But that would make this journey a failure!"  
>"You win some, you lose some. You wanna be Queen, you've gotta learn how to cut your losses."<br>"But the lunar cycle is nearing its end. If I do not make it to the ruins by tomorrow's sundown, I will forfeit the throne."  
>"I'm sure they'll make an exception."<br>"No. They cannot. It is our way."  
>John sighed. "It's too dangerous to move forward."<br>"For you, perhaps."  
>John looks indignant and turns to her. "If it's too dangerous for me, it's definitely too dangerous for you! We're gonna wait for nightfall and then we're gonna head back to the village. End of discussion."<br>"Fat chance of that!" McKay scoffed from the corner.  
>"It's not your decision to make. I'm the Queen." Harmony said.<br>"No! Not yet." John told her. "And until you are, you're just a regular kid. I call the shots."  
>She stands up and folds her arms, glaring down at him. "Many would consider disobeying the Queen a treasonous act."<br>"Well, I'm sure they wouldn't look too fondly on letting the Queen get killed. We're heading back."

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**CASTLE**

Someone knocks on the door of Mardola's bedroom. She opens the door and finds a hooded man standing outside. He pulls his hood down and comes inside.  
>"You should not be here." Mardola told him.<br>"I was careful. No-one saw me, don't worry." He takes out a Genii radio and puts it down. "We use this from now on to stay in contact."  
>"Does that mean it's not over yet?"<br>"No. Her two guardians have complicated things greatly. They killed three of my men."  
>"Yes, well, they were an unforeseen complication. My apologies."<br>"Your apologies do me little good."  
>"We will increase your pay, don't worry. Three-fold."<br>"Three-fold?"  
>"Triple the work, triple the pay."<br>"Do you want us to kill them all?"  
>"If they survive, they'll come back and tell my sister that the Genii were involved. Now, we can't have that, can we?"<br>Toran bows to her and leaves.

҉

**FOREST**

Harmony has lain down on the ground and is asleep. John is outside the hide watching the surrounding area. Rodney comes out to join him.

"Please, tell me," John said, quietly, hearing him sit down, "Jennifer's not gonna be like that."

McKay chuckled. "I hope not; I love that kid." He glances over at John and smiles. "Listen, I've been doing a little thinking."  
>"Oh, you have, have you?"<br>"I've got a Wraith stunner in my backpack. She can't weigh more than ninety pounds. I say we stun her and just carry her back."  
>John grimaces, then looks thoughtful, turning to Rodney, "No, we can't stun a thirteen year old girl!"<br>"It's kind of dangerous out there! I mean, the forest is crawling with Genii. Who knows when she could throw one of her fits?"  
>"Naah, she'll be fine. She understands how dangerous this situation is. I talked to her."<br>"I'm sure you did, but she's thirteen, she's unreasonable – among many other awful attributes."  
>"You know, they say you dislike the things in others that you in fact dislike about yourself."<br>"So what?"  
>"I'm just sayin'."<br>"We are nothing alike!"  
>"Okay."<br>"She is a stuck-up, know-it-all brat..." He trails off and looks at John, who shoots him a "See?" glance. "Oh, ha-ha-ha."  
>"All right, it's about as dark as it's gonna get. Let's wake her up and get moving." They turn back to the hide but Harmony is gone. "Oh, no!"<br>"Oh, that sneaky little ... I told you we should have stunned her!"

҉

**LATER**

John and Rodney are searching the forest.  
>"I'm gonna kill her," Rodney muttered.<br>"You really need to work on your child skills."  
>"We have been searching for her for over an hour. You know, we have had not one but two close encounters with the Genii, all so some useless spoiled brat can make a meditation appointment?!"<br>"More searching, less complaining."  
>"Sorry. I'm hungry, and when I'm hungry I get cranky."<br>"And when you get cranky, you get hit."  
>"Yeah, okay, okay."<br>"I wish Illyria would've let me bring Ronon…"  
>"You know, you said that out loud, right? I mean, I'm right here."<br>"Well, it's nothing personal – it's just that he's a better tracker than both of us combined."  
>"Huh, that's true!" As they continue to walk, Rodney begins to look confused. "Okay, I'm starting to hallucinate."<br>"Why, what do you see?"  
>"Not see, smell. I smell food, delicious fresh-cooked food: roast beef, hamburgers, hot dogs, poke on a spit..."<br>"Chicken."  
>"Yeah, sure, the more the merrier."<br>"No, I smell chicken."

They look around, then Rodney points to his nose. "The nose that knows. Follow me." He turns to the right and leads them further into the forest. After a while they reach a narrow gully in a cliff. "Found it! It's coming from down there." They peer into the gully and see the flicker from a fire in the distance. "Told you! You don't need Ronon while I'm here."  
>"Mmm-hmm."<br>"What do you think? Genii camp?"  
>"Give me the stunner." Rodney reaches into his backpack and pulls out the stunner pistol, handing it to John. "All right, stay behind me."<br>They cautiously progress forward. They enter a cave and head carefully towards the small campfire built inside a circle of stones. It has what looks like a chicken roasting on a wooden spit above it. John lowers his stunner as he sees Harmony sitting beside the fire. He races towards the fire and starts to kick it out.  
>"John! How did you find me?"<br>"We smelled your fire a mile away."  
>"That's okay." She nodded, resigned. "I was finished cooking anyway."<br>"You ran away from us." Rodney said.  
>"You didn't give me any choice."<br>"We've been out there searching for over an hour. We almost were caught twice." John said.  
>"Yes, it's very dangerous out there right now. That's why I decided to seek refuge in this cave and make camp."<br>"You made all of this?" Rodney asked, pointing to the fire.  
>"Yes!" She points to the roast. "And caught a loden bird. They're quite delicious."<br>"How?!" She snaps out the blade from her penknife and shows it to him. "You made all this with that?"  
>"I told you – I completed three sessions with Nolar Lumsbrik."<br>"And they covered all that in three sessions?"  
>"I am a quick learner. Do you not listen?" John and Rodney look at each other and sigh. Harmony looks at John, concerned. "You're mad at me."<br>"Mmm."  
>"Our first fight," Harmony said thoughtfully and John's eyes widen. "I knew it would happen eventually." John stares at Rodney, still wide-eyed. She smiled up at him. "We'll laugh about this one day."<br>"I'm sure we will, but we've gotta get moving." John told her.  
>"Right after we've eaten the loden bird." Rodney smiled hopefully at him. John glares at him. "... or not." Just then, they hear the eerie whooshing sound again. "That sounded very, very close." He looks at Harmony. "Are we sure this isn't the Beast's cave?"<br>"You're so ignorant! The Beast doesn't live in caves. We should stay here until the coast is clear."  
>"All right. Half hour, tops." John told them both. Rodney smiles and hunkers down beside Harmony as she takes the spit off the fire.<br>"Good. I'm hungry." She starts to cut meat off the bird. Rodney rubs his hands in anticipation.  
>"Okay!"<p>

҉

**LATER**

John is crouched in the entrance to the cave checking for any approaching Genii. Harmony walks over to him and squats down beside him.  
>"I brought you the bird's heart." She holds out her hand with a small charred piece of meat on it. "My people believe it brings you great luck once consumed."<br>"Thanks, but no thanks."  
>"You're sure?"<br>"Pretty sure, yeah."  
>"Very well." She pops it into her own mouth and starts to chew. "Are you still mad at me?"<br>"No, I'm over it."  
>"That's good. I don't like it when you're mad at me."<br>"Well, then, don't give me reason to be mad."  
>"Very well."<br>"So, you're thirteen, huh?"  
>"I will be fourteen in five lunar cycles."<br>"Right! Nervous about being Queen?"  
>"No! Why would I be?"<br>"It's a lot of responsibility."  
>"I know that."<br>"Gotta put the needs of your people before anything else, including your own."  
>"Some of the time, yes."<br>"No, pretty much all of the time."  
>"I'm sure I will strike a proper balance."<br>"Just remember, you're not Queen because of divine right. You're Queen because they allow you to be Queen. If you're mean to the people, they may change their minds. Just remember that."  
>"You know much about leadership, John."<br>"Hard-learned lessons along the way." He turned his head to the side a bit, and muttered quietly, "Plus marriage."  
>"And I know much about my people."<br>"I hope so!"  
>"I think we would make a good team."<br>"Hmm?"  
>"As Queen, I will one day need a King."<br>John looks away, his eyes wide, not liking the way the conversation is going. "Um, listen, Harmony..."  
>"There's no need to answer now. I know such an offer must be overwhelming. You shouldn't make your decision rashly."<br>"Well, I am pretty sure I know which way I'm leaning. You're a great little lady – it's just, uh...you know i'm married, right? With a Queen of my own-"  
>The eerie whooshing sound comes again. As it continues, the sound of men screaming can also be heard. John stands up and stares out into the forest as the screams, punctuated by the sound of weapons fire, continue. Rodney runs out to join him just as the sounds cease.<br>"What the hell was that?!"  
>"The Genii just had a little run-in with the Beast." John looks down at Harmony. "All right, be a brave girl and stay here with McKay."<br>"Hey-hey-hey-hey, how come I always get stuck being the babysitter?!"  
>"You wanna check out the Beast?"<br>"No. No, I'm good here."  
>"Thought so. Stay here." He heads out into the forest. Rodney crouches down beside Harmony.<p>

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**CASTLE**

Mardola picks up the Genii radio and activates it. "This is Mardola. I want an update. What's taking so long?"  
>In the forest, Toran is walking with some of his soldiers. "I have men all along the path to the ruins. They've gone another way."<br>_"Well, obviously. They're not idiots. You should be looking everywhere but the path to the ruins."_  
>"I am, but it's night and this forest is vastly dense. My men are spread thin."<br>"_What if they make it back to the village? There's no way that I could save relations between our two peoples then."_  
>"We've just lost contact with some of my men. We're heading to their last known coordinates. Maybe we'll get lucky. Toran out."<br>He cuts off and Mardola stares at her radio indignantly.

҉

**FOREST**

Still crouched in the entrance to the cave, Rodney glances round awkwardly at Harmony. She glares back at him.  
>"You're a doctor, right?"<br>"Yes, yes. I mean, I'm not a medical doctor-"  
>"So you're a liar."<br>"No, I'm a…" He said indignantly before sighing, deciding to discontinue arguing with her. "What do you want?"  
>"What does love feel like?"<br>"Oh boy!" He said, rolling his eyes.  
>"Because I think I'm in love with John."<br>"Yeah, well, it wouldn't be the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last."  
>"What does that mean?"<br>"It means that a lot of people, particularly alien women, tend to fall for John Sheppard's good looks and charm."  
>"Not like me, they don't."<br>"Say that to his wife," he muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"You know he's married right? With two kids and a baby on the way?"

"So?"

"So – so he has an incredibly attractive wife, a Queen, in fact, that gave birth to three of his equally attractive children. Why would he throw all that away for a girl he just met?"

"For love, Doctor. A man in love will do almost anything."

"What makes you say that? Experience?" He scoffed.

"No," she looked away, off into the distance. "My father did it to his previous wife for my mother. I would not be here if not for his love for my mother."

Rodney sighed, knowing that she wasn't listening anymore. "He's a bit old for you, don't you think?"  
>"I hadn't considered it."<br>"Yeah, well, he will, so don't get your hopes up."  
>"You're not going to try and influence him, are you?"<br>"I won't need to, trust me."  
>"You don't like me very much, do you?"<br>Rodney gazes ahead of him and fights back what he really wants to say. "No, that's not true. I ... I don't not like you."  
>"What does that mean?"<br>"It means that you have a very annoying attitude but I'm willing to cut you some slack because you're still just a child."  
>"Whereas if I were grown-up, my 'annoying attitude' would be less excusable?"<br>"That's right. An adult would, uh..." He looks round at her. She smiles back smugly. "Hey, I don't have an attitude problem!"  
>"And I don't not like you."<p>

"...Oh, well, that's sweet of you to say."  
>"So you promise not to get between John and me?"<br>"I promise. I'll give you this: you're a lot more mature than the women he use to falls for."  
>"Thank you, Doctor!"<br>She stands up and goes back inside.

Out in the forest, John spots something and activates his headset.  
>"McKay," he whispered into the headset. That, and his gun, stood out amongst his very Lord of the Rings attire.<br>"_What have you got?"_  
>"Two dead Genii." He said, squatting down to look closely at them. "It's not pretty. Multiple puncture wounds."<br>"_You mean, like teeth marks_?" He asked nervously.  
>"I don't think so."<br>"_So, so, what_?" He asked anxiously. "_Claws, talons, a very sharp beak?"_  
>"I don't know. It's not like anything I've ever seen before."<br>He hears rustling nearby, gets to his feet and hurries away. Moments later, Toran and his squad arrive and see their fallen comrades.  
>"Over here," a soldier called. He and Toran go over to inspect the bodies while the others check the surrounding area. "What kind of creature can do this?"<br>"It doesn't matter. We don't leave this forest until all three of them are dead."  
>Hidden in the bushes nearby, John realizes he's got a real problem on his hands.<p>

҉

**LATER**

John has made his way back to the cave and meets Rodney at the entrance. They go back inside.  
>"What took you so long? I thought for sure we'd lost you."<br>"I hit the Genii – had to lie low until it was safe to move."  
>"So what happened?"<br>"I don't know. Whatever that Beast thing is, it's lethal."  
>"I could have told you that," Harmony said.<br>"Yeah. Also, the Genii have shoot to kill orders for all of us." John added.  
>"Oh, super." Rodney sighed.<br>John pulls Harmony to her feet. "All right, Princess, let's move."  
>He leads the others outside and aims his rifle down a pathway. Harmony stops.<br>"Wait."  
>"What?"<br>"Where are you going?"  
>"What does it look like? We're going back to the settlement."<br>"But we're so close to the ruins. And it's almost daybreak."  
>"The fact that it's almost daybreak is a bad thing. We need the cover of night."<br>"I can't come this far and just turn back." She folds her arms stubbornly. "I refuse."  
>Looking at John while jerking a thumb towards the stunner in his own backpack, Rodney said, "You know, I still have the unner-stay."<br>"Harmony, the best thing you could do is go that way." John points in the direction of the settlement. Just then, the eerie whooshing sound can be heard again out in the forest – in the direction that John wants to go. He shudders. "That sounded a little weird."  
>"Hating to agree with the child, but, uh..." Rodney said nervously, pointing in direction of the ruins. John walks over to Harmony and reaches for the map scroll. "Gimme that."<br>He unrolls it and looks at it.  
>"The Beast will avoid the ruins. We'll be safe there." Harmony told him.<br>Rodney turned to John. "How far are they?"  
>"A half hour or so," John said, still looking at the map.<br>"So, what do you say?"  
>John handed the map back to Harmony. "Well, it's better than running into the Beast."<p>

He heads off in the direction of the ruins. Harmony smiles in delight, and she and Rodney follow him.

҉

**DAWN**

The group climbs up a bank by the side of the river. When he reaches the top of the rise, John gestures to the others to stay low.  
>"Hey!" He shouted quietly.<br>They scramble for cover behind a log. At the bottom of the other side of the rise, a Genii soldier stands looking at a tall column. Rodney opens his backpack and starts rummaging in it while John looks down at the soldier.  
>"I was afraid of this."<br>"That's sacred ground. How dare he?" Harmony said, appalled, standing up.  
>John pulls her down again. "Hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa! We'll handle this, all right?"<br>Rodney pulls the Wraith stunner pistol from his backpack, shuffles into a better position on his knees and, bracing his left hand on the log and supporting his right hand with it while closing one eye, aims the pistol towards the soldier.  
>"All right…"<br>"I'll do that."

"I got it. It's okay."  
>"No, really, just, just -"<br>"Steady. Come to papa." Rodney continues squinting one-eyed towards his target, taking forever to get the man fully into his sights. "Let's go."  
>He takes so long that finally John loses patience, snatches the pistol out of his hands and, barely pausing to aim, fires it at the soldier. The blast hits him dead center in the back and the man drops. Harmony stands up, and, again, John pulls her down.<br>"Hey, hey."  
>"What?" As she looks round at him, a second soldier walks into view down in the ruins, looking down at his fallen colleague. Unaware of this, Harmony glares at John indignantly. "You've subdued him."<br>John aims the stunner and shoots the second soldier. "Now we can go."  
>He stands up and heads down the rise, followed by Rodney. Harmony stands up and smiles down at the ruins in delight for a moment, then chases after the boys. Rodney gets his first proper sight of the ruins. The column that the soldier was looking at appears to be metal rather than stone. In front of it is a pedestal with a plain green panel on top of it.<br>"Oh, fascinating!" Rodney said.  
>"Ancient?" John asked him as he disarmed the unconscious guards.<br>"Yeah, obviously." He takes out an Ancient scanner from his vest and activates it, then looks at the column again. "It's weird – this place seems strangely familiar."  
>As he walks over to look at the pedestal, we see that a tray of crystals has been slid out of the side of the column.<br>"It's even more beautiful than I imagined," Harmony said, walking over to Rodney.  
>Putting one hand to a pendant around her throat, she nudges Rodney off the pedestal and steps onto it, putting her hand onto the panel. She closes her eyes and concentrates. After a moment, she opens her eyes, looks down at the pendant and frowns.<br>"Something's wrong."  
>"What?" John asked.<br>"It's not working."  
>"Shouldn't you be, like, silently meditating or something?"<br>Harmony closes her eyes again and grasps her pendant firmly. After a moment she opens her eyes in frustration. "My pendant – it's supposed to glow."  
>Rodney's eyes widen. "Well, I'll be damned." He takes his scanner over to Harmony and scans her pendant.<br>"Let me guess…" John trailed off.  
>"Oh yeah! It's Ancient!"<br>"It's the Pendant of Wairos." Harmony told them. "The Queen – and only the true Queen – must return it to the ruins. Once here, it is to glow and imbue me with great power."  
>" Your sisters kind of failed to mention that." John said.<br>"It is one of our greatest secrets."  
>Rodney finally has a lightbulb moment. "It's a testing ground."<br>"What?" John asked.  
>"I know what this place is. I've been reading about it. Hell, we've been looking for it for the past two years! I've seen the schematics!"<br>"Well, share with the class."  
>"Believe it or not, this place actually does control the Beast – if the Beast is what I think it is."<br>"Which is?"  
>"Mini-drones, if I'm right – and you know you can usually take that to the bank. I mean, this planet must have been where the Ancients first developed drone technology. It was their main testing ground!"<br>"That would explain why the Genii looked like Swiss cheese. The mini-drones went right through 'em."  
>"And that noise the Beast was making – it was more like an electric swarm than a, than a growl."<br>"So the pendant is, uh..."

"...probably some sort of pass key. The Ancients weren't above protecting their research, even from each other. You need more than just the gene to activate and control the drones, otherwise...' He takes Harmony's hand off the pedestal's panel and looks at it. "Yes-yes-yes-yes, of course! It's in auto-protect mode! They're patrolling the forest, taking out anybody without the gene. That's why they stayed clear of us and went straight for the Genii. Look, the royal pain here must have it as well."  
>Harmony looks at him indignantly.<br>"Well, why isn't it working?" John asked.  
>"Well, maybe because Genius over there was messing with the crystal tray," Rodney said, gesturing to the unconscious soldiers.<br>"Right. So?"  
>"Well, so give me a second to figure out how much damage he's done."<br>Rodney goes back to the column and starts tweaking the crystals. John walks over to Harmony who has put her hand back on the pedestal and is concentrating with her eyes closed.  
>"The machine's broken. That's why your pendant isn't glowing." John tried to reassure her.<br>"It's got nothing to do with machines. If I'm worthy of being Queen, the gods will bestow the power of pure light and make my pendant glow."  
>John looks round at Rodney.<br>"Well, who knows what kind of whacky rules they've imposed on it?" Rodney asked. "I mean, I suppose it's possible that once a generation, the key needs to be reactivated here. Maybe it's the one thing that allows them to use the Ancient tech they have back at the castle."  
>John turns back to Harmony. "It's complicated, but it will light up. We just need to make some repairs."<br>"You don't understand. I've failed." She said sadly. "Maybe I'm not supposed to be Queen. Maybe – maybe we've come all this way for nothing."  
>"Trust me. It'll glow."<br>Anguished, Harmony turns away from the pedestal and sits down on the step, still clutching her pendant. John walks over to the Genii soldiers and kicks them awake.  
>"Wake up." As they rouse, Rodney comes over to join him. John jerks his head to indicate the column. "What did you do to this thing?"<br>"I'm not sure. I just rearranged the crystals." The first soldier said.  
>His colleague looks at him. "Don't tell them a thing. They're gonna kill us one way or the other."<br>John looks at Rodney. "Can you get it to work?"  
>"Not quickly. I mean, I can come back with a Jumper and a small team and get it working."<br>Sighing, John walks over to Harmony and kneels down beside her. "Listen, we're gonna head back."  
>"No! If I return with a darkened pendant, I won't be allowed to be-"<br>"Yes, you will be Queen, I promise you." John said, interrupting her. "It's just busted."  
>"This isn't the type of thing where you get a second chance, John. Please." John rolls his eyes. "I can do it." She gets up and steps back onto the pedestal. "I just – I just need to focus more."<br>She puts her hand on the panel, closes her eyes and, clutching her pendant, begins to concentrate. Just then the Genii's radios activate. They both reach for them but John hurries towards them, aiming his stunner at them.  
>"Whoa. Easy does it."<br>"_Heiron, come in. Heiron, come in."_ A voice said over the radio.  
>Heiron, the second soldier, carefully lifts his radio out of his pocket and hands it to John.<br>"Look, if they don't respond, they're gonna come and investigate." Rodney said.  
>John lifts the radio to his mouth and activates it, saying in a deep voice, "Heiron here."<br>_ "What's your status?"_  
>"Good."<br>"_Elaborate."_  
>John hesitated, then spoke in the deep voice again. "Real good."<br>"Help us!" Heiron yelled and John stunned him.  
>"Help us!" The first soldier yelled and John stunned him too.<br>"_Heiron!"_ The voice over the radio yelled.  
>"Kinda busy, gotta go." John said into the radio in his normal voice. He deactivates the radio and looks at Rodney. "Well, it was worth a shot." He gestures to the column. "You've gotta get that thing working, fast."<br>"Can't we just run for it?"  
>"We're boxed in from all directions. Gotta get those mini-drones working or..."<p>

"... or we die."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Genii soldiers hurry through the forest towards the ruins. At the ruins themselves, Rodney is working on the crystal tray.  
>"You know, you're not exactly inspiring confidence."<br>He glances over to where John and Harmony have taken cover in a gap between two walls. John is leaning over the top of the wall aiming his rifle out into the forest.  
>"Yeah? How so?"<br>"You're hiding behind a foot of solid rock. How am I supposed to feel out here with only a cool breeze between me and the Genii?"  
>"You're more than welcome to come and get cover for yourself – as soon as you're done with those repairs."<br>"Do you have any idea how many crystal placement combinations there are?"  
>"More than seven?"<br>"Try seven thousand."  
>"Well, that's less than infinite." Rodney tries another combination and checks his scanner. It beeps negatively. He sighs in exasperation. John turns to Harmony. "All right, look. It's gonna get very, very noisy when the Genii get here."<br>"Screaming?"  
>"No. These guns – they make a lot of noise. It's very important that you stay put and you keep your ears covered, OK?"<br>"Shouldn't you give me a gun instead?"  
>"You're gonna stay put, cover your ears, and you're not gonna move, okay?" He asked sternly. She refuses to answer him. Just then Rodney tries another combination and the tray lights up.<br>"Son of a bitch!" He yelled cheerfully. "I think I got it!"  
>Instantly Harmony breaks cover and starts to run down towards the pedestal.<br>"Harm...Harmony! What did I just say?!" John yelled at her.  
>As she continues to run down the slope, guns start to fire at her from the ridge. Rodney cowers down beside the crystal tray. As John looks for something to aim at, Rodney turns to run for cover and crashes into Harmony, knocking her to the ground. The impact jolts his rifle out of his hand. He leans across Harmony's prostrate body to reach for it.<br>Toran and his colleagues break cover and make their way forward, firing all the time. John returns fire, making them duck back behind any cover they can find. Harmony raises her head and stares at Rodney. Waiting until he hears John's rifle laying down cover fire, he pushes her to her feet.  
>"Go. Go, go, go, go!"<br>The two of them run to join John behind the wall. Up on the ridge, Toran waits until John stops firing, then calls out.  
>"You're surrounded! You have limited ammunition and I have unlimited men."<br>"We'll take our chances, thank you!" John yelled back.  
>"If you make this hard, I will make your death as slow and as painful as possible."<br>"Okay. What's option number two?"  
>"Give us the girl and we'll let you go free."<br>"Never!" Harmony yelled. "They would rather die than deal with the likes of you savages! When my sisters hear of this, the Genii will be finished! Finished, do you hear?!"  
>"How do you think we knew how to find you, little one?" Toran asked her.<br>"You lie! Come at us with all you have! I shall silence you once and for all!"  
>"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let us handle this, OK?!" John told her quietly.<br>"You have one minute." Toran called out.  
>John, Rodney and Harmony squat down behind the wall. She looks at John in shock.<br>"It can't be true."  
>"It doesn't matter right now, to be honest." John said.<br>"How can you say that?"

John looks at Rodney. "Did you get that thing working?"  
>"Yeah, before they started shooting at it."<br>"So it's broken again?"  
>"Well, it was powered up. I mean, fifty-fifty chance it's still operational."<br>John grimaces.  
>"Provide me with cover. I'll make it to the pedestal, summon the Beast and smite them." Harmony instructed them.<br>"There will be no smiting today, little lady!" John told her. "You've never even used that thing before."  
>"But I am the Queen and the Beast is my protector."<br>"It's a little more complicated than that." He thinks for a moment, then looks at Rodney. "Did you say anyone with the Ancient gene can activate it?"  
>"Yeah, as long as they're wearing the ... pendant," He said, looking down at Harmony.<br>"Exactly!" Harmony said cheerfully.  
>"Fifty-fifty, huh?" John asked Rodney.<br>"A hundred percent chance they'll kill us if we talk about it for much longer."  
>John sighs. "You got a full mag there?"<p>

Rodney looks down at his rifle. "Locked and loaded."  
>"On three?"<br>"Okay." He said nervously.  
>"Yes. Excellent." Harmony smiled.<br>"One..." John counted down, "two...three."  
>He surges forward, grabs Harmony's pendant and snaps the chain from around her neck. As she gasps, Rodney stands up and starts firing towards the Genii's position while John races out of cover and sprints down to the pedestal. With the pendant chain wrapped around his hand, he slams that hand down onto the panel. It lights up and the pendant begins to glow. As Rodney continues holding the Genii at bay, scores of mini-drones begin to whirr all around the ruins and the rise. The Genii look at them, bewildered. Seeing John standing out in the open and Rodney no longer firing, Toran steps out from cover and looks at his men.<br>"What are you waiting for? Shoot him!"  
>Preoccupied with the mini-drones, the soldiers start swatting at them as if they are flies. Toran draws his pistol and aims it down at John. John stares at him, and the mini-drones all surge towards Toran. A few impact with his body and he falls to the ground. All the drones plunge down towards him. The other Genii turn and run as the drones continue to swarm around and through Toran's body.<br>As John realizes that the danger is over, the pedestal deactivates. Rodney hurries down to join him.  
>"You all right?"<br>"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. You?"  
>"Sure, sure."<br>Harmony joins them. "That was the bravest thing I've ever seen."  
>John smiles ironically. "You're young. I'm sure you'll meet even braver men than me as you get older."<br>Harmony snatches her pendant from his hand. "Not you, usurper! You're lucky I like you, or you would be hung for treason." As John gapes in surprise, she turns to Rodney. "But you – you saved my life."  
>"I did?"<br>"When the Genii started firing at me, you threw yourself on me, using your own body as a shield."  
>Irritated, John turns and walks away.<br>"Oh, no. No-no-no. I just – I tripped and fell on top of you. It was an accident." John said, wide-eyed.  
>"And then you pulled me to safety," Harmony said, walking closer to him. He stares at her, unable to answer. "You don't don't not like me." Rodney narrows his eyes as he tries to work his way through that sentence. "You like me!"<br>"No. No-no-no, um..." He looks to John for help.  
>"Yes! You saved my life and restored the ruins. You are a hero, Doctor McKay, both to me and my people."<br>Rodney tries to look nonchalant. "Well, I don't know about 'hero.' 'Exceptionally courageous,' perhaps."  
>"And modest, too."<br>"It's time to go, before the Genii come back." John told them.  
>"I doubt it." Harmony said. "They are a simple people and I'm sure they were most impressed by your actions. I, however, was not."<br>Turning away from him, she holds her pendant in one hand and puts her hand onto the pedestal's panel again. This time it lights up and her pendant begins to glow. She smiles in satisfaction.  
>"The pendant still glows. The gods have deemed me worthy. Now we can go." She walks away. John and Rodney exchange a long irritated look, then follow her.<p>

҉

**CASTLE**

As Mardola sits in her room reading, she looks up as the door bursts open and a castle guard walks in, followed by Harmony and Flora. A second guard follows them in and closes the door behind him. Mardola stands and tries to smile at Harmony.  
>"You've returned." She looks round as the guards start to search through her cupboards and cabinets. "What are you doing? These are my private quarters!"<br>"It's all right, Mardola." Flora said. "They've already searched my room. You should allow it."  
>"Why?"<br>"The Genii attacked us." Harmony said.  
>"Oh! Well, it was a good thing Colonel Sheppard was there to protect you." Mardola told her.<br>"They knew the location of the ruins, Mardola. How?" Flora asked.  
>"You ask as if I would know."<br>One of the guards brings over the Genii radio he has just found and puts it on the desk in front of her. She gasps. Harmony glares at her, waiting for an explanation.  
>"You're too young to be Queen, Harmony," Mardola said, looking down at her.<br>"Perhaps." Harmony smiled. "But when you're released from prison, you'll be too old to remember."

҉

**SOME DAYS LATER**

**CASTLE THRONE ROOM**

Queen Harmony sits on her throne on a low dais. Princess Flora stands nearby. Various courtiers fill the room, chatting, as John, now dressed in his normal off worlding gear, and Rodney stand at the foot of the throne. Illyria stood not far behind them.

Harmony stands and all the courtiers fall silent and bow to her.  
>"Doctor Rodney McKay and Colonel John Sheppard. Your contribution to my people may never be repaid."<br>"Well, we didn't do it for compensation, your Highness-ness." John smiled.  
>"Kiss-ass," Rodney said quietly.<br>"I personally owe you a debt of gratitude for your help in defeating the regicidal Genii. I've had one of the court's finest artisans feature you in a rendering of our glorious victory."  
>She steps to the side of the throne and half turns to the rear wall where a covering hangs over a painting. She nods to the servants standing there and they pull the covering off to reveal the painting behind.<p>

It shows Harmony standing fearlessly on the pedestal while mini-drones soar all around her. Her right hand is on the shoulder of Rodney who is kneeling and firing towards the enemy, snarling fiercely. Her left hand is held out slightly as if she is controlling the drones. To her left, John crouches down behind her and cowers in terror.  
>Harmony smiles proudly as the courtiers begin to applaud. John stares up at the picture in resignation.<br>Rodney shrugged. "Yeah, it's pretty much how I remember it." He joins in the applause and smiles smugly as John turns and scowls at him.

He turns to look over his shoulder at Illyria who was giggling silently.


	66. Chapter 64

**ATLANTIS**

John Sheppard and Ronon Dex are walking along a corridor.  
>"I watched it last night. There was hardly any fighting." Ronon complained.<br>"That's 'cause it's not about fighting."  
>"Then why's it called 'Blades of Glory'?"<br>"'Cause it's about...skate blades."  
>"And this is a real sport? Men and women dancing around on ice?"<br>"Unfortunately."  
>"Your planet's weird."<br>"Mmm, you can say _that_ again."  
>They reach the door to his quarters and John swipes his hand over the wall panel. As the door opens, they see Illyria standing there, her hand over the panel, tears in her eyes.<p>

"John…" SH esaid quietly.

"Illyria, what's wrong?" John asked as he stepped in, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
>"I-I was just coming to see you. Do you have a minute?"<br>"Yeah, sure."  
>She glances at Ronon, but then continues. "I received a message from Stargate Command. I'm afraid I have some bad news."<br>"Okay…" He trailed. She bit her lip and looked down. "You're starting to scare me, here, 'Lyria."  
>"Your…your father suffered a heart attack last night." John stares at her, shocked. She reached out her hand and rubbed his shoulder. "I'm sorry, John, but he passed away."<p>

҉

**EARTH**

In a research facility somewhere, a screen shows a satellite map of the world. A scanner is running over various areas of Europe, searching news and press information. The scanner moves across to North America and stops and beeps repeatedly as the message "SEARCH CRITERIA MATCH" appears on the screen.

A young woman walks over to the screen and pulls up the front page of Globe Business. The headline reads, "Utilities Mogul Patrick Sheppard dies at 69." Underneath is a photograph of John's father. The woman sends the page across to a printer on the other side of the room and walks over to await the printout. On a table nearby are several other printouts of newspaper reports.

One shows a photo of Sam Carter's presentation to the Applied Technologies conference. The headline reads, "Hologram System Wows Crowd." Another printout shows a newspaper article with a photo of Sam in her dress blues. The headline reads, "Air Force Colonel Wins Second Binder Prize". A third printout shows a photograph of Henry Wallace, the man who kidnapped Jeanie Miller, with the headline "Scientist Awarded $600K Grant". Also on the table is a photograph of Ronon and Illyria taken outside the Millers' house, together with a couple of photos of John taken at the same time.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Illyria was sitting with the kids, explaining why Daddy has to go away for a little bit, when the door chimed. Someone was ringing the 'doorbell' as John like to call it. Illyria stood up and answered the door.

"Hello, Rodney," Illyria smiled, welcoming him inside. She looked over her shoulder at the kids. "Children, Uncle Rodney's here."

They both got up silently and walked over to him. Rodney knelt down to hug them both.

"How're you guys holding up?" Rodney asked them.

"We've never met Grampa Patrick," Jennifer shrugged, clutching the plush sheep Rodney had given her when she was a baby.

"I was named after him." Patrick said.

"Why don't you kids go play in your room for a little bit?" Illyria told them.

"Can Uncle Rodney come too?" Jennifer asked, holding onto his hand.

Rodney looked down at her. "Uncle Rodney's gotta go talk with your Dad for a little bit."

"After that?" Patrick asked.

"Sure," Rodney smiled down at them. Patrick and Jen hugged Rodney one last time before going to their room. He turned to Illyria with a raised eyebrow. "They've never met him?"

"Neither have I," Illyria nodded.

"How come?"

"John and his father were…never close near the end. But John does have photographs of his family, so I think the kids have some idea of who they're named after."

"Well, that's good," Rodney nodded. "How's he doing?"

"Go ask him yourself," Illyria smiled, pointing to the bedroom. "He's in there."

Rodney nodded and walked over to the doors, opening it. Inside, John was packing cloths into a bag that was laid out on the bed.

"Hey. I, uh, heard what happened. I'm very sorry."  
>"Thanks."<br>As John finishes packing, Rodney walks closer. "You okay?"  
>"Yeah, I'm fine."<br>"You know, I requested to go back with you, but the Ancient device at M7G-677 is malfunctioning."  
>"That the planet with all the kids?"<br>Rodney grimaces. "Yeah."  
>"Well, that should be fun for you! I know Pat and Jen love having you around."<br>"Yeah, well, believe me, I'd get out of it if I could, but without the E.M. field they're an easy target for the Wraith. I guess it's just bad timing."

"Hey, don't worry about it."  
>They look at each other awkwardly for a moment.<br>"If you wanna...you know...talk or..."  
>"Rodney. I'm fine." His facial expression shows that he's not fine at all, but Rodney takes the hint that he doesn't want to talk.<p>

"Right." He hesitates, wishing he could think of the right thing to say, but eventually coughs uncomfortably and turns and leaves the room. Once he stepped out, he motions for the kids room. "I'm ganna say goodbye."

"Leaving so soon?"

Rodney grimances. "M7G-677."

"Ahh," Illyria nodded. "Forgot."

"Yes, well…" He nodded and walked off into the kids room.

Illyria sighed and walked over to her bedroom door. She opened it and stood in the doorway. John was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her.

"May I come in?" She asked quietly. When John didn't answer, Illyria stepped inside and slowly walked over to John. She looked over her shoulder and saw he was holding a white envelope with black script on it.

"We hadn't spoken for years," John said silently, noticing she was there. "I sent him this after we got married."

He tapped the envelope in his hand before holding it up. She took it and opened it and spilled the contents into her hand - a white folded piece of paper and two pictures. She turned over the photos and saw they were their wedding photos. The first showed John and Illyria standing together at the altar, smiling happily at each other as Daniel Jackson wed them. The second was taken shortly after Patrick and Jennifer were born. They wrapped in gender specific blankets – Patrick had a light blue and Jennifer a light pink.

She smiled fondly at the pictures, remembering how happy they were, surrounded by loving friends. She gently placed the envelope and photos on the bed as she unfolded the piece of paper, reading it silently-

Dad,

Today, I married a wonderful woman named Illyria. I'm sorry you couldn't have come to the wedding, but were we're stationed is classified. We're in a middle of a war and we wanted to make things official in case something happened to either one of us.

Not soon after we met, but we fell in love. You've heard me say that a few times before, but this time it's the real thing. We have two beautiful children, Patrick Tiberius and Jennifer Arin. Twins, can you believe it? We named them after you, mom, and her parents.

I know we haven't been close recently, but one day soon, I hope all that can change. Hopefully after my tour's over, we all can visit.

As a family.

With Love,

Your Son

Illyria felt a tear roll down her cheek as she re-read the letter. She whipped her cheek on her sleeve and knelt down in front of John, placing her hand on his knee.

"John, you couldn't have known this would happen…"

"I should've seen him sooner." John said quietly. "With the Stargate able to reach Earth, there's no excuse-"

"Like you said in the letter, we were at war. And half the time we were cut off from Earth."

"The Daedalus, the Apollo-"

"John," she reached up and cupped his face, making him look at her. "This wasn't your fault."

He sighed, closing his eyes and nodded. He lifted up his hand and held her hand to his face. When he opened his eyes, Illyria could see his pain and all his regret. "We hadn't spoken in years when I sent that letter. Even if he wanted to reply, he couldn't have."

"Why not?"

He smiled sadly at her. "I didn't put a return address." Illyria looked confused. She stood up and walked over to their closet, taking out a duffle bag. John turned around, curious. "What're you doing?"

"Packing," she said simply.

"Why…?"

"I'm going with you." She said, taking some of her clothes of drawers. "And so are the chidren."

"Illyria-"

"No, John," Illyria said, quietly, turning to him. "We are going. We are going as a family and that is it. Lt. Colonel Renner will be in command with Major Lorne as his second."

"I was just going to say, 'I love you'." John smiled.

"Oh." Illyria said, embarrassed.

҉

**GATEROOM**

John stands in front of the Stargate holding his and Illyria's bags as the Gate begins to dial out. Illyria was up in the control room with the kids, giving Jeremy and Lorne final orders. He stands there alone for several seconds as the Gate continues to dial, then Ronon walks over and stands beside him holding a bag. John looks at him.  
>"Where are you goin'?"<br>"With you." Ronon said without looking at him.  
>The Gate kawhooshes and Ronon heads towards it. Illyria walks over and takes his hand, smiling up at him. Patrick takes John's hand and Jennifer takes Illyria's and they head for the gate.<p>

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>EARTH<strong>

Cars pull up the drive to a large house. Many people, all wearing black, are milling around outside the house. Two big, black SUVs pull up to the house. Four men in black suits and sunglasses step out of the first. John – wearing a black suit and dark tie with a muted pattern on it – and Ronon – wearing black slacks and a dark jacket – get out of the second SUV. John holds out his hand and helps Illyria out of the car. She's dressed a black V-neck dress that came down to her knees, her baby bump showing prominently. Patrick – wearing a black suit like his father – and Jennifer – wearing a black dress with a tie in the front – shot out of the car and ran in circles around Ronon and their parents.

"Hey, Hey," Ronnon said, grabbing the back of Patrick's shirt. "Cut it out."

"Yes, Uncle Ronon," they said in unison.

They grabbed their parent's hands and walked towards the house, Ronon following behind them.

"Lot of people." Ronon commented.  
>"Yeah. The old man was pretty well connected."<p>

"Don't see why we need the guards then." Ronon said, glancing over his shoulder at the men in suits as the branch out to make a small perimeter.

"General Landry's orders," Illyria said. "They're there for me and the children."  
>Before they could say anymore, a man standing on the steps of the house is talking to some of the visitors but now walks towards the group. "John."<br>"Dave." John nodded.  
>"I wasn't sure you were gonna make it." They shake hands. "It's good to see you. I contacted your unit commander at Peterson but sometimes those messages don't seem to reach you."<br>"Well, I came as soon as I heard." John turned his head to Illyria. "This is my wife, Illyria, our kids, Patrick and Jennifer."

"Nice to finally met you," Dave smiled, shaking Illyria's hand.

"You as well," Illyria smiled. She felt a tug on her hand and looked down at Patrick.

"Can we go play?" He asked, pointing to a group of kids kicking around a ball.

She looked up at John. "It's up to you."

Both Jennifer and Patrick looked up at him with wide eyes, pleading in unison, "Pleeeese, Daddy."

John smiled. "Yeah, okay."

"Yay!" They jumped and ran off.

"Keep an eye on them, will ya?" John asked Ronon over his shoulder and he nodded.

"We were all a little bit shocked when we got the note." Dave said, turning to John.

"Sorry I couldn't deliver it in person." John said. Dave nods, then looks curiously at Ronon. "Uh, this is Ronon. Ronon, this is Dave, my brother."  
>"Yeah. Nice to meet you." Ronon said, shaking his hand.<br>"Pleasure. You together in the Air Force?" Dave asked, gesturing to all three of them.  
>"Illyria's an ambassador," John said. "He's a civilian contractor."<br>Dave looks at him, obviously not believing it for a moment. "Right. Anyway, John, I think we should probably talk."  
>"Yeah."<br>"I'll catch up with you later?"  
>John nods, and Dave turns and walks off. A short distance away, the woman from the research facility stands watching the Atlantis team.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Patrick Sheppard's closed casket is in one of the rooms of the house, with a large photograph of him on a stand nearby. A couple of mourners leave the room. John nods to them as he walks in hand0in-hand with Illyria. They slowly approach his father's casket, John self-consciously buttoned up his jacket as he goes. Outside, the children made their way to the door, Ronon quickly coming up behind them.

As the couple gazed down at the casket, the children come to the doorway. Ronon stops them before they could go in and respectfully turns away with them to leave John to mourn on his own. John continues to gaze at the casket, his face full of pain and memories.

He squeezed Illyria's hand as he painfully glanced away, trying to hold back tears.

҉

**A LITTLE LATER**

"I'm hungry," Patrick said.

"Me, too," Jennifer whined.

"Alright," Ronon said, looking around, "I'll find us some food."

A little later, Ronon has found a food table in the garden and was loading as many sandwiches and cakes as he can onto a plate. He looks up at a man and woman who are watching him from the other side of the table.  
>"This is free, right?" Ronon asked.<br>"Yes, it's free." The woman said.  
>"Excellent."<br>He loads some more food onto his plate, then wanders off, smiling at a waitress as he goes. The kids skipped over to him and held up their hands for Ronon to give them a sandwich. All three of them were munching away happily as they rejoined John and Illyria who were standing in the garden. John was leaning over the white fence, gazing into the distance while Illyria absentmindedly rubbed his back as she observed the people milling around.  
>"Lots of food over there." Ronon said with his mouth full.<br>"I'm good." John said.

Ronon gestured the plate to Illyria with a smiled. She smiled back and took a small cake. Patrick jumped up, trying to reach for another sandwich. Ronon gently pushed him down and gave him the whole plate. Patrick smiled at Jennifer and they sat down in the grass at everyone's feet to eat.  
>"This the house you were raised in?" Ronon asked, his mouthful of food gone.<br>"One of them." John said.  
>"It's beautiful," Illyria said quietly, mentally wishing for one.<br>"Yeah," John said, turning around to face them. "Couldn't wait to get out of here."  
>"Yeah? Why?" Ronon asked.<br>"My dad's idea of teenage rebellion was going to Stanford instead of Harvard." He smiles at Ronon, who frowns back, uncomprehending. "Never mind. He just – he had everything planned out for me since I was about fourteen."  
>"So what do we do now?" Ronon asked, receiving a stealthy glare from Illyria.<br>"Mostly people sit around, drink..." he looks down at the kid's plate "... eat – some more than others. Mostly they talk. They don't know what to say, but they talk."  
>Ronon has Patrick toss him another sandwich and Illyria looks at the people all around. She sees Dave talking and laughing with the minister and some other mourners.<br>"Your brother seems to be handling it well." Illyria told John.  
>"That's what he does – he handles things."<br>"How come you never mentioned him before?" Ronon asked.

"Yeah, you've only ever mentioned him in passing." Illyria said.  
>"It's complicated." There was an awkward pause for a while, then John looks round and sees a woman approaching, wearing a simple black dress. He looks away, shocked, then lowers his head briefly.<br>"I told you I had an ex-wife, right?" John asked Illyria.  
>"Yes, why?" She smiled at his sudden change in attitude.<br>"Here she comes."

"What?" Illyria asked, her smile dropping as John turns to face her.  
>"Hi, John." The woman said.<br>"Nancy. I didn't expect to see you here."  
>She steps forward and hugs him sympathetically. "I'm very sorry." As she breaks the hug and steps back, she gestured towards his family. "I heard you'd gotten re-married."<p>

"Uh, yeah," John said awkwardly. He took Illyria's hand and looked down at the kids. "Our son, Patrick and our daughter, Jennifer."

"Hi," Nancy smiled down at them and they waved back, food stains around their mouths.

"Illyria, this is my ex-wife, Nacy. Nancy, my wife, Illyria." John said, finally introducing them.

"Nice to finally met you," Nancy said, offering a false smile as she stuck her hand out.

"You as well, Nancy." Illyria shook it with and equally as false smile. She took her hand back and rubbed her belly, bring Nancy's eyes to notice.

"I see you have another one on the way," Nancy said, doing her best to keep a smile on her face.

"Yes," Illyria said. She looked up at John and smiled. "We're quite happy about it."

John couched, turning to Ronon to break the tension. "Nancy, Ronon. Ronon, Nancy."  
>Nancy offers her hand to Ronon, who wipes his hand on his jacket before taking it. "Pleased to meet you."<p>

"How long're you here?" John asked.  
>"Just for today. I have to be in Washington tomorrow, so..."<br>"Still with Homeland Security?"  
>"Yeah. I just got promoted. I'm a director now."<br>"Oh, congratulations." She smiles at him. They pause awkwardly for several seconds. "How's – how's Greg?"  
>"Grant," Nancy corrected.<br>"Grant," he grimaced, nodding.  
>Ronon turns and walks a few paces away to hide a smile, and stands with his back to them, eating some of his food. Patrick and Jennifer silently crawled away to Ronon as if realizing the tension, leaving Illyria in the middle.<br>"He would have come, but he's trying a case in Phoenix." Nancy continued.  
>"Sounds like he's doing well."<br>"Yeah, he is. He's, uh...yeah, he's doing well." She smiles awkwardly again, then looks serious. "You know, your dad was always very good to me."  
>"Well, in his mind, marrying you was probably the best thing I ever did."<br>Nancy smiles a little bitterly at the emphasis which John made. "Okay. Well, it's good to see you again, John." She turned to Illyria, "Wonderful to have met you, Illyria."

"Same here," Illyria said.

"Take care of yourself." Nancy said, turning back to John. John nods and she looks over to Ronon. "It's nice to meet you."  
>Ronon turns around, his mouth full of food. "Oh, it's nice to meet you."<br>Nancy turns and walks away.

҉

**LATER**

Inside the house is a room with a bar. A barman is serving drinks to the mourners. John, Illyria, and Ronon walk in and go over to the bar, the kids were outside, once again playing ball with the other children. Before they can order anything, the young woman from the research facility walks over to them.  
>"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard?"<br>"Yes…"  
>"My name is Ava Dixon." She looks at Ronon and Illyria. "You must be Ronon and Queen Illyria."<br>"Do I know you?" Illyria asked.  
>"No, we've never met, but you knew the man I used to work for – Henry Wallace."<br>John shrugs. "Doesn't ring a bell."  
>"Look, I realize you have to keep up appearances in public," Ava said quietly, "but I don't have time to play games. Henry Wallace was the man who kidnapped your colleague, Doctor Rodney McKay, and forced him to work on a highly illegal research project involving alien technology-"<br>John grabs her arm and leans in close to her face. "Who the hell are you?"  
>"We need to talk, but not here."<br>They leave the house and start to walk towards where the cars are parked. John sees Dave standing in the garden talking to some mourners. Dave looks round at him and John tosses his keys to Ronon

"Take her to the car." As Ronon and Ava continue walking, John signals to two men in blacks suit and black shades.

Dave turns to the people he's with. "Excuse me."

He was walking over to John, but slowed his pace to listen in of the conversation when the two men in suits walked over to John. John said to them, "Illyria and the kids will ride with you two. The rest can ride with Ronon and me."

"Understood." The men said, nodding. Illyria walked the children in front of her to the car, the men in black behind her.

"John," Dave said. "I was thinking that we should probably-"

"Uh, look, something came up. I've gotta go." John said. Dave looked over his shoulder at the cars. In the first car, Ronon pushed the girl in before himself; two of the men in suits followed. In the second car, a man in a suit held the door open for Illyria and helped her and the children inside. He shut their door, and got in on the other side.  
>"It's Dad's wake," he said, looking back at John.<br>"I know, but this is work-related."  
>"Oh. Oh. What is it, top secret, national security, that sort of thing?" Dave asked, irritated, gesturing to the cars.<br>"Yeah, something like that."  
>"You know, this is so typical."<br>"If you've got something to say, just say it."  
>"Look, there's just one thing I wanna know. What's your level of expectation here?"<br>"What are you talking about?"  
>"I mean, are you gonna challenge the will?" John stares at him. "I have no idea what it says, of course, but I think I can guess."<br>"That's what you wanna talk about? You wanna talk about money?"  
>"That's why you're here, isn't it? You've been gone a long time, John. It's not such a stretch."<br>John glares at him. "You've got nothing to worry about."

He turns to walk away, but Dave called back to him. John slowly turned back.  
>"If I've got the wrong impression of you, it's not my fault. You're the one who left, remember? I stayed. I looked after Dad; I ran the business while you're off doing God knows what."<br>"I'm assuming that's what Dad wanted."  
>"No. No, it's not, John. Dad regretted what happened between you two right up to the end."<br>Dave turns and walks away. John stares after him for a moment, then turns and heads for the car.

҉

**A BAR IN TOWN**

John, Illyria, Ronon and Ava are sitting at a table. John and Ronon had a bottle of beer in their hand, Illyria had water, and Ava drank nothing.  
>"I would have come to you sooner, but you were a hard man to find." Ava said.<br>"All right, you've got our attention. What's this all about?" John asked.  
>"For the past three years I've been working for a company called Stanton Research, a division of Devlin Medical Technologies. I was recruited out of college by a brilliant scientist named Doctor Richard Poole and together we worked on a secret project codenamed Archetype."<br>"What kind of project?" Illyria asked.  
>"We were experimenting with nanite programming, trying to increase the complexity of their interactions. Listen, I wasn't aware of what happened to Doctor McKay and his sister until much later. At the time, all I knew was that we'd been given a key piece of programming, something that allowed us to make a major breakthrough."<br>"What are you talking about?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, it's one thing to inject nanites into a mechanical or a biological system for the purpose of effecting changes at a molecular level, but it's quite another to use them as building blocks to create an entirely self-sustaining entity. To be honest, I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime, but then all of a sudden we began making incredible advancements, and the next thing I knew, there it was."<br>_In a flashback, Doctor Poole, a middle-aged man, takes a computer tablet across to Ava who is sitting at a computer in a lab._

_ Poole walks over to a table on which is lying a human form Replicator wearing a red jumpsuit. He types on his tablet and the Replicator's eyes open, glowing with a silver light. After a few seconds, the glow fades and the eyes become human-looking._  
>"They built a Replicator." Ronon said, pulling her out of the flashback.<br>"Technically, that term isn't accurate because self-replicating isn't one of its primary directives, but ...yes."  
>"There's no way you had authorization to do this." John said.<br>"Richard told me the project was being funded at the highest levels." Ava said.  
>"And you believed him?"<br>"Maybe it sounds a little naïve, but Richard was like a father to me. My own parents died when I was very young. I trusted him…. But then one day he came back to the lab in a panic."

_In flashback, Poole hurries into the lab, rushing over to a computer, breathing heavily. The Replicator sits up on its table.  
>"What's happening?" Ava asked.<br>Poole starts typing rapidly on the computer. "There's been a security breach. We have to shut everything down."  
>"I don't understand." Ava said, standing up.<br>Poole takes a memory module from the computer and puts it into his jacket, then hurries across the lab. "Look, I don't have time to explain it to you right now. Just do it!"  
>As he pulls the cables from another computer, Ava bends to her computer and starts to shut it down. Poole goes to some wall panels and switches them off.<br>Poole picks up a computer tablet and, typing on it, walks over to the Replicator.  
>Poole looks up at the Replicator, "I'm sorry about this."<br>As he continues to type frantically on the tablet, the Replicator frowns round at Ava, then turns and seizes Poole's arm and hurls him across the room. Poole slams into a wall and crashes to the floor.  
>"Richard!" Ava yelled.<br>She hurries across and bends down to him as he lies on the floor groaning. The Replicator runs to the door and tries to open it, but it's locked. Ava hurries to an alarm button on a nearby wall and pushes it. As alarm bells begin to ring, the Replicator rips the door off its hinges and races out of the room. Ava chases after it. It runs down the corridor, turns a corner and sees two security guards running towards it. It grabs both of them by the throat and yanks down hard. Around the corner, Ava runs along and rounds the corner only to see the two guards lying dead on the floor. _

_ There's no sign of the Replicator._  
>"I later found out what was really going on. The I.O.A.'s investigation of Devlin Medical was closing in and Richard wanted to get rid of the evidence. By doing so, the replicator kill him." She looked around at the group. "He killed to escape. If he's threatened, he could kill again. You have to do something."<br>"John and Ronon stare at her as Illyria sips her water.  
>"You're telling me there's a Replicator loose on Earth?" John asked.<br>"That's right." Ava nodded.  
>"How long?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, he escaped three weeks ago. We've been working on a way to track him, but so far had no success."

"He could be anywhere by now." Illyria said, looking out the window.

҉

**STANTON RESEARCH FACILITY**

Ronon kicks in the door to Doctor Poole's lab and he and two military men rush in. Poole, sitting at a computer, stands up in terror as the men charge towards him, aiming their guns at him.  
>"Show your hands! Get 'em up!" A soldier yelled.<br>As Poole raises his hands, Ronon runs over to him and he and the soldier twist his arms behind his back and handcuff him. John and a sergeant walk in.  
>"Sir, the facility is secure." The sergeant told John. "Looks like he was the only one here."<br>"Colonel Sheppard – and Ronon, of course. How did you find me?" Poole asked.  
>"We had a little help."<br>Ava walks into the room, escorted by Illyria and another soldier.  
>"Ava!" Poole said.<br>"I'm sorry, Richard."

Ava! My God! Do you realize what you've done?"  
>"I didn't have a choice! I couldn't let this continue any longer."<br>"I had the situation under control!"  
>"Your little science project got two of your own men killed –and he's still on the loose. I don't think you have control of anything." John said.<br>"He killed in self-defense!" Poole defended. "If he's not threatened again, he won't harm anyone."  
>"Well, that's because we're gonna find him, and we're gonna neutralize him..." John takes a small device out of his pocket and activates it before handing it to Ava. He activates a second identical device and brandishes it at Poole. "... and you are gonna help." He drops the device into Poole's shirt pocket. "Apollo, we're ready."<br>The soldiers stand back and an Asgard transporter beam envelops the others and whisks them away.

҉

**APOLLO**

The ship is in orbit above Earth. In a room, John and Poole sit either side of a small table while Ava stands nearby.  
>"All right, let's start with giving me the access code to the data files we recovered." John said.<p>

Poole chuckles. "I don't think so."  
>"You do know we will crack it eventually."<br>"The entire directory's encrypted with a 448-bit key symmetric algorithm. Good luck."

John looks at Ava. "What about you?"  
>"I never gave her the code." Poole answered for her. "It's for her own protection. Look, I'll co-operate as long as you guarantee that I get to bring him in."<br>"Forget it."  
>"We are talking about an incredibly advanced and valuable piece of technology here."<br>"You've had your chance; now it's my turn. Are you gonna help us track this thing or not?"  
>Ava steps forward. "I'll help you, Colonel."<br>"Ava..." Poole warned.  
>"Be realistic, Richard. He's out there alone. You know he's not programmed for ordinary social interaction. What happens if someone accidentally frightens him or corners him? We can't afford to wait any longer."<p>

҉

**LATER**

John and Illyria were walking hand in hand with Ronon by their side as they walked through the ship. A man in a suit approaches from behind.  
>"Colonel Sheppard." He called out.<br>John turns and looks at him in surprise. "Bates!"  
>As Bates grins and walks towards him, offering his hand to shake.<br>"You two know each other?" Ronon asked, looking at John.  
>"Yeah, Bates served on Atlantis when we first got there," John said, shaking Bates' hand, "then he got into it with a Wraith. Took a pretty good beating."<p>

"He got the drop on me," Bates said, turning to Ronon after hugging Illyria, "but I still managed to get in a few shots. How're you doing?"  
>"Ronon," he introduced himself as they shook hands.<br>"You with N.I.D.?" John asked Bates.  
>"I.O.A. After the Marines gave me an honorable discharge due to my injuries, the I.O.A. contacted me. They were starting up a new field division dealing specifically with operational threats on Earth, and it seemed like a good fit."<br>"Well, it's good to see you back in action." Illyria smiled.  
>"You too, ma'am."<br>"You do not have to call me that anymore."  
>"I guess not." Bates smiled. "Old habits die hard. And you're pregnant again?! Wow, congrats, Colonel, Illyria."<p>

"Thanks," John said, shaking Bates' hand again.  
>"So how are our prisoners?" Bates asked as they continue walking along the corridor.<br>"The girl is co-operating," Illyria told him.  
>"What about Doctor Poole?"<br>"Yeah, not so much." John said.  
>"Can we track the Replicator without him?"<br>"I've got a guy working on it."

҉

**LAB**

John, Illyria, Ronon and Bates have joined Doctor Bill Lee, who is wearing a lurid shirt and has a terrible sunburn. He is muttering as he plugs some leads into a bank of crystals.  
>"Stupid emergency contact numbers. Never should have answered that damned phone."<br>"C'mon, Doc, it's not so bad." John said.  
>"Ha! That was my first vacation in three years! Two weeks, all-inclusive, nothing but surf, sun and skimpy bikinis as far as the eye could see, and then they beam me right out of the damned hotel room."<br>"Looks like they did you a favor," Illyria told him. "Next time, use a little sun block?"  
>Bill looks across to Ava, who is sitting at a console nearby. "Give it another shot."<br>Ava types for a moment, then the computer beeps. "It's working." Everyone walks over to her. "This sensor technology is incredible. Is it alien?" Bill looks up at Illyria whom shakes her head. "Sorry. I forgot. I'm not supposed to know any of this."  
>Bill's computer beeps. "Oh, hey, I'm picking up a signal. Let me see if I can narrow in on this a bit." He types and a map comes up on a wallscreen. "There. He should be in there."<br>"How big of an area is that?" Ronon asked.  
>"That's about five city blocks."<br>Illyria turned to Bates. "Seal it off – get everyone out."  
>"We'll call it a chemical spill. I'll get my people on it."<br>He leaves the room and John looks at Ava. "I need to know what I'm up against. What kind of capability does this thing have?"  
>"Speed, strength, agility – all well beyond normal human levels."<br>"What about tactics? Escape, evasion – does it have any military training?"  
>"I wasn't responsible for that aspect of his programming."<p>

҉

**HOLDING CELL**

John is pacing around the table at which Poole is sitting.  
>"See, I've had this really crappy few days," he said angrily, "so I'm beginning to lose my patience." He leans on the table and glares at Poole. "So whatever you can do to make this easier may work in your favor."<br>"Where? At my trial? In front of a judge and jury of my peers?" He asked sarcastically. "We both know that's not gonna happen. They're gonna put me in some deep, dark hole at Area 51, never to be heard from again, and nothing I say or do now is gonna make any difference."  
>"Well, maybe not for you. What about the girl?"<br>"She didn't know that this technology was obtained illegally. She's completely innocent."  
>"Well, like you said, there isn't gonna be a trial."<br>"But she's helping you!"  
>"Not good enough." He straightens up and looks down at him. "What's it gonna be, Doc?"<p>

҉

**SEARCH AREA**

At the location of the Replicator, Ronon, Illyria, John, Bates and Poole are gathered with several military men.  
>"All right, where do we start?" Ronon asked.<br>Illyria turned to Poole. "Well, Doctor?"  
>The map which Bill pulled up earlier has been printed and stuck to the side of a large van. The area looks like docks on the edge of a river.<br>"He's in defensive mode. Basically, he's hiding. He'll be where he's least likely to encounter people."  
>Bates points to an area on the map. "That would be this warehouse here. It's been abandoned for months. The company went bankrupt."<br>Poole looks at the sergeant standing nearby who is readying an A.R.G. He points to the gun. "And you won't need these. He's been specifically designed to be resistant to current anti-Replicator technology."  
>"So what do we hit him with?" Illyria asked.<br>"Well, without access to base materials, he has a limited ability to self-repair." Poole sighs. "But if you insist on damaging him, conventional weapons ought to do the trick, although you'll need a fair amount of fire power."  
>"Fire power we can do." John said. "What's he gonna do when he sees us?"<br>"He'll continue to evade as long as possible. He'll counter-attack only as a last resort."  
>Illyria nods at John as she turns to addresses the soldiers. "Listen up. Let's try to get this right the first time. We are going operate in teams of two. Your objective is to find the target, and once you do that, you will not engage him. You will radio in his position. We will co-ordinate, see if we can't enclose him into a corner, at which point we will bring as much force to bear as we can and take him out."<p>

"Let's do this," John called out, cocking his gun.  
>They start to head off in different directions.)<br>"Doctor Poole, you're with me." Bates said.  
>The sergeant offers Ronon a rifle, but he said, "No, I'm good." He takes his blaster out of a bag. As the soldier walks away, Illyria looks at John, cleaning her gun. Even though she was staying in the van with two guards, John still insisted on protection. "How're you doing?"<br>John shrugs.  
>"It's one hell of a week." Ronon said.<br>"Yeah."  
>Ronon pats John's back sympathetically, and John kisses his wife on the cheek as they head out.<br>Around the area of the warehouse, the teams begin to search. Bates leads Poole along a narrow gap between two buildings, then holds up his hand and stops.  
>"What is it?" Poole asked.<br>"It's him." Bates said, activating his radio. "Colonel Sheppard, come in."  
>"<em>Go ahead."<em>  
>Bates gets out a small pair of binoculars and looks through them as, in the distance, the Replicator opens the door to a building and goes inside. "We've got a visual on the target. He's hiding out in a building about a hundred yards due east of my start position. Looks like he's alone."<p>

"_You get all that, Illyria?"_ John asked.

"_Yes_," she reported over the radio. "_I shall mark it on the map_."  
>"<em>Bates<em>," John said. "_Stay put. We'll be there in a minute_."  
>"Understood. Bates out."<br>He deactivates his radio. Poole, who had wandered off a little while Bates was talking, promptly whacks him around the back of his head with a large plank of wood. Bates drops to the ground unconscious. Poole drops the plank and hurries towards the building. Opening the door, he goes inside.  
>"Hello? It's OK. You can come out now. I'm here to help you!"<br>He turns as he hears a noise behind him. The Replicator steps out of its hiding place and starts to walk slowly and hesitantly towards him.  
>"Good. OK, listen to me: there are men out there who are looking for you. It's all right – they won't hurt you as long as I can convince them that you're not a threat."<br>"How did you find me?" The replicator asked.  
>"Your nanites give off an energy signature. We were able to track it. That's why you can't run anymore." Poole walks closer to it. "You have to do as I say. You have to self-deactivate." The Replicator shakes its head. "You've done it before in the lab many times. I was always right there to help you get back online. This isn't any different." The Replicator bows its head. Poole walks closer. "You have to trust me." The Replicator looks up at him hopefully. "Everything is gonna be all right."<br>The Replicator surges forward and seizes him by the throat. It looks at him regretfully. "I'm sorry."  
>Outside, John and Ronon run around the corner and stop as they see Bates lying on the ground. They run towards him, Ronon checking the area while John squats down to Bates, then activates his radio.<br>"Apollo, this is Sheppard. I need you to beam up Agent Bates immediately." John switched channels. "Illyria, Bates is down, but alive. Apollo is beaming him up."

"_Copy that_."  
>"Where's Doctor Poole?" Ronon asked, looking around. They head into the building, aiming their weapons, and begin to look around. "Hey. Over here."<br>He has found Poole lying on the floor. John trots over to him and puts his fingers against his neck.  
>"He's dead."<p>

APOLLO  
>"<em>Doctor Lee, come in<em>." Illyria's voice came in over the radio.  
>"Uh, yeah, go ahead."<br>"_We have a problem. Poole is dead_." Nearby, Ava turns around and looks at Bill in horror. "_Are you still tracking the Replicator?"_  
>"Uh, yeah, just hang on." He types. "OK, I've got him. He's on the move. He's heading south – he's right by-" Just then, his screen fritzes and the map disappears. The message "SIGNAL LOST" comes up. "Woah!"<br>"_What_?"  
>"Uh, I-I just lost the signal."<br>"_Shit_!" Illyria said. Lee raised his eyebrows, never having heard her utter a foul word.  
>"It wasn't me. I mean, he just disappeared."<br>"_Get him back online. Colonel Sheppard and Ronon are going after him_."  
>On the ground, Ronon and John run outside and look around. A few seconds later they hear gunfire in the distance and run towards the sound. They find the sergeant lying on the ground, conscious but very groggy.<br>"Sorry, sir. I know we weren't supposed to engage but he came from out of nowhere. He hit us before we knew what was happening."  
>Ronon runs to a second soldier lying on the ground and puts his fingers to his neck.<br>"All right, you'll be okay, Sarge. Sit tight." John told him.  
>He looks across to Ronon, who shakes his head to indicate that the other soldier is dead. More soldiers approach. John walks over to Ronon while looking at the new arrivals and jerking his thumb back to the sergeant.<br>"Take care of him." John turned to Ronon. "All right, so much for evasion."  
>"He's desperate." Ronon said. "He knows we've got him trapped."<br>John activates his radio. "This is Sheppard. Change of plans: fall back, create a defensive perimeter. Ronon and I are gonna flush him out."  
>"Let's go."<br>They run off, leaving the soldiers tending to the sergeant, and make their way to a metal staircase leading up a wall. John trots up it, reaches the top and aims his rifle carefully over the other side of the wall before going down the staircase on the other side. Nearby, the Replicator breaks cover and slides down another staircase above John. John spins around and fires at it but it jumps over the side and drops down another level. Hearing the shot, Ronon turns and starts to head back. The Replicator drops to the ground and one of John's bullets hit it squarely in the side of the leg, making a sizeable hole, but the wound is already beginning to heal, although it remains silver rather than becoming flesh-colored again. The Replicator races off with John firing after it.  
>"I'm heading south-east toward the water." John said into his radio.<br>"_Copy that_." Ronon called back, chasing off in the same direction.  
>The Replicator runs into view and Ronon fires his blaster at it. It runs into a building and hurls itself down a flight of metal stairs. Reaching the bottom, it stops and backs quietly into the darkness as Ronon comes cautiously down, aiming his blaster through the rungs. He checks the immediate area carefully, then moves off in a direction away from where we saw the Replicator go.<br>Shortly afterwards, the Replicator races along a corridor. John steps into its path and fires directly into its chest. The Replicator stops, bits of its silver innards flying off in slivers, then turns and runs back the way it came. John fires into its back and more silver slivers fly out but it keeps running.

John chases after it.

It bursts out of a door and turns right, only to find soldiers running towards it, firing. It turns and runs in the other direction. John runs to the doorway and looks out cautiously, making sure he doesn't get into the firing line of the soldiers, then comes out and fires towards the fleeing Replicator, which screeches to a halt as Ronon walks into its path. To its left is the wall of the building. To its right is the river. It turns and trots back to a nearby crane and begins to climb. John, Ronon and the soldiers fire up at it as it continues to climb. Ronon starts to scramble up after it. John and the soldiers continue firing until Ronon gets high enough to be dangerously near the area they are firing at.  
>"Hold your fire!" John yelled.<br>Ronon reaches the same gantry that the Replicator is on. It turns and runs along the gantry but there's nowhere for it to go. It looks down into the river below, then turns and looks at Ronon, who stops and aims his blaster at it. It jumps off the gantry and plunges into the river. Everyone runs to the edge of the pier and looks down, aiming their weapons expectantly...but the Replicator doesn't surface again.

҉

**LATER**

**DUSK**

A small boat awaits the return of divers. Bates, holding an ice pack to the back of his head, is walking along the pier with Illyria and Ronon. John walks up from behind them and drapes a warm coat over his wife's shoulders.  
>"We checked the whole area twice. No sign of him." Bates reported.<br>"Which means he can be anywhere by now." Ronon said.  
>"What about the tracking system?" John asked.<br>"Doctor Lee's working on it but the sensors haven't picked up anything yet. He must have found a way to mask his signal." Bates said.  
>"Great! Back to square one, then."<p>

҉

**APOLLO**

John, Illyria, Ronon and Bates have returned to the ship.  
>"Sorry, guys….and gal," Lee nodded at Illyria. "I managed to boost the sensitivity two hundred percent but I still can't pick anything up."<br>"How is it going with those files from the lab?" Illyria asked, sighing. John pulled up a chair and helped her sit down in it.  
>"Well, I'm running a decryption program but it's slow going. I may have to make a few tweaks."<br>"Focus on that for now, Doctor."  
>"We don't know there's anything in there that's gonna help us track him."<br>"I know, but something's not right." John said.  
>"What do you mean?" Bates asked.<br>"Well, why'd Poole go in there? Why'd he risk his life?"  
>"He thought he could talk the Replicator in." Ronon said.<br>"Even if that worked – even if we decided not to destroy that thing, it doesn't change the fact that Poole's going away forever."  
>"Maybe he didn't wanna see his life's work destroyed." Bates suggested.<br>"That's what he wanted us to think, but I'm not buying it." John said. "He's been spoon-fed half this technology; he stole the rest. No – he wanted to save the Replicator 'cause he thought it would do him some good. I'm thinking he's got a buyer – somebody who can get him out of this if he delivers the goods."  
>"I know the type: military – or ex-military. Probably a colonel. Not a general – too high-profile. Regular I.O.A. channels won't help. These guys operate in the shadows with no official authorization."<br>"That way, everyone's ass is covered."  
>"So, where does this leave us?" Ronon asked.<br>John sighs.

҉

**WASHINGTON**

**DAYTIME**

In a park, John sits on a bench waiting and watching his kids kick a ball around. Nancy walks over and joins him on the bench.

"Cute kids," Nancy said, a smile on her lips as she watched them.

"They are something," John smiled too.

"Gosh," Nany sighed, looking over at him. "You really have changed, haven't you?"

"Since our divorce five years ago?" He looked back at his kids. "Yeah, I can say I have."

"I'm not just talking about marriage and kids, although…"

John looked over at her, confused. "Although?"

She shook her head, sighing. "Well, this is a surprise."  
>"Why's that?"<br>"Two John Sheppard encounters in two days? I hardly saw you that much when we were married. What can I do for you?"  
>"Uh, I need a favor. Um, I need as much information as possible about a project possibly codenamed Archetype."<br>"You want me to use my security clearance to get you classified information?"  
>"Well, I didn't say it was a small favor."<br>"Do you know how hard I've worked to get to where I am? If I get caught doing something like this, I could lose everything."  
>"Well, I know! I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important."<br>Nancy sighs. "All right. What's it about?"  
>"I can't tell ya."<br>"Ah, that's typical!"  
>"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"<br>"I haven't seen you in over five years, since the day our divorce was finalized I might add, and now you want me to put my job on the line and you won't even tell me why?!"  
>"All right, when you put it that way, it sounds a little crappy."<br>"Well, I'm glad you noticed! It's too bad you didn't a little bit earlier – say, like when we were still together? When I think back to all those times that you would just take that call and leave – no apologies, no explanations ... For all I knew, you were halfway around the world, flying secret missions into Somalia."  
>"That's ridiculous." The small bal rols over to him and he kicked it back to Patrick. "I've never been to Somalia."<br>"North Korea, then."  
>"There's a big difference."<br>"I put up with your secrets then, John. I don't have to do it now."  
>John nods understandingly. "Right."<p>

҉

**STANTON RESEARCH FACILITY**

Ava is packing some items into a box with a guard is watching her when Illyria walks in. John had told her to stay at the SGC, but she thought if he could see his ex, she could see Ava.  
>"Hey."<br>"Queen Sheppard. They said I could come, take some of his personal things."  
>"I am sorry about what happened."<br>"Me too. He died thinking I betrayed him."  
>"Well, you don't know that."<br>"It's nice of you to say, but this project meant everything to him."  
>"Maybe you meant something to him too." She walked over to a desk and sat down. "You never know what people are thinking."<br>"Even those you're closest to?"  
>"Especially those." She frowns, lost in thought. Ava looks at him.)<br>"Queen Sheppard?"  
>She pulls herself together and looks up at her. "Look, I know this is not a good time, but I have got to ask you something."<br>"What is it?"  
>"Did anyone else know about this project?"<br>"No."  
>"No-one came to check on your progress?"<br>"Richard and I were the only ones who had access to the lab."  
>"Was he in contact with anyone, maybe from the military – phone, e-mails?"<br>"Not that I know of.  
>"All right." Illyria stands and starts to leave.<br>"Queen Sheppard, how's it coming with the sensors?"  
>Illyria turned back to her. "It's not, but Doctor Lee says he's pretty close to breaking the encryption code."<br>"I thought that was impossible."  
>Illyria smiled. "Guess not."<p>

She walked into the hall, clicked an inconspicuous button on her wrist band, and was beamed aboard the Apollo.

҉

**APOLLO**

Illyria walks into Bill's lab; he and Ronon were sitting at a Lab table.  
>"How is it going?" Illyria asked.<br>"I was just about to call you," Ronon said, standing an offering his chair to her. She smiled and accepted his help.  
>"I managed to open those files from the lab." Lee said.<br>"Nice work. Anything interesting?" Illyria asked.  
>"Yeah, you could say that." He pulls up a file onto the screen which has Ava's photograph on it. "Stanton Research personnel records. That is Ava Dixon's file. She was in a car accident last December – head-on collision. She's been dead for almost a year."<p>

҉

**STANTON RESEARCH FACILITY**

John, Ronon and Bates burst into the lab; their guns raised, but find only the guard lying on the floor. John checks the pulse at his neck.  
>"Is he dead?" Ronon asked.<br>"No, but he's gonna have a hell of a headache."  
>Bates picks up a sheet of paper from a desk and looks at it. "Sheppard."<br>He hands the paper to John, who reads it aloud. "'Queen Sheppard. I never meant for any of this to happen. I am so very sorry. Ava.'"  
>He crumbles up the paper and throws it to the floor, and they leave the room.<p>

҉

**APOLLO**  
>"So – she's a Replicator." Ronon said, pacing around Lee's lab.<br>"Yeah, looks that way." Lee said. "I got two sets of blueprints – one male and one female."  
>"What about the sensors?" Illyria asked.<br>"Ah, we've got nothing. She's masking her energy signature, same way the other one did."  
>"Doesn't make any sense. She came to us." Bates said, looking around at everyone in the room. "Why didn't she just keep her mouth shut?"<br>"Why didn't she kill the guard?" Lee asked.  
>"C'mon – a Replicator with a conscience?!" John asked.<br>"Well, her programming is distinct from the other one. He's a military model; she's designed for social interaction, simulation of emotions, maybe even empathy. He built her to replace a dead woman from his past."  
>"Does that mean she can't kill?" Bates asked.<br>"I'd say it's less likely, but not impossible."  
>"Well, we need 'em both. Anything useful left in those files?" John asked.<br>"Well, not much so far."  
>A male voice comes over the comms. "<em>Colonel Sheppard, come in."<em>  
>"Yeah, it's Sheppard. Go ahead."<br>"_You've got an urgent message, sir, relayed through Peterson."_  
>John frowns and heads out of the room.<p>

҉

**WASHINGTON**

John sits in a parked car, waiting. As he checks his watch, Nancy opens the passenger door and gets in.  
>"Well, you've really got the cloak and dagger thing down."<br>"I learned from the best."  
>She hands him a memory stick. "It's everything I could find on Archetype. It's not much, but whatever it is, no-one will touch it with a ten foot pole."<br>"I owe you one."  
>"Damn right you do!" She smiles briefly. "You know, it's funny – when you and I were together, I couldn't stand it when you wouldn't be able to tell me where you were going or what you were doing. And now, every once in a while, I catch Grant looking at me the same way." John looks at her sympathetically. "Does Illyria know what you do?"<p>

John nodded silently. "We work together…closely."

"I guess that the key to making it work with you, huh?" Nancy lost her smile and looked at him. "When I was doing my snooping around, I took the liberty of asking a few questions about you, John."  
>"That's probably not such a good idea."<br>"Yeah, I got that impression. I've seen walls go up quickly before, but never like this. And whatever you're into, it's obviously big and – my guess – is very dangerous." She puts her hand on his arm. "I just want you to be careful."  
>"Well, you know me."<br>"Yeah, that's the problem." John smiles at her faintly. "Take care of that family of yours, John."  
>She gets out of the car and walks away.<p>

҉

**APOLLO**

Bill and the others are looking through the information which Nancy provided.  
>"She wasn't kidding. So far, it's a whole lot of nothing. I mean, lab requisitions, non-disclosure agreements. Oh, here's an exciting one: an internal memo reminding employees not to use the south parking lot due to ongoing re-paving!" He calls up the next screen and looks more interested. "Hold on."<br>"What is it?" Illyria asked.  
>"It's a Shipping Waybill with instructions to deliver a load of pre-assembled masonry panels to a warehouse in Redding."<br>"So?" John asked.  
>"So – "pre-assembled masonry panels" – that was a code word we used a few months back to identify shipments of neutronium." John shrugs. "Neutronium – it's the base element from which nanites are made. You guys damaged him, right? So if he wants to fully repair, he's gonna need this.<br>"He's gonna go for the warehouse."  
>"Yeah, exactly."<br>"Assuming he knows where it is." Bates said.  
>"Well, to be perfectly honest, we don't have anything else." Lee told him.<br>"It is a good point." Illyria said.  
>"All right. I'll set up a stake-out and if he shows up, we'll know about it." Bates leaves the room and Ronon looks at John.<br>"This could be our last shot at this guy. We've gotta make sure he goes down for good this time."  
>"It's not gonna be easy." Lee said. "I mean, if this was the movies, we'd dip him into a vat of molten steel, or a volcano." He laughs, then looks at Illyria who has narrowed her eyes at him. "You know, the fires from whence he came."<br>"What the hell's he talking about?" Ronon asked John.  
>"That's a really good idea!" John said.<br>"Really?" Ronon, Lee, and Illyria asked simultaneously.

҉

**REDDING WAREHOUSE**

John, Ronon and several soldiers are lurking inside the warehouse, hiding behind various containers. A voice comes over John's headset.  
><em> "Sheppard, this is Apollo. We're all set."<em>  
>"Understood."<br>"Are you sure he's gonna show up?" Ronon asked.  
>"The I.O.A. said they spotted him nearby."<br>"And what if he spotted them?"  
>John shrugs and activates his radio. "Bates. See anything?"<br>"_Negative. All quiet over here."_  
>John turned back to Ronon. "Be patient. He'll show up."<br>Just then, the Replicator shows up. It jumps down from somewhere high and grabs a couple of soldiers by the neck with each hand, yanking backwards to snap their necks before dropping them to the floor. Ronon stands up and shoots it straight in the chest with his blaster. It recoils, then turns and runs.

Ronon races to cut it off but it grabs him, punches him, kicks him, then backhands him across the floor. As it tries to run off, John shoots it dead center in the back. It turns and heads back towards him. John snatches a small device from his vest but before he can do anything with it, the Replicator kicks him hard in the stomach, sending him flying across the room. He crashes into a crate and falls to the floor, winded.

The Replicator walks across to him, picks him up and slams him against the crate again, wrapping its hand around his throat. Slowly, John begins to suffocate.  
>All seems lost when Ava appears as if out of nowhere, grabs the Replicator and hurls it across the floor. She looks down at John as he slumps to the floor, gasping, then she walks across to the Replicator as it tries to stand and kicks it in the face.<p>

It springs up and they begin to fight. They're equally matched and the fight goes on for some time. Nearby, John is too breathless to help Ava, and Ronon is only just rousing from unconsciousness. The Replicators fight on. Eventually the male Replicator hurls Ava hard against a crate and, as she falls to the floor, it picks up a gas cylinder and slams it across her head. It looks down at her.  
>"You should not have interfered."<br>Dropping the cylinder, it kicks her across the room. She smashes into another crate and slumps to the floor. Ronon has finally got to his feet and grabs the Replicator from behind, landing several punches before it rallies and grabs him by the throat, slamming him up against a crate. John crawls across the floor and picks up the device he was holding earlier.

Lifting it, he presses it and a blade springs out of it. As the Replicator continues strangling Ronon, John charges up behind it and slams the blade into its side. The Replicator drops Ronon and turns towards John, its expression murderous.

John yells out, "Now!"  
>A transporter beam whisks the Replicator away and Ava scrambles to her feet. "What happened? Where did you send him?"<br>"Low Earth orbit. I know by experience, re-entry's a bitch," John said, slumping to the floor, exhausted.  
>In the blackness of space, the Replicator rematerializes. Flailing its arms and legs in helpless horror, it begins to plunge downwards into the Earth's atmosphere. Its extremities begin to burn, then its face ignites and finally the heat becomes too much and it disintegrates.<p>

҉

**APOLLO**

John, Ronon, Illyria, Bill and Bates stand watching a screen showing a live feed of Ava sitting at the table in the holding cell.  
>"The I.O.A. isn't just gonna let her go." Bates said.<br>"If she had stayed away, we never would have found her." Illyria said. "The only reason she's here is because she chose to help us."  
>"Yeah, I know." John said.<br>"She's a machine." Bates said.  
>"Well, we're all machines – just different kinds, you know." Lee said.<br>"What about if we took her to a different planet – somewhere with no people where she can't do any harm?" Ronon asked.  
>"I do not think that's much of a reward." Illyria said, grimacing.<br>"The I.O.A. would never agree to let her leave Earth anyway." Bates said.  
>"She could work at Stargate Command. She would be a valuable asset." Lee reasoned.<br>"She'd be a constant security threat."  
>"We don't know that!"<br>"No, he's right." John said. "There's no escaping the fact she's still a Replicator."  
>"So, what then?" Ronon asked.<br>Illyria looks at the screen thoughtfully before saying, "I have an idea."

҉

**SOME TIME LATER**

Illyria and Ava are walking in a park on Earth.  
>"How are you settling in to your new life?" Illyria asked.<br>"It's a bit of an adjustment. One of the stipulations of my release is that I don't look for a job in any scientific field." Ava smiled nervously. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do."  
>"Well, I am sure you will figure something out."<br>"I wanted to thank you, your Highness. I know they never would have agreed to let me go if you hadn't put in a word for me."  
>"You saved my husband's life – putting a word in is the least I can do."<br>"I have to admit: I'm a little scared. I mean, I know these emotions are supposed to be artificial, but they seem pretty real to me."  
>Illyria smiled reassuringly. "What have you got to be scared about?"<br>"Well, I've never really been alone before. Richard was the closest thing I ever had to family." She stops and turns to her. "Anyway, it was nice for you to check up on me. I guess we'll never see each other again."  
>"One thing I have learned about my business is to never say never."<br>"Goodbye, your Highness." Ava nodded respectfully and walked away. Illyria turns and watches her go, then simply vanishes.  
>Back at Stargate Command, a stasis pod similar to the ones seen on the Aurora slides out of the wall. The lid of the pod lifts and Illyria is lying inside. She opens her eyes as John walks over to her.<br>"So? How was it in there?" He asked.  
>John helped her with sitting up and getting out while she said, "It's very nice work on Doctor Lee's part. Very convincing."<br>"Yeah. He's just glad we were able to download her consciousness intact." John smiled at her. "Anyway, now she has a whole virtual world to explore."  
>Illyria smiled back. "It should keep her pretty busy for a while."<br>Ronon is sitting at a desk nearby. "So, uh, what happened to the rest of her?"  
>"They deactivated the bond between her nanites, effectively breaking her into base elements." Illyria told him. Ronon looks at her for a moment, then looks across to John for a translation.<br>"They scrapped her."  
>"Yeah. So, we headin' back?" Ronon asked.<br>"Yeah. You go ahead. I've got a few things to take care of." Taking Illyria by the hand, they walked out of the room. Frowning, Ronon turns around on his stool and watches them go.  
>An hour or so later, a taxi pulls up in the drive of a house and John, Illyria, and the twins get out from the back seat. John braces himself for a moment, then turns to see an encouraging smile on Illyria's face. He smiled, kissed her quick, held on to his kids hands, and walked up to the front door, knocking on it. His brother Dave opens the door and looks at him in surprise. John gazes back at him, uncertain of his welcome. After a moment, Dave nods.<br>"Come in."  
>Smiling slightly, John walks inside. Dave smiles down at the kids as they rush in and closes the door behind them.<p> 


	67. Chapter 65

**ATLANTIS**

Colonel John Sheppard, Queen Illyria Shepard, Doctor Rodney McKay and Doctor Jennifer Keller walk into the Gateroom. John, Rodney and Jennifer are geared up and have just returned from offworld. As they talk, they head up the stairs to the Control Room before entering Illyria's office.  
>"Which planet is this, again?" Illyria asked.<br>"M5V-801." John said.  
>"The one with the frequent tremors." McKay said.<br>"Not to mention an abnormally number of people with debilitating respiratory problems." Jennifer added.  
>"It's a mining planet. It's not that surprising." McKay told her.<br>"How long have you worked in the mines, Rodney?"  
>"Get to the point, guys." John said.<br>"They're experiencing upwards of four tremors a day. My seismic teams concluded that the area where they built their settlement is dangerously unstable-"  
>"Not to mention my environmental and air quality tests came out way into the red." Jennifer interrupted.<br>"My analysis was enough, thank you."  
>"Well, obviously it wasn't enough for them. Anyway, these people said they've experienced tremors for as long as they can remember."<br>"Yes, and I'm pretty sure they've been breathing even longer, so, again, my problem trumps yours."  
>"This is not a contest." Illyria sighed. "Obviously they are living in a settlement that is not safe for habitation. You need to convince them to move to another part of the continent."<br>"Well, we tried. It's not working." John said.  
>"Why not?"<br>"Twenty years ago, the Genii kind of took over the planet and employed 'em all as miners."  
>"Mining what?"<br>"Haven't a clue," McKay said, "but whatever it was, they cleaned out the deposits and left."  
>"So...?" Illyria asked.<br>"So they think we're like the Genii and they want their cut." John said.  
>"Ah," Illyria nodded. She sat down heavily in her desk chair, waving John off as he tried to help her. "Are they willing to move, though?"<br>"They are, but they have a list of demands a mile and a half long." Jennifer said.  
>"And negotiating with alien settlements is not exactly why I joined the Air Force." John smiled dow at her, sitting on the edge of her desk.<br>Jennifer turned to Illyria. "We were hoping you could spare someone-"

"Why not her?" McKay asked, talking over her. "I mean, she is the best, and it would save us a lot of time back and forth."

"No!" John and Jennifer said in unison.

"Why not?" McKay asked.

"She's pregnant, Rodney." John said.

"And on strict no offworlding unless it's an emergency." Jennifer said.

"On who's orders?" McKay asked.

"Mine." Illyria said. "And although this is an emergency, and we do need a skilled ambassador of sorts, I obviously can't go."

McKay rolled his eye and sighed. "There goes my week."

"That is why," Illyria continued, "I'm sending Lt. Colonel Jeremy Renner in my stead."

"Renner?" John asked, turning to her. "He's had no practice with negotiating."

"Colonel Renner is here as my second, correct? To aid me in any way I see fit from fetching me water to negotiating treaties offworld. No over the past few months, I have been coaching him in the basics of this job." She smiled up at him. "Jeremy is ready."

"Okay." John sighed, getting up. "I'll free up his afternoon."  
>"Appreciate that, John." John, Rodney and Jennifer turn to leave, but Illyria called, "Jennifer, Rodney." The two of them turn back to her. "He'll meet you at the Gate in one hour."<br>"Uh," McKay whined, "I was rather hoping he'd go by himself and I wouldn't..."  
>"One hour."<br>Rodney sighs and leaves.

҉

**ONE HOUR LATER**

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>M5V-801<strong>

Jeremy, Rodney and Jennifer are walking across a large open grassy area.

"Man," Jennifer said, breathing heavily. "I've gotta start doing more cardio! All this back and forth is getting me winded. We couldn't have taken the Jumper?"  
>"Oh, suck it up." McKay said. "It's not that bad. I have to hike this much almost every day."<br>"You do?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Yeah. I'm a very active person."<br>"You are?!"  
>"Your last physical would kind of contradict you." Jennifer said.<br>"That is private medical information that should not so cavalierly be shared in casual conversation, Doctor." McKay glared.  
>"I don't think it comes as a great surprise to the colonel." Jennifer said, grinning over at Jeremy.<br>"That's not the point, you know?" McKay said. "I'm no Ronon – I'm not gonna be on the cover of "Shape" magazine any time soon..." Jeremy chuckles silently and Jennifer joins in. "...but I can handle myself in combat; stand my ground when I need to."  
>Just then the ground gives way under his feet and he drops from view.<br>"Rodney!" Jennifer yelled and Jeremy grabbed her arm.  
>"Don't move." They stare at the hole that Rodney disappeared into. A moment later they hear him groan. Jeremy turns to Jennifer. "Get down on your stomach – spread out your weight." Lying down on their stomachs, they carefully crawl to the edge of the hole and look down as Rodney groans again. "Doctor McKay? Rodney, are you all right?"<br>Rodney is lying on his back at the bottom of what looks like a cavern, about thirty feet deep. "Ow."  
>"Oh, thank God." Jeremy sighed, smiling. "Shepard would have killed me."<br>"Don't move, OK?" Jennifer called down.  
>"Not a problem."<br>The area he is lying in is clearly not a natural cavern. The floor is smooth, although now covered with earth that fell into the hole with Rodney, and there are some broken planks near him, together with a large wooden crate.  
>"We're gonna head back to the Gate, try to get some help." Jeremy said.<br>"Just try to stay as still-"  
>At that moment, the ground underneath them gives way. Jeremy yells and Jennifer screams as they plunge into the cavern.<br>In the cavern, dust billows all around. Unlit electric lights hang from the ceiling on long cables and now that there is more natural light in the room, several wooden crates of differing sizes scattered around the place. Luckily the Colonel and the Doctor didn't land on top of any of them, and they and Rodney are all lying on the floor and are conscious.  
>"Don't move if you feel any shooting pains." Jennifer told them.<br>"I would never move if that was the case." McKay said.  
>Cautiously, Jennifer and Jeremy sit up. Jeremy looks them over. "Well, it doesn't look like any of us are bleeding."<br>"At least externally." McKay said.  
>"Well, that's a godsend." Jennifer sighed. Groaning, the three of them slowly stand up. Jennifer looks at the earth, dust and broken wooden planks on the floor. "This whole place is a tetanus shot waiting to happen. In fact, where the hell are we?"<br>Straightening up, Rodney looks around and sees a familiar large metal symbol on the wall. He sighs in exasperation and jerks his thumb towards the symbol. "I'd guess the Genii mining facility."  
>"They just don't build 'em like they used to, huh?" Jeremy joked.<br>"I am particularly not fond of the ceiling work." McKay squinted at the ceiling.  
>"If this is part of a larger facility..." Jennifer trailed off.<br>"...then there should be a way for us to walk out of here." Jeremy finished as he goes to a blue-painted door on the left. Rodney goes to another door on the right. This one is painted red and has a large airlock-type wheel in the middle of it. As he takes hold of the wheel, Jeremy turns and calls to him. "Little help here."  
>"What about this one?"<br>Jeremy shook his head. "Red means bad."  
>"Ooh. Yeah, can't argue with that logic." He said sarcastically as he goes to the other door as Jeremy and Jennifer try to tug it open. He looks at a keypad on the wall beside the door. "Well, d'you see this? That's not gonna budge unless we enter the right code. Look, these symbols are Genii numerals."<br>"Yeah, but you can crack the code, though, right?" Jennifer asked.

Sam and Rodney talk over each other. It's hard to hear what they say but both sentences end the same.

"...electronic."

"...electronic. What he said."  
>"What he says."<br>"I mean, it's not impossible, though, right?"  
>"No. No, it's just ... highly, highly unlikely."<br>"OK, so..." Jeremy points to the red door "...door number two?"  
>"After you, Monty."<br>Jeremy leads him over to the door, rubbing his left shoulder with his right hand as he goes. He and Rodney both take hold of the wheel. "OK, on three. One, two, three."  
>They tug on the wheel but it won't turn. Rodney sighs. "There goes that plan."<br>Jeremy looks around the room. "Wait a minute, wait a minute." He picks up a long heavy metal rod and takes it to the door. He and Rodney insert the rod into the wheel. "OK, three: one, two, three, go."  
>They lean onto the rod as hard as they can and the wheel turns a little. Rodney pulls the rod out and Jeremy reaches for the wheel.<br>"Wait, whoa-whoa-whoa. What if ... what if that door was sealed for a reason?" Jennifer asked, panicked.  
>"What, you think maybe there's a scary monster back there?" McKay asked with a sarcastic expression on his face.<br>"No! But this is a mining facility and who knows what kind of toxins are in there? Like you said, red means bad."  
>McKay nods a little nervously, taking her point. Jeremy looks around the room, then looks back at the others. "I'm willing to take the chance."<p>

Rodney and Jennifer don't look very happy but realize that they have no choice. He and Jeremy push hard on the door and it swings open. Jeremy gasps as he sees what's behind it.  
>"Woah!"<br>Clinging onto the door frame, he and Rodney look through the doorway. There's a long drop beneath them. On the other side of the chasm are horizontal shafts dug into the rock. Daylight appears to be coming from the far end of the shafts. In the distance there are large metal boxes – about the same size as the room they're in – on stilts. There's no way for the team to get into the mine from where they are. Rodney gazes at the sight in horror.  
>"Well, I guess in Genii, red means screwed."<br>Unseen by the team, only about two thirds of the room is built onto earth or rock. The entire side of the room where the red door is is supported on metal stilts.  
>"Okay…" Jeremy sighed. He tugs the door closed again, then looks at his watch. "Okay, look, it's ... we've been in the field for, what, half an hour? We've got another five before we need to check in, so the safest thing for us to do is just sit tight and wait." Rodney goes back to the other door and the keypad on the wall. "When we don't check in, Illyria'll send a team. Our radios should work down here, right?"<br>"Yeah, they should."  
>Jeremy was looking inside a metal locker to see if there's anything useful in there. "Okay, so we sit and wait."<br>Finding nothing, he closes the locker door again. He tries another locker.

"Okay." Jennifer sits down on a box and watches as Rodney starts trying to pry the keypad open while Jeremy investigates the rest of the room. "Anyone bring any cards?"  
>Jeremy laughs ruefully and reaches into his flack jacket pocet, pulling out a deck of cards. He hands them to Jennifer and she raises he eyebrows.<p>

"What?" Jeremy asked.

"Stripers?" She held up a card. It had a naked woman with war pain makeup and a machine gun strategically placed.

Jeremy smiled wolfishly and winks. "They were a gift."

"From who?"

Jeremy's smile grew. "My priest."  
>Just then the room begins to shake. Rodney stares up in horror. "Tremor!"<br>Jennifer jumps up off her box, clutching the deck of cards, and whimpers as earth starts to fall down from the ceiling. Jeremy pulls her to him and clings onto the wall, looking around nervously as the room begins to creak ominously. After several seconds the tremor subsides.  
>"That sounded very very bad." McKay said.<p>

Jennifer looks up at Jeremy and smiles. Realizing that he had pulled her into his arms during the tremors, he let her go and stepped away, saying, "Uh, what do you suppose the probability is that this room is on the same kind of metal stilts as those other rooms we saw over there?"  
>"Very high."<br>"But this one's more stable, right?" Jennifer asked nervously. "I mean, we're still standing."  
>"Yeah, but with the three of us and this dirt, we've just added, what, three, four hundred pounds?" Jeremy guessed.<br>"Uh, I'd say about five hundred." McKay said, looking down at himself.  
>"Right. And this region experiences how many tremors a day?" Jeremy asked.<br>"Four times a day at least."  
>Jeremy closes his eyes and lowers his head. Jennifer sighed and said, "What is it? What's wrong?<br>Jeremy turned to her. "The supports that are stopping this room from dropping into the chasm are gonna rapidly destabilize now that we've added all this extra weight."  
>"I don't think we're gonna be able to just wait for Atlantis to figure out we're missing." McKay said.<br>"You're right." Jeremy nodded. "We're gonna have to find a way out of here."  
>He and Rodney look up to the hole in the ceiling.<br>"Well, there are a lot of crates in here." Jennifer said.  
>"Yeah, rickety old ones!" McKay shouted. "I killed, like, three of them on the way down!"<br>"Yeah, but maybe we could make, like, a pyramid – stack 'em up, climb out."  
>"I don't think there's enough to-"<br>"There are, actually – just barely enough to get us high enough, but we should be able to make it work." Jeremy said, backing up Jennifer.  
>"D'you think they'll support our weight?" McKay asked him.<br>"There's only one way to find out."  
>Rodney sighs. They get to work. As Jeremy and Rodney start moving the crates into position, Jennifer uses a large piece of broken metal to shovel the earth out of the red door to reduce the weight of the room. Rodney groans at the exertion and turns to Jeremy.<br>"All right, look. If we're actually gonna do this, I figure we need to stack these things, like, twenty feet high in order to climb out, so no matter how we build it, it's gonna be unstable."  
>"Well, only one person has to climb it."<p>

Having finished removing the earth, Jennifer pulls the door closed again and walks over to the others. As Jeremy looks at her, her eyes widen.  
>"Oh, no. I'm kind of awful with heights, so..."<br>"So, Jeremy goes." McKay said.  
>"What, you're not even gonna consider yourself?" Jeremy asked him.<br>"It's heights! I'm probably worse than she is!"  
>Jeremy sighs. "Let's get started."<br>"All right."  
>McKay helps Jeremy up onto one of the crates and they start to build. Sometime later Jeremy is three layers high. Jennifer strains as she hands another crate up to Rodney who is standing on the first level. He groans and pushes it up to Jeremy who settles it in place. All the wood starts to creak ominously.<p>

"Maybe ... maybe you should come down from there. It sounds like it's..." Jennifer trailed off. Trying to ignore the sound, Jeremy carefully kneels up and adjusts the last crate. Leaning on it, he cautiously starts to stand. As he straightens up and looks up to the ceiling, the side of one of the crates on the first layer bursts open and the entire structure topples over, throwing Jeremy to the floor.  
>"Renner!" McKay yelled.<br>Jennifer hurries over to her as he groans and tries to turn over. "Easy, easy. You OK?  
>"Is he all right?" McKay asked.<br>"Oh, that was fun." Jeremy said, sitting up and groaning.  
>"Look, the bottom level won't hold. The crates aren't strong enough to stack."<br>"Yeah, I got that, thanks."  
>"So ...?" Jennifer asked.<br>There's another short tremor and the metal of the room begins to creak.  
>"That's not good." Jeremy groaned. He stands up with Jennifer's help. "We need another plan – and quick."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Jennifer has found a concertina file in the corner of the room. "Hey, I got some files here." She takes out a folder from one of the compartments. "Anyone read Genii?"  
>On the other side of the room, Rodney has found something interesting in one of the lockers. "Hello, hello!"<br>"What have you got?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Grappling hook – at least, something we can use as a grappling hook."<p>

He brings the metal hooks over to a crate and puts them down on top of it.  
>"Great! Now all we need is some rope." Jennifer smiled.<br>"OK, just a sec." McKay looks up. "The ceiling is, like, what, twenty feet?"  
>"Twenty five?" Jeremy guessed.<br>"All right, twenty five, so our jackets end to end are five or six feet. We tie those to our shirts, maybe even our pants together. That should be able to get us up there and support our weight."  
>Jeremy rolls his eyes and goes to another locker.<br>"Great!" Jennifer unzips her jacket and takes if off as Rodney starts tinkering with the grappling hook. She puts the jacket onto the crate. Rodney looks at her with interest as, gazing up at the ceiling, she crosses her arms and starts to lift her shirt upwards. Just as her bra comes into view, Jeremy calls out,  
>"Found rope!" Smiling, Jennifer lowers her shirt down again. Rodney looks disappointed. "Rope and lanterns."<br>"Oh good!" He said sarcastically.  
>"More than enough for what we need." Jeremy said.<br>"Well, nice work!" Jennifer smiled at him  
>"Thank you!" Jeremy smiled back. Jennifer puts her jacket back on. As Jeremy brings the rope over to the crate, Rodney takes one end of it. "What are you doing?"<br>"Well, I'm gonna tie the rope on, toss it up there so you can climb up."  
>"I can't do it."<br>"Hey, quitter talk."  
>"No, I can't climb this. This rope – it's too thin. We need to tie knots in it. I need something to grip onto."<br>"Right." He looks up to the ceiling. "That's a lot of knots."  
>"Well, we only need about..." Jeremy squints up to the ceiling "...thirty feet or so."<br>"OK, well, you guys get started on the knotting and I'll read those files." Jennifer frowns at Jeremy who shrugs. Walking over to the concertina file, Rodney sees their expressions. "What? Look, they could contain the code to the door there. Besides, three people can't knot the same rope – unless either of you speak Genii."  
>"Fine! We'll get started." Jeremy and Jennifer start to untangle the rope to find both ends and then begin tying knots along its length.<br>"Well, wanna play Twenty Questions?" Jennifer asked. "I'll let you go first. Animal, vegetable or mineral?"  
>"I'm good, thanks." Jeremy smiled at her.<br>Jennifer sighs. "Oh, here's a better one we can play: Brad Pitt or George Clooney? I-I mean, if you had to choose?"  
>Jeremy looks thoughtful, playing along. "Mmm, Clooney, I guess."<br>"Pitt, all the way. OK, you go. C'mon, it's easy. Any two guys I would know or girls…?"

Jeremy chuckled, thinking. "Uh, Nastia Liukin or Shawn Johnson?" Jennifer stares at her blankly. "They're gymnasts."  
>"Uh-huh." She said vaguely.<br>"They're on TV. I picked ones you should know."  
>"Uh, Shawn Johnson, I guess." She said, picking one at random.<br>Jeremy grimaces. "Oh! Nastia, all the way!"  
>"What are you doing?" McKay asked, looking up.<br>"We're playing "Who Would You Rather ...?" Wanna join us?" Jennifer asked.  
>"Uh, "Would You ..."? Sorry, I don't get it."<br>"Well, if you had to choose who to fool around with, would it be..." she thinks for a moment "...Robert Redford or Paul Newman?"  
>"Uh, neither." McKay frowned.<br>"Yeah, I know, but if you had to."  
>"If I had to. So I'm to choose which one of those guys I would wanna force themselves on me because..."<br>"It's just a dumb game, McKay. You're not secure enough in your masculinity to play a dumb game?!"  
>Jeremy grins.<br>"Uh, yes, well I think I am, I just ... maybe I should go back to my reading – you know, the one thing that could get us out of here?" He turns away, then gazes upwards as he hears distant voices. Unaware of this, Jennifer turns back to Jeremy.  
>"Newman."<br>"Absolutely," Jeremy nodded, "not even a question."  
>"Shut up a sec." McKay said.<br>"No! We're allowed to talk!" Jennifer yelled at him.  
>"No-no-no. I hear something." They all listen and hear the sound of children's voices. "There's someone up there!" He calls out as they drop the rope and run over to him and they all look upwards. "Help! We're stuck down here! Hello!"<br>"What if the ceiling caves in on them too?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Well, we caved through that section – it's been eaten away by rust. The rest of the ceiling looks fine."<br>The children's voices get closer and Jeremy calls out, "Hello?!"  
>"Help! We're stuck down here! Can you hear us?" McKay yelled.<br>The faces of two young boys appear at the edge of the hole.  
>"Hello?" Boy one asked.<br>"Oh, thank God!" McKay sighed.  
>"Who are you?" Boy two asked.<br>"We're visitors." Jeremy said. "We were on our way to speak to the people of your settlement."  
>"You shouldn't be down there." Boy one said.<br>"Yeah, we know! We fell in here by accident." McKay said.  
>"You all OK?" Boy two asked.<br>"Yeah, yeah, we're fine. We're just stuck. We need some help."  
>"You shouldn't be down there." Boy one repeated.<br>"Yeah, thanks, kid! Like I said, we-"  
>Jeremy puts his hand on his arm to shut him up, then calls up to the boys. "Go tell your parents. Tell them where we are, that we're stuck and we need help."<br>The boys look at each other for a moment, then look down to the team.  
>"I don't think we can do that." Boy tow said.<br>"What?! Why not?" McKay yelled.  
>"We're not really supposed to play out here. If our parents find out ..." Boy one trailed off.<br>"It's OK." Jeremy smiled reassuringly. "I promise you won't get into trouble."  
>"You don't know my father. He'll be very upset." Boy one said.<br>"I'll explain the situation to him. It'll be OK." Jeremy explained.  
>"Please? We're ... hurt. We need help." Keller said.<br>"Wait a minute." Boy two said. "He said you were all OK. I asked him."  
>"All right. Listen to me, you little brats. I am older than you and I am in charge!" McKay yelled angrily.<br>Jennifer puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to stop him. "Rodney, Rodney ..."  
>Taking no notice, McKay went on. "You will go back to your parents, you will tell them we need help, or so help me-"<br>Jeremy grabs his arm to shut him up, then calls up to the boys. "D'you need something? Anything. We can get it for you. If you help us, we'll get you whatever you want."  
>Boy two starts to whisper to his friend. Rodney turns to Jeremy. "Oh, yes, good. Great idea, yes."<br>"Thanks."  
>McKay turned to Jennifer. "Maybe you should show 'em your, um ..." He gestures to his own chest.<br>"Excuse me?!" Jennifer asked and Jeremy slapped him on the chest, hard.  
>"Hey, I was once a ten year old boy too! I know what gets their attention!" He mimes lifting up his shirt and showing his chest to the boys.<br>"McKay!" Jeremy yelled.  
>"What? D'you wanna get out of here or not?!"<br>"I think we can reason with them without resorting to that, thank you!"  
>"If you say so." He turns to Jennifer hopefully. She rolls her eyes and looks up to the boys.<br>"We're gonna go now. Bye." Boy one said.  
>The boys pull back from the hole. And Jennifer yelled out, "No! Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait!"<br>Boy one's face appears again. "Uh, good luck."  
>He disappears again. Rodney turns to Jennifer in irritation. "Would it have killed you to show them...?"<br>"Stop it, McKay! It's not gonna happen." Jeremy yelled and looks at his watch. "Four hours and fifty minutes."  
>"I'm warning you. I mean, I can go crazy down here. Look, ever since the Jumper thing a couple of years ago, I've been very bad with tight spaces."<br>"Please, that's nothing. I was stuck in a transporter with _Zelenka_ for three hours! Now that's hard."  
>Wait a sec. What are you saying? You don't like Zelenka?"<br>"No, I just ... It-it was more claustrophobic than this."  
>"Yeah, but that's not what you said. You emphasized "Zelenka". You said being stuck with <em>Zelenka<em> for three hours – like that was the hard part."  
>"It did kinda sound that way." Jennifer said.<br>"Look-"  
>"You can say you don't like him. It's fine! I don't like him!" McKay said.<br>"Oh, he's certainly a unique guy." Jennifer grimaces briefly at Jeremy. "He's always telling me how nice my hair smells – it's a little weird."  
>"He's a very good person." Jeremy said.<br>"Oh, sure-sure-sure-sure! He's the best! You just don't like him." McKay said.  
>"I did not say that!" Irritated, he gestures to the files. "Don't you have some reading to do?"<br>"There's nothing in there. I mean, there's certainly nothing about the door code."  
>"So," Jennifer sighed. "Back to knotting."<p>

҉

**LATER**

Jeremy and Jennifer are still knotting.  
>"Steve Carell or Stephen Colbert?" Jennifer asked.<br>"Ooh! Colbert, I think." Jeremy said.  
>"Carell, but I would pick Jon Stewart over both of them." McKay said, standing nearby.<br>"Hmm!" Jeremy smiled up at him.  
>"... if I was forced to." He said hurriedly.<br>"Uh-huh!"  
>"Are you and Katie still, um ...?" Jennifer asked.<br>"Oh. Uh, well, it's kind of messed up now."  
>"Why? What happened?"<br>"Well, I was gonna propose-"  
>"You were?!" Jeremy asked, surprised.<br>"Yeah, bought her a ring and everything, you know, was gonna ask her and then the quarantine error happened."  
>"What does that have to do with anything?" Jennifer asked.<br>"Well, I don't particularly want to go into the details but, you know, I just, I told her that I needed some time for me – you know, it had nothing to do with her; I just – I just needed to figure some stuff out, and now she doesn't wanna speak to me, she's filed for a transfer back to Earth ..."  
>'You broke up with her." Jeremy said. "That's a break-up."<br>"No it isn't."  
>"Yeah, ya did." Jeremy said and Jennifer nods her agreement.<br>"No, I said I needed some time for me."  
>"Yeah, code for "I'm not that into you anymore."" Jennifer said.<br>"But I meant it!"  
>"It doesn't matter!" Jeremy laughed. "You can't almost propose to someone and then take it back. It's a relationship-killer."<br>"Oh. Well, I suppose it's for the best. I mean, you know, she deserves to be with someone who would have known that." McKay smiles bravely.  
>"What she deserves is to be with a nice guy, like you." Jennifer said and Rodney smiles at her gratefully.<br>"Hey." Jeremy said, looking at the rope.  
>"What?" McKay asked.<br>"We're finished."  
>"Ooh, finally!"<br>Jeremy picks up the grappling hook but Rodney snatches it away from him and walks away with it. Jeremy throws up his arms in frustration. Shortly afterwards, Jennifer pushes a crate out of the way as Rodney carries the rope to the area underneath the hole in the ceiling and drops it to the floor, holding the hook in his other hand. As he shakes out the first part of the rope to make sure that it isn't tangled, he looks up as he hears children's voices above him in the distance.  
>"Here! Over here!" They boys yelled.<br>"You guys hear that?" McKay asked.  
>"It's the kids! They've come back for us!" Jennifer smiled.<br>"I knew they were good kids! I knew it!" McKay started shouting, "Down here! I knew you'd come back! Guys?!"  
>The ceiling creaks ominously as the two boys walk to the edge of the hole and peer down. A moment later two more boys walk into view.<br>"Woah!" Boy three said.  
>"See? I told you they were down there!" Boy one said.<br>"Are your parents up there? Did you bring help?" Jeremy asked.  
>"No." Boy two said. "Our friends didn't believe us. We bet them a week's supply of taffa that we were telling the truth."<br>"See? I told you not to!" Boy four said indignantly to Boy three.  
>"Where are the adults?" McKay asked them.<br>"We can't tell them! We'll get in trouble!" Boy one said.  
>"Trouble?! You wait 'til I get out of here, you little brats! I'll show you what trouble is!" McKay yelled.<br>The kids move away from the hole, then the room begins to shake.  
>"Tremor! We're moving!" Jennifer yelled.<br>The three of them run to the side of the room and cling onto crates as the floor begins to tilt. Jeremy, once again, pulling Jennifer to his side. Under the floor, some of the struts begin to buckle.  
>"We're tilting over!" Jeremy yelled.<br>The tremor subsides. The floor is now tilted about 25 degrees towards the red door.  
>"It's stopped." Jennifer sighed, thankful.<br>""The super-structure under this room must have buckled." Jeremy said.  
>"One more tremor and this whole chamber's gonna fall into the chasm." McKay said.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Jeremy has lit some of the lanterns he found earlier and Jennifer helps him hang them up around the room. In the middle of the floor, Rodney is experimentally swinging the grappling hook around on the rope.  
>"Uh, d'you want me to do that?" Jeremy asked.<br>"No, I can do it." McKay said, catching the hook.  
>"Uh, well, it's just, have you ever done anything like this before?"<br>"What, you have?"  
>"Yes, actually, I have, a bunch of times."<br>"Yeah?" Unconvincingly saying, "Well, I mean, so have I. You know, missions and such."  
>"Okay…?"<br>"You should probably, uh..."  
>Taking the hint, Jeremy moves away from him. Jennifer takes a moment longer to realize what he's talking about but then he gestures to the far wall.<br>"Oh, right." She joins Jeremy at the wall in front of Rodney.  
>"All right." McKay checks that he has enough free rope to swing, and looks up at the hole in the ceiling. "All right."<br>He swings the hook around three times and throws it. The hook flies straight across the room and smashes into the wall near Jeremy's head, who ducks out of the way. Sparks fly off the wall as the hook crashes against the metal of the wall.  
>"McKay!" Jeremy yelled indignantly.<br>"Sorry. Sorry-"  
>"You just about took my head off!"<br>"Yeah, but I didn't mean to. It ... slipped."  
>Jeremy picks up the hook and walks into the middle of the floor. "Move."<br>"I can do it." McKay said, trying to take the hook off him.  
>"Apparently you can't." Jeremy growled.<br>"I can do it. Just don't stand in front of me-" He looks at Jennifer, who smiles nervously. "...or behind me."  
>With angry hesitation, Jeremy lets him take the hook and moves to the side of him, taking cover behind a crate. Jennifer trots over to join him.<br>"OK. Oh ... kay." McKay swings the hook three times and hurls it. This time it goes upwards but doesn't get as far as the hole. It crashes down again. Rodney looks at it in exasperation, then turns to the others. "See? Almost there."  
>Jennifer nods and Jeremy scowled. McKay goes over to the hook which has landed on top of a large metal pipe which runs through the room. One of the prongs has embedded itself into the pipe.<br>"You'll get it." Jennifer said encouragingly.  
>Rodney tugs the hook off the pipe, leaving a large hole in it where the prong had been. Unseen by him, colorless gas begins to flow out of the hole.<br>"You can do this." Jennifer continued. "This is the one. I can feel it – this is the one."  
>Rodney swings the hook three times and hurls it upwards. It still doesn't reach the hole and falls down again. As it lands on top of the pipe, sparks fly and the gas ignites. The blast sends Rodney flying. Jennifer runs to get as far away as possible from the plume of flame spurting out of the pipe but Jeremy heads towards it.<br>"What are you doing?!" Jennifer yelled,  
>"Stay there!" Jeremy yelled over his shoulder.<p>

"Jeremy!" Jennifer yelled again, but he wasn't listening.  
>He puts his hand on a metal wheel near the pipe but snatches it back again when he finds that it's already hot. He pulls his sleeves down over his hands, then turns the wheel. The gas cuts off and the flames die down. Jennifer runs over to Rodney.<br>"Anything hurt?"  
>"Just my pride."<br>"That'll heal." Jennifer smiled.  
>Jeremy picks up the grappling hook and, using a much shorter length of rope, whirls the hook around five times before hurling it upwards. The hook flies up and out of the hole and lands on the ground up there.<br>"You did it!" Jennifer stood up, amazed, and hugged him. Jennifer broke off the hug, embarrassed, when McKay cleared his throat.  
>"Oh, great!" He said trying and failing to sound enthusiastic.<br>Jeremy wraps the rope around his wrist and tugs down hard on it. "All right, here goes nothing."  
>Slowly he puts his full weight onto the rope. The hook promptly tears free and falls back into the hole, dragging a load of earth and grass down with it. Jeremy runs out of the way until everything has finished falling, then walks back into the middle of the floor.<br>"Balls…" Jeremy muttered.  
>He picks up the hook, swings it five times and hurls it upwards. Again it soars out of the hole. Jennifer smiles, but Rodney doesn't look so happy that Jeremy has again succeeded where he failed. Jeremy tugs on the rope again but as soon as he puts his full weight onto it, it again tears free and plummets back down, bringing another load of earth and grass down.<br>"There's no way the hook can grab onto that soil." Jeremy coughed through the soil.  
>Jennifer looks down at the rope ruefully. "All those knots."<br>"Well, we had to try." He smiled down at her. "Any other ideas?"  
>Rodney looks around, then clicks his fingers several times as he has an idea. He points up to a rectangular grid of metal beams suspended about ten feet above their heads.<br>"See those beams up there? We use the rope to get up there. That buys us at least ten feet, then we build a bridge – a bridge using..." he looks around the floor "...using these." He picks up one of three wooden planks lying on the floor and drags it across to the others. "Stack a couple of crates, we're gold, and we got that high before."  
>"Yeah, but I don't think these are long enough to span the distance between these two beams." Jeremy said.<br>"So we find a hammer and nails."  
>Sure – why not just add a jet pack and a trampoline to that list?" Jeremy said sarcastically.<br>"It is possible to find a hammer and nails." McKay starts to search through the lockers.  
>"We've been over the room pretty thoroughly." Jennifer said.<br>"But there's gotta be hammer and nails." He said plaintively.  
>"Well, even if we found them-" Jeremy trailed off.<br>"Look, we just have to build a bridge."  
>"Wait a second, wait a second." Jennifer said, getting an idea. "That bar bet."<br>Jeremy smiled at her. "There're a few of those, Doc."

"No, the dumb trick you do to get free beer."  
>Jeremy frowns and shakes his head at Rodney who looks equally blank and turns to Jennifer.<br>"We don't know what you're talking about."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Jennifer has found three equally sized metal pots and has stood them upside down onto a crate in a triangle shape. She has also taken from their packs three knives.  
>"The bet goes like this:" Jennifer explained, "using these three knives and without moving these three cups, you need to build a bridge that can support another cup's weight."<p>

Jeremy smiled. "I remember this."  
>McKay looks exasperated. "We don't have another cup."<br>"Well, whatever." Jennifer picks up a small plastic object from the crate. "We'll use this. OK, now, see..." She puts the handle of one of the knives onto one of the "cups" and shows that the blade won't reach the next cup. "Just like our boards, just a little too short to span the space between the two beams there."  
>She gestures upwards. Rodney looks up, then everyone looks nervous as the room creaks loudly.<br>"OK, you know what? We're geniuses, we can probably figure it out, but a little under the gun, so..."  
>"Okay…" Jennifer starts to put the knives into position on top of the cups, resting the blade of each on one cup each and pointing the handles into the middle of the triangle. The handles meet and overlap. She carefully interlaces them so that they lock together and support each other, then takes the plastic object and stands it on top. Immediately Rodney walks away and gazes up at the beams thoughtfully, while Jeremy walks over to the wooden planks. Jennifer turns and smiles at them smugly.<br>Jeremy smiled back at her. "Remind me that I owe you a beer."  
>Jennifer's smile grew. "Hey, if this works, you'll buy me a keg."<p>

҉

**LATER**

They're putting Jennifer's plan into action.

Jeremy is standing on one of the narrow metal beams and is keeping himself upright by hanging onto the cable which suspends one of the electric lights from the ceiling. A rope has been slung over the beam and Jennifer is hauling on one end which has one of their backpacks tied to it to add weight. One of the wooden planks is tied to the other end and Rodney is guiding it as Jennifer hauls it upwards. As the plank reaches the beam and turns horizontal, Jeremy carefully crouches down and aims it in the right direction.

Shortly afterwards, Rodney has tied another of their backpacks onto the end of another rope and tosses the pack up and over a second beam. Jennifer has nervously climbed up onto the beam and, clinging onto an upright, cautiously stands up as Rodney drags another plank across the floor. Jeremy is busy tying the back end of his plank to his beam.

Later again, Rodney is up on a third beam and is hauling the third plank up to him. Straining with the effort, the three of them lean onto the ends of their planks to bring them up horizontal and laboriously struggle to interlock the ends together. Finally they succeed and Jeremy, hanging onto the electric cable for support, tentatively puts the weight of his front foot onto the bridge and gently bounces it a couple of times.

It holds.  
>A little later, Jeremy is standing in the middle of the bridge. Jennifer stands with one foot on the bridge and the other on the beam while Rodney is back on the ground and is straining to lift the large crate which the other two are pulling up with ropes. The crate rises above Rodney's hands and he watches as the others haul it the rest of the way and place it in the middle of the bridge. They pull up a smaller crate and put it on top of the other one. As Jennifer stands on the beam and Jeremy steps up onto the lower crate, his head is only a couple of feet below the hole in the ceiling. Everything creaks ominously. Jennifer backs away on her beam.<br>"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Jennifer said.  
>Jeremy looks up. There's a horrendous cracking sound somewhere in the woodwork.<br>"Listen." McKay said. "I know I have a reputation for being overly pessimistic, but I really think you should come down right now before it all collapses." Jeremy looks down at him, then slowly starts to straighten up. The wood creaks again. "Renner...Jeremy, just head back."  
>"I'm almost there." Jeremy said.<br>He reaches up to the edge of the hole, putting his knee onto the top crate. Just then, with irritating bad timing, another tremor starts.  
>"Oh no..." Jennifer muttered. She lets go of the electric cable and heads for the relative safety of a metal upright. In the middle of the bridge, the planks snap and the crates and Jeremy plunge downwards, crashing into the middle of the splintering wood. "Jeremy!"<br>Rodney races over to Jeremy as he lies on his back groaning. "Don't move! Don't move!"

He looks up to make sure that nothing else is going to fall on Jeremy.

Jennifer climbs down a rope and hurries over to Jeremy as he continues to groan. "Let me see." She starts to check him over. Jeremy cried out in pain as Jennifer touches his leg. "To put it mildly…your leg is broken."  
>"Mildly?!" Jeremy laughs without humor. "We're in trouble now, aren't we?<br>"No, we'll be fine. We just, uh ... we'll be fine." McKay tried to say reassuringly.

҉

**LATER**

Jennifer has rolled up Jeremy's trouser leg and has fetched her medical kit.  
>"Okay." She looks at Rodney. "Will you help me?" Rodney nods. "OK. One hand here, on his knee..." Rodney puts his hand in place. Jennifer pulls Jeremy's sock down a little. He grunts in pain. "…one hand down here near his ankle. Keep it nice and straight." As Rodney takes his ankle with his other hand, Jennifer looks at Jeremy. "You're not gonna like this, but I've got to take your boot off."<br>"Yeah, I thought you might." Jeremy grunted, his voice full of pain.  
>Rodney grimaces at the look of pain on Jeremy's face. Jennifer unlaces his boot. Jeremy grimaces as he braces himself.<br>"Okay. Here it comes." Jennifer warned. As carefully as she can, she pulls the boot off. Jeremy yelps in pain. "Okay." She pulls the sock off. "Tell me when you can feel my finger on the bottom of your foot."  
>"Okay," he said, his voice shaky. Jennifer gently presses her finger against the sole of hiss foot about halfway up. "Yep. Yeah." Jennifer moves her finger to the other side just under the ball of the foot.<p>

"Here?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"Okay." She looks around and picks up a broken piece of plank, then looks at Rodney. "We need to find another one of these, make a split."  
>"Okay."<br>They stand up and start to look around for a suitably sized piece of wood. As Jennifer picks up a small piece and looks it over, Rodney walks over to her, and quietly asks,  
>"Look, how bad is he?"<br>"Well, it's not so bad." She says just as quietly. "He still has feeling in his foot, so there doesn't seem to be any nerve damage, but the break's pretty severe...which means there may very well be internal bleeding."  
>"Yeah, but that's ... I mean, that's bad, isn't it?"<br>"Well, it's not really good, no. I mean, I would need to get him under a scanner."  
>"Okay, worst case scenario: he's bleeding internally. How long has he got before he...before it becomes very serious?"<br>"An hour."  
>"Oh, boy."<br>"Come on." Jennifer leads him back to Jeremy.  
>"So, what? An hour before internal bleeding becomes a problem?" Jeremy said to the surprise of the others.<br>"How did you...?"  
>"It's not my first rodeo, Rodney."<br>Jennifer unzips her kit and hands a blister pack of pills to Jeremy. "Here's some ibuprofen."  
>"Ibuprofen?!" McKay yelled at Jennifer. "That's the strongest thing you've got?!"<br>"It's all I have in this basic kit – although from this point on I think I'm making morphine mandatory..." she glances up at the ceiling "...as well as maybe a grappling gun."  
>Jeremy chewed on the tablets as Jen starts to splint his leg. "I wouldn't take the morphine."<p>

"Why not?!" McKay yelled.

"You're in a lot of pain, Jeremy."

"Yeah," He sighed painfully. "I can feel it."

"Why-"

"Personal reasons, okay?" Jeremy snapped. "We still have to figure out a way out of here – at least, one of us does. Chances are pretty slim that I'm gonna climb out."  
>"Yeah, well, the crates are out." McKay said. He turned to Jennifer. "Hey, if you've got an idea, feel free."<br>"Hey, I came up with the bar trick thing, OK? And that didn't work out so well, so I think I'll just leave it to the pros."  
>"Yeah." McKay looks hopefully at Jeremy.<br>"Sorry." Jeremy said through grit teeth. "All my energy's focused on not screaming in agony."  
>"Wonderful! OK, well, the grappling hook didn't work because the hook wouldn't hold our weight in the soil; the crates didn't work because Jeremy was too heavy ..." Jeremy turns his head and looks at him indignantly. "Oh, well, we all would've been – I mean our weight in general. Nothing to do with you, you just...I mean, you're in very good shape, seriously. You have like, uh, the perfect body."<br>Jennifer, who had wandered off to find something to use as a pillow for Jeremy's head, comes back and squats down beside him, glaring up at Rodney darkly.  
>"Oh, not that you don't." McKay said quickly. "Oh, no, no-no, I realize that your bodies are different and-and-and, uh, uh, maybe that would mean that I think that your body is imperfect but that is not the case. No, no-no, far, far, far from it. That is a sweet ... uh, which is to say, I mean, it would be impossible for me to choose which of you-"<br>"Rest assured, you're never gonna have to." Jennifer said.  
>"Aw, if we'd kept quiet, I bet he would have gone on like that forever." Jeremy said.<br>"OK, I'm sorry." He gestures towards Jennifer. "What I meant is that you have-"  
>"Rodney." He stops and looks at Jeremy. "Stay on topic."<br>"Right, right, OK. Uh, where was I? Uh, all right, look." He goes over to a metal pole leaning against the wall and brings it back to them. "If we can get this rod up there, attach the rope to it, it'll lie across the hole, support our weight. We don't have to worry about the soil."  
>"You were barely able to get the grappling hook up there." Jennifer said.<br>"'Barely'?! Were you not watching? It was-"  
>"It's just that it's a lot heavier than that." Jeremy said.<br>"So, we..." McKay looks around for inspiration and finds it as he spots the gas pipe. "A detonator. I need a detonator."

҉

**LATER**

Rodney switches on a detonator and puts it into the end of a large thick pipe which he has found.  
>"First you fix the detonator in the bottom of the tube." He picks up the tube. "Okay. Now..."<br>He takes it across to the gas pipe where Jennifer has wrapped some cloth around the hole in the pipe, leaving the hole open. He stands the tube up on top of the material and Jennifer takes the tube from him, supporting its weight while holding it in place.  
>"...we have to seal the bottom of the tube around the gas leak, like so."<br>He picks up some more cloth and wraps it around the bottom of the tube to form a seal. He then goes and collects a couple of pieces of metal rod which he has taped together. He has also tied the end of a rope to it. He takes it over to the tube which is pointing up towards the hole in the ceiling. Jennifer is packing some more cloth into the top of the tube.  
>All right, so, put the wadding and the rod into the barrel, and then gently create a seal." Jennifer hands him some more cloth. "Don't pack it too tight, otherwise we've got ourselves a pipe bomb, but if we play it right..." He and Jennifer push the rest of the cloth into the tube. "... our very own cannon."<br>"You really think this is gonna work?"  
>"It should."<br>Jennifer finishes pushing the cloth into the tube, then steps back and looks at Rodney. "You can build a cannon, just like that?"  
>"Please! I've got access to pressurized gas. It's a cinch! You should have seen my Grade Six science project. I actually had to-"<br>Jeremy, now sitting up against the wall, sighs tiredly. "Rodney."  
>"Right. OK. Yeah." He and Jennifer move behind the tube. She squats down behind it, holding the bottom of it, and, closing one eye, sights up the length of it to make sure it's pointing towards the hole in the ceiling. "All right. Ready?" She nods and Rodney turns the wheel to release the gas into the tube for several seconds, then turns it off again. "All right. OK. And ... are we ready?"<br>Being so close to the tube, Jennifer looks really nervous and can't help but shake her head but then turns it into a nod. "Ready."  
>Rodney takes out the trigger from his pocket. "Fire in the hole."<br>He presses the trigger and there's an explosion inside the tube. The metal rod soars upwards, trailing the rope behind it, and disappears out of the hole in the ceiling. The rope, secured to a crate at the other end, reaches the end of its length and the rod drops to the ground outside.  
>"Nice aim!" McKay said.<br>"Nice cannon!" Jeremy said.  
>Rodney goes over to the bottom end of the rope and unties it from the crate. Walking underneath the hole he begins to pull the rope and rod back towards the hole. Jennifer takes hold of the very end of the rope. Soil gets dragged in and falls on his head. He moves out of the way and continues pulling the rope in. Even more earth and grass starts tumbling in until it's like a small avalanche.<br>"Uh, McKay? You should stop." Jeremy said. "There's too much dirt coming in. The room's gonna get too heavy."  
>"I've almost got it!"<br>As he keeps pulling, more earth cascades into the room. The metal begins to groan and, underneath the room, the stilts underneath the red door buckle. One of them cracks and breaks and the room tilts to about forty five degrees.

Rodney drops the rope and Jennifer loses her balance and tumbles towards the red door, which swings open under her weight and she falls through and drops into the chasm, screaming. However, she's still holding onto the rope and it breaks her fall about twenty feet below the room. Diving for it, Jeremy clings onto the other end.  
>"Jennifer!" Jeremy yelled.<br>"Down here! Jeremy, don't let go!" Jennifer yelled.  
>Closing his eyes, Jeremy wrapped the rope around his arm and a metal upright and struggled to hold Jennifer's weight. Rodney pushes a crate out of his way and rushes to the doorway. He hauls himself into the doorway and looks down at Jennifer dangling below him.<br>"Jeremy, don't let go!" Jennifer yelled.  
>"Renner?" Rodney asked.<br>"I've got it…" He gritted his teeth painfully, keeping a tight hold on the rope. "Jennifer," Jeremy called out. "I'm gonna try pulling you up."

"Please hurry!"

"She can't hang here forever, Renner!" Rodney yelled.  
>"I can't even stand up." Jeremy growled. "How about a little help?"<p>

"You're gonna have to pull her up on your own. I've never been good at holding heavy things. I had an old lady's grocery cart when I was in college; it's one of the reasons I didn't date as much as I could have!"  
>Realizing that he can't do that with one arm wrapped around the metal upright, Jeremy reluctantly lets go and crawls away from it. Jennifer drops another few feet, squealing. Straining, Jeremy starts to slowly haul her in.<br>"Hang on, wait a minute, don't pull me up!" Jennifer yelled. She has managed to calm down a little and is looking around the chasm.  
>"What?!" Jeremy yelled, in pain. "Why?"<br>"I see light!"  
>"No-no-no-no-no! Don't go towards the light!" McKay said "You wanna stay in the land of the living!"<br>"No! Daylight!" Jennifer laughed. "There's a mineshaft down there. I see daylight!"  
>"Of course!" McKay chuckled. "Just like the ones on the other side of the mine. We should have thought of that."<br>"Guys," Jeremy said, straining to support Jennifer's weight.  
>"Lower me!" Jennifer yelled.<br>"Lower you?!" Jeremy yelled.  
>"It's about ten feet away. I just need to swing over."<br>"If the mineshaft is harder to get out of than this chamber-"  
>"We've already lost our exit, Rodney." Jeremy said.<br>"What?" He looks up. The hole in the ceiling is completely covered in earth. It must have tilted so far over that it has become buried in the soil.  
>"I'll take my chances." Jennifer said. "Just lower me. You can't hold on forever." Slowly he starts to lower her down. After she has gone down several feet, she calls out. "OK, good, stop."<br>Jeremy grimaced against the strain. "Gladly."  
>Jennifer starts to pendulum her body so that she swings back and forth. McKay calls back encouragingly to Jeremy.<br>"You're doing great, Colonel. You're doing just great."  
>"No," Jeremy grunted. "'Great' is a threesome while on an ecstasy high. This is just complete agony."<br>Jennifer swings towards the mineshaft again and manages to grab hold of a pipe on the wall. She pulls herself into the shaft and lets go of the rope. Jeremy flies backwards and crashes back to the floor.  
>"I made it!" Jennifer called up.<br>"You could have warned me!" Jeremy yelled, grunting in agony as he sat up.  
>Jennifer goes a little way along the shaft and looks along it, then comes back to the opening and calls up. "This thing leads straight out! It's a nice steady slope! Come on, you guys, you've gotta get down here!"<br>Jeremy turns to Rodney. "You go."  
>"What? No way."<br>"There's no way I'm gonna be able to lower myself."  
>"You won't have to. I'll find a way for you-"<br>"Rodney, my hands." Jeremy holds out his hands. They're shaking with the strain they've been under, and his palms are covered with blood from rope burns.  
>"Look, I'm not leaving you behind."<p>

"Rodey, you need to get Jennifer out of here. She is your first and only concern."

"What about you?"

"When you get back to Atlantis, Illyria will send a rescue team to get me out."

"No."

"McKay-"

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Then how do you suppose I get out of here?!"

"I'll make you a seat."

҉

**LATER**

Rodney has made a bosun's chair from rope and Jeremy is in it and slowly descending into the chasm. Up in the room, Rodney has flung the rope around a metal upright and it is taking most of the weight as he slowly lowers Jeremy downwards.

Jeremy can't help but groan as he jerks downwards. Rodney too is groaning with the effort and the pain in his hands, even though he has wrapped some material around them to protect them a little. Finally Jeremy calls up,  
>"OK, that's good! Stop!"<br>"Stopping!"  
>He and Jeremy have thought about how to get him to the mineshaft and he is holding another length of rope. Jeremy tosses one end towards Jennifer, who catches it.<br>"Okay." She starts to pull Jeremy towards her, calling up to Rodney. "Almost there! Just give me a few more feet of slack!"  
>Jeremy manages to grab hold of the pipe on the wall and Jennifer pulls him the last few feet until he's sitting on the floor of the shaft. Jennifer calls up,<br>"Okay, I've got him!" Gasping with relief, Rodney drops the rope. "You're up, McKay!"  
>Leaning over against the 45 degree tilt of the room, Rodney sags with exhaustion. "Oh great! Great! You know, I was just thinking what would be awesome would be more physical exertion!"<p>

҉

**LATER**

Rodney has tied a rope to the metal upright and has climbed down until he is level with the mineshaft.  
>"Come on. Now start swinging." Jennifer told him. With his back to her, Rodney grimaces. He is shaking with weariness. "Rodney, you have to use your body and start swinging. Come on, you're so close."<br>"No, I've given everything I've got to get this far."  
>"So that's it, then?" Jeremy said quietly, pain and weariness setting in. His sat with his back against the wall. His eyes were fluttering and his breathing was becoming labored. "You're quitting? You're just gonna die there on the rope?"<br>"No. No, I'm just taking a little rest." He said, starting to get irritated. Above him, unseen by anyone, the part of the rope bent at ninety degrees over the lip of the doorway begins to fray. "You know, I might ... be like a real-life action star, kinda."  
>"What?" Jennifer asked.<br>"You know: shooting guns, running around, saving people." He grimaces in pain. "You think I'd be ...you think this'd be easy for me now. You think I'd be, like, super-buff by now."  
>"Hey, Schwarzenegger, start swinging." Jeremy said.<br>"Just a second more." He closes his eyes to gather his strength, but they snap open a moment later as the room above him begins to creak loudly. "OK. Break's over."  
>He starts to swing himself backwards and forwards. Jennifer reaches for him. On the third swing he holds out his hand towards her but isn't near enough. Above him, the rope continues to fray. He swings again ... and again, and finally Jennifer manages to grab his hand. Right on cue, the rope snaps and he falls into the mineshaft, knocking Jennifer over. As she scrambles up, he looks up at her as the room above them groans loudly again.<br>"That was close."  
>Just then, soil and rock begin to tumble past the opening of the shaft. Seconds later the room lets go and plunges past the opening on its way to the bottom of the chasm.<br>"Great!" He points down the chasm. "That was close."  
>Jennifer nods in agreement. "Okay. C'mon." She looks around at Jeremy, who was unconscious, then turns back to Rodney. "You need to help me."<br>hey clamber to their feet and head towards Jeremy.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**INFIRMARY**

Jeremy was lying in one of the beds with Jennifer sitting on the edge next to him. She has had her hands bandaged and is looking at a report being held for her by a medic while a doctor is finishing off bandaging Jeremy's hands.  
>"Looks good. Okay, thank you." She said and the medic walked away.<br>"How's McKay?" Jeremy asked, his throat scratchy.

"Panicking about his minor rope burns." Jeremy chuckled and Jennifer continued. "If you're wondering, you're going to be okay, too. The break wasn't clean, but still, we re-set it and put you into a cast." She gently patted his leg.

"Which means I'm gonna be on crutches for a few weeks." Jeremy sighed.  
>The doctor finishes dressing Jeremy's hands. Jennifer smiles at him as he walks away. "Thank you." She turns back to Jeremy. "How're you doing?"<br>"I'd like to take a bath in whatever magical ointment they just put on my hands, 'cause they're the only thing that doesn't hurt." Jennifer laughed. Jeremy smiled, liking the sound of it. "Is it gonna scar?"  
>"Chicks dig scars." She reminded him with a wink. She sobered up and said, will all seriousness, "Thanks, by the way."<br>"For what?"  
>"You saved my life. You were in agonizing pain, but you still dove after the rope when McKay dropped it. You held onto me."<br>"Ah, you're welcome." Jeremy said, embarrassed for the recognition. "Right, well, I feel like going to sleep for the next three days."  
>"Oh, well, not quite yet." Jeremy looked confused. "You owe me a beer from the bar trick thing earlier. You couldn't figure it out, so..."<br>"I don't remember ever agreeing to the beer." Jeremy smiled.  
>"Jeremy."<br>"Yes, ma'am?"  
>Jennifer leaned in, putting her arms on either side of him. "D'you wanna have a drink with me or not?"<br>"Nothing would make me happier," He said. He smiled, leaned in, and kissed her.


	68. Chapter 66

**ATLANTIS**

A heavily pregnant Illyria Sheppard walks into her office wearing Earth clothing – grey tank top with a red cardigan sweater and jeans. Sitting in her chair was Colonel Jeremy Renner and sitting on the couch was her husband, Colonel John Sheppard. As she walked through the door, her twins, Patrick and Jennifer, rush to greet her, wrapping their arms around her legs.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"

"Mommy's home!"

"Alright, alright," John said, swinging Jen into his arms. He smiled at Illyria and kissed her cheek. "Welcome back, sweetheart."  
>"Thank you. Believe me," She picked up Patrick and rested him on her hip, "it's good to be back."<br>Jeremy gets up from her chair and, using his crutches, moves over to the couch. "So, what's new on Earth?"  
>With the desk's help she sat down heavily in her chair, moving Patrick on her lap. "I wouldn't know. I saw nothing beyond the walls of Stargate Command for two days."<br>"How'd the interview go?" John asked.  
>"Exactly as you said it would. The new member of the I.O.A., Mr Coolidge, was somewhat brusque and arrogant. He insisted on doing most of the questioning himself."<br>"Yeah, I thought he would. These interviews were the first item on his agenda."  
>"Probably just a new guy marking his territory." Jeremy smiled.<br>"Yes, well, he is clearly distrustful of aliens participating in any aspect of the Stargate program, let alone being active team members _or_ commanding leaders." Illyria said bitterly.  
>"But you changed his mind, right?" John asked.<br>"I hope so, although he did seem distracted by my current condition."  
>"Really?" Jeremy asked. "I informed the I.O.A. of your pregnancy like you instructed me."<br>"Yes. They knew that John was the father, and most of the members were actually quite supportive, but Mr Coolidge seemed disgusted by that idea – his demeanor toward women differs from his demeanor toward men. He kept calling me 'honey.'" She grimaces. "I admit, the urge to inflict harm on this man was quite strong but I managed to refrain from doing so."

"Go, mommy!" Jen cheered from John's lap on the couch. John smiled.  
>"Good call." He said. "Bad idea to run around beatin' the crap out of people with a baby on the way."<br>"In the end I don't think he'll have a problem with me, mainly because I think he believes I will not be returning as 'Queen', let alone active duty, after our child is born."  
>"Well, won't he be surprised?!" Jeremy said.<br>Illyria smiles at him but her expression doesn't seem to agree that she'll definitely be back at work after the birth. John frowns.  
>"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." John said.<p>

"Yes," Illyria said. "In the meantime it's important that we get through these interviews as smoothly as possible and not create any waves." She looks at Jeremy. "Please inform me when the report comes in."  
>"Yes, ma'am." Jeremy stands up and leaves the room. Over the past weeks, he's become good at operating with crutches. John, who has stood up respectfully, sighs and sits down again.<br>"Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Ice cream?" Patrick asked.

"Sheep?" Jennifer asked, holding up her toy.

John smiled at them and Illyria sighed. "Ronon's up next."  
>"Big waves – we're talking tsunamis."<br>"I thought about that. Now, his interview's not for three days, so Colonel Carter asked somebody to come to Atlantis and coach him."  
>"Who?"<p>

҉

**SOME TIME LATER**

The Stargate is open and Teal'c walks through. His hair has grown a great deal and he is wearing Jaffa robes. He looks around the Gateroom, then turns and walks towards Illyria as she approaches him, smiling.  
>"Teal'c."<br>They clasp hands.  
>"Queen Sheppard."<br>"Welcome to Atlantis."  
>Teal'c bows his head to her as she smiles in delight at seeing her new friend.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Illyria and Teal'c are walking through the city.  
>"So, Teal'c, the hair?"<br>"You do not like it?"  
>"Oh, I love it! It's very...Earth!"<br>They smile at each other, then he looks around the area. "This city is much larger than I expected."  
>"Yes, it is. My father had a vision and he saw to it that it was created."<br>"Indeed." Illyria smiled at hearing his trademark word. "You look well, Queen Sheppard. Pregnancy has been good to you."  
>"Thank you, Teal'c! It took some getting used to." She rubbed her stomach fondly.<p>

"Colonel Sheppard must we delighted."

"Yes," her smiled wavered, but Teal'c did not see. "He is."

҉

**GYM**

Ronon Dex is sparring with a marine. The marine throws a couple of punches at him but he ducks under both of them, jabs him in the stomach and whacks him around the neck and then flips him the floor. The marine scrambles up and punches him in the face. Ronon kicks him in the back of the leg and the marine crumples to his knees. Ronon cuffs him across the face and, as the marine jumps up again, hits him in the face and then pummels him several times in the stomach. As they fight on, Illyria and Teal'c are standing in the doorway.  
>"Is that him?" Teal'c asked.<br>The marine reels back from Ronon's latest onslaught and Ronon goes into one of his flying leaps and cuffs the marine to the floor. The marine rolls over, exhausted. The fight is over.  
>"Yes, that is him." Illyria said fondly. As a couple of other marines walk over to help their colleague up, she leads Teal'c over to Ronon. "Ronon Dex. I'd like you to meet Teal'c of the Jaffa. He's the one I was telling you about."<br>Teal'c bows to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ronon Dex. Colonel Carter and Queen Sheppard have spoken highly of you."  
>Ronon takes a swig from a water bottle and glares at him. Teal'c gazes impassively back at him while Illyria's smile fades. She said to Ronon, "You two are similar in many ways. I believe you should have a much in common."<br>Ronon takes another swig from his bottle and then spits the water onto the ground. Teal'c looks down at the water for a moment, raising his eyebrow slightly, then returns to gazing at Ronon.  
>Illyria continues, "Teal'c was a member of SG-1 for over ten years; he knows much about dealing with the I.O.A..." Ronon continues to glare at Teal'c silently. "...which is why I thought he could pass along his knowledge – help you prepare for the big interview."<br>Still Ronon glares. Teal'c returns his gaze calmly. Without looking away from Ronon, he said, "Queen Sheppard."  
>"Yes?"<br>"Perhaps you could leave us to become better acquainted."  
>"Of course." She looks between the two of them for a moment, a little concerned about the animosity. She leaves the gym and Ronon and Teal'c continue their stare-off for a few moments.<br>"Do you not speak, Ronon Dex?" Teal'c asked.  
>"Not when I've got nothing to say."<br>Teal'c gazes at him for a moment longer, then bows to him in acquiescence.

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

A Wraith cruiser has landed on a sandy planet. A large group of Wraith make their way towards the planet's Stargate and D.H.D., carrying all sorts of equipment.  
>"This is it. Get to work." The Wraith scientist said.<br>A Wraith technician bows to him and begins organizing the equipment brought to it by various guards. It takes a cable and begins to plug it into the D.H.D.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**MESS HALL**

Ronon sits alone at a table, eating a meal. Teal'c carries a tray over to his table and puts it down.  
>"May I join you?" Without waiting for a reply, he sits down opposite him. Ronon refuses to meet his eyes. "Salisbury steak. We are often served this in the S.G.C. Mess Hall. I must confess, however, that I am partial to the tater tots."<br>"Look – I don't need a coach to teach me how to act during the interview." Ronon said, finally looking at him. "I've dealt with the I.O.A. before."  
>"The I.O.A. is comprised of more than just Mr Woolsey. Their new member, Mr Coolidge, is far less pleasant."<br>"Yeah, well, I can handle him. I'll stay calm, answer all of his questions. I know how to play the game."  
>"I am pleased to hear that. Very well. Let us speak of other things."<br>"Such as?"  
>"Tell me of Sateda."<br>"What do you want to know?" Ronon asked, glaring at him.  
>"When did the Wraith destroy it?"<br>"Years ago."  
>"Your army was unable to fight?"<br>"Oh, we fought back. The battle lasted days."  
>"And when you finally surrendered, what did the Wraith do then?"<br>"We didn't surrender." He said angrily. "We fought until every last one of us was either dead or captured."  
>"So tell me, then: is it true that negligence on your part is what first alerted the Wraith to your presence? That your reckless actions brought about the deaths of thousands of innocent people-"<br>Furious, Ronon sweeps his tray off the table. Leaping to his feet, he snatches out his blaster, cocks it and aims it at Teal'c's head, snarling,

"That's a lie!"  
>Calmly, Teal'c lifts a piece of fruit to his lips. "Indeed it is." He bites into the fruit. "Yet, should such a question arise during your interview, I trust you will not respond in a similar manner. You do, after all, know how to play the game."<br>The doors to the Mess Hall open and John hurries in. "Ronon! Put...the gun...away." Instantly Ronon lowers his blaster and holsters it. John looks at him and Teal'c. "What's the problem here?"  
>"There is no problem, Colonel Sheppard." Teal'c said.<br>"Well, that's good to hear. Ronon?" Ronon puts his hands onto the table, leans down and glares into Teal'c's eyes. Teal'c meets his gaze impassively. "All right. Why don't you take Teal'c down to the gym – show him your fighting techniques? I'm sure you guys could give each other a few tips."

҉

**LATER**

The gym is packed with spectators and various different types of currency are changing hands as crewmembers bet on the fight. They are shouting encouragement to Ronon and Teal'c as they ferociously fight with sticks in the middle of the room. Illyria walks in and goes over to John.  
>"Wanna place a bet?" John asked with a smile.<br>"What is going on here?" Illyria asked.  
>"Just a friendly sparring match."<br>"It looks anything but friendly!"  
>"Oh, no. It's good for 'em. They're just blowing off some steam."<br>"How long have they been at it?"  
>"About an hour or so."<br>"An hour?!"  
>"They've not even taken any breaks."<br>"Well they are now." She said fiercely. She starts to walk into the middle of the room.  
>"I don't think that's a good idea-"<br>As Teal'c holds his stick up protectively above his head, Ronon does a flying leap and smashes his own stick down, breaking Teal'c's into two. The crowd whoops and cheers appreciatively.  
>"That is enough!" Illyria shouted.<br>The two men circle each other slowly. As Teal'c approaches Illyria, he looks at her expression, then drops the two pieces of his broken stick to the floor. The crowd groans silently. Grinning, Ronon tosses his own stick aside, walks towards Teal'c as he turns towards him again and punches him across the face. The fight starts again, to the delight of the crowd.

Illyria wisely backs out of the way as the two of them trade blows but a few moments later when they briefly separate, she runs into the gap and holds her hands out.  
>"Ronon, Teal'c! Stop!"<br>Ronon, his mouth bleeding, surges towards Teal'c again but Illyria puts her hand on his chest to stop him. Behind her, John sighs in irritation.  
>"Let us call it a draw." Illyria said.<br>Angrily, Ronon storms away. The disappointed crowd begins to disperse. John turns to Chuck the technician who is standing beside him holding a handful of various different bank notes. He snatches a few bank notes out of his hand, looks at them, gives him back a note that he can't use, then leaves the room.

҉

**LATER**

Teal'c, again dressed in his Jaffa robes, is walking with Illyria towards the Gateroom. John and Ronon follow a little distance behind. Ronon has a small bag over his shoulder. He looks at John, gesturing angrily towards Teal'c.  
>"Why does he have to go with me?"<br>"He's not actually going with you – he's returning home. You just happen to be travelling at the same time. One less dial-in on the Intergalactic Bridge."  
>"That's the other thing: why don't we just dial Earth directly from here?"<br>"Well, we'd need the ZeeP.M. for that. We don't wanna waste the extra power. That was the whole point of the Gate Bridge in the first place."  
>"But there's a twenty-four hour quarantine on the Midway Station."<br>"Well, you're just gonna have to sit around a bit, all right? Look, the guy's got years of experience – he's like a hundred years old or somethin', all right? It won't kill you to listen to him." He smiles at Ronon and pats his chest. "Good boy."  
>He walks away and Ronon says, to his departing back, "I hate you."<br>In the Gateroom, Illyria turns to Teal'c. "I'm sorry about breaking up the sparring match earlier, but if I did not, you two would probably still be fighting." Teal'c bows to her. "I know that Ronon has been resistant but I really appreciate you coming here and helping us out."  
>"I too wish him to succeed. There is great potential in him."<br>"I agree." She looks over to Ronon as he approaches sulkily. "All set?"  
>"Let's get this over with." He said grimly.<br>Illyria smiles in resignation as he walks past her. She looks up to the Control Room. "Dial the Bridge, Chuck."  
>"Yes, ma'am." As he walks over to the control console, Teal'c smiles at Illyria.<br>"It gives me great pride to see how the people of this expedition have embraced you as their leader."  
>"Thank you, Teal'c."<br>They hug each other. Nearby Ronon rolls his eyes as the Gate begins to dial out.

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

A mass of cables now lead from the D.H.D. to the Stargate, which is dialing out.  
>"The portal's activating." The Wraith scientist announced. The scientist walks over to the D.H.D. and watches as the Gate kawhooshes.<br>"The patterns are stored in the buffer. The portal should redial momentarily." The technician said.

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

An S.G.C. scientist reports as one of the Gates begins to dial in.  
>"Incoming Pegasus activation."<br>The Gate kawhooshes and Ronon and Teal'c walk through. The Gate shuts down behind them and they walk down the ramp. Two guards are standing at the bottom of the ramp. In the Control Room of the Station, Bill Lee watches their arrival on a monitor.  
>"Right on schedule. I'm gonna go get them settled in." Lee walks over to a console where Doctor Peter Kavanagh is sitting. He's ditched the ponytail and his hair is curlier. "You can get started on the attitude stabilization diagnostics."<br>"I thought Dempster was doing that."  
>"Well, why do I have to do that?" Dempster asked, turning around from a nearby console.<br>"You don't." Lee points to Kavanagh. "I want you to do it."  
>"I just finished five hours of power distribution upgrades!"<br>"You chose to be here!"  
>"No, I didn't."<br>"Yes you did."  
>"No, I didn't."<br>"Regardless, I want you to learn everything there is to know about this Station, and the sooner you do that, the sooner I get to hand you the reins and go home."  
>He turns and walks to a door which opens automatically in front of him. As he heads off down the corridor, Kavanagh bows his head and speaks sulkily.<br>"You're not the only one who wants to go home."  
>"I heard that!" Lee calls back. He carries on and meets Ronon and Teal'c. "Gentlemen! Welcome to the Midway Station – the halfway point between the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies."<br>"Yeah, we know. We've been here before." Ronon said.  
>"Right, of course. So then you also know about the twenty four hour quarantine before it can let you carry on to Earth." As Ronon glares at Bill, Teal'c walks closer to Bill and looms over him threateningly. Bill's voice becomes more uncertain as he continues talking. "Don't wanna pass on any of those pesky Pegasus germs to the folks back home." He coughs nervously. "Why don't I just show you to your quarters?" He squeezes between the two men and starts to lead them along the corridor. "Um, unfortunately, you're gonna have to share. As you know, there's not much room on the Station."<br>He leads them into a tiny room with a bunk bed in it.  
>"There's a D.V.D. player and a few movies. Oh, we saw 'Norbert' the other day – actually, it's kind of funny. Um, there's some Sudoku books, although I think..." He looks at the books on the table. "...No, they're all solved." Teal'c and Ronon have walked into the room behind him. There's barely room for the three of them to stand inside. "Um, like I said, it's a bit small, but you're only here for a day, so kick back, relax..." He tries to back out of the room but is squeezed between the other two men who deliberately don't move out of his way. "... have an Earl Grey and get to know each other better ... or not."<br>He hurries out of the room and shuts the door. Ronon and Teal'c look at each other impassively, then simultaneously turn and bend down towards the lower bunk. Realizing that they both want the bottom bunk, they straighten up and glare at each other.

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

The Gate has shut down again and the Wraith technicians are working again on the D.H.D. One of the technicians turns to the scientist.  
>"I have deciphered the program."<br>"Prepare the first wave!"

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

Bill walks back into the Control Room where Dempster appears to be working hard on a console, while Kavanagh is sitting at another one and looking bored.  
>"How's it going?" Lee asked.<br>Kavanagh rolls his eyes at him. "Peachy!"  
>"You're bored – I get it. Welcome to Midway!"<br>On a wall monitor above their heads showing computer images of the two Stargates side by side, the right-hand image flashes up a message and the distinctive sound of the Pegasus Gate dialing in can be heard.  
>"Are we expecting another dial-in?" Kavanagh asked Lee.<br>"No."  
>The Gate can be heard kawhooshing. Bill goes over to Dempster's console and speaks into a microphone which relays his voice all around the Station. "Unscheduled Pegasus activation."<br>He walks over to another wallscreen which shows a live feed from the vicinity of the Pegasus Gate. The two soldiers are still standing at the foot of the ramp. Two Wraith guards walk through the Gate and shoot them with their stunner rifles.  
>"What the heck?!" Lee yelled.<br>"Oh God! The Wraith!" Kavanagh yelled.  
>Bill goes to the window of the room and looks down directly into the Gateroom as more Wraith guards come through.<p>

"That's impossible!"

҉

**BUNK ROOM**

Ronon and Teal'c are standing watching The Three Stooges on a small TV screen up on the wall. They gaze up at the screen impassively. Just then, an alarm starts to sound. They look at each other for a moment, then Ronon takes his blaster from the top bunk and they leave the room.

Elsewhere on the Station, a couple of Wraith guards approach a door which slides open automatically, and gun down the staff inside. Ronon and Teal'c walk through another doorway and see two Wraith guards. Ronon instantly raises his blaster and shoots them.  
>"What are the Wraith doing here?" Ronon asked.<br>"I was about to ask the same question."  
>Teal'c bends down and picks up the guards' stunner pistols and they head on. In the Control Room, blast doors are lowering over the window. The door opens and the Wraith scientist walks in, followed by its technician and a couple of guards. Kavanagh instantly raises his hands in terrified surrender. The scientist looks at Bill who is sitting at the console and typing.<br>"Stop!" The Wraith yelled.  
>Bill stands up and nervously raises his hands as he steps away from the console. Dempster also raises his hands. The Wraith technician goes over to the console and shuts down the alarm, then sits down and begins to type. The scientist walks over to the monitor and watches as many more Wraith come through the Gate, one of them carrying a large glowing sphere. Finally the Gate shuts down.<br>"Dial Earth." The Wraith commanded the technician.

Bill looks round anxiously at his colleagues. Kavanagh's eyes are closed in terror and he appears to be whimpering.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John walks into the Control Room where Jeremy and Rodney McKay are sitting at separate consoles typing busily.  
>"What's goin' on?" John asked.<br>"Intergalactic Bridge is down." McKay reported.  
>"How'd that happen?"<br>"I don't know. We're sending the daily status reports to the S.G.C. and we can't connect to Midway."  
>"Some kind of malfunction, either in one of the Gates or the call-forwarding macro." Jeremy said.<br>"It's probably just a glitch – a simple software hiccup." McKay said.  
>"Hiccup?" John asked.<br>"We hope." Jeremy said, looking up at him.  
>John's eyes widen as he realizes something. "Ronon and Teal'c!"<br>"The malfunction occurred several minutes after they went through. I'm sure they made it to Midway." McKay said.  
>"But we can't be absolutely certain." Jeremy said.<br>Rodney looks round at him indignantly but he nods to him as if to say, 'Well, we can't.'  
>"Those Gates are in space. If they walked through, then-"<br>"No-no-no-no-no." McKay cut across John. "Look, the glitch occurred at M4F-788. That is a planetary Gate at the edge of the Pegasus galaxy which means – worst case scenario – they stepped through the puddle and they found themselves stranded on an uninhabited planet."  
>"'Stranded.' More time together – just what they need!"<p>

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

Teal'c has taken Ronon to the Armory. They begin to arm themselves.  
>"All right, we need to secure the Gateroom." Ronon said.<br>"No. We must get to the Control Room."  
>"All the Wraith can get to the Gate."<br>"They cannot use the Stargate without the Control Room. It is best. If we just keep moving-"  
>As he speaks, he leaves the room and sees two Wraith guards coming around the corner. He opens fire with his rifle and guns them down. Ronon comes out and shoots down more guards coming from another direction. Once they have all been dispatched, Teal'c leads Ronon away.<br>"This way."

҉

**MIDWAY CONTROL ROOM**

The Wraith technician types on the console but it beeps negatively. It types again but still gets nothing.  
>"What's wrong?"<br>"I cannot activate the portal." The technician reports. "A lock-out command has been initiated. It is preventing me from accessing the controls."  
>"Override it."<br>The technician types again but still gets the negative beep. "I'm trying. It requires a code."  
>The scientist looks around to the humans. "What is the code?"<br>"We don't know. Honestly." Lee said. The scientist walks towards them threateningly. "We don't know. There's only a handful of people who know that specific code, for obvious security reasons, and none of them are on the base right now-"  
>"You initiated the lock-out?"<br>"Well, it's not really a matter of who initiated it – it's a standard-"  
>"Did you?"<br>"Yeah ... but ... I mean, yeah, it was me, but like I said, initiating it and overriding it are two entirely separate-"  
>"Silence!" It turns back to its technician. "Keep working! Find a way around it."<br>"It will take time. The interface has several-"  
>"The more you speak, the less time you have." He looks round to the humans again. "In the meantime, perhaps I can find a way to persuade you to give me that code."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

The Gate kawhooshes and Jeremy reports,  
>"We've got a lock."<br>"Finally." John said.  
>"Yeah. It seems someone was dialing out from 788. It was preventing us from dialing in until now." McKay said.<br>"That's Ronon and Teal'c?"  
>"I doubt it. Look, even if the malfunction spat them out on the planet, the only logical address they would dial was back to Atlantis, which, as we know, they didn't."<br>"Well, maybe it's them and they can't get a lock."  
>Rodney shrugs. Jeremy activates the comms, "Ronon, Teal'c, are you there?" There's no reply. "Ronon, Teal'c, this is Colonel Renner. Please respond." Still no reply.<br>"I'm telling you – they made it to the Midway Station before the malfunction. I'm sure of it." McKay said.  
>"Wait a minute. Didn't you say 788 is uninhabited?" John asked.<br>"It is."  
>"All right – if it's not Ronon and Teal'c, then who dialed out?"<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

A M.A.L.P. drives towards the open Gate. Illyria and John stand on the balcony as it disappears into the Gate. Rodney is sitting at a console watching his screens.  
>"M.A.L.P. is through. Receiving telemetry. Visual coming in now." Illyria and John watch as the video feed comes onto a wallscreen and shows the sandy surface. "See? No Ronon, no Teal'c."<br>"Pan left." Illyria instructed.  
>Rodney types and the M.A.L.P.'s camera turns to the left. It shows the D.H.D. and many cables trailing from it. "That's Wraith tech. It's hooked up to the D.H.D."<br>"Pan right." Illyria instructed.  
>Rodney turns the camera to the right and reveals a rocky ridge with something dark on top of it. He tilts the camera up and it shows the cruiser at the top of the ridge.<br>"Oh crap!" John said.  
>Just then a Wraith guard walks into view, aims its stunner rifle at the M.A.L.P. and fires. The screen goes blank.<br>"We lost the feed." McKay said.  
>"Yeah, not to mention the M.A.L.P. Shut down the Gate." John said.<br>He and Illyria walk over to Rodney.)  
>"Is it possible for them to have seized the Intergalactic Bridge?" Illyria asked.<br>"This is a hell of a lot more than a 'hiccup'!" John yelled.  
>"No-no-no-no, it's impossible!" McKay said. "I mean, first they'd have to know about the Bridge and even if they did, there's too many security barriers in place. Look, encryption I used on the call-forwarding macros would take them years to try to-"<br>"What if they knew the passwords?" John asked.  
>"How?" McKay asked.<br>"We just had a Wraith on base, Rodney, working with you, side by side, on your computers."  
>"You mean Todd? He was our ally! Look, even if he wanted, there's no way he could hack into my system..." he starts to look doubtful "... could he?"<br>"You saw the tech hooked up to the D.H.D. What else could they be up to?"  
>"We have to get to Midway." Illyria said. "The Daedalus is back on Earth. Is there another way we can get there?"<br>"Well, connect to the Bridge via another Gate in Pegasus." McKay suggested.  
>"Then we have to find one that's close to the outer edge."<br>Rodney types and a star map shows several Gates near to M4F-788. "There's M6R-125. We could connect to the Bridge through that, but I'd need to reconfigure the macro."  
>"OK, get on it. John, prepare a strike force."<p>

҉

**MIDWAY CONTROL ROOM**

The Wraith scientist drops Dempster's shrivelled body to the floor. Bill and Kavanagh stare down at it in horror. The scientist walks slowly towards them. Kavanagh looks at him in terror.  
>"Honestly, if I knew the code, I would have given it to you by now."<br>"That depends on the strength of your allegiance."  
>"No-no-no, trust me! My allegiance is not that strong!"<br>"It really isn't. Please! Please! I'm begging you!" Lee said.  
>The Wraith raises its hand, ready to strike at Kavanagh. Kavanagh's eyes roll up into his head and he collapses to the floor.<br>"Umm, I think he fainted." Lee said.  
>"Then you shall be next."<br>"Wait-"  
>"I've got it!" The technician shouted. They turn to look at it. "I've successfully gained access to override the lock-out."<br>"Good! Dial the portal."  
>Elsewhere on the Station, Ronon and Teal'c climb down a ladder into a lower level, then look around as they hear the sound of approaching Wraith.<br>"In here." Teal'c said.  
>They hurry around a corner into a small room which has a couple of spacesuits in it. They watch as many of the Wraith guards congregate around the ladder and begin to climb it.<br>"They're headed to the Gateroom." Ronon said.  
>"Indeed."<br>The last of the guards climbs the ladder.  
>"If you wanna go to the Control Room, go ahead. I'm going after 'em." Ronon said and heads out.<br>"Ronon!" Teal'c yelled. Angrily, he hurries after him.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

The scientist activates the comms system.  
>"Send the device."<br>"Uh, device?" Lee asked. The scientist looks at him. Bill raises his hand as if in school. "Um, what device?"

҉

**EARTH**

**STARGATE COMMAND (S.G.C.) **

The Stargate kawhooshes. In the Control Room, Walter Harriman reports,  
>"Offworld activation. Midway's I.D.C. Opening the iris."<br>He puts his hand onto the palm scanner and the iris opens. The large glowing sphere rolls out of the Gate and down the ramp. It trundles across the floor and stops just short of the Control Room wall. The S.F.s in the room aim their weapons down at it

The Gate shuts down and the sphere emits a powerful field in all directions. As it sweeps over the soldiers and spreads to the Control Room, everyone drops to the floor or falls back in their seat, unconscious. The field sweeps on through the complex until everyone in the base is unconscious.

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM**  
>"All right, we're re-directed." McKay said. "We gate from Atlantis to M6R-125. We insert this crystal with the Bridge macros into the D.H.D., dial the first Gate in the void and we're back on track all the way to Midway."<br>"Is your strike force ready?" Illyria asked John.  
>"As soon as McKay gears up, we're ready to go."<br>"Well, I'm not..." He sighs. "All right, I'm gearing up."

҉

**MIDWAY CONTROL ROOM**

The Wraith scientist activates the comms, "Prepare the next wave."  
>As the Milky Way Gate begins to dial, Ronon and Teal'c reach a window above the Gateroom and watch as Wraith guards begin to enter the Gate.<br>"They've dialed the Milky Way Gate." Teal'c said.  
>"They're heading for Stargate Command." Ronon said.<br>"We must pursue them."  
>"Now you're talkin'." As they turn to leave the room, more Wraith come into view. The men open fire on them and gun them all down. "Let's go before the Gate shuts down!"<br>Shortly afterwards, the Wraith scientist hears the sound of gunfire. It looks at the monitor and sees Ronon and Teal'c backing up the ramp towards the Gate, firing at approaching guards. It turns to the technician.  
>"Shut it down – now!"<br>The technician types but the boys are already backing into the event horizon. A guard runs up the ramp but the Gate shuts down before it can reach it. The scientist turns to the technician.  
>"Two were able to pass through – but they will be dispensed of soon enough. Make ready the next-"<br>Just then, on the monitor showing the Stargates, the right-hand image begins to show the message "INCOMING."  
>"The Pegasus portal is activating!" The technician reports.<br>"The next inbound wave was supposed to wait for my command."

The technician types and pulls up an image of the Pegasus Gate on the monitor. John, Rodney and various marines run through, aiming their weapons in all directions. The scientist stares in shock. The strike force makes its way into the corridors.  
>"Teams Three and Four, take the lower level. Teams One and Two, with me. This way."<p>

҉

**S.G.C. **

Ronon and Teal'c come through the Gate and gaze in surprise at the unconscious bodies lying on the floor. As the Gate closes down, they go down the ramp and Ronon checks the neck pulse of one of the soldiers.  
>"Yeah, they're alive. They're just stunned."<br>"By this device, perhaps," Teal'c said, walking over to the sphere.  
>"I don't know. I've never seen one of these before."<br>Teal'c looks up into the Control Room. "It appears other personnel have been disabled as well. The question is, how much of this base has been compromised?"  
>"And where the hell are the Wraith?"<p>

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

As John's team makes its way through the Station, more Wraith guards appear and fire at them. The men take cover and return fire. As the firefight continues, John leans back to safety for a moment to call into his radio.  
>"Ronon, Teal'c, come in." There's no reply. "Ronon, do you copy?"<br>In the Control Room, the Wraith scientist is watching the firefight on split screen images. It turns to the technician.  
>"Shut the door."<br>The technician types, and the door to the Control Room slides closed. In the corridors, John and his team continue firing at the Wraith until all of them have been gunned down or have run away.  
>"Clear." John reports. They progress forward cautiously. A wallscreen nearby activates and the scientist's face appears on it.<br>"_Colonel Sheppard."_  
>Rodney, nearest to the screen, looks at it in surprise and calls John back. "Sheppard."<br>John comes back to look at the screen.  
>"<em>You have no chance of re-taking this Station. Therefore it is in your best interests to surrender immediately."<em>  
>"Do I know you?"<br>"_Not personally, no. But I know a great deal about you. You as well, Doctor McKay."_  
>"Who are you?" McKay asked.<br>_"An acquaintance of someone you recently worked with to bring about the demise of those you refer to as Replicators. It was from him that I was able to procure the necessary data to commandeer this base."_  
>"It was Todd." McKay said, turning angrily to John. "That bastard hacked my system."<br>"So much for buddies!" John turned back to the Wraith. "So, what's the plan? Take over Midway and then, what, Earth?"  
>"<em>My warriors are securing a beach head in your command center as we speak."<em>  
>"Hate to break this to you, but the S.G.C. is heavily fortified. You're walking into a world of hurt."<br>_"Not to worry. We have ways of evening the odds."_

҉

**S.G.C**

Ronon and Teal'c walk into the Control Room and see that everyone there is also unconscious. Ronon walks over to a screen showing a corridor elsewhere in the base. Wraith are walking along it.  
>"Look. They're working their way to the surface – trying to get out."<br>He looks at another screen which shows a Wraith opening a doorway which leads to the emergency ladders to the surface.  
>"They will be unable to do so. A pulse of energy – no doubt from that Wraith device – has triggered the S.G.C. automatic lockdown." Teal'c said.<br>"So no-one gets in and no-one gets out?"  
>"Indeed."<br>"Just the way I like it."

҉

**MIDWAY CONTROL ROOM**

The right-hand image of the Gates shows the message "UNSCHEDULED ACTIVATION."  
>"We have activation." The technician reported.<br>"That will be our reinforcements." The scientist said. As the Gate activates, the scientist turns back to the camera transmitting its image to John and the others. "Soon it is you who will be in for a 'world of hurt.'"  
>"Oh, crap!" McKay said, wide-eyed.<br>Angrily, John slaps him on the arm, then turned back to the camera. "Listen, love to sit around and chat, but gotta go." He raises his pistol and shoots out the camera. Rodney cowers as it explodes. John turns to the marines. "Take positions. Anything comes through the Gate, kill it."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>John turns to two other marines. "You two, with me."  
>"Where are we going?" McKay asked.<br>"We're going to the Control Room to shut down the Gate."  
>They run to the corridor leading to the Control Room. Two Wraith guards are outside but John runs across the corridor, firing rapidly with his rifle. One of the guards goes down. The other fires its stunner at John but he ducks out of sight, then reappears and fires again. As the guard falls, its rifle goes off and the blast hits the marine beside John, who crumples to the floor.<p>

Ignoring him, John runs down the corridor. The door at the end opens and another guard appears in the doorway. John promptly guns it down, then fires at the other one, which manages to stun another of the marines before John shoots it down. The technician runs to grab one of the guard's rifles but John switches to his pistol and fires at it twice. It falls to the floor. Nearby, fingers appear over the edge of the console and a bald head lifts slowly into view. John spins around to aim his pistol at it but relaxes when he realizes that it's Bill.  
>"Whoa! Oh, thank God." Lee said.<br>"Where's the head guy?" John asked.  
>"He left."<br>"Well, I can see that. Where'd he go?"  
>"Uh, I don't know. He just ran out."<br>"McKay, we're in the clear. Get to work." John called out into the corridor. Rodney comes into the Control Room. John looks at Bill. "Where's Ronon and Teal'c?"  
>"They went through the Milky Way Gate on the way to Stargate Command. They were chasing after the Wraith."<br>"Alright. Here." He hands Bill his pistol.  
>"What am I supposed to-"<br>John pointed in the direction of the unconscious marines. "Get those two guys inside. Seal the door, shoot anything that tries to get through."  
>"Where are you going?" McKay asked.<br>"To help those marines." John looks down at Kavanagh lying on the floor. "Is he dead?"  
>"Fainted." Lee said.<br>"Figures."  
>The console beeps. McKay turns to it, reading the screen. "Well, you'd better wake him up. We've got a problem."<br>"What?" John asked.  
>"I can't shut down the Stargate."<br>"I think I saw them inputting a lock-out protocol just before you guys came in." Lee said.  
>"Dammit!" McKay yelled. As he continues to type and keeps getting a negative beep, John looks at the monitor screen and sees more Wraith guards walking through the event horizon.<br>"We've got Wraith coming through the Gate. We're about to get overrun."  
>He races out of the room. Rodney looks up at the monitor screen as even more guards arrive ... and still the console beeps negatively at him.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John makes his way to rejoin the marines, speaking into his headset radio. "Hester, come in. What's your twenty?"  
>As Hester replies, his voice is punctuated with the sound of repeated automatic gunfire. "<em>We're still outside the Gateroom. We've got a ton of Wraith coming through!"<em>  
>"Where are the other teams?"<br>_"I lost contact with them. I don't know how much longer we can hold on here, sir!"_  
>"Just hang on. McKay's trying to shut down the Gate." Hester cries out and there's confused shouting and firing from the other marines with him. "Hester? Hester? Come in?"<br>The sound from John's radio fluctuates, then cuts off. John trots around the corner and runs into another group of Wraith. He guns down as many as he can, then turns and runs. The guards pursue him.

҉

**S.G.C**

Ronon and Teal'c walk through the base, looking at all the unconscious bodies lying on the ground. Teal'c stops and bends down to the shriveled corpse of a soldier.  
>"He was fed on by the Wraith. It's not a good way to go."<br>"Indeed." Teal'c said as he takes a zat gun from the corpse.  
>"You say that a lot."<br>"What?"  
>"'Indeed.'" Ronon repeated in a deeper voice.<br>"Do I?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"I had not noticed." Teal'c frowned.  
>Ronon turns and walks around the corner. He sees a Wraith guard kneeling over another shriveled soldier's corpse, its hand still on his chest.<br>"Hey!" Ronon called out, snatching out his blaster and shoots it.  
>He heads towards it, still firing, but a couple of Wraith guards surge out of a side corridor. One of them grabs him and hurls him hard against the wall. Teal'c zats the other guard, then spins around as more guards appear behind him. He zats them as well. Another guard runs into view. Teal'c grabs it and slams its head into the wall.<p>

Meanwhile, Ronon is struggling with the guard that attacked him. It has one hand on his throat and is trying to get its other hand onto his chest. Teal'c snaps the neck of the guard he was grappling with. As Ronon continues trying to keep his guard's hand off his chest, a stunner blast hits it in the back and it falls to the floor. Teal'c looks down at Ronon's blaster which he has picked up off the floor and used on the Wraith. He brings it over to Ronon and offers it to him.  
>"I would very much like to have a weapon such as this."<br>"Yeah. Get in line," Ronon said, taking it from him.

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

John carefully pushes a door open, aiming his pistol in front of him. He speaks into his radio in a whisper.  
>"Rodney. Talk to me."<br>Rodney and Bill are working on the main console. They've managed to wake up Kavanagh, who is wiping his forehead with a cloth and putting his glasses back on.  
>"Still working."<br>"_I've lost contact with Hester and the marines. I think they were killed. How long before you get the Gate shut down?"_  
>"I don't know. This is extremely complicated."<br>"Have you tried the critical systems bypass?" Kavanagh asked.  
>"I have to figure out a safe work-around to avoid any commands that may have been compromised." McKay said, ignoring him.<br>"_You'd better hurry, or we've got more Wraith on the way."_  
>"I'm working as fast as I can!"<br>Kavanagh turned to Lee. "Why doesn't he just bypass the critical systems?  
>"Not now." Lee told him. "Just watch the door."<br>"Besides, even if I could shut down the Gate," McKay continued, "there's Wraith in every sector of the base. We're completely outnumbered. I mean, it's just a matter of time before they wipe out the whole..." He trails off as Kavanagh, who had walked across to another console while he was talking, types onto it and the Pegasus Gate shuts down. "The Gate just shut off!" He glances at what Bill's working on, then looks across to Kavanagh. "What did you do?"  
>"I shut it off, using the critical systems bypass."<br>"Are you out of your mind?!"  
>"What? It worked!"<br>An alarm sounds and a message comes up on the wallscreen behind him reading, "SELF DESTRUCT INITIATED."  
>"Oh my God! The self-destruct!" Lee shouted.<br>"I didn't mean ... I-"  
>"Did you not just hear me say I needed to figure out a safe work-around to avoid any commands that may have been compromised – as in booby trapped?!" McKay yelled at him. "Look, I didn't use the bypass to shut down the Gate for this very reason!"<br>_"Rodney?"_  
>"We've made a terrible mistake. We never should have revived Kavanagh!" McKay said.<br>"_He triggered the self-destruct."_  
>"Not on purpose!" Kavanagh said defensively.<br>"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" McKay said.  
>Lee looked at his watch. "All right, we've got just under ten minutes before this whole Station blows up."<br>"_Well, can you turn it off?"_  
>"No. I'm completely locked out. The Wraith made sure if they couldn't have the Station, then no-one could." McKay said.<br>Lee was tapping his forehead in anxiety. "Oh, things couldn't get any worse."  
>Just then the three of them look around as they hear the sound of Wraith gunfire outside the room. Two Wraith guards are firing their rifles repeatedly at the door.<br>"They're shooting at the door." Kavanagh said.

҉

**S.G.C.**

Ronon and Teal'c are making their way through the corridors, both carrying rifles. They stop as they hear something crash down on the other side of a closed door. They go to the door and Ronon shoulders it open. Inside are three people in civilian clothes. Two are slumped on the table and one has fallen to the floor.  
>"Wait." Teal'c said.<p>

He walks around the table to find a fourth man in a suit slowly pulling himself upwards. He apparently just fell out of his chair and the shock must have woken him up. "Are you all right?" The man doesn't answer, still rather bleary. "Ronon Dex. This is Mr Coolidge of the I.O.A."  
>"Oh. Hey." Ronon said.<br>"What happened?" Coolidge asked.  
>"You were rendered unconscious by a Wraith stun device." Teal'c said.<br>"What?! The Wraith? Here?"  
>"They have infiltrated the base. It is best if you remain in this room until Ronon Dex and I have neutralized the situation."<br>"No-no-no. We need to get to the Control Room, radio for help."  
>"We don't need help." Ronon said.<br>"How many Wraith are here on this base?" Coolidge asked.  
>"We do not know exact numbers, but they are many." Teal'c said.<br>"And who else beside you are going after them?"  
>"We are the only two."<br>"Get me to a radio."  
>"It's better if you-"<br>Coolidge yelled, interrupting Ronon, "Now!"

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

John lurks around a corner as Wraith guards make their way down the corridor. Once they've gone, he speaks quietly into his radio.  
>"I've got an idea, Rodney."<br>In the Control Room, the sound of the Wraith constantly shooting at the door can still be heard.  
>"Great, 'cause we've got Wraith just about to blast through the door."<br>"_This place has got a Puddle Jumper docked here, right?"_  
>"Yeah, to be used as an emergency escape pod."<br>_"I'd say this pretty much qualifies as an emergency."_  
>"No-no-no, no!" Lee shouted. "We'll be stuck out here in the middle of the galactic void!"<br>"Only until we're rescued." McKay said. "It might take a couple of weeks, but the Jumper is stocked with food and water. We should be all right – unless you wanna stay here and get blown to smithereens with the rest of the Station. Your call."  
>"We've got one other problem. How're we gonna get there?" Kavanagh said.<br>John, who had taken the respite to reload his rifle, comes out of hiding as some more Wraith walk along the corridor. He guns them down and then runs off. Rounding a corner, he skids to a halt at the sight of two dead marines on the floor. Both of them have been fed on.  
>"Rodney, we're out of time. Vent the atmosphere."<br>"_What?!"_  
>"Every room but the Control Room. Vent the air."<br>_"How close are you?"_  
>"Don't wait for me. Just do it."<br>"_Can you make it to the Jumper?"_  
>"I don't know. I'll try."<br>"_John, I'm not sure there's time to-"_  
>"We don't have time to argue! Do it!"<br>The firing outside the door of the Control Room intensifies. Rodney looks round at the door. Bill puts a hand on his shoulder, understanding the decision he must make. Rodney turns back, his eyes wide.  
>"Venting the atmosphere."<br>He types, and the message on the wall changes from "SELF DESTRUCT INITIATED" to "VENTING O2." Everywhere but in the Control Room, air starts being rapidly sucked out of vents in the walls. The Wraith groan as they stumble forward, then collapse to their knees. John, his face screwed up in pain and concentration, staggers along the corridors towards the location of the Puddle Jumper.

Suddenly the Wraith scientist hurls itself into his back and sends him flying, then punches him in the face. John fends it off as best as he can as it continues striking out at him and eventually he pushes it far enough off him to bring his pistol into play. He fires seven bullets into it. It reels back and slumps down on the other side of the corridor, dead. John turns and tries to get to his feet but can't breathe.

He collapses to the floor and reaches forward, trying to drag himself along the floor.

҉

**S.G.C. **

Two Wraith guards are trying to force open the doors to the elevator on level 28 while another guard stands nearby. Ronon and Teal'c, followed by Coolidge, run down the steps of the Control Room, firing repeatedly with their rifles.

The guards drop.

The boys charge around the corner and open fire on two more guards. As Coolidge cowers around the corner, another Wraith runs down the steps of the Control Room. Seeing him out of the corner of his eye, Ronon snatches out his blaster and shoots it down. He instantly holsters his blaster and continues firing with his rifle as more guards come around the corner in front of them then, as Teal'c continues firing at them, turns and fires at more guards coming from the Control Room. Finally they manage to gun down all of them.  
>"All right." Ronon points back to the Control Room. "I'll go this way; you go that way." He points down the corridor.<br>"Where is Mr Coolidge?"  
>"I don't know." He said, looking around.<br>They head off in opposite directions.

҉

**MIDWAY CONTROL ROOM**

Kavanagh puts his ear against the door. There's no further sound coming from behind it. In the corner of the room, the two marines who they dragged in earlier are starting to revive.  
>"It's pretty quiet out there."<br>Bill looks at the monitor screens. "Looks like they're all dead."  
>"Sheppard. Can you hear me? John – are you there?" McKay asked, trying the radios. There's no reply. Bill looks at his watch.<br>"It should be enough time. I think it's safe to re-pressurize."

Rodney doesn't answer his question, his face full of loss. "What am I going to tell his wife? His kids?"

Lee says gently, "Doctor McKay."  
>Rodney looks round at him for a moment. "Re-pressurizing the Station."<br>He types, then looks up again, his face still full of pain.

҉

**S.G.C. **

Ronon runs into the Control Room and sees Coolidge standing at a wall panel.  
>"What are you doing?" Ronon asked.<br>"I've contacted the military. They're fully aware of the situation which means, unfortunately, they're preparing to nuke the base."  
>"What?!"<br>"Stargate Command has been compromised. The only way to fully prevent the Wraith from infiltrating the general population is to destroy it."  
>"You tell them to call it off."<br>"I can't do that – not as long as there's a single Wraith still alive on this base."  
>Behind them, the Control Room crew have been starting to revive.<br>"Wraith?! What, here?!" Harriman asked.  
>"Listen, we'll deal with the Wraith." Ronon turns back to Coolidge. "Look, you've still got people alive here. Buy us some more time!"<br>"We don't have time. Now, there's an escape hatch to the surface. We need to get to it immediately. Where's Teal'c?"  
>Ronon looks around and sees several of the crew gazing up to the video screens. He looks and sees Teal'c in a narrow corridor with Wraith guards firing at him from either end.<br>"He's surrounded. I need to get back to him."  
>"No! No time! We have to leave as soon as we can!"<br>"Not without Teal'c."  
>"We can't go back for him. We could get bogged down or killed!" Ronon turns and starts to leave the room. Coolidge follows him. "Now, there's a clear path to the escape hatch, and we need to get out of here now!"<br>Ronon turns back, glaring at him. "You wanna run away and save yourself, fine. I'm staying here."  
>He races away.<p>

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

Rodney and the others have climbed down the ladder to the lower level. Rodney looks around.  
>"The Jumper Bay is..."<br>"…through the E.V.A. Prep Room. And it's not a real bay, though – it's more like an airlock that leads to a hatch that's cut into the top-"  
>"I don't need the blueprints! Where is it?"<br>"It's over there."  
>Kavanagh points the way with his finger. Bill also points the way, with a pistol that he's holding. Angrily Rodney pushes his hand down again and leads the way. They reach the E.V.A. Prep Room which contains the two spacesuits. Rodney looks around the room, then gestures to Bill who walks over to a hatch in the far wall.<br>"Through here."  
>He types a code into a keypad on the hatch, then swings the hatch open. A ladder is inside. He starts to go through the hatch but Kavanagh pushes him out of the way and goes first. Bill and the marines follow. Just as Rodney starts to step through the hatch, he hears the sound of amplified breathing from behind him. He turns, frowning in confusion, and walks back to the spacesuits. Peering into the darkened helmet of the first one, he presses a button on the control panel on the front of the suit and the helmet's internal lights come on.<p>

John is inside.  
>"Sheppard!" McKay yelled. "How the hell did you...?!"<br>"Get me out of here." John said quietly.  
>"Yeah!" He reaches for the helmet and starts to disconnect it.<p>

҉

**S.G.C. **

Teal'c guns down some more Wraith guards, then turns and runs back the other way, firing at more approaching guards. All falls silent for a while and Teal'c stops and looks around suspiciously, awaiting the next attack. Suddenly doors behind him burst open and a couple of guards charge out, one of them grabbing him and pinning him against the wall.

Ronon charges around the corner and guns down a couple more Wraith, then another one goes hand to hand with him. Teal'c's Wraith also fights hand to hand with him. Ronon's guard grabs him by the throat with both hands and holds him up against the wall. He punches it repeatedly on the head until it drops him. He stumbles backwards, then goes at it with the guard again. The two pairs continue to trade blows.

Eventually Teal'c's guard picks him up and throws him hard against a wall. As he drops to the floor, Ronon steps away from his guard for a moment, looks around and sees a pipe running along the ceiling. He reaches up and pulls a section of it down. Air or gas pours out of the rest of the pipe. Swirling his piece of pipe, Ronon hammers it across the guard's chest, then swings around and hits it in the back. Turning to face it again, he slams the pipe across the guard's face piece several times but has little effect on it.  
>Back around the corner, the other guard has picked Teal'c up off the floor and pushed him back against the wall. He has been half stunned by the crash against the wall and is too weak to fight back. The guard slams its hand into his chest. Teal'c groans as it starts to feed. But a couple of seconds later it convulses as there's a sickly squelching impact.<p>

Its head rears back and blood pours out of its mouthpiece. Teal'c looks down and sees a length of metal pipe sticking through the guard's chest. It drops to the floor. Teal'c slumps wearily as Ronon steps over the guard, then he pulls himself together, wipes the blood from his mouth and looks up at him.  
>"Excellent timing."<br>"Indeed." Ronon said with a straight face. Teal'c looks at him, everything but his mouth smiling, and slowly staggers forward. Ronon pats his shoulder and looks around. "Well, I think that's all of them."  
>"I certainly hope you are correct."<br>"We've gotta call the military. They're gonna blow this place up."  
>Teal'c nods, and they head off.<p>

҉

**MIDWAY STATION**

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

Bill runs back to the hatch in the roof and looks up into it. "What's taking him so long?"  
>Kavanagh looks at his watch. "Self-destruct's about to blow." He calls up into the hatch. "Twenty seconds!"<br>Rodney drops down through the hatch. As he stumbles forward into the front compartment, John drops down through the hatch.  
>"Colonel Sheppard?!" Lee yelled, stunned. "How did you get...?"<br>"Later. We're leaving." John runs to the pilot's seat. "Sit down!"  
>He activates the controls and the Jumper pulls away from the Station. As the Jumper races away, the Midway Space Station explodes.<p>

҉

**S.G.C. **

In a small room, five members of the I.O.A. sit at one end of a table. Coolidge is sitting in the middle of the group. Ronon sits at the other end of the table. Coolidge looks through the papers in front of him, then looks up at Ronon.  
>"Ronon Dex. Do you feel that you can fulfill the duties of an S.G. team member with diligence, integrity, and respect for those in authority over you?"<br>There's a microphone on the table in front of Ronon. Looking a little nervous, he slowly leans forward until his mouth is about an inch away from the microphone.  
>"Yes."<br>He straightens up again. Coolidge looks around at his colleagues on either side of him, then looks back at Ronon.  
>"Good enough for me."<br>As Coolidge starts to pack up his papers, Ronon can't help but look a little surprised.  
>Outside the room, Teal'c is waiting. Ronon comes out and closes the door, smiling.<br>"Well?"  
>"I'm exactly the kind of team member they want out there fighting the Wraith. Their words, not mine."<br>"And you did not hold a weapon to their heads?"  
>"I did not."<br>Teal'c smiles as the two of them start to stroll down the corridor. "I am pleased."  
>"Yeah, well, I had a good coach."<br>"Indeed. The Daedalus is preparing to leave. Colonel Caldwell will beam you aboard when you are ready."  
>"Still nothing from Midway?"<br>"No. We have lost all contact with them. The Daedalus will stop on its way back to Atlantis to assess the situation."

҉

**GALACTIC VOID**

Midway between the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies, the Puddle Jumper floats in space. Inside, Kavanagh sits on the floor in the rear compartment with his back against the door. Bill is sitting on the floor nearby and they are using a metal case as a table as they play cards.  
>"No way! You actually liked it?!" Lee asked.<br>"It's his finest film." Kavanagh said.  
>Bill looks round at the others, holding out his hands in disbelief. "'Pearl Harbor'!"<br>"Yeah, go ahead and mock it. Everybody does, but that film will endure. It's got weight."  
>"Yeah, which is why it plummeted at the box office!"<br>"Two hundred million dollars domestic – that's not plummeting. I beg to differ."  
>Nearby, Rodney is sitting on the floor with his arms folded and a look of total irritation on his face. "Enough, already! We've been stuck here for God knows how long and you haven't shut up – either of you! You just keep talking and talking-" His voice becomes more high pitched and incoherent as he rambles on angrily. Just then, the Jumper jolts. "What was that?"<br>"Something just hit us." Lee said.  
>The rear door starts to lower, almost sending Kavanagh flying. He, Bill, Rodney and the marines scramble to their feet as Ronon comes into view. He waves at them.<br>"Oh!" Kavanagh said.  
>"Wh-where are we?" Lee asked.<br>"Daedalus 302 Bay." Ronon said. "We saw you, we scooped you up; we're heading back to Atlantis."  
>"Thank God!" McKay shouted. As Ronon walks inside, Bill and Kavanagh both smile gratefully and pat him on the shoulder. Ronon roughly shoves Kavanagh away from him and walks over to Rodney. "Midway was destroyed."<br>"Yeah, we saw. Where's Sheppard?"  
>Rodney turns to the closed bulkhead and opens it. John is slumped in the pilot's seat with his feet up on the chair behind it. His eyes are closed and he has headphones on.<br>"He lasted about a day – sealed himself in there." McKay said as he leaves the Jumper. Ronon looks at John and walks into the compartment.  
>"No wonder he didn't hear the radio call."<br>He reaches out and tickles the side of John's face. Without opening his eyes, John flails his hand in that direction. Grinning, Ronon reaches out again and tickles his nose. John flails again. Ronon does it again. Finally John jerks awake and looks up at Ronon as he laughs at him.  
>"Thank God!" John said happily. "I almost shot 'em myself with a stunner."<br>"Yeah. I understand."  
>John took off his headphones. "Where are we?"<br>"Daedalus 302 Bay."  
>"What's the status of S.G.C.?"<br>"Secure. Teal'c and I took care of the Wraith."  
>"I figured you would."<br>"C'mon. Let's get the hell out of here."  
>"Yeah!" He picks up his vest and follows Ronon out of the Jumper.<br>"Oh – and I passed my interview at the I.O.A."  
>"Really?"<br>"Yeah – they said they like me."  
>"Well, what's not to like?"<br>As they chat on, Daedalus heads into hyperspace.


	69. Chapter 67

Previously on Chance meetings ~~~

(29. Chapter 27)

_**OFFWORLD CAMP.**_

_ In the medical tent, Carson is lying on the gurney. His hands are strapped to the sides of it. Michael is walking around the gurney. His transformation is continuing.__  
><em>_ "How many have reverted?" Carson asked.__  
><em>_ "Those you saw in the forest, plus a few more."__  
><em>_ "And the others?"__  
><em>_ "They'll serve as an offering to the hive that's coming for us."__  
><em>_ "That's hardly bloody fair."__  
><em>_ "The strong survive, Doctor. The few of us who began to realize something was wrong got together and formed a plan even while on the medication. The weaker minds among us will stay that way, thanks to your drugs and the training you gave us."__  
><em>_ "If your memory's coming back, you should remember what happened last time you tried to rejoin the Wraith."__  
><em>_ Michael raised his voice in anger. "It will be enough to escape this rock!"__  
><em>_ "So what d'you need me for? I mean, there must be a reason you're keeping me alive."__  
><em>_ "I need to know what secondary security measures Colonel Sheppard put in place before he left."__  
><em>_ "What're you talkin' about?"__  
><em>_ "The more my memory returns, the more I begin to doubt that he would have left us here without setting up some kind of failsafe."__  
><em>_ "There's no way off this planet! That __was__ the failsafe!"__  
><em>_Abruptly, Michael leans down into Carson's face. "How many years of your life will I have to take away before you tell me what I want to know?"__  
><em>_ "That's hardly a threat, since you're obviously gonna kill me anyway."__  
><em>_**"You underestimate your own value, Doctor."**_

_҉_

_**OFFWORLD CAMP. **_

_**NIGHT TIME. **_

_A couple of re-wraithified Wraith walk through the camp. Once they're out of sight, John - hiding behind an oil can beside a tent - pops his head out and makes a signal to Teyla and Ronon to move out. He comes out of hiding and heads into the camp while Teyla and Ronon run off in a different direction. John makes his way towards the medical tent where two Wraith, holding Earth rifles, are guarding the entrance. Teyla bursts out of cover and, with her fists laced together, punches one of them in the face. John grabs the other one from behind and stabs it in the back. Teyla knocks her Wraith to the ground and snaps its neck. Apart from a bit of groaning, there has been no sound during the brief fight. Teyla jumps to her feet and races into the tent to see Carson lying on the gurney with his eyes closed.__  
><em>_ "Carson!"__She runs across to him and checks the pulse on his neck as John bursts into the tent.__ "__He's barely conscious."__  
><em>_John starts to undo the straps binding Carson's wrists as Ronon comes in. "Did you find the others?"__  
><em>_Ronon holds up a bunch of dog tags while shaking his head. "They were fed on. There's not much of them left."__  
>John turned <em>_to Teyla. "Help me get him up."__He and Teyla sit Carson up as Ronon comes over to help. __**It appears that there is a hole in the jacket**__**.**_

•

•

•

**OFFWORLD PLANET **

A funeral pyre has been built in the middle of a clearing. A man's body has been laid on the top of it. Near the pyre stands Queen Illyria Sheppard with her husband, Colonel John Sheppard, and their twi children, Patrick and Jennifer Sheppard. Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex and Colonel Jeremy Renner stand behind them. Either side of the group, a male villager stands holding a burning torch. Jeremy looks at Ilyria sympathetically as she gazes at the pyre.  
>"I'm so sorry, Illyria. Kanaan was a good man. A good friend."<br>Illyria continues to stare at the pyre. "I really thought I could save him."  
>"You did everything you could." John said gently. "That's all anybody can ask for."<br>"He's at peace now." Patrick said, looking up at her.  
>Illyria lowers her head and closes her eyes, tears dripping down her face.<p>

"It's okay, Mommy," Jennifer said, squeezing her hand.

After several seconds, Illyria raises her head and steels herself. "All right. I am ready."  
>She and the villagers walk towards the pyre. She gazes at Kanaan for a few moments longer, then turns to one of the villagers, who hands her his torch. Kneeling, she slowly touches the torch to the kindling at the bottom of the pyre. As it begins to burn, she stands again and hands the torch back to the villager. She backs slowly away, her eyes never leaving Kanaan's face. Flames begin to rise as the fire takes hold.<br>Several seconds later, Kanaan opens his eyes and raises his head. Illyria's eyes widen in shock.  
>"Illyria?" He turns his head and looks across to her through the flames. "Illyria."<br>"He is still alive!" Illyria yelled.  
>"Help me, Illyria! Please!" Illyria tries to run towards the pyre but John and Jeremy grab her arms and hold her back. "Please help me!"<br>"He's still alive! Let me go!" Illyria yelled, struggling to pull free.  
>"Illyriaa, it's too late!" Jeremy said.<br>"Help me, Illyria! Illyria! Illyria!" He writhes in agony as his face begins to blacken with the heat, screaming, "Illyriaaaaaaaa!"  
>Lying in bed beside her husband in Atlantis, Illyria's opens her eyes and gasps, Kanaan's scream still echoing in her ears. She sits up and looks around, bewildered. John was sleeping heavily beside her, drool slightly trickling from his mouth; in between them was Jennifer, who crawled in after her own terrifying nightmare. Illyria lays back down, her face fills with shock and grief at the memory of her nightmare.<p>

҉

**DAY TIME**

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

Jeremy, finnaly off crutches, was talking with Doctor Jennifer Keller. Since Illyria's due date was growing closer, he's become the unofficial Atlantis Commander.  
>"As you know," Jennifer was saying, "for some time now, we've been tracking what appears to be a new sickness in the Pegasus galaxy. We don't know exactly when or where it started, but so far we've encountered it on seven different planets."<br>"Make that eight." John said as he and Rodney walk into the room. "We just came back from 447. They've got it too."  
>"Really? The same symptoms?"<br>"Mmm." McKay He looks around the room and sees an alcohol hand-rub dispenser nearby. He squirts some into his hands and rubs them together as he continues talking. "Starts with respiratory difficulty, proceeds rapidly to fatal organ shutdown." Walking over to the others, he sees their expressions as they look at him still cleaning his hands. "Oh, it's disinfectant."  
>"We just came back from the bio-screen, Rodney." John said. "We were wearing Hazmat the whole time, too."<br>"Yes, well, it's better safe than sorry."  
>Jeremy turned to Jennifer. "Do we have any idea how it's spread?"<br>"Well, that's the strange part. Most of these planets have no regular contact with each other; but a few of them do have regular contact with other neighbouring planets that have been completely unaffected."  
>"So far." John added.<br>"How bad is this gonna get?" Jeremy asked.  
>"If I had to make a projection," Jennifer said, pausing, "I'd base it on the evidence from M1R-992. There have been no new cases there for some time, which would seem to indicate the sickness has run its course."<br>"And...?" Jeremy trailed.  
>Jennifer sighs. "It killed thirty percent of the population. If those numbers bear out on the rest of these planets, we're looking at a death toll of about two hundred thousand. That's assuming it doesn't spread any further."<p>

҉

**MESS HALL**

Illyria is sitting at a table alone, her face still full of the memory of her nightmare. Rodney walks in holding a small white box dressed with a blue ribbon. Putting the box behind his back and holding it with both hands, he walks over and faces her. After a moment, she notices him and smiles up at him.  
>"Rodney. Has Doctor Keller made any progress with her investigation?"<br>"Unfortunately not, no, but she's still working on it."  
>Illyria a frowns at him standing uncomfortably with his hands behind his back. "What are you hiding?"<br>"I, um ... well, I've been waiting for the right time to give this to you, and what with everything that's been going on and all, I, uh ... Anyway, uh..." He brings out the box and hands it to her. "...here you go."  
>Illyria smiles and takes the box. "You didn't have to do this, Rodney."<br>"Well, think of it as a kind of pre-baby present." Illyria starts to untie the ribbon. "Back on Earth, there's this company that produces recordings specifically for the fetus. The thinking is that, by listening to the works of, say, a great composer while still in the womb, the baby will be born with a natural predisposition towards musical ability, or – in this case – science." Illyria opens the box and takes out an MP3 player and a pair of earphones. She looks up at him, amused. "Yeah. I recorded some of my reflections on some of my more ground-breaking accomplishments and theories – just a couple of hours' worth."  
>"You should not have gone to so much trouble." She said smiling.<br>"Ah, it was no trouble at all," he said, waving his hand dismissively. He looks down at her as she packs the player away into the box again, losing her smile and looking lost in thought. He frowns. "Something wrong?"  
>"Uh..." She looks around, thinking for a moment. "I was debating whether or not to tell anyone."<br>"Oh." He pulls up a chair and sits down. "Tell anyone what?"  
>"I believe I had a vision last night."<br>"A vision?"  
>"I saw Kanaan, a dear Athosian friend of mine."<p>

"The one who gave you the Wraith gene?"

Illyria nodded. "I believe that he was trying to send me a message that he's alive and that I must not abandon the search for him and the rest of the Athosian people."  
>As she speaks, Rodney struggles to hold a neutral expression on his face. "And this was while you were sleeping?"<br>"You think it was a dream."  
>"Well, I ... I-"<br>"I believe it was more than that. It did not feel like a dream." Still Rodney tries – unsuccessfully – to look supportive. "I knew you would doubt me. I should not have said anything."  
>"Hey, I've been cocooned inside an alien spacecraft; I've had another person living inside me; I've encountered not one, but two different versions of myself, so who am I to judge? If you say it was a vision, then I believe it was a vision."<p>

҉

**LATER**  
>"I seriously doubt it was a vision." McKay told John as they walked along the corridors.<br>"Teyla's had 'em. Who's to say Illyria can't with this new super power of hers."  
>"She's had remote contact with the Wraith, never another human. Besides, those Athosians have been missing for, like, what, six months now? D'you really think they're still alive?"<br>"What do you want me to do, Rodney? Tell her to give up hope?"  
>"At some point, she may not have a choice."<p>

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

John was in the children's room, reading them a bedtime story, while Illyria slept in their bedroom. The room is dark, but suddenly, it is filled with light and a breeze blows across her face. She opens her eyes and looks around in surprise as she finds that her bed is in the middle of a forest. She sits up and looks around, bewildered, then throws back the covers and sits up on the side of the bed. A few seconds later, a swirling transporter effect deposits Kanaan onto the grass in front of her. She stands up and faces him, smiling in delight.  
>"Kanaan!"<br>He stares at her in amazement and holds out his hands towards her large bump.  
>"Illyria?" He puts his hands to his mouth, surprised but delighted. She laughs. His smile fades as he lowers his hands and looks at her seriously. "You must help us."<br>"How?"  
>"Save us."<br>"Where are you? Where are your people?"  
>He reaches up and pulls out a black pendant hanging around his neck on a chain. Snapping the chain, he holds up the pendant in front of her.<br>"You bought me this."  
>"Yes."<br>"Do you remember where?"  
>"The village of Croya. Is that where you are?"<br>He drops the pendant into her hand. "Come find me."  
>As he gazes at her, the daylight fades and Illyria opens her eyes. She is sitting up in bed in the darkness and has her hand held out in front of her, the fingers closed. She opens her fingers, but there is nothing inside.<p>

"Illyria?" John asked. She looked around and saw him changing into his night clothes by the dresser. He pulled his shirt on and sat down beside her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," She gasped, nodding. She looked over at John, her eyes sparkling. "I think I know where they are."

҉

**DAY TIME**

**JEREMY'S OFFICE**

Not far from the gateroom is a small office with the walls line with bookshelves and a deak in the corner. John sat in Jeremy's chair as he flipped through a book across the room.  
>"She says the pendant in her vision is the same one she gave to Kanaan before he disappeared."<br>"So what's the significance?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Well, uh..." he grimaces "...I'm not sure."<br>"Well, what does she want exactly?"  
>"Well, she bought it from some guy in a village on M2S-181. She wants to go back and check it out."<br>Jeremy looked up from his book. "It's a peaceful trading settlement. I'd be very surprised if they had anything to do with the disappearance of the Athosians."  
>"That's what I said, but she still wants to go. She thinks that Kanaan is sending her a message, a clue."<br>Jeremy smiled. "So why are you coming to me with this?"

John smiled back. "I what to know what you think."  
>"Doesn't matter what I think." Jeremy put closed his book and put it away. "It's Illyriaa, and she runs the place."<p>

John smiled. "True."  
>"She does know we're stretched pretty thin dealing with this plague, right?"<br>John sighed. "I'll try and make it quick."

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>M2S-181<strong>

John, McKay, Ronon, and Illyria walk through a field of tall grass on its way towards the village. To blend in, Illyria wore a knee length red dress that had long sleeves with baggy cuffs and sewn on patches across the elbows. Underneath it she wore wool tights. Unlike her, John and Rodney dressed in off-worlding gear, and Ronon dressed the same.  
>"I purchased the pendant from an artisan in Croya, the village we are about to visit. Among the Athosians, it's quite common to present such gifts as expressions of admiration and respect."<br>Ronon turns to Rodney. "Hey. Maybe I'll pick you something up while we're there."  
>"Really?"<br>"No."  
>"All right, so we'll ask around, see if we can get some useful intel – but if you even begin to sense any danger-"<br>"-I'll make straight for the Gate, leaving you to deal with it." She smiled over her shoulder to calm him.  
>"I'm not kidding, Illyria."<p>

"Neither am I, John."

҉

**CROYA**

The team walks through the market. Illyria looks around until she finds the stall where she bought the pendant. She approaches the woman tending the stall.  
>"Excuse me. I'm wondering if you can tell me what happened to the artisan who used to occupy this space. He specialized in hand-crafted jewelry, bracelets, pendants, chains…"<br>"He's gone."  
>"Gone?"<br>"During the sickness that took the village several weeks back. He and some forty others. I'm sorry, child – he's dead."

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

Jeremy walks in and goes over to Jennifer. "Hey. I hear you have something."  
>"Yeah. I've found out what's making these people sick – and it's something we've encountered before." She leads Jeremy over to a screen and activates it. "It's a unique protein originally created by the inhabitants of a planet called Hoff. It was designed to interfere with the Wraiths' feeding mechanism, making them immune to the process."<br>"It also killed the feeding Wraith and half the people who took it."  
>"That's right."<br>"So this isn't some contagion that spreads naturally."  
>"No. This is mass murder."<p>

҉

**CROYA**

As Illyria finishes speaking to a villager, John walks over to her.  
>"I think we're done here."<br>"Not yet."  
>"We've given this place the twice-over and nobody knows anything."<br>"Well, perhaps someone does and has not seen fit to come forward yet." John looks at her silently. "I was guided here. By showing me the pendant, Kanaan was telling me to come to this village."  
>"Look, you're going through a tough time. You want answers – that's understandable – but you might wanna consider it's clouding your judgment ... just a little."<br>"What are you questioning, John: my interpretation of the vision or the vision itself?"  
>"All right, we've been here long enough. If there was something for us to find, we would have found it by now." Turning away, he activates his radio headset. "Rodney, Ronon, we're headin' out."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Jennifer and Jeremy are telling John and Illyria of their discovery.  
>"You're sure it is the same protein?" Illyria asked.<br>"I ran a side-by-side comparison. It was almost an exact match." Jennifer told him.  
>"Almost?" Jeremy asked.<br>"Well, we're dealing with the new and improved version. The Hoffan drug killed roughly fifty percent of the test subjects, and this one kills only thirty percent."  
>"Yeah, it's still thirty percent too many." John said.<br>"How do the populations of eight different planets get inoculated with the drug and not even know about it?" Illyria asked.  
>"It's possible it was administered through their food and water supply. We're running some tests." Jennifer said.<br>"So who's behind this?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Well, maybe the Hoffans have resumed distribution of the drug, but on a much larger scale." Jennifer suggested.<br>"They have not been doing much of anything lately. When the Wraith discovered what they were up to, the whole civilization was wiped out." Illyria said.  
>"Well, maybe a few of them survived and they're planning a little pay-back." John said.<br>"The random nature of this drug's distribution is clear and calculated." Jeremy said. "It's obviously intended to throw the Wraith completely off balance. They have no way of knowing which of their food sources has been infected."  
>"So it is just a matter of time before they become hungry and cranky." Illyria sighed. "We need to go back to Hoff." John and Jeremy sigh. "Search what is still standing, see if we can shed some light on the situation before another planet is targeted."<br>"Let's go, Jeremy."

҉

**THE SHEPPARD RESIDENT**

In the living room, the twins sat in front of the TV watching Looney Toons, while Illyria was in her room, sitting up on her bed, her legs crossed and her hands upturned on her knees. Her eyes are closed and she is meditating. As she concentrates, she hears Kanaan's voice.  
>"Illyria." She opens her eyes and is back in the forest with Kanaan standing before her.<br>"Kanaan! Where are you?"  
>"I don't know."<br>"Who took you?"  
>"I don't know."<br>"How can I find you?"  
>"You already know where to go to uncover the answers."<br>"The village?"  
>"You stopped looking."<br>"I went! I found nothing."  
>"You were close. Please, Illyria. Our time is running short." He holds out his hand to her. "We need you."<br>"Kanaan," She said quietly, anguished.  
>She reaches out and takes his hand...and her vision fades. She opens her eyes and finds her hand outstretched in front of her, empty.<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Illyria walks with Jennifer towards Illyria's office.  
>"And you weren't sleeping?" Jennifer asked.<br>"I was in a meditative state, but I was most definitely awake. There can be no doubt – this is real." They walk inside and Illyria gestures towards the armchairs and they sit down.  
>"But you've already been to the planet." Jennifer said.<br>"We missed something. I am certain of it."  
>"I wanna believe you, Illyria, but I'm a scientist. I'm trained to think critically."<br>"There is a possible explanation. Kanaan has the Gift – the same ability that he passed to me."  
>"The Wraith D.N.A.?"<br>"Yes. Among his people, the Gift is considered useful, but it also sets one apart. It can be difficult. Kanaan was the only one who could truly understand what it felt like."  
>"It brought you together."<br>"Yes, after our bloods mixed."  
>"But have you ever communicated this way before?"<br>"No. I know what this looks like, Doctor, and I know what everyone is thinking. 'She sees what she wants to see; she believes what she wants to believe.' But I assure you, that is not the case."  
>Jennifer looks at her for a long moment while Illyriaa gazes back at her hopefully. She can see Illyria's desciaion in her eyes.<p>

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to return to the village."  
>"Okay, when Colonel Sheppard gets back from Hoff-"<br>Illyria shook her head. "I cannot wait. Kanaan said their time is running short. I must leave immediately."  
>"Illyria…" Again, she looks at Illyria for a long moment. Assuming the worst, Illyria makes a point.<br>"I do not need your permission, Doctor. AS leader of this base I can come and go as I please. Unless you intend to restrain me..."

"Well…at least bring someone with you."  
>Nodding, Illyria activates her headset. "Major Lorne, come in."<br>"_Go ahead, your Highness."_  
>"Assemble your team. You'll be escorting me back to M2S-181."<br>_"Understood."_

҉

HOFF

Since they had last seen the city, it has sustained serious damage from Wraith aerial bombardment. Rodney is inside a large room full of shelves and cabinets. Papers are scattered all around. John calls him on the radio.  
>"<em>Rodney, come in."<em>  
>"Go ahead."<br>_"D'you find anything?"_  
><em>"Just a bunch of junk. You?"<em>  
>"<em>I'm out in the streets. The Wraith did a pretty good number on this place."<em>  
>"This is more than just random destruction. This place used to be the repository of all Hoffan knowledge. I'd say a lot of it's just missing." Nearby, something crashes down. Rodney turns in the direction of the sound. "Who's there?"<br>_"Rodney? What's going on?"_  
>"I thought I heard something," he said nervously.<br>_"Relax. Probably just rats."_  
>"Rats?" He said even more nervously. Anxiously, he looks down at the ground, then makes his way towards the area where the sound came from. "OK, if there's someone in here, you'd better come out." Again there's a noise nearby. "I'm not kidding!"<br>As he makes his way carefully towards the end of the room, a number of children suddenly break free of their various hiding places and start to run for the door.  
>"Hey! Whoa!" The children shove him aside and make their escape. "Hey!" As Rodney sighs in relief that he wasn't being attacked, another youngster bursts out of hiding and runs for the door. "Hey!" He runs to cut off the youngster's exit. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. Hang on." The boy stops, wide-eyed in terror. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna ask you a couple of questions. Now, who are you? What are you doing here?" The boy doesn't answer, looking around for a way of escape. "OK, maybe you can help me. I'm looking for some medical stuff – books, files, equipment."<br>The boy shakes his head. "I don't know anything about that. By the time we got here, most of the good stuff was already gone. We're just picking through what's left."  
>Rodney turns away a little and activates his headset. "Sheppard."<br>The boy takes his opportunity, shoves past Rodney and runs out of the door.  
>"Looks like we're not the only ones here!"<br>"_What've you got?"_  
>"There's a bunch of kids going through what's left of the place."<br>"_Scavengers. You think they got ahold of what we're looking for?"_  
>"Hoffan research wouldn't have meant anything to them."<br>"_All right, well, if not them, then who was it?"_  
>"I don't know. One thing's for sure: whoever it was, they knew exactly what they were looking for."<p>

҉

**M2S-181**

Illyria and Team Lorne walk into the village of Croya. Lorne looks around as they enter the market.  
>"Hmm! Kind of reminds me of the flea markets they used to have back home. Every Sunday, stroll down to the Bay area, find pretty much anything you wanted." He looks at the various stalls. "And a lot of things you didn't."<br>Illyria stops and looks at a stall nearby where a merchant is showing a black pendant to a potential customer. Lorne notices her expression.  
>"What is it?"<br>Reaching down, Illyria pulls a small knife out of her belt and walks towards the stall. Lorne watches in concern.  
>"Illyria?" He follows her as she walks over to the stall. She glowers at the customer.<br>"Leave." She said sternly. Seeing the knife she is holding at her side, the customer departs. Illyria grabs the merchant's hand and holds her knife against his throat. "I will ask you once and you will answer me truthfully. Where did you get this pendant?"  
>"From a trader. If you like it that much, it's yours with my blessings."<br>Pulling the knife away from his throat, Illyria snatches the pendant out of his hand and looks at it.  
>"You recognize it?" Lorne asked.<br>"It belonged to Kanaan." She looks at the merchant. "What else did you acquire from this trader?"  
>The merchant picks up a small wooden box from the rear of his stall and puts it down on the table in front of Illyria. She opens it and starts looking through it. She picks up a necklace.<br>"You know, I don't wanna be difficult here, but I acquired that merchandise for a price and, while I really don't mind gifting you with an item, from a purely business standpoint, it really doesn't make sense for me to part with my-"  
>Illyria talked over the merchant as she looked at Lorne. "This necklace belonged to Balera. It was a gift from her parents to mark her coming of age." She holds up a ring. "And this ring belonged to Halling."<br>The merchant rolls his eyes and sighs. Lorne looks at him. "The trader you say you got these things from: when's the last time you saw him?"  
>"Several days ago, but he comes through here quite regularly. In fact, it's more than likely he may pay me a visit today. It would be my pleasure to make the proper introductions."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John, Rodney, Jeremy and Ronon trot up the stairs from the Gateroom into the Control Room and go over to Jennifer who is standing by Chuck's console.  
>"Anything?" She asked.<br>"No." John shook his head. "The place is cleared out."  
>Rodney looks at the large screen which has been activated nearby "Is that what I think it is?"<br>"It's getting to be a familiar sight." Jennifer said.  
>"What is it?" Ronon asked.<br>"A Wraith sub-space tracking device." Jennifer explained, "It's our old friend."  
>"Todd!" McKay shouted.<br>"Maybe he wants to talk, and maybe he just wants to lead us into an ambush. There is always that possibility." Ronon said.  
>"Well, there's only one way to find out." John said. He and Ronon turn to head back down the stairs. Rodney looks at them in frustration.<br>"Aw, come on! We just got back!"  
>"Sorry, Rodney." Jeremy smiled, taking off his pack.<br>"I haven't had lunch yet!" He said plaintively. He turns and follows the others down the stairs.

Jeremy turns to Chuck. "Dial it."

҉

**CROYA**

The merchant is laying out some new items on his stall. Spotting someone approaching some distance away, he looks around until he catches the eye of Lorne, who is waiting nearby. The merchant jerks his head in the direction of the new arrival. As the trader approaches the merchant's stall, Lorne casually makes his way over. The trader puts a small bag onto the merchant's table.  
>"Got some real nice merchandise for you today, my friend. Real nice." He takes out a bracelet and shows it to the merchant, who looks at it appreciatively. As the trader continues taking items out of his bag, Lorne appears at his side.<br>"Hey there. How you doing? You mind telling me where you got this stuff?"  
>The trader looks round at him, then looks back at the merchant, who widens his eyes at him. The trader picks up his bag and turns to Lorne slowly, then runs at him and shoves his bag hard into his chest, knocking him off balance, then turns and runs in the opposite direction. Lorne chases after him.<p>

The trader runs down a walkway, but Illyria steps partway into his path, holding a stout branch, and smacks it across his face. He drops to the ground, unconscious.  
>Sometime later, the trader is in an empty room lit only by daylight coming through the windows. He has been tied into a chair in the middle of the room by the wrists and ankles. His head is lolled back and he is still unconscious. Lorne throws a bucket of water over him and he regains consciousness, coughing.<br>"Wake up!" He yelled. One of his team hands him the small wooden box. He opens it and shows the contents to the trader. "Look, we need to know where you got this merchandise."  
>"I do trade so much, it's often hard to keep track of it all."<br>"Oh yeah? Well, according to the merchant you do business with here, the stuff you've been bringing in lately has been a hell of a lot nicer than your usual crap."  
>"He said that?"<br>"Yeah. He said that."  
>"Well, there's no accounting for taste. I can't give up my sources – they're trade secrets."<br>"I don't give a damn about your trade secrets. We wanna know where you got this stuff."  
>"And if I don't tell you, what are you gonna do? I recognize those uniforms; I've heard the stories. People from Atlantis – do-gooders of the galaxy. You wouldn't hurt me."<br>Illyria steps out of the darkness. "I am wearing no uniform."  
>Lorne steps aside as she approaches the chair and looks down at the trader, smiling unpleasantly at him.<br>"A pregnant woman!" The trader barked a laugh. "Very intimidating!"  
>Illyria lifts the branch, puts the end of it gently against his chest, then pushes it hard and topples him and the chair over backwards. "I will inform the villagers that you are a Wraith-worshipper and let them mete out their own justice." She turned to the team "Let's go."<br>They turn to leave, but the trader called out, "Wait. Wait!" Illyria and the others stop and look down at him. "I got it at an offworld dumping ground."  
>"'Dumping ground'? For what?" Lorne asked.<br>"Corpses, mostly. Loose ends that need to be disappeared." Illyria looks at him, horrified. Lorne throws her a sympathetic glance. "Occasionally they may still have some valuables on 'em, and valuables they obviously have no use for."  
>"This merchandise – you removed it from the dead?"<br>"No – not that merchandise." Illyria looks more hopeful. "The last time I was back at the planet, I spotted what I thought was a fresh grave – a potential new opportunity. But when I dug it up, instead of finding a body, I found a box containing those items. I suppose somebody was just trying to get rid of 'em. It was odd to me at first, but I wasn't just about to-"  
>Sternly interrupting, Illyria said, "You will take us to this world. You will show us where you found them."<br>"Of course. Whatever you say."  
>Lorne turned to his team. "Get him up."<p>

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

A Wraith cruiser is on the surface of a sandy planet. The cruiser has obviously been there for some time, as it is covered with sand, and presumably was either shot down or crash-landed there. Inside, John, Rodney and Ronon make their way cautiously through the corridors. Ronon spots something.  
>"Sheppard. We got something." John and Rodney follow him and find a male Wraith and two guards lying on the floor. Ronon checks them over. "Well, they're dead. There's no marks on 'em."<br>A familiar Wraith voice comes out of the darkness. "That's because they were poisoned." The team aim their weapons in the direction of the sound – and Todd walks into view. "And I suspect you already know how."

҉

**M2S-181**

Illyria, Team Lorne and the trader are making their way to the Stargate.  
>"First thing we do when we get to the Gate is radio back to Atlantis – let 'em know where we're going, OK?" Lorne told Illyria and she nodded. "Listen, Illyria, I know you're looking for answers to what happened to the Athosians, but I'm thinking maybe it's better if you let us check it out, OK?"<br>"Major..."  
>"Look, just let us scout ahead, all right?" A familiar whining sound can be heard coming from the sky in the distance. "What is that?" He looks up. "Dart!"<br>As the Wraith Dart comes into view, heading straight for them, Illyria and the boys turn to run. However, as the Dart's transporter beam activates and begins to sweep towards them, the trader grabs Illyria and deliberately holds her in the path of the beam. It sweeps the two of them up and the Dart soars away into the sky.

Lorne and his boys stare up at it in disbelief.

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

**DERELICT WRAITH CRUISER**

John straightens up from examining the Wraith corpses and looks at Todd. "Well, let me guess: something they ate."  
>"Many of my fellow Wraith have fallen victim to this attack on our food supply."<br>"Yeah, it's a shame; but it's not really our problem."  
>"From what we have been able to surmise, this blow against us has been delivered at great cost to human lives – something you would have made your problem in the past. Unless, of course, you're responsible for the dispersal of this plague – in which case you may well consider the human lives sacrificed 'acceptable losses'."<br>"Actually, when we were putting the list together of the most likely suspects, you were at the top."  
>"Ah."<br>"What better way to stick it to your competition?"  
>"Effective, yes; admittedly creative, but the truth is all of the existing Wraith factions have been adversely affected by this. Our food supply is being so randomly tainted; we have no way of knowing if our next meal will be our last."<br>"All right: times are tough. It doesn't explain why you called us here."  
>"I brought you here because I need your help. I am aware you had a hand in helping the Hoffans refine this drug. I require whatever research you possess in order that I may synthesize a cure for my hive – and my hive alone."<br>"That's not gonna happen."  
>"You always say that – but you always come around."<br>"Oh yeah? Well this is different. You know, we're still a little upset over the whole Earth conquest thing."  
>"I had no part in that."<br>"Actually, in an indirect way, you did." McKay said. "The Wraith who led the attack was able to access the Midway Station with information you stole on your last visit to Atlantis."  
>"Information he stole from me in turn, so in a way we were both victims. But let's save our commiserations for another time. I have a proposal."<br>John rolls his eyes. "Let's hear it."  
>"In exchange for this information, I will give you the identity of the individual responsible for dispersing this poison and killing both Wraith and human alike."<br>"Huh. A couple of minutes ago, you thought we did it." Ronon said.  
>"There are only two parties who possess the resources and capabilities to launch such an attack. If you are not responsible, then – by process of elimination – there can be only one."<p>

҉

**HYPERSPACE**

**WRAITH CRUISER**

Illyria is sitting in a cell, holding her bump protectively. She stands and stares in horror as a familiar figure approaches the door to the cell.  
>"Michael!"<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John and Rodney are reporting to Jeremy in Illyria's office. Jennifer is also there.  
>"Well, according to Todd," McKay said, "every Wraith faction has been hit, which makes it extremely unlikely that any of them are responsible."<br>"When we told him we weren't the guys behind it, he said there could only be one other." John said.  
>"And you think you know who he's talking about?" Jeremy asked.<br>John nods. "Michael."  
>"The Wraith Doctor Beckett converted into a human?" Jennifer asked.<br>"Well, temporarily converted." McKay said. "Eventually he became a kind of a human-Wraith hybrid."  
>"The other Wraith didn't want anything to do with him," John continued, "so he's been kind of holding a little bit of a grudge ever since."<br>"He's not a big fan of humans, either. For him, the Hoffan drug is the perfect weapon."  
>"Still, this is just speculation. I mean, do we have any proof?" Jeremy asked.<br>"Well, not really, but even if we did, we'd have no way of finding him." McKay said.  
>"We can go back to Todd – see if he's got something more than a name." John said.<br>"Wait – you're not seriously thinking of giving him our research on the Hoffan protein?" Jennifer asked.  
>"Well, why not?" McKay asked.<br>"Because we'd effectively be giving the Wraith the means to reproduce the drug and potentially infect and kill millions."  
>"Theoretically, yes," McKay said, "but practically it really wouldn't be in their best interest to poison their own food supply, regardless of whether our research helped them to come up with an antidote or not. No, I think the more likely scenario is that they find an antidote that works as a short-term solution to the existing threat, then they work on weaponizing the protein – you know, coming up with a more effective delivery system, one that cuts out the middle man – in this case, the human victims. No, what we're doing is giving them the means to kill each other off."<br>"So, when you put it that way, giving them our research could be a good thing." John said.  
>The Stargate begins to dial in. From the Control Room, Chuck calls, "Incoming wormhole."<br>Jeremy and the others leave the office and go down the stairs as Lorne and his team come through the Gate. As it shuts down behind them, Lorne walks towards John, his head lowered and his face full of shame and guilt.  
>"Major, where's my wife?"<br>Reluctantly, Lorne lifts his head to meet his eyes.

҉

**MICHAEL'S CRUISER**

Illyria glares through the bars of her cell at Michael. Since sha last saw him, he has changed somewhat. Although he still has the slit pupils, the holes on either side of his nose, and the dual voice of a Wraith, his skin is less shiny than it used to be, and his hair is darker.  
>"Why am I here? What do you want?" Michael just looks at her. "Answer me!"<br>"I'm disappointed. I was expecting a little more gratitude after everything I went through to arrange this reunion."  
>"Reunion?" Her eyes widen as she realizes what he must mean. "The Athosians! You took them?" Michael tilts his head at her. She walks closer to the cell door and looks down the corridors. "Where are they? What have you done with them?"<br>" They are alive and well – and working with me toward the common goal we all share."  
>"What are you talking about?"<br>Michael walks closer. "The extermination of the Wraith. I'm building an army that will soon replace them as the dominant race in this galaxy."  
>"An army of monsters," she said in disgust.<br>"I'll admit, my early attempts were a little ... crude, but that's all changed now. I've refined the retrovirus to create the perfect balance – ability well beyond any normal human but without the one weakness that will be the downfall of the Wraith." He lifts his right hand and holds it up, showing her his palm. It no longer has a feeding slit on it. "The need to feed."  
>"It was you. You're the one responsible for spreading the Hoffan drug."<br>"Consider it the opening salvo in a much broader assault."  
>"How were you able to discover the drug?" Michael turns and starts to walk away. Illyria calls after him. "How were you able to refine it?"<br>He turns back to her. "I had help."

He smiles slightly, turns and walks away.  
>"Wait! Where are my people?" Michael continues walking. "Michael!"<p>

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

**DERELICT WRAITH CRUISER**

Two Wraith guards walk over to the dead body of the male Wraith, pick it up by the arms and start to drag it along the floor. The three men of Team Sheppard arrive and aim their weapons at the guards. Todd walks around a corner nearby.  
>"Ah, don't mind them. They're just here to help with the clean-up." John nods to Rodney and Ronon, who lower their weapons and step aside. The guards drag the corpse away. "I assume you've agreed to my terms."<br>"Not exactly." John said.  
>"You do not wish to know who is responsible for these unfortunate events?"<br>"We already know – at least, we have a pretty good guess. We call him Michael. Don't ask why. He used to be a Wraith. Now he's a ... I'm not sure what the hell he is."  
>"I know the one of whom you speak, and I believe you are correct."<br>"Confirmation without us giving you anything. That's very generous."  
>"Obviously there's more you want from me, or you would not have come."<br>"Maybe we just came to kill you." Ronon said.  
>"Did you?!" Todd asked, unafraid.<br>"Unfortunately, no." John said.  
>"Well, there's always next time." Todd said.<br>"My wife – Illyria – was taken by a Dart today."  
>"I suppose she's already made some lucky Wraith a very tasty meal."<p>

John snapped. He grabbed Todd by the collar and slammed him against the wall. His knife was pulled and was at his throat in seconds. He growled, "She's carrying my child."

"I meant no offense." Todd said calmly, glancing down at the knife.

Rodney put his hand on John's shoulder. "Sheppard…"

After a moment's hesitation, John pulled back. "This was no culling. She was targeted. Someone set a trap."  
>"And you suspect this..." Tod felt his throat for any damage, "what do you call him? Michael?"<br>"Well, if not, the timing's a hell of a coincidence."  
>"Ah."<br>"I need you to tap your intel sources, find something useful."  
>Rodney reaches around his back and unstraps a computer tablet. He holds it out to Todd. "This tablet has the address of an offworld relay station. If you leave a message for us, we'll get it. It also has our research on the Hoffan drug."<br>"Ah." He takes the tablet and activates it.  
>"Just enough to whet your appetite. You find something we can use, we'll give you the rest."<br>"Well, I'll see what I can do." He smiles unpleasantly at the boys. They glare back at it for a moment, then leave.

҉

**MICHAEL'S CRUISER**

Michael approaches Illyria's cell, holding a small bowl of food. "I understand you're refusing to take food." Illyria glowers at him. "It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about." He dips his little finger into the bowl, hooks out some of the food and eats it. Still Illyria glowers at him. He walks forward and holds the bowl through the bars. "Take it. You need to keep up your strength."  
>Illyria reaches forward and knocks the bowl out of his hand. "What do you care about my well-being?"<br>"I care a great deal." Illyria narrows her eyes at him. "I may not be foolish enough to consider us friends, but we do have a history. And even though you've betrayed me repeatedly, you're still the only one – human or Wraith – who's ever come close to understanding what I've been through."  
>"Really?" she asked sarcastically.<br>"We're not that different, Illyria. You're a human with Wraith D.N.A. – a forced hybrid, just like me."  
>"I'm no murderer."<br>"You kill to protect yourself and your own. So do I. Of course, circumstances require me to do it on a slightly larger scale, but the principle is still the same."  
>"You're insane."<br>For a moment, Michael looks a little hurt, but he quickly recovers. "Spite me all you want, but don't do it at the expense of the child."  
>Illyria can't help but glance down at her bump for a moment, then she glares up at Michael savagely. "My child is of no concern to you."<br>"On the contrary. I have great plans for him."  
>She stares at him in horror. He looks down at her bump for a moment, then turns and walks away.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS MESS HALL**

Rodney has a plate of food and is shoveling it into his mouth as fast as he can eat. John and Ronon sit on the other side of the table, watching him with expressions of distaste on their faces.  
>"How can you eat right now?" Ronon asked.<br>Through a mouthful of food, McKay said, "Kidding? It's the first decent meal I've had all day. Besides, we're not gonna help Illyria at all starving ourselves. I'm just trying to keep my strength up. I suggest you two do the same."  
>Ronon looks at John. "Hey. We'll find her."<br>"I've just gotta do something." He sighs, rubbing his eyes. "Kids keep asking about her."

"What are you telling 'em?"

"That she's gone away for a little bit and'll be back soon."  
>Jeremy comes over to their table. "Colonel." John stands to face him. "Looks like Todd came through for you."<br>"He did?!"  
>"We just got a message from the relay station. Apparently there's a rumour going around amongst certain Wraith-worshippers about one of our people being held captive. We've got the coordinates."<br>"All right. We're gonna need Lorne and his team."  
>"He's already volunteered. You'll gate to the nearest planet where the Daedalus is en route to pick you up."<br>John turns to the boys. "Let's go."

҉

**MICHAEL'S CRUISER**

Illyria is sitting in the cell, her face turned away from the door. A figure walks to the doorway and stops.  
>Not looking round, she said, "I told you – I'm not hungry." She turns her head, but it's not Michael standing there. It's Kanaan. She scrambles to her feet and walks over to him, staring in delight. "Kanaan!" He stares back at her as if he doesn't recognize her. There are deep grooves along either side of his nose. "What has he done to you?" Still he stares blankly at her. "Kanaan. It's me – Illyria. I came for you, just like you asked."<br>Michael walks into view and stands beside Kanaan. "Like I asked. I was the one in your visions – appropriately disguised, of course."  
>"You're lying!"<br>"I reached across ten thousand light years of space and touched your mind. There is more of a bond between us than you know. Once the child is born, the bond will grow even stronger." He turns and looks at Kanaan for a moment, then looks at Illyria again. "Enjoy your reunion."  
>He walks away. Illyria watches him go, then clings onto the bars of the cell door and looks urgently at Kanaan. "Kanaan. You must help me." For the first time, Kanaan shows some reaction as he glances down at her bump. "You must help my child. Please, Kanaan."<br>"The child will serve the cause. Then, one day soon, the galaxy will be ours."  
>He turns and walks away. Illyria stares after him in shock.<p>

҉

**HYPERSPACE**

**DAEDALUS**

Teams Sheppard and Lorne walk onto the Bridge where Steven Caldwell is seated.

"Colonel." John greeted.

"Sheppard."

"Approaching target destination." Weapons officer announced.  
>"Drop us out." Caldwell ordered.<br>"Yes, sir."  
>A hyperspace window opens and Daedalus drops into normal space and enters orbit of a nearby planet. The two teams walk into the space in front of Caldwell's chair and form a circle with their backs to each other.<br>"We were unable to get a lock on your wife's subcutaneous transmitter." Caldwell told John.  
>"Well, there's no surprise there. I'm sure Michael got rid of that." McKay said.<br>"Guess we'll have to do things the hard way." John said.  
>"Good. Let's do it." Ronon said.<br>Caldwell nods to his Weapons Officer. As she reaches for her controls, the teams raise their weapons. An Asgard transporter beam whisks them away and deposits them into a facility on the planet's surface. They check the immediate area, then John turns to Lorne.  
>"All right. Stay in touch."<br>"Yes, sir." He turns to his team, "Let's move out."  
>The teams head off in different directions and begin to search the facility.<p>

After a while, Team Sheppard come to a junction and see a closed door. They walk towards it and John opens it and steps inside. Just then, someone comes around the corner behind them and fires a Wraith stunner pistol at them. The blast hits the wall between John's and Rodney's heads. As the two of them dive for cover, Ronon hurls himself across the corridor, firing his blaster towards the source of the shot.

The shooter ducks around the corner, then leans out and fires another couple of shots. He's not Wraith – he's a human. As he and Team Sheppard continue to exchange fire, Team Lorne hears the gunfire and head towards the sound.

The man leans out from cover to fire again. Ronon twirls his blaster and catches it so that it's facing backwards and then, without looking, bends his arm out from around the corner and fires it towards the man. The blast hits him in the arm. As he cries out and stumbles back, John fires a hail of bullets from his rifle and the man falls to the floor.  
>Nearby, Team Lorne can progress no further because they are pinned down by stunner fire from another human guard. Lorne makes hand signals to his men, then surges out around the corner and lays down cover fire as the rest of the team runs across the corridor. He ducks back around the corner just as the man fires back at him. Hearing the distant firing, Team Sheppard makes its way cautiously forward. The man that Ronon and John just shot is trying to drag himself away across the floor. John looks down at him as the gunfire from Team Lorne continues.<p>

In space above the planet, a hyperspace window opens and a Wraith ship exits it and flies towards Daedalus.  
>"Sir, I'm picking up another ship." The weapons officer reported. "It's a Wraith cruiser, sir."<br>"Shields up." Caldwell instructed. The cruiser fires at Daedalus but its shields protect it. "Return fire!" As the Weapons Officer complies, Caldwell activates the comms. "Sheppard, this is Daedalus. We've been engaged by a Wraith cruiser."  
>"<em>How's it going?"<em>  
>"We're more than holding our own. Just thought you might want to pick up the pace."<br>Back on the planet, John walks over to the injured man. "Who's your boss?"  
>The man doesn't reply. John kicks him over onto his back, squats down to him and puts a pistol to his chest. The man, grimacing in pain, looks up at him.<br>"You're too early."  
>"And what the hell does that mean?"<br>"We're expecting him back. He's on his way with an important prisoner."  
>John's eyes widen as he realizes who the man may be talking about. He stands up and activates his headset.<br>"This is Sheppard. Come in. Daedalus, do you read?"  
>"<em>Sheppard, this is Daedalus."<em>  
>"Do not destroy the enemy ship. I repeat: do not destroy the enemy ship! Illyria may be on board."<br>Caldwell and his Weapons Officer look at each other in surprise.  
>"<em>Did you hear me? Illyria may be on board."<em>  
>Daedalus jolts as another blast from the cruiser hits it.<br>"We heard you." Caldwell turns to his Weapons Officer again. "Can you cripple it?"  
>"It's possible, sir. It's already sustained some heavy damage." Her console bleeps. "Sir, the enemy is attempting a retreat."<br>"Target the engines."  
>Daedalus fires towards the cruiser, but it is already turning away. As Daedalus fires again, a hyperspace window opens and the cruiser disappears into it.<br>"I'm sorry, sir."  
>Caldwell sighs and activates his radio. "Bad news, Sheppard. The cruiser made the jump to hyperspace. It's gone."<br>While all this has been going on, Team Lorne have been continuing their firefight but just can't flush out the guard. Finally the cavalry arrives in the shape of Ronon who guns down the man from the side. As the man falls to the ground, Lorne peers out and sees Team Sheppard come into view. He and his team go over to join them.  
>"Any sign of her, sir?" Lorne asked.<br>"She's not here."  
>"Are you sure? That guard was protecting something."<br>He and John turn and look at a closed door nearby. John and Rodney walk over to it as the rest of the men provide cover. Rodney looks at the door, which is both bolted and locked. John jerks his head at Rodney, who turns his back and covers his ears as John fires a single shot at the lock, blowing it out.

Rodney promptly turns back and pulls back the bolt. He steps aside and John kicks the door open. He, Rodney and Ronon step into the doorway, aiming their weapons ... and stop and stare in total disbelief at what they see. A man is sitting on a bunk inside the room, dressed in a grey prison outfit. He sighed in relief at the sight of them.  
>"Finally. It's about bloody time." He stands up and the teams can clearly see its Doctor Carson Beckett. He had a slight beard, but those Scottish Blue eyes still shined brightly.<p> 


	70. Chapter 68

**ATLANTIS**

In the Observation Room, Colonel John Sheppard, Docotor Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex are looking down into the Isolation Room.  
>"It's just weird." Ronon said.<br>Down in the Isolation Room, Doctor Jennifer Keller and some other medics, all wearing Hazmat suits, are running a battery of tests on Doctor Carson Beckett. He was sitting on a bed dressed in white medical scrubs. Jennifer turns from looking at a screen and smiles at Carson, a little embarrassed.  
>"I'm sorry about all this, Doctor."<br>"It's all right. I realize there's a protocol when dealing with someone who's been in prison for a long time. In fact, I wrote it." One of the medics takes another sample of blood from his arm. "Although, if they take much more blood, I think I might faint."  
>"That's the last batch."<br>"You should also check for trace narcotics. Michael was giving us regular injections of some sort of drug cocktail – mostly sedatives, I think."

"All right." Jennifer said.  
>As the tests continue, Carson looks up at the boys in the Observation Room and smiles at them.<br>"You sure he's not a Replicator?" John asked McKay.  
>"No, the scans would have picked it up right away."<br>"Well, then, who the hell is he?"  
>"I don't know! Look, I'm as freaked out about this as you are!"<br>"You don't really think it's him, do you?"  
>"No! Well, I mean...maybe." John glances at him. "Look, so we've ruled out advanced robotics. That still leaves us a half a dozen possible other explanations."<br>"Like?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, like alternate timeline, parallel universe, cloning – you know, take your pick."<br>"It's just another day in outer space." John sighed.  
>"Yeah."<br>They turn as Jennifer comes in, having removed her Hazmat helmet. "Well, we've completed the preliminary exam."  
>"And?" Ronon asked, anxious.<br>"Every test we've run confirms it. That man down there is Doctor Carson Beckett."

҉

**LATER**

The bed and equipment has been removed from the Isolation Room and replaced with a couple of chairs and a table with a jug of water on it. Still dressed in white scrubs, Carson paced around the room. The door to the room opens and Rodney comes in.  
>"Rodney!" Carson smiled.<br>"Carson. So sorry I haven't come by before now. It's been pretty hectic here the last few days."  
>"That's all right. Any word on when I can get out of here?"<br>"That might take a little time."  
>"Oh. Really?"<p>

Rodney smiles and holds out his hand. "God, it's good to see you!"

They shake hands.  
>"Think about how I feel." Carson sits down. "I'm the one that's been in prison for almost two years."<br>Shocked, Rodney sits down opposite him. "Two years?!"  
>"Aye. Since M8G-352 – the planet where we left Michael and the other converted Wraith."<p>

"...Right. It's where you were captured."  
>"Well, yes. You do remember, Rodney?"<br>Rodney tries hard to hide his wide-eyed look. "Yes. Yeah, I just… Well, we need you to fill in some of the details."

"Oh, all right. Well, as you may have already guessed, the treatment was less than a hundred percent effective. Despite the daily injections, some of them began to revert, including Michael. I think they may have used their Wraith telepathic abilities to summon a hive ship but I can't be certain. I was captured, brought back to a tent and tied to a bed. All I know is, I was being interrogated by Michael, then he must have gave me an injection of some kind, because the next thing I remember I woke up on another planet."  
>"Why did he take you prisoner?"<br>"He wanted me to help with his research, combining Wraith and human D.N.A. Of course, I refused at first; but then one day he brought another prisoner into my cell – a young lady, couldn't have been more than twenty years of age..." Carson gazes at the floor, his face haunted by the memory. "...and he killed her in cold blood right in front of my eyes. He said every day I refused to help, he'd kill another just like her. From that moment on, I co-operated."  
>"Carson, I'm – I'm so sorry."<br>"It wasn't easy. I'll admit – at times I almost gave up hope. But, listen, when I thought about you, Colonel Sheppard, Illyria and the rest of the team, I knew you'd be out there somewhere, looking for me."  
>Rodney can't bring himself to meet his eyes "...Yeah." Finally he reluctantly looks at him. "You see, the thing is: we weren't."<br>"Weren't what?"  
>"We weren't looking for you." Rodney looked at Carson. "We didn't even know you were missing."<br>"Excuse me?"  
>"We went back to M8G-352. We rescued you from Michael. I mean, he got away, but we got you back to Atlantis safe and sound."<br>"What in the hell are you talking about?"  
>"Well, obviously not <em>you<em> you, but another you – another Carson Beckett."  
>"Is this a joke?!" Carson said, standing up.<br>"I wish it was." Rodney said quietly.  
>"You're telling me there's another Carson Beckett walking around this base?"<br>"Well, no-"  
>"Rodney!"<br>"He came back from the planet. He resumed his duties. Everything went back to normal." Carson stares at him in shock. "Then, about six months later, he...he was killed in an explosion." He meets his eyes again. "To us, you weren't missing, Carson. You...you were dead."

Carson sat down heavily, shocked by the turn of events.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Since Illyria's kidnapping, Lt. Colonel Jeremy Renner has assumed command of the Atlantis base. He walked with John towards his temporary office, saying,  
>"Have you spoken to your Wraith contact?"<br>"He claims he's given us everything he knows about Michael, but I assume he's lying. Until we can come up with something that he can use, he's not much good to us."  
>"So we need to find our intel somewhere else."<br>"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."  
>"You mean Beckett."<br>"He's been inside Michael's operation and he may know something."  
>"Or he could have been planted there for us to find. Look, for all we know, this whole thing could be a set-up."<br>"Well, sure. Anything's possible."  
>"John, the Carson Beckett you knew was killed. You were there – you all were. I'm sorry to say it, but you need to remember that."<p>

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Carson was in a state of shock at Rodney's news.  
>"I know this is a lot for you to take in-"<br>"Aye, you're damned right it is!" Carson yelled. "First you tell me I'm not the only Carson Beckett, and then you tell me the other one died in a horrible explosion!" He suddenly realizes something. "Oh my God! My mother! You didn't tell her, did you?"  
>"Well, yeah."<br>"Good Lord!"  
>"You were dead! I mean, I'm sorry to be blunt, but we buried you! I mean, there was a memorial service at her church. I was there!"<br>"This can't be happening!" He stands up. "I have to get back there! I have to talk to her!"  
>"No-no, you can't!" Rodney said, standing up, too. "I mean, do you have any idea what kind of effect that could have? Besides, what are you going to say to her?!"<br>"I'll say the Air Force made a bloody mistake, that's what I'll say!"  
>"No, this is too much." Carson said. He shook his head. "Get Marissa in here. If anyone's got enough sense around here, it's her! I need to speak to her right now."<br>Rodney's eyes widen and his face fills with horror as he realizes the next piece of bad news he will have to break to him.  
>"What?" Carson asked, recognizing that face.<br>"I can't do that." He said quietly.  
>"Why not?"<br>"Marissa is dead, Carson. She was killed by Michael's super-Wraith monsters. Sacrificed herself to save the rest of us." Shocked, Carson sinks back down onto his chair. "I'm sorry. I-I ... I don't know what else to say."

"You know," Carson said quietly. "For the better part of two years, I imagined what it would be like the day I finally got back to Atlantis. This isn't exactly how I pictured it."

҉

**OFFWORLD PLANET**

A Wraith cruiser has landed on the edge of a devastated city.

Michael leads Illyria, Kanaan and a couple of other human hybrids through the city. Now, in actual light, Illyria can now get a better look at the changes that have been made to the three Athosian men as a result of Michael's experiments on them. They not only have grooves alongside their noses but their eyebrow ridges are more pronounced than in normal humans.  
>"What is this place?" Illyria asked Michael.<br>"Just another dead world, destroyed by the Wraith, abandoned by the survivors, forgotten by both. A perfect place to conduct my work." He leads them inside a large warehouse and approaches a locked door. "Open it." One of the hybrids unbolts a large door and slides it open. Michael turns to Illyria. "I'll leave you to get re-acquainted."  
>She walks inside the large room. There are about fifteen people inside. They look at her, shocked and uncertain, and seem reluctant to approach her. A man's voice comes from above her.<br>"Illyria?"  
>She looks up in amazement as the man comes down some stairs towards her.<br>"Halling?!"  
>Halling hurries over to her and takes her hands as the other Athosians whisper as they reassure each other that it really is their Queen who has joined them. Illyria and Halling gaze at each other in delight for a moment, then touch their foreheads together in the traditional Athosian greeting.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**INFIRMARY**

Jeremy comes in and walks over to Jennifer.  
>"What have you got for me, Jenny?"<br>She smiled at his nickname for her before leading him over to a large screen. "I think I've solved the mystery. D'you know what a telomere is, Colonel?"  
>"It's part of a human chromosome, right?"<br>"Yeah, that's right. Each time a cell divides, the chromosome is torn apart and rebuilt, and in the process a small amount of the telomere gets used up. As a result, telomeres become shorter over time. The more we age, the shorter they get."  
>"And this is…?" Jeremy acked, looking at the screen.<p>

"Doctor Beckett's." She sighed. "According to the scan, his telomeres are thirty percent shorter than they should be for a man of his age. The only explanation is that the original D.N.A. came from an adult cell – one where the telomeres had already started to degrade."  
>"So..."<br>"You can forget parallel universes. He's a clone."

҉

**OFFWORLD PLANET**

Illyria is sitting with Halling and an Athosian woman.  
>"I did not ever think I would see you again." Illyria said.<br>"Nor did we." Halling said. "I just wish it were under happier circumstances."  
>"Where are the rest of your people? Teyla?"<br>"They were taken." The Athosian woman said.  
>"Taken?" Illyria asked.<br>"To be experimented upon – converted into one of those...those things."  
>"How long has this been going on?"<br>"For months," Halling answered. "Since the day of our arrival."  
>"Kanaan was one of the first." The woman added.<br>"I know. I saw him on Michael's ship..." Ilyria looks around at her people sadly "...but I did not realize it had happened to so many. I am so sorry. I should have been at the village the day you were captured."  
>"There was nothing you could have done." Halling said, patting Illyria's hand. "Fifty men armed with stunners infiltrated our village under the cover of night. We were taken completely by surprise."<br>"These four walls have been our prison ever since." The woman said, looking down, fighting back tears.  
>"You must not abandon hope." Illyria said, lifting her chin. "My people, the people of Atlantis, know of my disappearance and they are looking for me. It will not be long before they come to our rescue."<br>"That is a very pleasant thought – but until today we held out the same hope about you."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**INFIRMARY**

Carson, who has now been allowed to get dressed, is looking at the screen which Jennifer showed to Jeremy earlier. Jennifer and Rodney are also there, together with a couple of armed guards.  
>"I knew you would wanna see the results for yourself." Jennifer told Carson.<br>"And you're certain it's from my sample?"  
>"I ran the tests myself twice. There's no mistake. I'm sorry."<br>Rodney puts a hand on her arm. "Just..." He walks closer to Carson. "It doesn't matter."  
>"Well, that's easy for you to say, but you're not the one who just found out he was made in test tube."<br>"As far as I'm concerned, one of the best friends I ever had just came back from the dead. I'm not gonna quibble over a couple of telomeres!"  
>"Well, thank you kindly for that, but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm not the real Carson Beckett."<br>"No. No, you're not, because the real Carson Beckett wouldn't be standing here feeling sorry for himself. He'd be trying to figure out how to help us."  
>"I'm willing to do whatever I can, Rodney, but I'm not so sure that my help will be wanted."<br>"Why wouldn't it be?"  
>Carson looks round pointedly at the guards.<p>

҉

**LATER**

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

Jeremy is talking with John and Rodney.  
>"We're talking about someone who was – for all intents and purposes – manufactured by one of the most dangerous individuals we've ever come across. Fundamentally, he's not that different from those hybrids, and I doubt very much we'd be arguing about whether we can trust him."<br>"Yeah, but there's no denying the fact that he's no ordinary clone." McKay said. "I mean, somehow Michael has managed to reproduce his memories, his thought processes and his personality. I spent some time with him, and I'm telling you, he-he's Carson!"  
>"It doesn't necessary mean it's safe to act on any information he might give us. Look, he may genuinely believe that he's helping us and still be playing right into Michael's hands."<br>"She's got a point, Rodney." John said, turning to him. "What exactly is he offering?"  
>"He knows the layout of at least four facilities that Michael has on different planets. Apparently he likes to move around a lot, stay one step ahead of the Wraith."<br>"What about Gate addresses?"  
>"Well, they blindfolded him every time they moved him, so he couldn't see the D.H.D., although he did catch a glimpse of an address dialed by one of Michael's mercenaries. It could be a place to start."<br>Jeremy and John look at each other as they think about it.

҉

**LOCKER ROOM**

Team Sheppard, accompanied by Carson, is gearing up together with a couple of marines. As one of them hands a rifle to Rodney, he looks round at Carson who is still putting his vest on.  
>"Go ahead, Rodney. I'll catch up."<br>Rodney and one of the marines head for the door, each picking up a radio as they go. The other marine hands a rifle to John and then also leaves the room, picking up another radio. Ronon, without looking at Carson, follows the men out of the room.  
>"Is he ever gonna say a word to me?" Carson asked John, frowning.<br>"Gotta give him a break. He's not good dealing with this sort of thing."  
>"What sort of thing?"<br>"Ah, you know – clones, duplicates, people coming back from the dead. Went through this with Elizabeth."  
>"Rodney told me about the replicators…and Marissa. It must have been difficult."<br>"Yeah. He'll come around."  
>"Hope so."<p>

He picks up a backpack and puts his arm through one of the loops, then struggles to get the second loop over his other shoulder. Eventually John tugs it into position for him.  
>"Thank you." He smiled sadly. "I must be a wee bit rusty."<br>"You're not rusty, Doc. You were just never very good at this."  
>John starts to leave the room. Carson follows, then takes him by the shoulder to stop him. "John, I just wanna say: thank you – for trusting me."<br>John nods a little awkwardly. "You'll have no regrets." As John nods again, Carson pats him on the shoulder and heads out of the room. "Doctor?"  
>"Aye?" He responded, turning back.<br>John picks up another radio and tosses it to him. "Forgot your radio."  
>Brandishing it at him, he said, "No regrets."<p>

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>ANOTHER OFFWORLD PLANET<strong>

The team – minus the marines who must have stayed at the Gate – walks into a tavern in a village. As they enter, the customers break off their conversations and fall silent as they watch them walk over to the bar.  
>"Hmm, just in time for happy hour!" John said. After a moment, the customers start talking amongst themselves again. John looks at the barkeep. "I was hoping maybe you could help us. We're looking for a friend of ours who's been known to stop in now and then."<br>"You've come to the wrong place."  
>"We haven't even told you what he looks like." McKay said.<br>"You misunderstand me. No-one here cares what he looks like. You've come to the wrong place if you're looking for information."  
>John leans closer to him and talks quietly. "Look, I know you're trying to keep up appearances here for your friends, but I think we can make it worth your while."<br>The barkeep smiles unpleasantly at him. "I think it would be best if you turn around and be on your way."  
>Ronon has been looking around the tavern all the while and now squints up at the dark upper balcony of the room. Seeing movement and hearing the balcony floor creak, he yells out a warning.<p>

"Gun!"  
>He dives for the bar as John and the others duck down. The distinctive sound of an automatic rifle comes from the upper balcony and the bullets tear into the barkeep's chest. John and Ronon roll over the top of the bar and Rodney grabs Carson and pulls him down as the gunfire continues.<br>"P-90 fire!" John yelled.  
>From the cover of the bar, he and Ronon fire up at the shooter. The man keeps them pinned down until his clip runs out. Instantly Ronon stands up, roaring, and fires a single shot from his blaster up to the balcony. The shot hits the man in the chest and he falls over the balcony and crashes to the floor below. Instantly, Carson hurries over to him and checks him over.<br>"Is he dead?" McKay asked.  
>Peeling the man's eye open, he said, "No, but we need to get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS GATEROOM**

The Stargate is open and Jeremy is standing awaiting the arrival of the team. Jennifer and a medical team wheel in a gurney.  
>"What is it?" Jennifer asked.<br>"Colonel Sheppard's team's coming back. They've got injuries." Jeremy reported.  
>Jennifer and her team wheel the gurney to the Gate just as the marines carry the wounded man through on a stretcher. John and the others follow.<br>"What happened?" Jeremy asked.  
>"This guy took a shot at us – with a P-90!" John said. Jeremy frowns as he walks over to him. "We're OK, but he took a little header off the balcony."<br>"A P-90? Where'd he get it?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Well, that's the question."<br>Carson has automatically taken command of the medical team and is supervising the transfer of the man to the gurney.  
>"On three: one, two, three, up!" He looks at Jennifer. "G.O.C's six; respiration sixteen; pulse one-fifty; blood pressure seventy over fifty. I applied pressure bandages at the scene."<br>Nodding, Jennifer looks down at the man who has a bandage wrapped around his head half covering his eyes. She peels back the bandage a little with the intention of looking into his eyes but then steps back in surprise.  
>"What is it?" Carson asked.<br>"I know this man. His name's Nabel. When Illyria and I went to New Athos, he was there. He tried to kill us!"  
>"It's all right, love. He's unconscious now and – for the time being – in desperate need of our attention. You can convert him later; right now, we need to save his life. Let's go, lads."<p>

He and the medics wheel the gurney away. Jennifer follows them.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

As medics lift the stretcher onto a bed, nurses help Jennifer and Carson get into surgical gear. As Nabel is hooked up to a monitor, it beeps warningly.  
>"Blood pressure?" Jennifer asked.<br>The head nurse, Marie, checks it. "Fifty over forty."  
>"It's dropping." She hurries over to him and looks at the wound in his chest from Ronon's blaster. "We need to stop this bleeding. I need suction!" Carson, still being dressed by the nurses, turns and looks at her as he realizes that she's in charge now, not him. "Let's prep for a C-spine X-ray."<br>Carson hurries over to her. "What can I do?"  
>"Grab some clamps and get busy."<br>"Right." He turns to gather the equipment he needs.  
>"I'm guessing some pretty severe-" Just then Carson gasps and collapses to the floor. "Carson?!" She kneels down to him and checks his neck pulse before looking up at the nurses. "Get him to a bed, now!"<br>As they pick up Carson and carry him away, she hurries back to Nabel.

҉

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

Jeremy is scolding Team Sheppard.  
>"It was his idea to go there." Jeremy said.<br>"If we hadn't have gone, we wouldn't have captured one of Michael's operatives." John defended him.  
>"You also wouldn't have been nearly killed in an ambush."<br>"It wasn't that bad." Ronon said and Jeremy looks at him. "It was one guy."  
>"Firing at you with one of our own weapons!"<br>"He was Michael's spy in the Athosian village!" McKay said. "Look, he got the P-90 from the weapons cache we left there."  
>"It doesn't change the fact that you were led into an ambush, intentionally or not." Jeremy said.<br>Jennifer's voice comes over the tannoy. "Colonel Renner, this is Doctor Keller. You'd better come down to the Infirmary. There's a problem with Doctor Beckett."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Carson is lying in bed with his eyes closed and an oxygen mask over his face. Team Sheppard and Jeremy are standing around the bed as Jennifer reports to them.  
>"After he collapsed, I did a scan and found evidence of necrosis in several of his internal organs. His cells aren't renewing fast enough to sustain tissue function."<br>"Any idea why?" Jeremy asked.  
>"I can only assume it's a complication due to the fact he's a clone. I've given him a course of treatment to try to stimulate cell growth but it's a bit like trying to find a cure for old age."<br>"What are you saying?" John asked.  
>"On the outside he looks fine, but on the inside...well, he's – he's dying."<p>

҉

**LATER**

Carson has regained consciousness and is sitting up in bed. Jennifer and Rodney are with him. Jennifer has just told him the news.  
>"My Lord. No wonder I've felt like a dog's breakfast ever since I got here."<br>"I'm sorry, Carson." Jennifer said, squeezing his hand. "I wish there was something we could do."  
>"Why is this happening now?" Rodney asked.<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Well, he survived for almost two years with Michael. I mean, shouldn't he have felt some kind of effects from his condition before now?"<br>"Yeah, that's a good point." Jennifer looks at Carson. "Uh, don't take this the wrong way, but at the rate your cells are deteriorating, you should have died a long time ago."  
>Carson thinks about it for a while, then realizes something. "The weekly injection he gave me. He said it was a sedative meant to keep me from trying to escape, but it must have been some kind of drug to keep my cells from deteriorating."<br>"Well, you obviously don't have any of it with you."  
>"No! Michael administered it himself, one dose at a time. But when Colonel Sheppard's team rescued me, it'd only been four days since my last injection. Now, assuming it takes a full seven days to break down-"<br>"We scanned you when you got here."  
>"Exactly. And if the scanners were able to pick it up, we may be able to isolate it and create more. We need to get started right away."<br>He starts to get out of bed but Jennifer pushes him back.  
>"No, whoa-whoa. Where do you think you're going?"<br>"We have work to do."  
>"No, <em>I<em> have work to do. _You_ need to stay in bed. The less you exert yourself, the better."  
>"You don't seriously expect me to lie here and be useless while my own life hangs in the balance, do you?"<br>Jennifer looks round at Rodney, who shrugs at her as if to ask, "Well, would you?"

҉

**MICHAEL'S PLANET**

In the Athosians' holding cell, Illyria stands and walks to the door at the sound of footsteps from outside. Kanaan is standing there, staring blankly to one side.  
>"Kanaan, look at me." For a moment, Kanaan doesn't react, but then turns his head towards her." You know who I am. I do not know what Michael has done to you, but I do know that deep down, a part of you is still the man I remember." Kanaan steps closer to the door, although his blank expression doesn't change. "I need your help." She looks round to the other Athosians "We need your help. If we do not find a way out of here quickly, Michael will force on us what he has forced on you. My child will be born soon and when he is, Michael will take him to use for some terrible purpose. You must not let that happen."<br>A door clangs open nearby. Kanaan glances in its direction, then turns and walks away. Ilyria calls after him,  
>"Kanaan! Wait!"<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

Carson and Jennifer are sitting side by side at a table. She is working on a computer while he raises his head from a magnifying viewer.  
>"I'm going cross-eyed."<br>"It's gotta be in here somewhere. We must be missing something."  
>"We've been over everything twice. Maybe the drug breaks down faster than we thought."<br>Jennifer's computer beeps. "Wait a minute."  
>Standing up and walking over to her, he asked, "What?"<br>"An unidentified polypeptide chain. The scan found it in one of your kidney cells."  
>"Try scanning it for traces of Wraith D.N.A."<br>She types. The screen shows the message "SCREENING IN PROGRESS ...", then changes to "SCREENING COMPLETED" and a new frame pops up reading, "IDENTIFIED."  
>"My God. It must be a Wraith enzyme of some sort." Page after page of coding streams down the screen. "It's enormously complex. It's not gonna be easy to duplicate."<br>Carson looks at her, then steels himself. "Right then."  
>He returns to the viewer and gets back to work.<p>

҉

**MICHAEL'S PLANET**

**ATHOSIAN HOLDING CELL**

Illyria is asleep on some bedding on the floor. The door slides open and the Athosians who were near it run for cover as one of Michael's mercenaries comes in with several hybrids. As Illyria scrambles to her feet, Halling hurries over to her.  
>"Do not incite them."<br>The mercenary looks around the room, then points at Illyria. "Her."  
>Halling steps in front of her. "No. You will take me instead."<br>One of the hybrids walks over to him and backhands him savagely around the face, knocking him to the floor.  
>"Halling!" A Athosian woman yelled.<br>She, Illyria and several Athosians run over to him and help him. A couple of the hybrids walk over, pull Illyria up and drag her away.  
>"No!"<br>"No! No!" Halling yelled, dragging himself to his feet as he tries to run to her. "No!"  
>He stops and gasps in pain at an injury he sustained when he fell. The door to their cell slides closed.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

Jennifer hands a couple of small glass bottles to Marie.  
>"Just let me know when you have test results on those."<br>"Okay. Will do."  
>"Thanks."<br>Marie leaves the room. Carson takes his head away from the magnifying viewer, sighing in frustration.  
>"Dammit."<br>"What is it?"  
>"See for yourself." He gets off his chair and moves out of the way so that Jennifer can look into the viewer. After a while she lifts her head and looks at him unhappily.<br>"Primer's not annealing to the D.N.A. template."  
>"There's too many contaminants. We're back to square one."<br>"I'm sorry, Carson. But we've only been at this for a little while. I mean, we knew it wasn't gonna be easy."  
>Carson draws in a deep breath and grimaces. "I was hoping for a breakthrough, but I can't…" He grunts and sags in pain.<br>"Carson?"  
>"It's all right. I'm okay."<br>"No you're not. Your condition's getting worse."  
>He drags himself onto the chair again. "I'll be fine. It's just a wee bit of a dizzy spell. Now get me some of those P.C.R.2s, will you? Please?"<br>"You can't just ignore this."  
>"What else can I do?"<br>"We can halt the deterioration of your cells in a stasis pod."  
>"Oh no. You're not putting me in one of those things."<br>"But it makes sense! I mean, that way, when I've figured how to fix this-"  
>"What if you can't?! Illyria was stuck in that bloody machine for 10,000 years! I'll be there for God knows how long!"<br>"Isn't that better than trying in vain to solve this while the clock's ticking away on your own life?"  
>"No." Sighing, he turns and looks into the viewer again.<p>

҉

**MICHAEL'S LAB**

Around the lab there are ranks of Athosians lying on screened-off platforms, presumably in the process of being transformed into hybrids. In the middle of the lab, Illyria has been put onto a metal table which is tilted at 45 degrees. Her wrists and ankles are attached to the table by metal clamps. She turns her head as she hears someone approaching from behind her.  
>"Michael? Is that you?" It's not Michael who walks over to her side – it's Kanaan. He stops and stands beside her, not looking at her. "Oh, Kanaan!"<br>After a moment, he turns his head and looks at her, and for the first time there is some sign of emotion in his face.  
>"Quickly! You must release me! Michael will be here soon." Kanaan looks around the room as if to check whether anyone is around. "He will do to me what he has done to you. Please." He looks back to her. "I can help you escape – all of you."<br>For the first time, he looks at her as if he recognizes her. "Illyria?"  
>"Yes! It's me!" She smiled at him.<br>Slowly, he steps closer to her and gently puts his hand onto her bump. He gazes at it for a moment, then reaches for the clamp holding her left hand and tries to tug it open. It won't budge. He looks around, picks up a knife from a nearby table and pushes it into the gap in the clamp, using it as a lever to try to force the clamp open.  
>"Yes! That's it!"<br>Kanaan grimaces as he continues straining to lever the clamp open, but then he stops, straightens up and his face loses all its animation again.  
>"Kanaan. What is it?"<br>He steps away from the table. Moments later Michael walks in. He looks suspiciously at Kanaan as he gazes impassively back at him.  
>"Leave us." Instantly Kanaan turns and walks away. Michael turns and looks down at Illyria. "Now. Let's get started."<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

Nabel slowly regains consciousness, a bandage around his head. He looks up and sees Jennifer, John, Rodney and Ronon standing at his bedside.  
>"I see you've once again opted to save my life." Nabel told Jennifer.<br>"It wasn't an easy decision, let me tell you."  
>"The only reason she did is because we need information." John said.<br>"About Michael. Yes, I know. Too bad you wasted your effort. You should have just let me die."  
>"Why's that?" Rodney asked him.<br>"Because once Michael finds out I was captured, I'm as good as dead anyway."  
>"Yeah, well, maybe." John shrugged. "Or maybe not, if you help us find him."<br>"He has spies everywhere. There's nowhere in this galaxy he can't find me."  
>"Who said anything about this galaxy?"<p>

҉

**MICHAEL'S LAB**  
>"I've had to modify this technology for use with humans." Michael was telling her. He goes to a console beside the table and picks up a paddle which is attached to it. "It's crude, but it works remarkably well."<br>Smiling, he turns to the console and starts to activate it.  
>"Michael, whatever has happened between us in the past, I beg you, do not harm my child." Illyria pleaded.<br>He turns back to her, frowning. "I wouldn't dream of it. Now, just relax. This won't hurt a bit. Listen." He holds the paddle over the top of her bump and switches it on. The sound of the baby's heartbeat comes out over speakers. "Your child is healthy."  
>They both listen to the heartbeat for several seconds, then Michael turns his head towards the console's screen.<br>"Look."  
>A three dimensional live image of the baby comes up on the screen. Illyria watches it for a moment, then looks at Michael.<br>"Why are you doing this?" Without replying, he deactivates the scan and goes over to a nearby console. "On the ship, Kanaan said my son would serve the cause. What did he mean by that?"  
>"You are a pure-blood ancient with Kanaan's Gifted blood coursing through you. Have you stopped to think what that might mean for your son?" He walks over to the table again. "He is genetically unique and, while I've made a lot of progress with my hybrids, there are still some details that need to be worked out. This child will help me do that." He turns and starts to fill a syringe. "You've taken good care of him. You should be very proud. Even so, you could probably use a little help."<br>Tapping the air out of the syringe, he approaches the table again. Illyria turns her head away in dread, then turns back to him.  
>"Michael, what are you doing? Please."<br>"I need this child. I can't afford to let anything happen to him."  
>As he starts to inject her, Illyria groans.<p>

҉

**ILLYRIA'S OFFICE**

Jeremy walks towards John as he comes in from the Control Room.  
>"How'd it go?"<br>"Nabel gave up the address. We know where she is."

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Jeremy and Team Sheppard are there. Carson has drawn a map of Michael's complex on a whiteboard and is marking with arrows the route to take.  
>"It's one of Michael's bigger facilities. The lab is located in the center of the main building, but it's difficult to find – not to mention the fact that if he is there, he'll be heavily guarded."<br>"Great!" John said.  
>"You're sure this is the right place?" Jeremy asked.<br>"I definitely recognize the description Nabel gave." Carson said. "Trust me, this is the place. You should bring me with you." The others look at each other uncomfortably. Carson turns back to indicate the map he drew. "This is just a small part of the complex. The place is like a maze and once inside, it's very easy to get turned around."  
>"All right. Thank you, Doctor." Jeremy said.<br>"All right."  
>Carson leaves the room and Jeremy looks at the others.<br>"So what do you think?"  
>"Well, if he is leading us into a trap, it's not gonna make much difference whether he's there or not." Ronon said.<br>"But if he isn't, he could be pretty useful." John said.  
>"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, wait a second." Rodney said, putting his hand on the table. "If he goes on this mission, it could kill him. We can't ask him to do this."<br>"We didn't ask him. He volunteered." Jeremy reminded him.  
>"Oh, give me a break!"<br>"Easy, Rodney." John warned.  
>"I'm sorry – I'm just a little concerned that we're willing to be so cavalier with his life 'cause we think of him as some kind of a cheap copy."<br>"Well, he's doing it for Illyria. Don't stand there and pretend that you wouldn't do the same thing if you were in his place."

҉

**LATER**

Looking incredibly weary, Carson walks along a corridor with an armed guard behind him. His steps begin to slow and, clutching his stomach and groaning, he crumples to his knees. The guard reaches down and helps him stand again.  
>"It's okay. I'm all right. Thank you. Okay."<br>Rodney anxiously runs over to him. "Carson."  
>"Rodney. I'm just heading down to get geared up."<br>"Look at you! You can barely stand. You don't have to do this."  
>"You said yourself: the real Carson wouldn't sit around worrying about himself when he could do something to help."<br>"The real Carson also never listened to my advice. Look, you don't have to prove anything, certainly not to me."  
>"I know that. Don't worry – I'll be fine." He turned to the guard. "Let's go."<br>The two of them head off. Rodney stares after them in anguish for a moment, then follows them.

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>MICHAEL'S PLANET<strong>

Team Sheppard and Carson make their way into the complex. Rodney activates a life signs detector.  
>"I'm reading a bunch of life signs up ahead."<br>"Maybe it's the Athosians." Ronon said.  
>"Yeah? Maybe it's a herd of those Frankensteins." Rodney suggested.<br>They make their way onwards, John asked, "Doctor?"  
>"It's this way, I think." Caron said, pointing.<br>"Carson." Rodney said.  
>"No, no. I'm certain. It's this way."<p>

҉

**LAB**

Michael comes back into the lab with a couple of hybrids.  
>"What is happening?" Illyria asked. Ignoring her, Michael works on a couple of consoles nearby. Illyria looks at him. "There is a connection between us, Michael – and right now, I can sense your fear."<br>"I wouldn't go that far. Let's call it 'concern'."  
>He goes to another console and shuts it down. Around the room, the lights in the platforms holding the Athosian hybrids go out.<br>"What did you do?"  
>"I shut them down."<br>Illyria closes her eyes briefly. "You mean you killed them."  
>"I can't afford to leave any loose ends behind. Anyway, there's always more where they came from." He activates a control and the clamps holding Illyria's wrists and ankles spring open. The hybrids immediately seize her arms. "Take her to the ship. We're leaving."<p>

Elsewhere in the complex, Team Sheppard comes under fire from a couple of mercenaries with P-90s. They dive for cover and return fire. Not far away the Athosians hear the gunfire. Halling runs to the door and peers out through the bars. John glances round at Carson.  
>"I'm tired of getting shot at with our own guns."<br>"I'm generally not fond of it regardless of the weapon."  
>John manages to gun down one of the mercenaries. Ronon blasts the other one and the team cautiously comes out of hiding. In the holding cell, Halling calls out,<br>"Hello! Is anyone there?" Team Sheppard carefully makes its way through the room, wary of further attack. "You must help us!"  
>"D'you hear that?" Ronon asked.<br>"Is that Halling?" Rodney asked, recognizing the voice.  
>They move out and head towards the sound.<br>"Halling?" John called out.  
>"Colonel! Through here!" Halling called out. The team runs to the door. "Colonel Sheppard. It is very good to see you."<br>"Likewise, my friend." John said as Ronon shoves the door open.  
>"Are you all right?" Carson asked.<br>"We're fine – those of us that are left. Illyria said you would come."  
>"Where is she?" John asked, devoting his full attention to him.<br>"Michael has taken her. You must go after her."  
>"OK. Take your people. We'll meet you in a little while."<br>Halling turns to the other Athosians as the team runs off. "Everyone, it's the time. Come! Gather your strength. Come through! Everyone!"

Shortly afterwards, the team runs into the lab. Carson, stumbling with exhaustion, looks around at the platforms.  
>"My God." He goes over to one of the platforms and searches for a pulse on the man inside. "They're dead."<br>John and Ronon have gone to the table in the middle of the room. Ronon picks up the syringe.  
>"Sheppard."<br>He shows the syringe to John.  
>"You think Illyria?" Rodney asked.<br>"No, I don't think so, and you don't think so." John said sternly.  
>Wraith stunner blasts fire down at them from the upper level. Everyone dives for cover as two mercenaries race down the stairs and find their own cover. On the upper level another mercenary fires a P-90 at the team. Rodney gets his life signs detector out, looks at it and yells across to John.<br>"I don't mean to rush this, but I'm picking up an energy reading. Someone's firing up the ship!"  
>He, John and Ronon continue trying to flush out the mercenaries. Seeing that they're all occupied, Carson turns and runs from the room. As he ducks back behind their cover, Rodney turns and sees him leaving.<br>"Carson! Carson!"  
>Unable to prevent him from leaving, he returns to the firefight.<br>Nearby, the hybrids are escorting Illyria along a walkway. Carson runs around the corner behind them and shoots one of them four times in the back with his pistol. As the other hybrid turns towards him, he shoots him twice. Illyria turns and stares in shock at the sight of him.  
>"Carson?!"<br>"I know. I'm the last person you expected to see." He steps towards her but she backs away from him, terrified. "It's all right. I'm here to help you."  
>She shakes her head, tears coming to her eyes. "It's not possible."<br>"I'm sorry – I don't have time to explain. Colonel Sheppard and the others are waiting back at the lab. We have to go – now."  
>"I can't."<br>"Illyria!" Carson yelled, seizing her wrist.  
>"Kanaan – he is still here. I am not leaving without him!"<br>"There's no time."  
>He starts to tug her away but Michael appears in front of them.<br>"Quite correct." Carson steps in front of Illyria and points his pistol at Michael. "You should have run when you had the chance, but you let your feelings get in the way."  
>He steps forward.<br>"Stay back. I'm warning you."  
>"Shoot him, Carson. Shoot him now!" Illyria savagely demanded.<br>Unafraid, Michael steps forward again, staring into Carson's eyes. Carson's hand starts to tremble. "He doesn't want to shoot me. Or, to be more precise, he'd like nothing more but – like all of my creations – he is open to my influence."  
>Carson snarls as he tries to pull the trigger, but he can't do it.<br>"Carson," Illyria whispered, pleading.  
>"I'm sorry, Illyria," he said, anguished.<br>She steps forward and reaches for his pistol but Michael raises a Wraith stunner pistol and points it at her.  
>"Don't." As Illyria freezes on the spot, he looks at Carson again, then reaches out and takes the pistol from his hand. "You don't look well, Doctor. You should have stayed with me. I'd give you an injection, but I don't have any with me. Anyway, you've served your purpose."<br>He turns his stunner pistol on Carson and shoots him at point-blank range. Carson groans and crumples to the floor. Michael turns to Illyria.  
>"Time to go." Seizing her arm, he drags her away.<br>Back in the lab, the firefight is still going on. Rodney finally manages to gun down the mercenary on the upper level, but the two on the ground level with stunners are too well hidden. John glances out of his hiding place for a moment and then turns to Ronon, indicating some tall metal tanks behind the mercenaries.  
>"Take a look. East wall. Those things look like gas containers?"<br>"Yeah. Worth a shot."  
>Waiting for the right moment, the two of them surge up out of hiding. John fires at the men to keep them down and Ronon fires a single shot from his blaster at one of the tanks. Gas roars out of the tank and blows the men off their feet. As they try to get to their feet, Ronon blasts one of them and John takes out the other. Nearby, Rodney comes out of his hiding place. John looks round at him.<br>"Where's Beckett?"  
>Rodney pointed to the corridor. "This way."<br>They race off through the complex. As they reach the walkway, John stops at the sight of Carson lying unconscious on the floor with the two hybrids lying nearby. Aiming his rifle at the hybrids, he beckons to Ronon and Rodney.  
>"It's Carson."<br>As John and Ronon disarm the hybrids, Rodney runs over to Carson just as he regains consciousness.  
>"What happened?" Carson asked.<br>"You ran off – that's what happened." Rodney said.  
>"Illyria…" Carson shook his head.<br>"Did you see her?" John asked, kneeling down beside him.  
>"Oh, no." He muttered, remembering what happened.<br>An engine starts to roar from outside the building.  
>"What the hell is that?" Ronon asked, looking up.<br>"It's the ship!" Rodney yeled.  
>John looks at Ronon. "Help him down."<br>"Yeah."  
>John and Rodney race for the nearest exit. Ronon grabs Carson by the vest and hauls him to his feet.<br>"Come on."  
>They follow the others. The team pelts down a flight of stairs and runs to the doorway...just in time to see Michael's cruiser lift off and head up into the sky.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John and Jeremy are walking along a corridor.  
>"We searched the place top to bottom. No sign of her." John said.<br>"Well, for now we'll have to assume that she's still alive and that Michael has her." Jeremy told him.  
>"We've got prisoners. They'll talk. We'll find her."<br>They walk into the Infirmary where Rodney and Jennifer are standing at Carson's bedside. Jennifer comes over to meet them.  
>"How is he?" John asked.<br>"His body's shutting down. There's nothing more I can do for him. We can't wait any longer."  
>"Zelenka's prepping the stasis pod." Jeremy informed them.<br>In the bed, Carson gazes into the distance in anguish. "I had him in my sights. All I needed to do is pull the trigger."  
>"Look, it's not your fault." Rodney told him. "He made you receptive to the mind link. It's how he controls all of them – the hybrids."<br>"Still, it would have been nice to make a difference."  
>"You made a difference. We've got Michael on the run. It's just a matter of time before we catch up to him."<br>"Rodney..."  
>"Look, don't say anything, OK? It's no big deal. You're gonna go into the stasis pod until we figure out how to fix you." Rodney said hurriedly, trying to smile at him.<br>"I'm a doctor. I know my own prognosis. Once I go into that pod, there's a good chance I won't come out."  
>Rodney's face falls, knowing that he's telling the truth.<p>

҉

**LATER**

In a stasis room, Jeremy and Rodney are working on a couple of consoles. Rodney walks over to where John and Ronon are standing near an upright stasis pod, similar to the one in which Illyria was found in; the memory of which gave John pause. Rodney looks around the pod, then turns back to the others.  
>"Right. All set."<br>Jennifer wheels Carson into the room in a wheelchair, the twins on either side of him, holding his hands. He's wearing the white scrubs he wore earlier. Stopping the wheelchair at the bottom of the ramp, Keller helps him to his feet, then puts her arm around his shoulders.  
>"Listen. We're gonna keep working 'til we find a cure for this thing. I've got a whole team on it – best people we have."<br>"Thank you."  
>"Either way, we're gonna get the cure, soon as we capture Michael." John said.<p>

Carson smiles faintly, then turns to Jeremy. "Jeremy, there's a letter in my quarters addressed to my mother. Don't worry – I was careful not to give anything away. Tell her you found it after you shipped my things. It's just some thoughts – things I should have said a long time ago."  
>Jeremy nods, his eyes full of tears. "I'll make sure she gets it."<br>"Thank you."  
>He pats his arm. He nods to him, then turns to John, who shakes hands with him. "Don't you worry, Doc. We're gonna have you out of there in no time."<br>"John. You bring her home, now, you understand?" He smiled down at the kids sadly. "No godchild of mine's gonna grow up without their mum."  
>"Count on it."<br>Nodding, Carson walks over to Ronon, who looks at him painfully.  
>"This is exactly what I was afraid of." Ronon said.<br>"I know, big man. I'm sorry."  
>"Stepping forward, Ronon lays his head on Carson's shoulder and hugs him for a moment, then steps away, looking awkward and a little embarrassed.<p>

"Goodbye, Uncle Carson." Patrick said sadly. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around his legs. Carson kneeled down, pulled Jenifer in, and held them tight.

"I'll be seeing you two real soon." He pulled back and smiled at them bravely. "Faster than you can blink your wee little eyes."

Jennifer starts to tear up, her bottom lip trembling. "I don't want you to go."

"I know, sweetheart." Carson said, stroking her hair behind her ear. Jen began to cry and Carson pulled her close, rubbing her back.

"Please don't go, Uncle Carson!" She wailed, tears staining his shirt. "I don't want you to go!"

"Jennifer…" John said, stepping forward. He took Patrick's hand and pulled him back.

"Please! Please, please, please don't go!" She wailed. She buried her head deeper into his neck.

"Come now, lassie." Carson whispered, pulling her back.

"I-I'll be good!" Jennifer said. She began nodding, thinking that this would change his mind. "Yeah! I-I'll be good! I'll g-go to bed on t-time! I-I won't pinch P-Patrick! I-I'll eat all my v-veggies a-and not hide them u-under my napkin-"

"Jennifer Arin Sheppard." Carson said quietly, his own eyes watering. "You stop those crocodile tears now, you hear me?"

"I-I c-c-can't!" She sobbed, her words blearily coming through gasps for breath. "P-p-please don't g-go!"

"Here," he pulled a heart shaped yellow gold locket out from his pocket. He unclasped it, moved long brown hair, and re-clasped it around her neck. "I had this made soon after you were born. If you're ever feelin' sad or lonely, just open it up and think of me." He kissed her forehead and stood up.

Ronon took Jen's hand and pulled her back, lifting her up into his arms. Carson turns to Rodney, who gestures into the pod.  
>"Right, well, you won't feel a thing – aside from a cool burst when the pod first activates." Carson steps into the pod and turns to face the front. "Now, your life signs will be monitored on this machine here, twenty fourseven, so..."  
>He tries hard to smile, but his face is full of pain.<br>"Thank you, Rodney." Carson said. He looks around at everyone. "I want you all to know that seeing you again these last few days – it was all worth it, no matter what happens."  
>"You know, I was toying with the idea of programming dreams into these things. Interested? I could have you fishing in the Highlands..." Rodney leans closer and speaks quietly, smiling "...with a couple of tall blonde massage therapists?"<br>"No, Rodney. I'll be fine." Carson smiled.  
>"That's right – you will be, you know?" Rodney said, smiling in a forced way. "'Cause this is not "Goodbye," this is, this is, uh ... this is "See you later." That's what we agreed."<br>Trying to smile bravely, Carson said, "All right, then." He looks round at his friends one last time. "See you all later."  
>He straightens up and faces the front, indicating that he's ready. Rodney looks round at the others, desperate for a reason not to activate the pod, but there's nothing else to do. He reaches down to the Ancient device which he's holding and types on it. The stasis field begins to activate. For the first few moments, Rodney can't bear to look, but eventually he raises his head and watches as the field envelops his friend.<p>

Sadly, the team gazes at Carson's frozen figure.


	71. Chapter 69

**M4S-587**

John Sheppard returns to the planet's Stargate where Major Lorne and his team are waiting.  
>"So, how'd it go, sir?" Lorne asked.<br>"The Genii contact didn't show up."  
>"Can't say I'm surprised."<br>"What are you saying, Major? The Genii can't be trusted?!"  
>"Well, they did try and kill you and Doctor McKay along with that little girl."<br>"True, true – and normally that's the kind of thing I'd take personally, but Ladon claims he didn't order the hit. He's trying to get on our good side."  
>"You really think they know anything about where Michael took Illyria?"<br>"Well, they get solid intel. We're following up every lead, no matter how thin."  
>"OK. So what do you wanna do?"<br>John steps over to the D.H.D. and starts to dial an address. "Well, I'm gonna go ahead. You stay behind for a few hours; tell me if he shows up."  
>"Will do."<br>The Stargate kawhooshes and John turns back to Lorne. "We're gonna find her, Major."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>John walks forward and steps into the Gate.

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>ATLANTIS<strong>

John walks through the Gate into the Gateroom. There are no lights on and the area is lit only by a reddish daylight coming through the windows. There's no sign of anyone in the Gateroom or the Control Room. John notices something else different about the place.  
>"Somebody turn up the heat?" He looks around. "Hello?"<br>Nobody replies. Frowning, John walks towards the stairs, turning around frequently to try and spot anyone.  
>"If this is a surprise party, it's not my birthday."<br>Biting his lip anxiously, he walks slowly up the stairs and into the dark Control Room. Frowning, he turns around and activates his headset radio.  
>"This is Sheppard. Anyone read?" There's no reply. "I repeat: this is Sheppard. Anyone on this channel?"<br>Still nobody answers. He walks across to the door which leads to the outside balcony. It remains closed as he approaches it. He puts his hands on it and starts to push sideways. After a few moments, he manages to slide the door open. He looks outside and stares in total amazement. Walking out onto the balcony, he gazes in disbelief at the sight.

The ocean has gone and the city is surrounded by sand dunes. He goes to the edge of the balcony and looks down. The lower levels of the city are half buried in sand. He looks around, still in shock.

From an overhead view of the city and the surrounding area, there is sand for as far as the eye can see.

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John walks back into the Control Room and waves his hand over the panels of the various consoles as he talks to himself. Nothing activates.  
>"All right. This isn't good. The most elaborate practical joke of all time, or I'm in serious trouble here."<br>Just then sound begins to come over his radio. It's mixed with a lot of static and is unintelligible. John taps his headset.  
>"This is Sheppard. Anyone on this frequency?"<br>There's another burst of static, then Rodney McKay's voice comes over the radio.  
><em>"Sheppard? Is that really you?"<em>  
>"McKay," John said, sighing in relief.<br>"_I can't believe it! It actually worked!"_  
>"What are you talking about? What the hell's going on here?"<br>"_I imagine you're a little confused right now. God! For you, like, what, five minutes has passed?"_  
>"Rodney!"<br>"_Look, I need you to describe exactly what you're seeing. Where are you?"_  
>"I'm in the Control Room. It's deserted."<br>_"Is there any power?"_  
>"No. Everything's dead – and, oh yeah, did I tell you the ocean's gone?"<br>"_Sorry, what?"_  
>"The big blue thing out the window. It's gone. It's – it's – it's a desert – and it's about a hundred and twenty degrees in here."<br>"_Oh, jeez, the planet must have undergone some serious climate changes."_  
>"If you don't start giving me some answers pretty soon here-"<br>"_OK, look, I understand this is hard for you. Just do me a favor and go to the Hologram Room."_  
>"Why?"<br>_"Just do it. Please."_  
>John turns and trots down the stairs. Using the light on his P-90 to light his way, he jogs along the dark corridors. Eventually, breathing heavily, he reaches the Hologram Room and goes inside.<br>"All right. I'm here."  
>"<em>Well, activate the hologram projector."<em>  
>"There's no power."<br>"_It's connected to an independent power source. Don't worry – it will work."_  
>John steps over to the console and waves his hand over it. Immediately Rodney appears behind him.<br>"Hey there."  
>John turns, startled. He is even more startled when he sees Rodney for the first time – for this is not the Rodney McKay that we have known for the past four years. Wearing green trousers and a blue top, Rodney has his hands stuffed inside a tatty old grey cardigan ... and he looks like he is in his mid-seventies. His face is wrinkled and his hair and eyebrows are grey. He smiles at John as he stares back at him in amazement.<br>"Rodney!"  
>"God, it's good to see you again." Rodney smiled.<br>"You're a hologram!"  
>"No!" He said, shocked. He takes his hands out of his pockets and looks at them, then laughs. "Of course! I tapped into the city's internal sensors, so I've got eyes and ears – so to speak. You look good."<br>"You look, uh..." He reaches out to touch Rodney's chest. His fingers sink straight into it and a glow surrounds them. "...different."  
>"That's 'cause you remember me the way I was."<br>"What, you mean earlier today?"  
>"Ah, it's funny, you know? I spent the last twenty five years of my life trying to figure out how to make this work, and I never once thought what I was gonna say to you when you got here."<br>"You can start by telling me what the hell's going on here!"  
>"Ah. Right, right. OK. Um, remember that mission report? SG-1 stepped through the Gate. Their wormhole accidentally intersected with a solar flare and they were sent back to 1969."<br>"Uh, well, vaguely."  
>"Well, something similar has just happened to you."<br>"I was sent back in time?"  
>"Uh, no. In fact, you were sent forward into the future."<br>"How far into the future?"  
>"Huh, an interesting question – and one that was not easy to figure out. I had to determine the exact characteristics of the solar flare in question-"<br>"Rodney!" John said, irritated.  
>"Forty eight thousand years, give or take."<br>John stares. "This is a practical joke."  
>"No, I'm afraid not. Freak accident. Sorry."<br>"You're telling me I just travelled forty eight thousand years into the future in ten seconds?"  
>"I know – it is kind of cool when you think about it, isn't it?"<br>"Surfing a thirty foot wave in Waimei is cool. Dating a supermodel is cool." His tone turns angry. "This is not cool!"  
>"All right, calm down."<br>John opens his mouth, then pauses as he realizes something else. "If I'm in the future, that means you're, uh..."

"...dead. Dead and buried and turned to dust a long, long time ago, along with everyone you ever knew. There's no way of knowing what the state of human civilization is; whether it even still exists. I mean, we've obviously abandoned the city."  
>"Obviously!"<br>"There's not enough power for you to gate back to Earth, and without a M.A.L.P., going anywhere else would be far too risky. It is entirely possible that you are the last human being alive."  
>"You're not doing a very good job of cheering me up here."<br>"Oh, consider yourself lucky, young man." Rodney said mildly. "While I was figuring out this plan, I had no way of knowing whether the city would even survive this long."  
>"What – what plan?"<br>"I took advantage of some progress in hologram technology to create this simulation." He chuckles. "I'm able to move anywhere inside the city. I'm fully interactive, and I'm designed to mimic the exact response and appearance of the great Doctor Rodney McKay."  
>John grimaces. "Couldn't use anyone else, huh?"<br>Rodney chuckles again. "Funny. I'm linked to the city's main systems, but I have an independent core drive which is sealed in the foundation of one of the outer buildings – along with a Mark Twelve naqahdah generator and a couple of other key components. It's kind of like a, um, well, what do you say – like a time capsule, so to speak."  
>"It's really nice to have company, but if what you're saying is true, what good does it do me?"<br>"Oh, trust me, I wouldn't go to all this trouble just so we could have a chat. No, no – I'm here to bring you back." He turns and starts to leave the room. "Come on."  
>Bewildered, John follows him. As they walk, the lights come on automatically in front of them. As they continue along the corridors during the following conversation, the lights go off again behind them.<br>"Where are we going?" John asked.  
>"Stasis chamber."<br>"Why?"  
>"To buy some time."<br>"Well, that really explains everything!"  
>"Theoretically, we can send you back exactly the way you got here, using the Gate, the right address and a solar flare. The only problem is, we're waiting for something very specific – a prominence with exactly the right shape, size, characteristics and relative position in space so that it will interact with the wormhole in exactly the right manner and send you back exactly the right amount of time."<br>"And that doesn't happen every day."  
>"Exactly."<br>"How long are we talking about?"  
>"Oh, seven, eight hundred years. A thousand, tops."<br>Jon stopped in his tracks. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's your plan? I'm forty eight thousand years into the future and you wanna put me on ice for another thousand?"  
>"Tops." John looks shocked. "We need to be precise. If I don't get you back within two months of the moment you left, then ... it'll be too late."<br>"Too late? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"  
>Rodney sighs, his face full of memories. "Things didn't exactly go well for us after your disappearance. Once I figured out what happened to you, I realized there was nothing we could do. The Air Force pronounced you K.I.A. – gave you a very nice military funeral back on Earth. Obviously the casket was empty..." John grimaces in distaste. "...but, you know, it's the thought that counts. From there...well, from there things went from bad to worse."<p>

҉

**FLASHBACK**

On an offworld planet, Rodney, Lorne and Ronon Dex make their way into a building.  
>"<em>We kept searching for Illyria but we just didn't have the resources to cover enough ground."<em>  
>Searching the building cautiously, they enter a room and see Illyria Sheppard lying on the floor, her eyes closed.<br>_"It took us two months before we finally found her in one of Michael's hideouts."_  
>Checking first to make sure that there is nobody else around, Ronon goes over to Illyria, bends down to her and checks her neck for a pulse. He looks up at Rodney and Lorne in despair.<br>"_But by then it was too late."_  
>The image of Rodney's face, full of loss, merges into the future Rodney's face, identically anguished.<br>"She'd had the baby. I guess after that he didn't have any use for her anymore." Reluctantly, he meets John's eyes. "So he killed her."

҉

**LATER**

John and Hologram Rodney are walking through the city again.  
>"It's not your fault." Rodney said.<br>"I should have been there." John said quietly.  
>Rodney sighs. "And you will be – and knowing the address where we eventually found Illyria, you will be able to get there much quicker. You'll save Illyria, save your baby, change the fate of the galaxy."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Well, it was the turning point. It was the key to everything. Once Michael had that baby, he was able to complete his research and perfect the hybrids. After that, well, he really kicked things into gear."<p>

҉

**FLASHBACK**

In a town on an offworld planet, a makeshift hospital has been set up in a house. Atlantean medics, led by Jennifer Keller, are helping the planet's doctors tend to many sick people. Jennifer pulls a blanket over the face of the person she has been treating.  
>"<em>He stepped up his campaign of exposing human populations to the Hoffan drug. Jennifer did her best to find a way to combat the effects, with trying to lower the mortality rate..."<em>

Jennifer straightens up sadly from her dead patient, then watches in despair as medics bring in even more people.

_"... but ultimately, it was a losing battle."_

҉

**FLASHBACK**

In space, two Wraith hive ships are exchanging gunfire.  
>"<em>With their food supplies tainted, the infighting between the Wraith factions got worse. Michael waited until they were at each other's throats, and then he made his move."<em>  
>As the hive ships continue firing at each other, a third hive jumps out of hyperspace. On board, Michael walks onto the Bridge where one of his hybrids is flying the ship.<br>"Status?"  
>"Both hives are heavily damaged." A hybrid reported. "They've lost hyperdrive and are venting atmosphere."<br>"Well, then, let's finish it."  
>His hive opens fire on the other two ships, and they disintegrate and explode under the onslaught. Sometime later, on a planet, two hybrids drag a struggling Wraith Queen into a tent.<br>"_He took advantage of their weakened state and their internal divisions – and in less than a year, he had the Wraith on their knees."_  
>The hybrids push the Queen down onto her knees.<br>_"Literally."_  
>Michael turns slowly to face the Queen, who glares at him. He turns away again and picks up a large knife.<br>"You know, the irony is, I never asked for any of this." He turns and looks at her. "I was taken prisoner by the humans, tortured, experimented on..." Slowly he walks towards her. "...and when I finally escaped and returned to my Wraith brothers, instead of being welcomed back, I was met with scorn."  
>"You will pay for this." The Wraith Queen hissed.<br>"You still have your pride." He then sarcastically said, "Good for you."  
>He glares down at her for a moment, then steps forward and savagely slashes her throat. She crumples to the floor.<br>Shortly afterwards, Michael throws back the flap of the tent and walks outside. He walks forward onto a rise outside the tent, stops and then raises up his hand which is holding the severed head of the Queen. Cheers erupt and we see that he is facing a huge crowd of hybrids and mercenaries. They continue to cheer, holding their fists in the air triumphantly as Michael gazes at his army in satisfaction.

҉

**FUTURE ATLANTIS**

John and Hologram Rodney are still making their way through the city.  
>"With the Wraith in disarray, Michael returned to the human populations he'd infected with the Hoffan drug. He selected the strongest and the healthiest of the survivors and converted them to hybrids. The rest he exterminated."<br>"You think by saving Illyria, we can change all this?"

"I know it. All I have to do is get you safely to a stasis chamber. I will reprogram the sensors..." He trails off as the lights come on ahead of them down the corridor. Sand has broken in from outside and has blocked the route ahead of them. "Oh. That could be a problem."  
>"No, no, that's not a problem. We'll just find another way around." Rodney's hologram flickers a few times. "Rodney?"<br>"There is no other way around. The sand has penetrated the lower levels."  
>"Forty eight thousand years into the future, you've still got a knack for stating the obvious. All right, what do we do?"<br>"I don't know."  
>"What do you mean, you don't know?"<br>"Well, I wasn't programmed for this variable!"  
>"You said you had twenty five years to work on this plan!"<br>"Well, McKay did – and he brilliantly anticipated a lot of potential problems. It's just that, well, this wasn't one of them."  
>"All right. We go up two levels, turn right, there's an outer door. It's only a quarter of a mile across the plaza."<br>"You can't do that."  
>"Why not?"<br>"Not only is it extremely hot out there, but for the last half an hour the barometric pressure has been dropping and the wind speeds have increased significantly."  
>"A storm's coming?"<br>"A sandstorm. Ever been in one of those?"  
>"As a matter of fact, I have."<br>"Oh. Oh, then, then you know what that means."  
>"It's not like we have a lot of options here."<br>He turns and trots off back the way they came. Rodney sighs and follows him. Sometime later they reach a corridor on the outer edge of the building. A ferocious wind can be heard howling outside. John stops at the exit door and listens to the wind.  
>"Sounds pretty nasty out there."<br>"The winds are gusting over fifty miles an hour and increasing. Look, the visibility's basically zero. You can't go out there! You're just gonna have to wait it out."  
>"For how long?"<br>"Well I don't know. Maybe a couple of hours." John sighs, then walks wearily over to the wall and sits down on the floor. "Are you hungry? Do you have any food?" John shakes his head. "Oh. Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter anyways. We'll just wait for the storm to blow over and have you out of here in no time at all." He smiles, then looks awkward. "Well, you'll actually be here for seven hundred years but you know what I mean."  
>John grimaces, then looks up at Rodney. "What about everyone else? I mean, you told me about…about Illyria, but what about the rest of 'em? There's no way we would have rolled over and let Michael take over the whole galaxy."<br>"No."  
>"Well, what happened?"<br>"The I.O.A. and the military were reluctant to commit a lot of resources to protecting the human populations of another galaxy." He smiles fondly. "But Jeremy? Jeremy wouldn't take "no" for an answer."

҉

**FLASHBACK**

Colonel Jeremy Renner is walking with Rodney through the corridors of a Daedalus-class battle cruiser. Scientists are working to get it ready.  
>"<em>Finally they decided to give him a new ship – Phoenix. Barely off the assembly line; half the Asgard systems weren't finished; the other half weren't working."<em>  
>Jeremy and Rodney walk into a room. The place is a mess: wires are hanging from the ceiling and equipment is lying around everywhere. Despite that, Jeremy smiles proudly. Rodney doesn't look so happy at the amount of work that he's going to have to do.<br>Time passes and Jeremy is soldering a wall panel.  
>"<em>We spent the better part of a month getting her ready for combat."<em>  
>Jeremy looks across the room to where Rodney, looking weary, is working on putting a console together.<br>_"We worked day and night, side by side. Zelenka might have been there as well. I don't really remember."_  
>Radek Zelenka walks across and puts a cup of coffee onto the console for Rodney, then walks away.<br>_"I do remember never feeling so drained in my entire life."_  
>Sometime later, Rodney inserts the last crystal into a tray and it slides into its console. Jeremy looks at a computer tablet he's holding as it beeps, then smiles in satisfaction at Rodney. He sighs in relief and slumps on the console, exhausted.<br>"_Eventually, though, we managed to get her in working order."_  
>Later, Jeremy is standing on the Bridge of her ship.<br>"All right." Rodney said, walking in. "Everything checks out. Weapons, shields, long-range sensors all in the green. She's good to go."  
>"Great work, Rodney." Jeremy complimented. "Now, I want you, Radek and your team to head back to Atlantis and take a couple of days off. When you're good and rested, get to work on the city's shields. Do anything you can to maximize efficiency. You're gonna need them."<br>"Well, what about you?"  
>"I'm gonna take her out. For the time being, Major Lorne is in command of Atlantis."<br>"You need to take some time. You're as exhausted as we are."  
>"Intel suggests that Michael's about to move against several human worlds. We have to get out there now."<br>"So let someone else go!" Jeremy looks at him. Eventually he sighs. "All right."  
>He turns to leave.<br>"Hey." Jeremy called out.  
>"Hmm?" He asked, turning back to him. He raises his eyebrows at him. "Uh, good luck."<br>Jeremy smiles. "Thanks, Rodney." He walks over to him and hugs him. "For everything."  
>Rodney looks at him a little puzzled as he releases him, but smiles at him. "Right."<br>He turns and leaves the Bridge, half-glancing back at Jeremy as he goes. Jeremy turns and gazes out of the windshield.  
>"<em>They started a series of hit and run ops – real guerrilla style."<em>  
>In space, two hive ships fly side by side. Phoenix soars in and fires three Asgard beams at one of the ships and it explodes. She heads for the second hive and fires at it. On the Bridge, Jeremy's Weapons Officer reports.<br>"One of the hives has been neutralized."  
>"What about the other one?"<br>"Minimal damage. They're powering weapons."  
>"Dammit." Jeremy grunted.<br>"Should we swing around for another pass?"  
>"Forget it. Get us out of here."<br>As the hive fires at Phoenix, he races away and jumps into hyperspace.  
>"<em>For a while, it really worked. They were able to inflict considerable damage, despite terrible odds. But eventually their luck ran out."<em>  
>Phoenix leaps out of hyperspace just above the surface of a planet.<br>"_Michael deliberately leaked some intel that he was about to attack a heavily populated human world. Jeremy thought he could get there first, but he was wrong."_  
>As Phoenix soars over the planet, a hive ship above her opens fire. As it bombards the ship, consoles on the Bridge explode. Jeremy runs to try and fix the damage.<br>"We've got a hive ship – six o'clock!" The weapons officer reported.  
>"It's an ambush." Jeremy said.<br>"Here comes another one, dead ahead."  
>"Evasive maneuvers!"<br>Phoenix races away from the ship above her and swings to the left to avoid the hive in front. A third hive is waiting in her path and fires an onslaught as she swings right to avoid it. As Jeremt runs to a console near the front of the Bridge, more consoles and panels explode.)  
>"We're boxed in." The weapons officer reported.<br>"Return fire!" Jeremy ordered.  
>There's a massive explosion in the middle of the Bridge and the pilot is thrown from his seat and crashes to the floor. Alarms sound as another member of the crew runs to the pilot's station and tries to activate the controls.<br>"We've lost Asgard weapons."  
>"Switch to missiles. Fire all batteries!" Jeremy runs to the pilot's console and pats the crewmember on the shoulder, pointing him towards the pilot lying on the floor. "Help him. Go."<br>As he moves away, Jeremy takes the pilot's seat. Phoenix fires her missiles towards the two hives in front of her. They return fire.  
>"We've got an overload. It's the hyperdrive!"<br>"Reroute the power!"  
>"No response. System is going critical."<br>Jeremy gets up and hurries to a panel in the ceiling. "I'm beaming you to the planet. Head to the Gate as soon as you can."  
>"What about you?"<br>"I'll be right behind you!"  
>Unhappily, the Weapons Officer takes her hands off her console and straightens up in her seat. An Asgard transporter beam whisks her away. All around the ship, the crewmembers are beamed away until Jeremy is alone. He hurries back to the main consoles.<br>"_After he got the crew off, he must have lost the transport system. With his engines about to go critical, I guess he figured he didn't have anything to lose."_  
>With her engines trailing smoke behind her, Phoenix turns and soars into the middle of the trio of hive ships surrounding her. As the Bridge continues exploding all around her, Jeremy stands and stares defiantly through the windshield as Phoenix races straight towards the hive in front of her and plunges into the side of the ship. It explodes and the shockwave radiates out in all directions, impacting the other two hives and destroying them as well.<br>"_With his last breath, he took out three of Michael's hive ships."_  
>In future Atlantis, Rodney smiles ruefully down at John. "And we buried another empty casket."<p>

҉

**LATER**

John is standing alone at the doorway to the outside. The wind is still howling outside. There's a shimmer behind him and Rodney's hologram comes back online. John turns to face him.  
>"Where the hell have you been?"<br>"I was inputting our new solar flare requirements into the long-range sensors. ... And I found out what happened to the ocean."  
>"Well, are you gonna tell me or are you gonna keep it a secret?"<br>"The sun in this system is dying. It's running out of fuel."  
>"Wouldn't that make it colder?"<br>"No. As it consumes the heavier elements, it begins to expand. It's basically turning into a red giant."  
>"OK, so mystery solved. Let's move on."<br>"No, no. You don't get it. This isn't some kind of cyclical climate change. This is – this is a one-way ticket. This planet is going to get hotter and hotter. Eventually the atmosphere is gonna burn off."  
>"All right. How long before that happens?"<br>'It is impossible to say, but my best estimate is under five hundred years."  
>"But you said I'd be in stasis for at least seven hundred."<br>"Right. So the moment you step out of the stasis chamber, you'll be killed."  
>"Rodney, you've gotta think of something!"<br>"I am trying. It's like I said-"  
>"-you didn't anticipate the variable. I get it." He paces, thinking. "All right: can the Mark Twelve power the shields?"<br>"Theoretically, but there'd never be enough power left over to maintain my systems, the long-range sensors, the stasis chamber-"  
>"The city has solar-powered generators, right?"<br>"Yes, which would come in very handy if we were trying to power a couple of electric golf carts." Rodney said sarcastically.  
>"See, you're still thinking like the old McKay."<br>"I can't really help that! Look, what are you saying?"  
>"The sun's going red giant, right? Increased solar energy. The worse it gets, the more power we'll have."<br>"Oh my God. That could work! We use the shields to protect the atmosphere."  
>"Exactly." Reaching into his vest, he pulls out a scarf.<p>

"We wouldn't be able to do it indefinitely, but it would buy us a hundred years or so."  
>"That's gonna have to do for now. Open up the door." He folds the scarf into a triangle shape and starts to tie it around his neck.<br>"What about the storm?"  
>"It's been going on for seven hours. For all we know, it could go on for days."<br>"It'll be dark soon."  
>"All the more reason to get going. All I've gotta do is walk in a straight line."<br>"That may not be as easy as you think!"  
>John rolls his sleeves down to cover his arms. "I never said I thought it would be easy. Look, I haven't eaten. I was hungry on my way back to Atlantis. The longer we wait, the weaker I get."<br>He pulls the scarf up so that it covers his nose and mouth.  
>"All right. Look, I can't go outside, but I can stay in contact with you over the radio."<br>John takes out his sunglasses and puts them on, then walks to the door. It opens and the wind howls in, billowing sand through Rodney's hologram, which ripples under the impact. Holding his hands up in front of him to try to protect his face a little, John heads out into the storm. Rodney calls after him.  
>"It's like you said: keep walking in a straight line. When you hit the building on the other side, feel your way to the door. I'll be waiting for you there!"<br>The door closes behind John. Totally blind, he staggers forwards. Rodney's hologram rematerializes in the building that John's trying to reach. He turns and looks at the closed door.  
>"Sheppard. Sheppard, can you hear me?"<br>"Yeah, I hear you."  
>"How're you doing?"<br>"Never better!" He stumbles and falls to his knees. Dragging himself up again, he presses on. "Rodney!"  
>"Yeah, I'm still here."<br>"Tell me about Ronon."  
>"What, now?!"<br>"Yes, now. Talk to me, Rodney."  
>"Right. Uh, well, after what happened to you and then Illyria, I guess he didn't feel comfortable on the base any more…"<p>

҉

**FLASHBACK**

Ronon, accompanied by a couple of men, walks into a village of tents. About twenty people – both men and women – are waiting there for him.  
>"<em>He persuaded Jeremy to let him go offworld and recruit a strike force. By this time, the galaxy was in a panic. Word was spreading that Michael's agenda was to wipe out Wraith and human alike. Ronon didn't have much trouble finding volunteers."<em>

Later, several of his recruits are working in pairs in an area of ground set up as a training ring. They are practicing hand-to-hand fighting techniques that Ronon has taught them. He watches them as he calls out instructions.  
>"One!"<br>Each of the pairs carries out a set move.  
>"Two!"<br>The pairs perform the next move.  
>"Three!"<br>_ "They were just simple villagers with no military experience but he trained them in all forms of combat."_  
>Later, the recruits are being handed packs of gear which have been supplied by Atlantis. Taking the packs, they go over to another area where someone has opened a crate containing blocks of C4 and is handing them out.<br>"_He even convinced Jeremy to let him have some of our equipment: radios, explosives, P-90s. It wasn't long before he had himself a pretty effective combat force."_  
>Near the tent village, a recruit fires a P-90 at a stuffed mannequin hanging by its neck from a wooden frame. The bullets all impact squarely in the mannequin's chest. The man smiles in delight, proud of himself. Standing behind him, Ronon smiles, impressed.<br>"_They ran a few successful ops against some of Michael's ground facilities and then, one day, they got a key piece of intel."_  
>On another planet stands a large Wraith facility. Inside, a couple of hybrids are walking along a corridor.<br>"_Michael had taken over a Wraith lab and was using it to create more of his hybrids."_  
>From around the corner, Ronon rolls a stun grenade across the floor. It explodes and knocks the hybrids off their feet. Ronon and several of his recruits run out and check the area. He makes some hand signals and four of them head off. Ronon and two other recruits go in a different direction.<br>_"They decided to take it out."_  
>Ronon and his team make their way cautiously along the corridors.<br>_ "That's when they ran into someone...unexpected."_  
>Ronon turns a corner and aims his blaster at a Wraith, who aims its own stunner pistol at him. A moment later, Ronon recognizes who it is. It's Todd.<br>Still aiming his blaster at it, Ronon asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
>Also still aiming its stunner, Todd said. "I suspect the same as you. Michael is using this facility to create more of his soldiers. I intend to destroy it."<br>"By yourself?"  
>"There's something to be said for stealth over brute force."<br>A man's voice comes over the radio. "_Ronon, come in."_  
>Ronon pulls a radio out of his vest and speaks into it. "Go ahead."<br>_"One of the guards must have got a signal off, because a cruiser just landed. We're about to be overrun."_  
>"As I was saying..." Todd said.<br>One of Ronon's team speaks behind him. "We have to abort."  
>Ronon never takes his eyes off Todd to say, "Give me the C4." The man takes off his backpack and puts it into Ronon's outstretched hand. "Take the men back, meet up with Second Squad, and then head for the Gate. Signal me when you get there." As the man hesitates, Ronon glances round at him. "Go!"<br>As the man and his colleague head off, Ronon turns back to Todd.  
>"You intend to complete your mission." Todd said.<br>"You're damned right."  
>"As do I." Finally, both of them lower their weapons. "I was going to write an elaborate program designed to slowly create a fatal error in the primary capacitor, but I doubt there'll be time for that now."<br>"I was just gonna blow it up." He turns and walks away. Todd sighs and follows him.  
>"Naturally." Todd said, a little exasperated.<br>They make their way along the corridors, covering each other's backs at junctions. A hybrid run out of the darkness and takes a flying leap at Ronon, kicking his blaster from his hand. A second one similarly disarms Todd.

The new allies back into a round chamber and go hand to hand with the hybrids. Ronon pulls out his sword and fights with his attacker, who has a knife, while Todd manages to get its own man down and stabs him. Ronon forces his opponent down onto his knees and, standing behind him while pulling his hair back, holds his sword across his throat and then abruptly pushes his head forward onto the blade. Swinging round immediately, he lashes out with his sword but stops it just in time to prevent him from decapitating Todd. They both freeze in position, with the edge of Ronon's sword still against Todd's throat. For a moment, Ronon looks at Todd thoughtfully, then he shrugs slightly.  
>"Force of habit."<br>"Indeed."  
>It glances down. Ronon follows its gaze and sees that Todd is holding the point of its own knife against Ronon's heart. A little later, they make their way into the control room of the facility.<br>"This is it." Todd said. "If we detonate it here, the secondary explosions will certainly take out the entire facility."  
>Ronon runs over to the main console and opens up the bag containing several blocks of C4. He takes out the activation device.<br>"All right. You know another way out of here?"  
>"Follow me." It leads him out of the door but Wraith stunner blasts fire towards them from further down the corridor. "Fall back!"<br>They run back into the control room. A hybrid calls out to his colleagues,  
>"In here!"<br>Ronon and Todd take cover behind the consoles.  
>"I suggest you detonate now while we still have a chance." Todd said.<br>"We'll wait for my people to clear. Period."  
>"Very well."<br>Several hybrids try to run into the control room but Ronon and Todd gun each of them down as they come into view.  
>"We can't hold them off forever." Todd said.<br>"Just keep firing." Ronon growled.  
>They gun down a couple more hybrids, then a man's voice comes over the radio.<br>"_Ronon. We've reached the Gate."_  
>Ronon snatches his radio out and activates it. "All right. I want you to head back now. No questions asked. Is that understood?"<br>"_Understood."_  
>While he was talking, Todd has taken out another hybrid. Dropping the radio on the floor, Ronon guns down another one. They duck down behind the consoles and Todd turns to Ronon.<br>"Are we done?"  
>They look at each other for a moment, then Ronon flicks up the safety switch on the detonator.<br>"Yeah."  
>They smile at each other. As the sound of many approaching footsteps can be heard, Ronon grins and presses the button. The complex explodes.<p>

҉

**FUTURE ATLANTIS**  
>"I'm sorry. I wish some of these stories had happier endings." Rodney said. John doesn't reply. "Sheppard? Sheppard? Are you still with me?" There's still no reply. Rodney turns to the door. "Sheppard?"<br>The door slides open and John staggers in, falling straight through Rodney's hologram, and crashes to the floor on his face. As the door closes behind him, Rodney stares down at him, his face panic stricken.  
>"Your bio-signature's barely registering! Sheppard!" John doesn't move. Rodney stares in horror. "Oh God!"<p>

҉

**LATER**

Groaning, John regains consciousness and lifts his head. Squatting beside him, Rodney sighs in relief.  
>"There you go. You can do it."<br>Grunting with the effort, John rolls onto his back and pulls his scarf down. "Hullo, Rodney."  
>"Yeah, I'm still here. Look, I'd help you up but I'm – I'm, um..."<br>Painfully John pulls himself up into a sitting position against the wall. "How long was I out?"  
>"All night! You don't look so good. Maybe we should get you to the stasis chamber as soon as possible."<br>"Agreed." John said wearily.

҉

**STASIS ROOM**

John and Rodney walk in.  
>"I've already prepped the solar panels. You're good to go." Rodney leads John across to the stasis pod and holds out his hand. A panel beside the pod opens. "Here. Take the first crystal. I've loaded all the intel we got on Michael after your disappearance, including the address where we found your wife."<br>John takes the crystal, then turns to Rodney. "You know, you never told me what happened to you – I mean, in the past."  
>"Oh, you don't wanna hear about that."<br>"Well, why not? Obviously you survived."  
>"Only 'cause I quit."<br>"Quit what?"  
>"'Lantis, Stargate Command – the whole thing."<br>"That doesn't sound like you."  
>"Yeah, well, we were under new management..."<p>

҉

**FLASHBACK**

In the Atlantis Infirmary, medics are preparing packs and crates of medical supplies.  
><em> "I was down in the Infirmary, having suffered a, uh, well, pretty serious injury."<em>  
>Rodney is lying on a bed while Jennifer examines his finger. "It's a splinter."<br>"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt!"  
>"All right. It's just kind of come at a bad time. It's a little busy in here right now."<br>"Yeah, I can see that."  
>A familiar man's voice comes from a little distance away. "Doctor Keller? Doctor McKay?"<br>Looking to see who it is, Rodney gets off the bed and he and Jennifer look at Richard Woolsey, who is dressed in a standard Atlantis command uniform.  
>"Mr Woolsey. I understand you've managed to get yourself appointed our new commander."<br>"That's right." Woolsey fidgets uncomfortably with the neck of his uniform. "I only wish it were under better circumstances." Rodney and Jennifer nod unhappily. "May I ask what's going on here?"  
>"We're organizing some medical supplies for one of our offworld refugee camps." Jennifer explained.<br>"I see. Well, I'm going to have to ask you to stop."  
>"I'm sorry?"<br>"The I.O.A. is initiating a new policy: immediate recall of all base personnel. From now on, we'll be focusing entirely on the defense of this city." He looks at Jennifer. "Furthermore, Doctor, your department is going to be scaled back. Without the Gate Bridge, and with the need to keep at least one ship in orbit at all times for defensive purposes, re-supply is going to be difficult. We need to prioritize."  
>"I don't understand this. I'm already under-staffed as it is."<br>"Only because you've over-extended yourself with all these humanitarian efforts and your continued attempts to find an antidote for the Hoffan drug. Once you have refocused your attention back to the medical needs of this base and its personnel, I don't think you'll have a problem."  
>He turns to leave.<br>"Wait a second! People are dying out there!"  
>Woolsey turns back, looking at her sympathetically. "I know, and – believe me – if I thought there was anything I could do about it, I would."<br>"What about Michael?" Rodney asked.  
>"Michael knows the defensive capabilities of this base and our ships. The I.O.A. thinks it's highly unlikely he will launch an unprovoked attack."<br>"So, that's it, then?" Jennifer asked. "We're supposed to just stand back and let him take over the rest of the galaxy?"  
>"How many more of our own people have to die, Doctor? Colonel Sheppard and his beloved wife Illyria, Colonel Renner, Ronon – they were your friends."<br>"Sheppard is not dead." Rodney said.  
>"Right." Woolsey said, unconvinced. "He's just been transported forty eight thousand years into the future. I guess that makes him one of the lucky ones."<br>He turns and walks away.  
>Sometime later, in her quarters, Jennifer is packing clothes into a small case.<br>"The idea of standing by and doing nothing while the rest of the galaxy was suffering was too much for Jennifer to take."  
>Walking over to a table on which is a small crate for more of her belongings, Jennifer picks up a framed photograph of her father. Looking at it fondly, she sighs and puts it into the crate.<br>_"The more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right."_  
>The doors to Jennifer's quarters open and Rodney walks in. She turns to him.<br>"If you've come here to try and convince me to stay, Rodney, you're wasting your time. I've already made up my mind."  
>"No. I've come here to tell you I'm leaving too."<br>"_We had three weeks on the Daedalus with nothing else to think about but everything that had happened."_  
>In Daedalus' Mess, Rodney and Jennifer sit at a table talking.<br>_"We went over it a thousand times, trying to imagine what we might have done differently. It was awful."_

As they continue talking, Jennifer smiles at him sympathetically, then takes his hand.  
><em>"At least we had each other. By the time we got back to Earth – well..."<em>  
>Daedalus has reached Earth. Standing at a large window looking down at the planet below, Rodney and Jennifer turn to each other. She runs her hand down his arm, then they lean closer and kiss.<p>

_"... we weren't just colleagues anymore."_

҉

**FUTURE ATLANTIS**

John frowns as he takes his vest off. "Wait a minute. You and Keller?"  
>"Why do you find that so surprising?"<br>"I'm just saying, if we start monkeying around with this time line here, there's no guarantee it's gonna turn out the same for you two."  
>"Yeah, that's what I'm counting on."<br>"Why's that? You survived; you got the girl. It doesn't sound so bad."  
>"No." He smiles. "No, at first it was great."<p>

҉

**FLASHBACK**

Arm in arm, Rodney and a heavily pregnant Jennifer are walking along a leafy road on Earth, smiling and chatting.  
>"<em>We were engaged. I got a high paying job with an aerospace engineering firm. Jennifer started her own practice. Things were just starting to come together, you know, we were starting a family."<em>  
>Jennifer starts to cough. Covering her mouth with her fist, she coughs several times, doubling up with the effort. Rodney puts his hand on her back, concerned. When she gets the cough under control, she looks at her hand.<p>

It has blood on it.  
>"<em>We should've known we wouldn't get off so easy. Not when things were this good."<em>  
>Later, Rodney stands in a hospital room while a doctor shows him X-rays of Jennifer's chest.<br>"I'm sorry to say, but all her internal organs are failing."  
><em>"Of course, no regular doctor could diagnose what was wrong with her. We wound up back at Stargate Command less than a year after we'd left."<em>  
>The doctor continues talking, but Rodney is barely listening, lost in grief.<br>_ "Complications due to repeated exposure to the Hoffan drug. No cure."_

"And…and the baby?" Rodney asked quietly.

The doctor sighed and shook his head. Slowly Rodney turns around and looks at Jennifer lying in a bed in the S.G.C. Infirmary. She has an oxygen mask over her face and one hand protectively resting on her stomach.  
>Later, Rodney stands in a corridor of S.G.C. lost in thought.<br>_"I thought I was gonna lose my mind. I – I didn't know what to do. After everything we'd been through, to have thi shappen, it was – it was too much."_  
>Suddenly Rodney's eyes widen.<br>"_And that's when I had my idea."_  
>Rodney turns and hurries away. Later, he returns to the Infirmary. Jennifer, no longer wearing an oxygen mask, smiles at him.<br>"Hi."  
>"Hey." Rodney smiled.<br>"Where have you been?"  
>"I've been working." He said, showing her a notebook.<br>"Working? On what?"  
>"The solution – to everything. You, this, all of this – I mean, Atlantis, Pegasus, Michael, everything."<br>"What are you talking about?"  
>"I'm gonna change the time line. I'm gonna make it so none of this ever happened. I mean, you won't get sick, Illyria won't die, Michael won't complete his research, none of it."<br>Jennifer sighs. "Oh, Rodney."  
>"OK, I've already worked out the basic plan. I mean, the details will be a bit more complicated. I'll probably have to create a whole new form of math just to do the calculations, but I know I can do it."<br>"What's done is done." Rodney stares at her, his smile fading. "You can't change the past."  
>"You can. I can – and I'm going to, even if it takes the rest of my life."<br>Jennifer reaches out and takes his hand, laying it on her bump. "You think that's what I want?"  
>"Well, why not?"<br>"The year I spent in Atlantis, I – I saw more things than people even dream about in their lifetime." She said tearfully. "I don't have any regrets."  
>"But I do – a whole boatload of 'em. I wanna do something about it."<br>"No." She said firmly. "Just promise me that you're not gonna waste the rest of your life chasing after something that's already gone."  
>"<em>But I couldn't let it go."<em>  
>Rodney rubbed her belly gently and looks at her in grief.<br>_"She…and our son…died three days later."_  
>Sometime later, Rodney is writing on a whiteboard in a small cluttered apartment.<br>_"I quit the research firm; took a job teaching physics at a local community college. Not much money, but it gave me the free time I needed."_  
>He walks from the whiteboard to a desk, sits down and continues writing on a notepad. Time passes and Rodney is still working on the whiteboard. Rodney's sister, Jeanie Miller, is sitting nearby, watching him.<br>_"I'll admit it wasn't much of a life. Jeanie came by every once in a while to check up on me."_  
>As he writes some calculations on the board, Jeanie stands up, takes the pen off him and wipes off the last part of the calculation.<br>_"When she realized she wasn't gonna be able to convince me to stop, she decided to pitch in and help me with the calculations."_  
>Jeanie writes her own figures at the end of her brother's calculation.<br>"Well, obviously. I did that yesterday."  
>"Just ... Oh, you did not!"<br>"Look, look, this is what I'm thinking. This is what I'm thinking."  
>They continue arguing and Rodney wipes her calculation off the board with his fingers. Jeanie sighs in exasperation.<br>_ "But eventually even she got fed up. But I never wavered."_  
>Years pass. An elderly Rodney is still in the same apartment, but technology has moved on. There are still whiteboards around the room covered in calculations, but the main board has been replaced with a clear computer screen on a stand. Rodney is wearing a black glove on his right hand. He gestures at the screen and the calculations on it whisk off the screen and new figures appear.<br>_"Years went by – twenty five years, to be exact."_  
>Rodney flicks his fingers and some of the figures on the screen change. He stares at the screen in amazement.<br>_ "Then suddenly I had it. Only one problem. I needed to get back to Atlantis."_  
>At Stargate Command, a technician escorts Rodney across the Briefing Room to the open door of the General's office. Rodney coughs to attract the General's attention.<br>_"I didn't have a lot of friends at Stargate Command."_  
>Inside the office, the General turns and smiles as he sees him. It's Evan Lorne.<br>_ "But I only needed one."_  
>"Doctor McKay. Good to see you." He stands up from his desk, walks over and shakes Rodney's hand.<p>

From where he stood, Rodney can see three photos framed in wood sitting on his desk. The one on the right was of a tall, brunette woman in a dark blue graduation cap and gown. Lorne stood by her in the photo smiling proudly as she held her college diploma. The picture on the left was of a blonde haired man kissing a dark haired man with deep brown eyes on the cheek. He was smiling happily. The photo in the middle was of Lorne with a big smile on his face with his arms around the brunette woman and the dark haired man's shoulder.  
>"General Lorne."<br>"Come on in. Have a seat." They sit down either side of the desk. "I read your proposal.  
>"You didn't tell anyone else, did you?"<br>"I'm not quite as stupid as you might think, Doc." Rodney sighs in relief. "But I'm sorry. There's just no way I'd ever be able to get this authorized."  
>"Well, then, don't. You don't have to tell them what it is. Tell them it's a research project. Tell them whatever the hell you want."<br>"Rodney, you're talking about altering the time line here. Changing history; changing everything." Lorne glanced over at the photos on his desk. "Do you really think that either of us has the right to make that call?"  
>"Just cut to the chase. You saw what happened in Pegasus; you know what's happening here. Do you really think this is the way it's supposed to be?"<br>Lorne thinks about it.

҉

**FUTURE ATLANTIS**  
>"Maybe he felt sorry for me. Maybe he figured it wasn't gonna work anyway, but he let me through. The rest you know."<br>"Yeah. I guess I've had a tough day, but you've had a tough twenty five years."  
>Rodney smiles briefly. "OK. We're ready." The stasis pod hisses as the hologram 'thinks' it into life and John steps inside and turns to face the front. "Now, if this works, I'll be waiting right here when you come out. I may not have much time to get you through the Gate, but I think we can manage it."<br>"And if it doesn't work?"  
>"Well, you won't feel a thing, but basically you just ... won't wake up."<br>"Right!" He grimaces. Rodney looks awkward. John looks at him, concered. "I've saved this question for last because I've been scared of the answer…"

"What happened to Patrick and Jennifer?" John nodded and Rodney chuckled. "Remember the photos on Lorne's desk?" John nodded, confused. "Because of the sickness, Jennifer and I weren't allowed to take them back with us, so they stayed in Atlantis. Lorne looked after them like his own. When he got back to Earth, he officially adopted them, but they kept their last name. Patrick and Jennifer both finished top of their class in high school, receiving multiple scholarships. Jennifer went on to Harvard Medical School on a full ride; Patrick to John's Hopkins. Years later, Jennifer was regarded to be the best in her field, certified in OB/GYN, specializing in Maternal/Fetal Medicine; fetal surgery, neonatal surgery, pediatric surgery and medical genetics."

John's jaw dropped, amazed. "My-my little Jenny?"

Rodney smiled at his reaction. "Mhmmm."

With joyful tears welling in his eyes, he asked, "And…and Patty?"

"Well, he went to John's Hopkins, like I said. Professionally, Patrick is regarded one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. Well," Rodney chuckled, "two galaxy's, really."

John thought for a moment. "Wait a second, back to the pictures. Patrick-"

"Is gay, yeah." Rodney nodded. "He came out in med school, but it didn't matter to Lorne, he accepted him the way he was. Even introduced him to the man that would become his husband, a Colonel in the Marine Corps."

John chuckled and shook his head. "Not what I was expecting."

Rodney smiled back. "Never is." He nods, then raises his hand to him. "Good luck, John."  
>John nods. The stasis field begins to activate and slowly envelops him. Rodney, looking very tired and alone, turns away from the pod and his hologram flickers out.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**THE PRESENT**

Chuck scrambles for his console as the Stargate begins to dial in. "Unscheduled offworld activation!"  
>Jeremy hurries out of his office with visible beard stubble. "What have you got?"<br>The Gate kawhooshes as Rodney walks over to Chuck.  
>"Receiving an I.D.C." He looks up in surprise. "It's Colonel Sheppard!"<br>"Lower the shield." Jeremy ordered before Chuck could finish. He and Rodney run for the stairs and trot down them as the shield lowers. Jeremy calls out as he goes, "Security!"  
>Marines hurry into the Gateroom and aim their rifles at the Gate. After several seconds John runs through the event horizon, then skids to a halt and holds his hands out as he sees all the weapons pointed at him.<br>"Whoa!"  
>"Colonel!" Jeremy yelled.<br>"Jeremy!" He looks around the Gateroom. "It worked! It worked. Rodney, you're a genius."  
>"Okay…" Rodney said uncertainly.<br>"John, what happened?" Jeremy asked.  
>How much time has gone by?"<br>"You've been missing for twelve days."  
>"Twelve days, twelve days. OK, she won't have had her baby yet." John muttered to himself. He looks at Jeremy. "Look, I know this sounds kinda weird, but we're on the clock."<br>"John, what are you talking about?"  
>He smiled wide. "I know where Illyria is."<p>

҉

**LATER**

John is pacing angrily around the Isolation Room with Jeremy trying to talk to him.  
>"We don't have time for this." John growled.<br>"John, there are procedures we have to follow. You know that."  
>"I am not a clone! Is that what you're worried about?"<br>"No, your medical came back clean, telomeres and all, but there are other things we need to discuss. I mean, you have to admit: this is a pretty wild story, even for this place."  
>"But that's my whole point! How could I make this up?"<br>Rodney's voice comes over comms from the Control Room. "_Renner. Believe it or not, I found it. It was in the sensor log. It's a solar flare capable of interfering with the wormhole from M4S-587 at exactly the moment that Lorne says he dialed."_  
>"Well, why didn't the Gate's failsafe prevent the wormhole from locking?" Jeremy asked.<br>_"Umm, well,"_ Rodney said uncomfortably, "_we've had a number of glitches since we, uh, last updated the operating system."_  
>"Oh, that's what you call a "glitch," huh?!" John yelled.<br>_"Yes, well, you should know that, uh, I'll be giving Zelenka a stern talking to."_  
>John turns to Jeremy. "Can we go now?"<p>

҉

**LATER**

The Stargate is dialing out. In the Gateroom, John, Lorne and a group of marines are making last minute checks of their gear when Rodney and Ronon come in. Rodney goes over to John and speaks to him quietly.  
>"Look, um, I know you've already been debriefed about the future events – all the things we were hoping to avoid – but there's just one more thing I need to know."<br>"What?"  
>"Did I still have hair?"<br>John looks away. "No." He calls out to the team. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" A small voice called out. John and the team turned around to see Jennifer running down the steps into the control room. "Daddy, wait!"

"Jenny-" John said, but Jennifer nearly plowed him over form the force of her impact. He knelt down beside her and rubbed his ribs. "Jenny, I can't talk right now-"  
>"I know. You've got to go rescue mommy." She reached into the pocket of her red and grey stripped cardigan and pulled out a photo. She opened up his vest pocket and placed it in there. She kissed his nose, smiled, and ran over to Jeremy. Holding his hand, she waved at John. "Come home safe, Daddy."<p>

"I promise, sweetheart," were the last words John said to his darling little daughter.

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>OFFWORLD PLANET<strong>

The team has arrived at the building where the future Lorne, Rodney and Ronon found Illyria. Team Lorne together with Rodney has split off and gone in another direction while John and Ronon, accompanied by two marines, make their way into the building. John gestures to the marines and they head off while he and Ronon progress on. Nearby, Team Lorne and Rodney come to a door and open it.  
>"<em>Rodney, you got anything?"<em> John's anxious voice came over Rodney's radio.  
>"Hold on." He goes inside the room, followed by the others, and walks over to a large Wraith device with a T.V. screen nearby. "Yeah. Yeah, I've got some kind of a data terminal. Let me see if I can power it up and hack in."<br>As he gets to work, John and Ronon reach the room where Illyria's body was discovered in the future.  
>"This is it. This is where they found her." John said quietly.<br>"How do you know?" Ronon asked, curious.  
>"'Cause he described it to me."<br>Growling, Ronon races to the doorway and aims his blaster in. John joins him and they go inside. There's nobody there, but Ronon notices something on a side table. "Hey." He picks up a wicked looking knife and shows it to John. "Look at this."  
>In the other room, Rodney has his hands deep in the Wraith console when John's voice came over his radio.<br>"_McKay, we've got something."_

"What is it?"  
>"<em>Some twisted version of a maternity ward. I'm looking at what looks like the Wraith equivalent of an incubator. I think we're too early, though, but he's gonna bring her here to have the baby."<em>  
>"Hold on. I'm in." He pulls his hands out of the console and looks at the T.V. screen as information appears on it. "Woah! Jackpot!"<br>_"What've you got?"_  
>"I've got everything! I've got Gate addresses, I've got sub-space communication codes. I've even got his research into the hybrids!" He looks round and grins at Lorne. "He's history!"<br>Just then the screen blinks out. It remains blank for a moment, then a single symbol appears on it.  
>"No-no. No-no-no-no-no. What happened?!"<p>

The symbol blinks out and is replaced by another one. A second later, another symbol appears. A second later, another...  
>Pointing at the screen, Loren asked, "What's that?"<br>"Oh no."  
>"Doc?"<br>"It's a countdown!"  
>In the maternity ward, John and Ronon look up at the sound of an explosion. From the other room, Lorne yells into his radio.<br>_"Colonel, it's a booby trap!"_ The building starts to shake. "_We've gotta get out of here now!"_  
>He runs for the door. Rodney follows him but part of the ceiling crashes down and blocks his way. In the maternity ward, a large metal support falls from the ceiling, narrowly missing John and Ronon. They race out of the room but then duck as more of the ceiling falls in.<p>

Back at the other room, Rodney, Lorne and the others cower as debris tumbles from the ceiling. From an external view of the building, explosions go off all around its base and the entire building disintegrates. The walls fall inwards and tumble to the ground...

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	72. Chapter 70

_**PERIVIOUSLY ON CHANCE MEETINGS::**_

_In the maternity ward, John and Ronon look up at the sound of an explosion. From the other room, Lorne yells into his radio.  
>"<em>Colonel, it's a booby trap!"_ The building starts to shake. "_We've gotta get out of here now_!"  
>He runs for the door. Rodney follows him but part of the ceiling crashes down and blocks his way. In the maternity ward, a large metal support falls from the ceiling, narrowly missing John and Ronon. They race out of the room but then duck as more of the ceiling falls in. <em>

_ Back at the other room, Rodney, Lorne and the others cower as debris tumbles from the ceiling. From an external view of the building, explosions go off all around its base and the entire building disintegrates. The walls fall inwards and tumble to the ground... _

҉

John Sheppard flopped back against the pillows, sweating heavily and panting. There was a wide wolfish grin spread across his face from ear to ear. His candle-lit bedroom cast a romantic orange glow around the room.

"This is perfect. Just what I needed." He gasped, catching his breath.

Kissing her way up his naked chest, the equally as naked Illyria, said between pecks, "Truly has been a hectic several weeks."  
>He chuckled, pulling her face to his to catch her lips. "Try four years."<br>Illyria grinned. "Very true. In a way, it makes these calmer moments even more special. The twins are five now, the baby, your son, is safely home." She sighed. "I cherish these times when it is just you and me."  
>"Me too." He said softly, stroking her damp hair away from her sweaty face. Catching a glimpse of the clock, his smile grew wider. "You've got an early morning."<br>"I never got to properly thank you."  
>"For what?" He asked, his brow furrowing.<br>"For what?!" She chuckled and patted his chest. "For rescuing me _and_ our son." John stopped stroking her hair and frowns uncomprehendingly. "From Michael. I never gave up hope because I knew. I knew that you would come for me, John."  
>John frowns, bewildered. He dragged himself up to sit with his back against the headboard. Illyria, too, sat up, pulling the sheets to her chest. "I know this sounds crazy but...I don't remember..." He turns and looks at the candles to his right. Suddenly they are burning with much larger and brighter flames. "... rescuing you."<br>A familiar male voice comes from across the room. "You don't remember rescuing her because you didn't." John looks round and stares in amazement at the sight of Aiden Ford, wearing his Atlantis uniform, sitting in an arm chair in the corner of the room and Illyria was gone. "Just like you never rescued me."  
>John grimaces and hunches over himself in pain. He looks down and blood begins to pour through his a deep gash in his right side.<br>A moment later, John regains consciousness. He is lying in the debris of the collapsed building. Small fires are burning to his right and a large metal beam is across his chest, pinning him to the ground. His right arm is trapped under a metal canister. The debris above his head leaves a clearance of only a few feet. As he coughs at all the dust floating around, Ronon Dex calls his name.  
>"Sheppard!" When he sees John stir, he sighs. "Hey, buddy."<br>"Where are we?"  
>"Michael's compound. It collapsed on us." John tries to sit up, but cries out in pain and sinks back. Behind his head, Ronon puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey."<br>John grunts weakly. "I think I..."  
>"Yeah. Hold on. Let me take a look."<br>He squirms around and sees that a slim metal pole has punctured John's right side. Looking at John for a moment, he reaches down and yanks the pole out of him. John cries out in agony.

"What the hell was that?!"  
>"No big deal." He opens a field dressing to put onto the wound.<br>"What about the others?"  
>"I don't know. We got separated."<br>"Try 'em on the radio."  
>In the room which Rodney McKay and Team Lorne had been searching before the explosion, Rodney has had the same idea and has switched his radio on but is getting nothing but static. He has several cuts on his face and is covered with dust. The room has collapsed and there is barely enough space for him to stand upright. He holds the radio up high but then shakes his head.<br>"Still no signal. There's too much interference."  
>Sitting on the floor nearby, Major Lorne groans. "I'm pretty sure my leg is broken."<br>"I think I'm remarkably fine."  
>"Well, isn't that wonderful? That brings me great comfort. Thank you." He said sarcastically.<br>Rodney looks around. "I don't think we're that deep. I can see daylight. If I could just..." He tries to shift a piece of debris above his head. It only moves a little but sends a cascade of dust and rubble down onto Lorne's head, who cries out indignantly. "I'm sorry!"  
>"I just posted Edison at the entrance to the building. He'll get help."<br>"That is assuming he wasn't hit by falling debris."  
>"Doc, the Daedalus left Atlantis while we were still confirming Sheppard's story. With that kind of a head start, they should be here in less than three hours, so one way or the other, help is on the way."<br>"I'm sorry." He said anxiously. "I'm just, um, I'm not good in tight spaces."  
>"Look, there's no bad guys around, OK? No bad guys, just a lot of debris. So if you could please just sit tight and try not to make the ceiling collapse, that would be great!"<br>"OK. No bad guys. Just...just sit tight."  
>Trying to reassure himself, he stares up through the one tiny gap in the ceiling which leads to daylight.<p>

҉

**MICHAEL'S CRUISER**

A long way away across space, Kanaan brings a Wraith computer tablet to Michael on the Bridge. Michael takes the tablet and looks at it, then hands it back to Kanaan.  
>"When did you get this?"<br>"Moments ago."  
>Michael calls out to the hybrids on the Bridge. "Change of plans. We're setting a new course. Our compound has been compromised."<br>The Cruiser turns and jumps into hyperspace.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

In the Gateroom, the Stargate kawhooshes.

"Unscheduled offworld activation." A female technician reported. "It's Lieutenant Edison's I.D.C."  
>Edison stumbles through the Gate, covered in dust and with several cuts and grazes on his face. The Gate closes down as Colonel Jeremy Renner runs down the stairs to meet him.<br>"What happened? Where's the rest of your team?"  
>"There was a massive explosion. Everyone was in the main compound. The whole building imploded on itself."<br>"Were there any survivors?"  
>"Radios are down. I don't know. I just thought I should get back here."<br>"No, you did the right thing." He turns to a couple of technicians. "Get him to the Infirmary." As the technicians help Edison out of the Gateroom, she turns to a woman. "How far away is the Daedalus?"  
>"Still two hours out."<br>"We can't wait that long. Have the combat engineers gear up and have Doctor Keller ready her away team."  
>"Yes, sir."<p>

҉

**MICHAEL'S COMPOUND**

Rodney paced around the little rubble room when a tiny stone dropped on his head.

"Ow!" He yelped, rubbing his head. "Son of a b-"

His curse stopped short when he saw where the rock had landed. He smiled and raced over to it. Minutes later, he was wires deep tinkering with bits of Michael's computers that he has found in the rubble.  
>"What are you doing?" Lorne asked.<br>"I'm claustrophobic. I'm trying to keep my mind busy – which is hard 'cause, you know, it's ... it's my mind."  
>Lorne rolls his eyes, then looks around the rubble. "Well, there's no way anything useful survived that implosion."<p>

"Speak for yourself."  
>"You know what I mean, Doc."<br>"Look," he said, still tinkering. "I found a bunch of computer parts, all right? The motherboards are all fried or snapped but some of these hard drives look like they might still be intact. If I can just get the power to..." the screen blinked several times before going completely dark. "So of a b-" again, before he could finish his curse, a glow passed over the screen and data started to stream across his computer tablet. "Hello, hello." He looks at the information. "Woah!"  
>"What is it? Something good?"<br>"I don't know. There's a lot of information." His tablet bleeps. "Hold on! I think I just hit the jackpot!"  
>"What – some way to broadcast a signal, let people know our location, speed up the rescue, what?"<br>"No...although in hindsight, I would say you're right, that should probably be considered the jackpot, but no. This hard drive, I can only access what's on it."  
>"Which is?"<br>"It's Michael's Wiki! It survived the explosion!"  
>"The what?!"<br>"Michael's database! There's a large chunk of it, maybe the whole thing too. I mean, we've got base schematics, medical research information, list of planets. You know what this means?"  
>"Yeah. It means we're still stuck here and I still have a broken leg."<br>"Yeah, in the short term, but if we get out of here..."  
>"If?"<p>

"...we have him on the run! He'll be finished! Look, if Michael..." He trails off as he looks at the latest information on the screen. "Oh, no."  
>"What?"<br>"Look, I don't wanna concern you any more than you actually already are but if I'm reading this correctly, then Michael is-"  
>Hearing distant noises above their heads, Lorne waved his hand. "Shut up."<br>"No, you shut up. This is important. If Michael is-"  
>"Shh! Quit making noise!"<br>They listen. The sound of movement can be heard far above them.  
>"It's footsteps!" Rodney said.<br>"OK, revise that: start making noise!" He yells, "Hey!"  
>"Down here!" Rodney yelled.<br>"Help!"

"Alright, alright, already!" A familiar female voice spoke up in irritation. "I'm coming!"

"Is that-" Rodney asked, turning to Lorne.

Just then mist as bright as white light descended from the rubble ceiling. It gathered in the center of the room and began to form into the shape of a person.

"Marissa…" Loren trailed off in disbelief as the mist disappeared into a person. Her face appeared surrounded by a halo of long, yellow hair. Her clear eyes shone brightly in the darkness. She was dressed in the bloody clothes she died in; a gaping hole in the center that now showed bare skin.

"Hey, fellas." She smiled. "Miss me."

Rodney's jaw dropped slightly. "Are you-"

"Marissa…" Lorne muttered. He grabbed the edge of a busted pipe and heaved himself up, grimacing. Rodney made a move to help him but he waved him off and hobbled painfully to Marissa. He stopped when there was nothing but a few inches of air between them. Lorne, with his eyes brimming with tears, held out his hand and slowly stretched it out towards her face, as if to see if she was actually there.

"Evan-" She whispered, closing her eyes, when his hand touched her cheek.

"You're real?" He asked softly. His thumb gently stroked her cheek. "You're really here?"

Her own hand slowly came up and held his there. She kissed the palm of his hand and opened her eyes. "I'm real, Evan. I'm really here."

Lorne grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to his body. He looked into her eyes, remembering how he could never look away from them. He grabbed her face gently with his other hand and slowly leaned in to kiss her. And for a moment, it was like the pressure of her lips against his flooded his body with warmth that was seemingly impossible in the frigid, stale air. He poured everything into that kiss – every fear; every moment of torment he felt over her loss; and every confusing, frustrating and fantastic emotion she had inspired in him now. He felt her lips respond to his eagerly.

Her fingers entangled themselves in his hair while his hands roamed her body. He held her as if she would be gone in an instant and kissed her with that same fever.

In the corner by the computer, Rodney stood there, his mouth still open. For the life of him, he could honestly not figure out what was going on. He pulled himself together enough to clear his throat loudly.

The two broke apart slowly, Lorne kissing her lips a finale time before stepping back, but still held her hand.

"Uh, do…I-" Rodney began to say, but lost the words.

"Got a question, McKay?" Marissa asked, turning to him for the first time.

"Ha," he choked out. "A few."

"Let me start from the beginning; it save me time and you breath." She said and squeezed Lorne's hand. "It happened just after I was…attacked-"

҉

**FLASHBACK**

"John was running towards a dart to fly us out of the Tyrannian settlement. Michael's Super Wraith's were everywhere…" Marissa said as she told her story.

_ Ronon jumps back up onto the top of the air shaft just as a Super-Wraith's claw reaches up to seize the lip of the shaft. He fires down at it and it screams and drops. Ronon and Marissa continue firing as more creatures try to climb up, then turns at the sound of roaring in the forest nearby. Ronon jumps down from the shaft and aims his blaster out into the darkness. He turns in circles as Super-Wraiths move towards him from all directions. _

"But there were way too many for us to fend off."_  
>"Sheppard!" Ronon and Marissa yelled simultaneously.<br>The Dart can be heard powering up. It lifts off the ground and soars into the sky. Ronon guns down the nearest creatures, wielding his sword with his other hand. Before the dart swooped over them, a creature broke through and attacked Marissa from behind, plunging his fist through her chest. _

"I felt it. It's claw going through me. You'd think it would've been hard, jabbing your hand threw somebody's chest, but this this guy…he tore through me like I was warm butter. Bones didn't even slow him down."

_ "No!" Ronon yelled. He charged forward, hacking and slashing his way to Marissa. The creature withdrew his hand from her and fled. Ronon got to Marissa in time to catch her fall. He pressed his hand firmly on the gaping hole to try, and fail, to stop the profuse bleeding. _

"Ronon couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding, keep me from dying, and he knew it. He just wouldn't give up."

_ "Ronon, what's going on?!" John yelled through the radio, watching what happened through the window. _

_ "Get us outa here!" Ronon yelled, panic, concern, and fear seeping through his voice. He pushed hair from her pale, blood splattered face; her soft blue eyes fluttering and blood pouring from her mouth. Her pulse was fading, her eyes sliding shut, cold, unfeeling death upon her. It was time, and there was nothing that he could do to help her._

"I felt cold. Just this sheer, utter darkness blanketing me. It scared the hell outa ne at first. But then…it seemed almost comforting."_  
>"It h-hurts- Ronon," Marissa whispered, tears welling in her eyes, and rolling down her cheeks in rivers. Ronon's own gaze was dry, but his dark eyes were empty and drawn, reflecting his inner sadness. <em>

_ "I know, 'Rissa, I know," the warrior said softly, holding his friend's hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb gently._

_ "Ro-Ronon-" Marissa gasped. _

_ "'Rissa save your strength." Ronon growled. _

_ "I have to – to tell you…" Her eyes flutter but she slightly shook her head, her voice grew weaker. "I wanted to tell you for a- a long time-"_

_ "And you'll tell me when we get back. When you're fixed and in the infirmary." His voice raw and harsh as steel on stone._

_ Some instinct made her lift her hand and cup his cheek with her fingers. Her vision was too dark for her to see him, but she could feel the stickiness of the blood, and a wetness that was not blood. "I won't m-make it and you know it." Marissa coughed on her own blood, some of it splattering on Ronon's face. _

_ But before she could tell him anything, the dart flew over and whisked them away with the transporter beam._

"The next thing I knew I was awake."

_Marissa opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by white light. If she was dead, Heaven was painful. She blinked several times to get the dots out of her eyes and sat up. Again, she was nearly blinded with pain. _

_ Her hand flew to her chest, trying to grip the pain, but all she felt was the hole in her uniform and the bare skin that lay underneath. She looked down at herself and remembered. Remembered the pain, the sorrow, all of it. _

_ She shook her head. 'Mope later. Right now, find out where the hell you are,' Marissa thought to herself. And the first thing she could think of was Michael; that somehow he had gotten hold of her and that she was in one of his compounds…but the scenery didn't make sense. _

"I was sitting on top of a white bed in the center of a very bright, white room. There were no chairs, no windows, no doors. Just me and the bed. For a second I thought I was in the nut house back on Earth."

_Then something amazing happened that would dispel all doubt from her mind that she was back on Earth or any other planet for that matter. A shimmering mist of white light floating down from the ceiling and hovered just a few feet away from her. Instinctively, she reached for her gun, but the holster at her side was gone. _

_ "You will find no weapons here," a calming, yet powerful, voice came from the mist. He was hypnotic and confidant, mellifluous and seductive, when he spoke. _

"There aren't enough words to describe him, honestly. He is the old sage, the gentle authoritarian, the kung fu master, the wise grandfather or…God. He can boom omnisciently when he needs to but generally he gives off solid comfort and warmth. He is so commanding that he never has to trade in that hint of an Irish accent. When he speaks, he offers the perfect combination of warm, Jesus-like assurance and moral certainty with the power to roar if the forces of evil rise."

_"Where am I?" She asked softly, keeping her eyes trained on the mist Her fingers itching for a weapon._

_ "You are safe." The man appeared slowly, stepping out of the mist. _

_ He was attractive for his age, couldn't be more than sixty in appearance. His light brown was cropped short and close to the side of his head, blending up into jagged layers on top. His forehead was wide, his jaw square, and his nose looked like it had been broken at least twice. He had crystal clear blue eyes that shown bright with knowledge. His Fu Manchu mustache and chin beard made Marissa think of Bruce Wayne's mentor, Henri Ducard. He was six foot four and a strong build. His chest was big; sturdy muscles corded his arms and back. _

_ "If you're God," Marissa said skeptically, "you really aren't what I was expecting."_

_ He chuckled. "Well, what were you expecting?"_

_ Marissa shrugged. "Morgan Freeman."_

_ "I am sorry to disappoint, Captain Frio, but I am not your God, nor are you in…what do you humans call it…heaven?"_

_ Marissa stepped back, stunned. "How do you know my name?"_

_ "Oh," he said, stepping forward, his hands clasped behind the back of his white suit. "I know much more than just your name."_

҉

**PRESENT DAY**

**MICHAEL'S COMPOUND**

Marissa was sitting down on a beam next to Lorne while Rodney paced back and forth in front of them.

"He explained that I was dead, ascended, and was with the ancients. From then on, I became sort of his…right hand. I watched over you guys when I wasn't busy doing what he needed me to do." She turned to Lorne and patted his cheek. "You really need to lay off the scotch from now on."

Lorne's eyebrows rose. "You stole my scotch?!"

"Who else would know where you hide it, Evan."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stolen liqueur, festinating, whatever." Rodney said, waving his hand. "So this guy-"

"Who you won't give the name of-" Lorne added.

"-is an ancient who just happened to be at the welcome center for new ascendeds? Tickle me skeptical, but why?"

"Because he is someone very important up there." Marissa said. "All I can tell you – all I'm aloud to tell you – is that he is powerful. He's the oldest, the first ancient to ascend! He's pretty much God up there; running to place, seeing to it that nobody interferes."

"If that's the case, then why are you here." Lorne bumped shoulders with her gently. "Not that it's not wonderful to see you."

"Big man's got plans." Marissa said, smiling. She stood up and dusted herself off. "Plans which involve me _getting involved_ with you guys."

"Well, how do you suppose you do that?" Rodney asked. "We're stuck underground in a collapsed compound."

She turned to him, her smile growing. "Not for long."

"What is that-" But before Lorne could finish, she swept herself away in the mist and left through the cracks in the walls. "-supposed to mean?"

Rodney turned to Lorne, flinging his arms in the air. "What the hell was that?!"

"I don't know…" Lorne muttered, rubbing his face with his hand, tired. "I don't know. I don't know…"

In the distance, footsteps could be heard approaching. A few pebbles fell from the ceiling and landed on top of Rodney's head.

"What the hell?!" Rodney said, rubbing his head. He looked up at the ceiling and scowled. "Marissa!" Through the tiny holes in the ceiling, Rodney could see black shapes moving. A slow smile crept upon his face. "Lorne! Lorne start yelling."

"What-"

"We're down here!"

See what he was doing, Lorne followed suite. "Help!"  
>"Hey!"<br>They continue calling out for help. Many feet above them, Jeremy, Doctor Jennifer Keller and the rescue team are making their way into the building, unable to hear the muffled shouts coming from below them because of the noise they themselves are making. Feeling an unexpected cool chill amongst the heat of a nearby fire, Jeremy rubbed his arms and out fell a life signs detector he hadn't remembered packing.

Bending down, he picked up the detectors and the screen lit up. "All right, we've got four life signs in two different locations. The first two should be right beneath us."  
>As he stops speaking, Jennifer tilts her head. "Listen."<br>They hear the muffled shouts and drop to the ground to get closer to the sounds.  
>"McKay? Is that you?" Jeremy calls out on a long shot, but sighs in relief soon after.<br>"Oh, thank God! Yes! I'm trapped down here with Lorne!"  
>"Are you OK?"<br>"We're fine!"  
>"Hey, Doc!" Lorne yelled at him indignantly.<br>"Right, right, right." Rodney yells upwards, "OK, Lorne's got a broken leg!"  
>"All right, McKay, stay put. We've got combat engineers here. We're gonna dig you out." Jeremy informed them.<br>"Well, hurry up!"  
>"We'll work as fast as is safe, Rodney."<br>"No-no-no, you don't understand. I just found out that when the self-destruct is initiated, it's automatically programmed to send a sub-space burst. Michael's probably already on his way!"  
>Captain Alicia Vega turns to Jeremy and Jennifer. "It doesn't look like they're too far down. We should be able to get them out inside of an hour."<br>"Well, what about the other two?" Jennifer asked.  
>Jeremy looks at the life signs detector. "They're a lot deeper."<br>"Well, the Daedalus will be here soon, so then we can just beam them out, right?"  
>"As long as Michael doesn't get here first." Jeremy calls out to the rescue team. "All right, let's get started. Rivers, take a Jumper into orbit and keep a look-out for Michael's ship. Let me know the second he gets here."<br>Rivers turns and makes his way out of the rubble as the rest of the team gets to work.

҉

**MICHAEL'S MATERNITY ROOM**

John and Ronon are trying to get the metal beam off John's chest.  
>"OK, one, two, three." John counted down. They both push as hard as they can. The beam lifts a little but is wedged at the top and they can't move it off John. After a few seconds they give up. "Oh, this thing ain't moving. Wonder what happened to the others?"<br>"I don't know. It happened pretty quick. I don't think many people made it out."  
>"So stupid! Of course the building was booby-trapped. I should have seen that coming."<br>"Yeah, well, none of you did." A faint and familiar voice said. John and Ronon both looked at each other before pulling guns out on the white mist that was floating into their rubble cavern. "Everyone knew what they were getting into. They all knew how dangerous it was, so don't beat yourself up about it."

"Wait…" John said, motioning to lower his gun. He turned his head to Ronon. "It that who I think it is?"

"Can't be." Ronon said quietly, keeping a trained eye on the mist.

"Oh," said the mist, forming into a shape. Marissa stepped out and took a seat between the two of them. "But it is."

Ronon raised his run swiftly at her and was about to shoot, but John's hand flung out. "Ronon! What the hell are you doing?!"

"That's not Marissa." He growled.

"Pretty sure it is, Big Guy." She told him.

"No, it can't be." He said. "Marissa Frio died in my arms and you're not her."

"Ronon, put the gun down." John commanded.

"Sheppard-"

"Now!" He yelled. "If you fire off that blaster, who knows what'll happen. The whole thing could collapse on us again! Do you really want to risk it?"

"Kind of do."

"But you won't." Marissa said and she was right. After a few tense moments, Ronon lowered hit gun. He didn't put it away; he just left it in his lap.

"Now," John said, turning his head to her. "Who are you, really?"

"It's me, Colonel." She said honestly, not a trace of deception in her voice. "Is it so hard to believe a gal like me can ascend?"

"But you didn't." Ronon said, his finger twitching on the gun. "I was with you the whole time. Nothing happened."

"Doesn't mean it didn't." Marissa said, looking at John. "Right, Colonel."

"She's right." John nodded. "When Illyria ascended, it didn't look like anything was happening, did it."

Ronon turned to her, a trace of anger and hurt in his eyes. "Thought it was against the rules to help out?"

"It is," Marissa smiled and shrugged. "But, hey, you know me, can't sit still for too long."

"No," John said, reading her face. "There's something more. Isn't there?"

Marissa lost all trace of humor on her face and nodded. "Yes."

"Well, what?" Ronon asked.

Marissa shook her head. "Not yet. Strict orders not to say too much."

"Strict orders from who?" John asked. When she didn't answer, John said, "Captain Frio, as your commanding officer, I order you to tell me."

Marissa smiled. "I'm technically dead in the eyes of the United States military. Good luck with that one, Colonel." Ronon's lips twitched into a smile and so did John's. "So, before you ask, help is on the way. Colonel Renner, is it? Yeah, Renner and Keller and a bunch of rescue teams are scavenging the area. They'll find you guys soon enough."

"Can't you just lead them to us?" Ronon asked.

"Can't. Orders were to only show myself to certain people, and, congrats, two of them are you!"  
>John sighed. "Alrighty, then." He turned his head to Ronon. "You need to start thinking about how to crawl your way out of here."<br>"No way." Ronon shook his head.  
>"I'm serious. You just keep moving up, keep moving the debris, work your way up."<br>"I'm not leaving you behind, Sheppard." Ronon's eyes glanced over at Marissa, but was thinking, 'I'm not leaving you behind with her'.  
>"Come on. I'm not trying to be a hero here. It's a selfish thing."<p>

"You can grab stuff right?" Ronon asked Marissa. She picked up a rock and threw it at him gently. "Alright, help me with this."  
>Ronon has moved round to John's side and, groaning with the effort, he and Marissa forces the metal canister upwards so that John can pull his right arm free.<br>"I need you to dig a hole so that the rescuers can come down and get me." John rephrased. Ignoring him, Ronon starts moving some of the rubble out of the way around the base of the beam. "That's the wrong way, chief."  
>"If we get this beam off you, we get you free, we dig ourselves out together. Deal?"<br>"You ain't gonna listen to me one way or the other, are you?"  
>"Great, deal." Ronon said nonchalantly.<br>John sighs and Marissa shakes her head.

҉

**HYPERSPACE**

**MICHAEL'S CRUISER**

In a lab, Illyria Sheppard is lying on a table tilted at forty-five degrees. Her wrists and ankles are attached to the table by metal clamps. Michael is running a scanner over her stomach and looking at the results on a nearby screen. The baby's heartbeat can be heard.  
>"Excellent. This is all very good. Your son should be making an appearance any day now." Illyria gazes upwards, her face bitter. "I thought that would make you happy. I can't imagine carrying a child inside of you is very comfortable." Illyria turns her head and glares at him briefly before turning away again. "I will not harm him. Why can't you just accept that?"<br>"Because I know you."  
>"All these worlds filled with people, busying themselves with their pathetic lives. They come and they go, they live and they die and the galaxy is no better for it. But your son – your son will be an instrument of change. He will be remembered for the ages."<br>"And what of his mother? You speak often of his future, but never of mine. Why is that?"  
>Unseen by Michael, Kanaan has walked into the room and is watching the two of them.<br>"I had hoped that you would..." Michael hesitates for a moment. "I had hoped that you would understand-"  
>"It is time." Kanaan interrupted.<br>"Very well. Remove the restraints and post a guard outside this door." Michael got up and left the room. Kanaan deactivates the clamps and Illyria struggles to sit up.  
>"I must escape before my child is born. He will kill me once I am of no use to him."<br>"I can't."  
>"Kanaan, why?"<br>"It is too dangerous."  
>"For who?"<br>"He will kill us." He looks down at her bump mournfully. "Kill us all."  
>"He will whether you help me or not." She puts her hand on his chest. He gazes down at it. "You are disposable to him. Can you not see that?" Kanaan puts his hand over hers and looks into her eyes. "Listen to me."<br>An alarm starts to sound. Kanaan looks up, then pulls his hand free and starts to walk out of the room.  
>"Kanaan!" Illyria yelled as she gets off the table and starts to follow him. "Please! Please!"<br>Kanaan goes out of the door, then turns and activates a control to close it, locking her in. Putting her hands protectively over her bump, Illyria stares around the room in despair.

"Do not worry, my child," a familiar voice spoke from behind her. She stayed, frozen to where she stood.

"It's not possible…" she muttered.

"And why would it be?" The voice asked, amused.

"Because, it is against the rules," she said, turning around finally. In front of the table where she was laying, there was white mist swirling beautifully. "Rules you helped create."

Chuckling, the man Marissa described to Lorne and Rodney stepped out of the mist with a smile on his face. "Aren't all rules meant to be broken?"

Illyria sighed deeply, tears coming to her eyes. "Oh, Father!"

King Tiberius, leader of all ancients ascended or otherwise, held out his arms for his loving daughter as she rushed into them for comfort.

҉

**COMPOUND**

The engineers have finally broken a big enough hole into the floor. Rodney reaches up to them, handing his computer tablet up. Someone takes it and the engineers haul him through the gap. Once he's out, he takes his tablet back. Jennifer takes his arm and leads him away as the engineers turn back to retrieve Lorne.  
>"Come over here." Jennifer instructed.<br>"I'm fine. It's just a couple of scrapes."  
>"Wow." Jennifer said, stopping in her tracks. "Rodney McKay refusing medical help. Now I really know there's something wrong!"<br>"Seriously, I'm OK. Just – you should look after Lorne."

Jennifer turns and sees the engineers pulling Lorne up out of the hole. She goes over to them as Jeremy walks over to Rodney.  
>"Any survivors?" Rodney asked, secretly dreading to know.<br>"We found two other life signs but they're buried under a lot more debris than you were, so it's gonna take a little longer."  
>Behind them, Jennifer and Vega have helped Lorne away from the hole and drop him onto some packs. He cries out in pain as Jennifer starts to treat his leg.<br>"We've got people working on it." Jeremy told him.  
>"Know who it is?"<br>"Not yet. What about the Queen? Did you find Illyria?"  
>"No. No, but I think Sheppard was right. He was gonna bring her here. We just – we came too soon."<br>"_Colonel Renner_?" River's voice came over Jeremy's radio.  
>"Go ahead."<br>_"Sir, a Wraith Cruiser just came out of hyperspace."_  
>Jeremy turned to Rodney and said, "Michael's here."<p>

҉

**CRUISER**

The ship takes up orbit around the planet. On the Bridge, Kanaan turns and reports to Michael.  
>"Multiple life signs. It must be the Atlanteans."<br>"They're combing the debris. But they must know it's too dangerous to stay here." He smiles unpleasantly. "They're searching for survivors. This might not be a total loss after all."

҉

**COMPOUND**  
>"Everyone fall back to your Jumpers!" Jeremy called out.<br>As the crew starts to evacuate the area, the distinctive sound of an approaching Dart can be heard.  
>"We've got incoming!" Vega yelled.<br>The Dart soars over the surface, heading for the compound. As everyone else takes cover, Vega aims an M4 rifle into the air and opens fire. She fires a hail of bullets at the approaching Dart and hits its underside. It swoops away, trailing smoke behind it. Jennifer comes out of hiding, looking up admiringly.  
>"Nice shot!"<br>"All right," Jeremy said, his eyes combing over everyone, "let's fall back to our Jumpers."  
>"We've still got men trapped down here." Rodney said.<br>"They're gonna have to wait. We're no good to them out in the open like this. Let's go! Fall back!"

The crew heads out. As Lorne and some of the soldiers and engineers take seats on the benches in the back of one of the Puddle Jumpers, Rodney, Jeremy, Jennifer and Vega run in and take the front four seats.  
>"Cloak the ship." Jeremy instructed.<br>"Got it." Rodney said, taking the pilot's seat.  
>Taking the co-pilot's seat, Jeremy said, "We're getting a reading. The Gate's been activated."<br>"It's a classic Wraith battle technique. They dial the Gate, lock everyone out, make sure they can't escape."  
>"Well, it's a good one."<br>"Yeah, well, they're not idiots." He calls up the Heads-Up Device onto the windshield. "We've got more Darts on the way and they've already got troops on the debris field."  
>"They must know we've got people down there." Vega said.<br>"How many Jumpers do we have?" Rodney asked.

"Three, including this one." Jeremy said.  
>"I'm reading over twenty Darts."<br>"But they can't see us, though, right?" Jennifer asked.  
>"Well," Rodney said, "not right now, but we can't fire while we're cloaked."<br>"Look, it's gonna take them time to dig them out, the same as us. We wait for the Daedalus. Rodney, take us into orbit." Jeremy ordered.  
>Grimacing, Rodney flies the Jumper into the air. A few minutes later, they approached the Cruiser.<br>"There it is." Rodney said.  
>"Is that Michael's Cruiser?" Jennifer asked.<br>"Well, it looks like it."  
>"Does that mean that Illyria's on that ship?"<br>"It's possible." Jeremy said.  
>"Well, that's great, though, right?" Jennifer asked. "When the Daedalus shows up, we can just beam her up too, no?"<br>"It's not as easy as that."  
>"Chances are, Michael's already removed her transmitter, and even if he hasn't, Wraith Cruisers surround themselves with an electromagnetic jamming field." Rodney said. "No beaming in, no beaming out."<br>"We're so close!" Jennifer complained.  
>Jeremy and Rodney look at each other. They understand Jennifer's feelings but know that there's nothing they can do.<p>

҉

**COMPOUND**

"Ronon," Marissa said, nudging him with her foot. Ronon turned to look at her and saw that She was pointing at John who was only about half conscious.  
>"Hey." Ronon said to him. "Come on, one more try."<br>John groans faintly. "Feeling pretty weak, buddy."  
>"You're not quitting on me yet, are you?"<br>"No...Uh, well, I was thinking about it."  
>"That wasn't part of our deal."<br>"You keep adding things to this deal of ours."  
>"All right." He gets into position by the beam. "Ready? One, two, three."<br>He braces his shoulder against the beam and, groaning with the effort, starts to push it upwards. He tries his hardest but although it lifts a little, it's too wedged at the ends for him to be able to move it off John and after several seconds, he has no choice but to give up.  
>"Ronon. You need to get out of here."<br>"Would you leave me if I was stuck under there?"  
>"Yes."<p>

"Guys, quite." Marissa said, standing.

"What?" Ronon asked. "What's wrong-"

"Shhh!" She waved at him. She looked up at the ceiling as if she could see through it, her eyes following the sounds that came from above. "You hear that?"  
>"What?" John asked.<br>"Sounds like digging." Ronon said after a moment.  
>"Yeah. I hear it! I hear it!" John said.<br>"Hey! Hey, we're down here!" Ronon yelled.  
>"We're coming for you! Just stay calm!" A man from above said.<br>Ronon grins at John. "And you were gonna quit!"  
>John sighs with relief, but Marissa just looks worried. John looked over at her and his brows furrow. "Frio, you okay?"<p>

She tilts her head to the side, her eyes becoming more worrisome. "No…"

"What's-"

She hold up her hand and stares at the ground. "I'm receiving orders." John and Ronon shared a glance. "He's telling me to fall back."

"Hey, you said you came to rescue us, mission accomplished."

"That's not it, is it?" Ronon asked.

Marissa shook her head. "No, it's not."

Without another word, Marissa turned into white light once again and left through the ceiling.

҉

**SPACE**

A hyperspace window opens and Daedalus flies out of it and heads towards the planet. Colonel Steven Caldwell walks onto the Bridge and approaches Captain Kevin Marks at the Weapons Officer's position.  
>"Status?"<br>"Reading another ship in orbit. It's a Wraith Cruiser."  
>"Shields up. Ready forward beam weapons."<br>"Sir, I'm receiving a coded transmission from Colonel Renner."  
>Activating the comms from his chair, he asked, "Jeremy, what's going on?"<br>_"Long story short, that's Michael's Cruiser and he likely has Queen Sheppard on board."_  
>"So I can't blow him out of the sky."<br>_ "No, I'm afraid not."_  
>Just then, the Cruiser opens fire on Daedalus.<br>"We're taking fire, sir. Shields are holding." Marks reported.

҉

**CRUISER**  
>"They managed to get their shields up before we hit them." Kanaan reported to Michael.<br>"That's unfortunate." He turns to another hybrid. "Transfer power to the hyperdrive."  
>Kanaan turns to face him. "What about the Darts?"<br>"Acceptable losses."  
>Kanaan turns away, unhappy at his decision.<p>

҉

**DAEDALUS**  
>"He's running." Marks reported.<br>"Not if I can help it." Caldwell grunted. "Target his hyperdrive."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>A hyperspace window opens in front of the fleeing Cruiser. As it races towards it, an Asgard beam soars out from Daedalus and impacts the Cruiser. The hyperspace window fritzes and disintegrates. The Cruiser soars through the remains of the window but cannot reach escape velocity. Daedalus fires at it again. On the Cruiser's Bridge, Kanaan turns to Michael.  
>"We've lost hyperdrive!"<br>"Well. I guess we're fighting after all." Michael smiled.  
>The Cruiser fires a barrage of blasts at Daedalus.<br>"Shields are down to eighty percent." Marks reported.  
>"<em>Daedalus, we still have two people on the planet-"<em> Jeremy told Caldwell.  
><em>"It is just a matter of time before the Hive retrieves them."<em> McKay interrupted.  
>"<em>Can you scan for transmitter signals?"<em>

҉

**COMPOUND**

John and Ronon are waiting for the rescue team to break through to them.  
>"Stay calm! We're almost there." The man called out.<p>

"So," Ronon said, picking at his nails. "What're you going to name your kid?"

"Assuming I ever get to see him?" John asked and Ronon hit him. "Alright! I get the message: no quitter talk!"

"So, what's the name?"

John paused for a moment. When he opened his mouth, small orb of light appeared in front of him and Ronon. Ronon, instinctively, reached for his gun, but John stayed him. He held out his hand and the orb spit out a piece of paper onto it.

"What's it say?" Ronon asked.

Reading it aloud, John said, "_'Not rescue crew. Wraith.'_"  
>"But they sound human." Ronon said quietly, glancing up at the ceiling.<p>

"Must be Michael's hybrids. Better make sure, though." He looks up at calls towards the ceiling, "I'm gonna stop making fun of combat engineers as of today, I promise. Harris up there with you?"  
>"Yes, he's here." The man's voice called back. "Don't worry, we'll have you out soon."<br>Ronon nods at John. "Harris is on leave until next month."  
>John nods, then calls up to the ceiling again. "If we get out of here, beer's on me, boys. What do you like, uh, Duff Beer or Oprah Ale?"<br>After a slight pause, the voice called back, "Duff."  
>"Well, they don't watch The Simpsons or drink beer." John said quietly to Ronon.<br>"So, they're Michael's hybrids." Ronon said. "Bet he was tipped off when the building blew." He moves around to a position behind John's head and picks up his blaster.  
>"You totally should have gotten out of here!" John said, irritated.<br>"Yeah, whatever."  
>"I can't reach my gun."<br>Ronon reaches under the beam and pulls John's pistol out of its holster. Cocking it, he hands it to him. "Here. All right, how do you wanna play this?"

"Could use a little help down here," John called up towards the ceiling, hoping Marissa would hear. Instead, the Hybrid man thought he was talking to him.

"We're working as fast as we can. We'll be there soon enough."  
>John pauses, gathering his last remaining strength, then looks at Ronon. "Shoot until we can't shoot anymore."<br>Ronon smiles. "All right."  
>He settles into position behind John's head and the two of them gaze up at the ceiling as cement dust cascades down on them, indicating that the hybrids are almost through. John turns his head towards Ronon again.<br>"Been a pleasure.  
>Ronon smiles. "Same."<br>As one, they raise their right arms and aim their weapons towards the ceiling.

҉

**DAEDALUS**

As the ship continues to be fired on by the Cruiser, Marks looks at his screens.  
>"We got 'em. It's Colonel Sheppard and Ronon."<br>On the Jumper, Jeremy and Rodney look at each other. Jeremy turns back to the radio. "Can you beam them up?"  
><em>"We'd have to drop our shields."<em> Caldwell said, "_I kind of think that'd be a bad idea right now."_  
>"Look, if Michael gets his hands on them, he'll kill them. We don't have a choice."<br>Caldwell sighs and turns to Marks. "All right. Get ready to drop the shields. As soon as they're down, beam Ronon and Sheppard directly to the Infirmary."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>"Jeremy, you might as well bring your Jumpers on board at the same time."  
>"<em>Understood. We're already in position."<em>  
>"All right, do it." Caldwell told Marks.<br>The shields drop and the Cruiser's blasts begin to impact the ship.  
>In the compound, John and Ronon continue to gaze upwards as a large piece of the ceiling is pulled away and two hybrids come into view. One of them aims a Wraith stunner down at them. Before anyone can fire, A white mist appears from behind John and Ronon.<p>

"Not so fast boys," the mist said before it enveloped them and swept them away. The hybrids stare down in surprise.  
>On Daedalus' Bridge, consoles and wall panels explode.<br>"Status!" Caldwell shouted.

"Jumpers are in the Bay."

"The colonel and Ronon?"

"Beam didn't pick them up!"  
>"Shields up!" Caldwell yelled.<br>A couple more shots from the Cruiser impact the ship, then the shields re-deploy. On board the Cruiser, Kanaan reports.  
>"Enemy vessel has raised shields again. But we've scored several direct hits."<br>"Keep firing!"  
>On board Daedalus, Jeremy and Rodney make their way to the Bridge, passing crewmembers repairing the damage done to the ship. Jeremy walks over to Caldwell.<br>"How are we doing?"  
>"Not so good. We've lost sub-light, hyperdrive and Asgard weapons. Life support's down to fifty percent."<br>"What about the shields?" Rodney asked.  
>"Well, they're holding for now, but we're basically dead in the water."<p>

"And the Colonel and Ronon?" Jeremy asked.

As Caldwell shook his head, the white mist re-appeared on the Bridge. Caldwell, Jeremy, and the rest of the Daedalus crew drew guns on it, but Rodney stepped in front.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

"What to tell me what's going on, McKay?" Jeremy asked, not lowering his gun.

"It's Captain Frio." Rodney said, pointing to the mist.

"Marissa?" Marks asked, lowering his gun along with a few others at the mention of her name.

"Captain Frio is dead and buried, Doctor." Caldwell said. He, Jeremy, and a few others still had their pistols up.

"She ascended with the help of another ancent." Rodney explained.

"Illyria?" Jeremy asked.

"No, no, no," Rodney shook his head. "This was before Illyria ascended. Somebody else helped her and now she came back to help us. She was the one who showed me where to get Michael's information; she was the one who led the rescue teams to us!"

After a moment, Caldwell nodded to his crew to lower their weapons. He holstered his own and walked gingerly to the mist. "Marissa. Is that you?"

"In the flesh," it said. "Well, so to speak."

"I though ascended people could take on human form?" Jeremy said, walking forward.

"And you are…?" the mist asked.

"Oh," reflexively, Jeremy stuck his hand out. When he realized what he was doing, he tried to play it off as stretching. "Colonel Jeremy Renner. I was to take over for the Queen temporarily when she went on Maternity leave. Guess plans change, huh?"

"Tell me about it." The mist said, almost smiling. "Yes, I can un-mist myself, but at the moment I'm carrying two extra passengers."

"You're pregnant?!" Rodney shouted.

"McKay!" Jeremy and the mist shouted at him.

"No," the mist said. "I've got John and Ronon with me."

"You do?" Caldwell asked. "How? When?"

"I was watching what was happening. I knew if you lowered your shields to retrieve them, Michael could do serious damage to the ship. So, I went after them. Good thing I did, too, you Asgaurd beam died before you guys could do it. So if you don't mind…"

Caldwell lifted his hand and turned on his radio. "Infirmary to the Bridge on the double."

҉

**DAEDALUS INFIRMARY**

Ronon is sitting on the side of a bed. He slaps away the hand of a medic as he tries to treat his wounds. "Don't touch me."  
>The medic moves towards him again but Ronon surges off the bed and steps towards him threateningly. The medic wisely backs away. On the next bed, John lies grimacing as Jennifer treats the wound in his side.<br>"I thought we'd lost you there."  
>"Yeah, well, for a second I thought we'd lost me. It's gonna be OK, though, right?"<br>"Yeah. You need some serious work but you should, you know, live to fight another day an' all that."  
>"So, what's going on? I guess Michael showed up before the Daedalus, huh?"<br>"Yeah. We had to lower the shields to beam you up here."  
>"Sorry about that."<br>"Well, I'm sure McKay and Colonel Renner will be able to fix it."  
>"McKay's alive?"<br>"Yeah." She smiled, but it faded quickly. "Yeah, he and Lorne were the only two to make it out of the rubble."

"How's Lorne?"

"Still kicking." Said a slow, sleepy voice behind a curtain a few beds down. The person behind it pulled it aside and John and Ronon saw it was Lorne, his leg wrapped up and resting atop a pillow. "Well, so to speak."

"How you doing?" Ronon asked.

"Broken leg, a few cracked ribs, bumps and bruises. You know, the usual." He smiled and John saw that the right side of Lorne's face was pretty bashed up. "But, hey, this mor…morph - whatever the hell this cocktail Doc whipped up for me seems to be working just fine…just fine." He managed to mutter before passing out into a deep sleep.  
>John turned back to Jennifer. "Patch me up. I need to get back out there."<br>"What? No-no-no. Look, you will be fine but you're far from it now. You've lost a lot of blood. You need surgery and a transfusion. I mean, this can't wait."  
>"Hey, Doctor Keller-" Marissa greeted, dressed in a new, clean uniform, walking into the infirmary. Before she could finish her sentence, John beckoned her over.<br>"Marissa, Marissa, come here!" John held out his hand and Marissa slowly walked forward. "Tell the good Doctor here that I'm fine."

"John, you're not doing too well."

"Look, Doc," John said, turning to Jennifer. "Michael's here. That means Illyria's probably on the ship. I'm too close to sit here and do nothing."  
>"You're not gonna be sitting around doing nothing." Jennifer said. "You're gonna be laying here in surgery."<br>"Look, there's gotta be..." He tries to sit up but can't manage it. Sinking back, he rolls his eyes. "There's gotta be a quick fix."  
>"No!" Jennifer and Marissa said in unison.<br>"I need a few hours." John insisted.  
>"I'm sorry. I can't." Jennifer walked away. Marissa turns to walk away after her but John reaches out and grabs her arm.<br>"I have had a chance to rescue a team mate before, and it slipped through my hands. I am not letting that happen again." John said, squeezing her hand.

Marissa sighed. "I'll…I'll see what I can do. All right?"

John nodded. "Thanks."

"Now, if you'll both excuse me…" Marissa said, smiling at the two boys. She turned around and walked over to Lorne. She sat on the edge of his bed and began to stroke his hair affectionately. She smiled down at his sleeping figure and bent down to kiss his lips. The low hum of the machines and the heart monitor had long since sunk to the back of her subconscious, only resurfacing if the rhythm happened to change. As she watched the slow rise and fall of breathing, she could feel her own heart rate pounding in her ears.

John looked up at Ronon, confused at what he was seeing. What he saw on Ronon's face confused him more: His face was a mask hiding his anger, hurt, and utter confusion. Blinking, John turned back to Marissa. He cleared his throat and asked, as nonchalantly as he could manage,

"So…you and Lorne, huh?"

"Yeah?" Marissa asked, not looking up.

"When'd that happen?" Ronon asked coldly.

Marissa hid her stunned look well, keeping her eyes on Lorne. "Six months before the Tyrannian mission."

Ronon grunted and walked back to his bed. John watched him leave, thinking very different things. Finally, John turned back to her. "I didn't even know you guys were seeing each other."

"We kept it quite because of rank difference." She smiled down at Lorne, brushing back his hair. She looked up at John and he saw a tear run down her cheek. "We were engaged, you know." She nodded, chuckling softly her lip. "Yeah, w-we requested leave time for the same dates so we could get hitched. And wh-when we got back to Atlantis, we'd make the announcement. That way the military couldn't interfere."

John looked shocked for a moment before his features softened. "He loved you."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You didn't even know we were sleeping together, John."

He smiled at the way she phrased that. "No, I mean…he took your death harder than the rest of us expected."

"Yeah," she said softly, looking back at Lorne. "He nearly drank himself to death."

John looked at her curiously. "Kicked the habit when the hooch ran out. Know anything about that?"

"Mir…?" Lorne murmured quietly, stirring in his bed.

Marissa's head snapped to him. She held his hand in hers and pulled it up to her cheek. "I'm right here, Evan. Right here."

"Mhhh." He whispered. "I feel funny."

She smiled. "You'll be feeling like for a while."

Evan smiled too. "You look beautiful."

"And you look like shit."

Evan's chuckles soon died into wet coughs. Marissa's face contorted into concern as she helped him lean over and rubbed his back. When they died down, he leaned back against his pillows, exhausted. "Don't make me laugh, please?"

"Okay," she whispered, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. "But it's true."

҉

**DAEDALUS**

**ASGARD CORE ROOM**

Jeremy is sitting in semi-darkness working at the Asgard console. A moment later all the lights come on and he looks around admiringly.  
>"Nice one!"<br>"Of course." Rodney said. He has been working on a panel of crystals pulled out from the wall. "Life support's still not working at full power, but at least we won't freeze to death."  
>He takes off the headband flashlight he is wearing and goes over to a central console.<br>"Well, I've almost got sub-light back online but the way these guys are taxing our shields, we won't have any power to spare anyway. We need to take out the Cruiser's main weapons." Jeremy said.  
>"With what?"<br>"We could launch a 302 attack."  
>"That's what I was thinking." John said.<br>Jeremy and Rodney look round to see John standing in the doorway with Ronon supporting him.  
>"Colonel!" Jeremy shouted, surprised. "Doctor Keller said you were out of commission."<br>"She revised her diagnosis." Unable to help himself, John puts his hand to his side which is obviously still giving him a lot of pain. Ronon gives him a long disapproving look. John turns back to the others.

"We may have an idea." Ronon said.  
>"Maybe a way to get my wife back."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

**BRIDGE**

The team is explaining its idea to Caldwell. Outside the ship, the bombardment from the Wraith Cruiser continues.  
>"We need to take out the Cruiser's main weapons. The easiest way for us to do that right now is launch an attack with 302s." Jeremy said.<br>"I wouldn't exactly call that "easy." They'll just send out Darts to intercept them." Caldwell told him. "Can't Marissa just…wipe them out?"

"As much as she'd love to, but we're counting on them sending out the darts."  
>"In order to launch the Darts, they'll have to open the Bay doors." Rodney explained. "If we have a cloaked Jumper in place, a small team should be able to sneak onto the Cruiser undetected."<br>"We find Illyria, bust her out and blast our way home." John said.  
>"As a rule, I like to keep daring rescues down to one a day." Caldwell said.<br>"Look, the shields are already down to twenty percent. It's just a matter of time before they fail completely." Jeremy said. Caldwell looks dubious. "She's over there, Steven, counting on us. I won't take 'no' for an answer."  
>Somewhat reluctantly, Caldwell said, "All right. Take a cloaked Jumper. Radio us when you're in position."<br>Rodney and Ronon head out. Jeremy stays for a moment to smile and nod gratefully at Caldwell, then he and John follow the others. John is holding his side as he walks.  
>"John, what really happened in the Infirmary?"<br>"Nothing."  
>Jeremy seizes his arm and pulls him to a halt. "So you're telling me if I go down there right now and talk to Jennifer, she'll tell me that you're fit for duty?"<br>"I'm just trying to do a job."  
>"So am I, and part of my job is determining whether or not you're gonna be a liability on this mission."<br>"Jeremy, you don't have kids, so I don't expect you to understand, but I promised my little girl that I would bring her mom home. I'm getting on that Jumper, end of story. I'll surrender for court martial when I'm done."  
>He turns and walks away.<p>

"Colonel, wait!" Jeremy called after him. He stopped but didn't turn around. "At least take Captain Frio with you."

He turned his head a little. "Whoever's giving her orders now wants her out of it."

҉

**LATER**

The cloaked Jumper is in position near the Bay doors of the Cruiser. John sits uncomfortably in the pilot's seat, fighting to keep his face from contorting with pain. Rodney looks across at him from the co-pilot's seat, his face full of concern. Ronon, standing behind Rodney with his arm on the back of the seat, nudges him in the back. Rodney looks awkward, reluctant to even broach the subject, but eventually turns to John.  
>"You know, Ronon and I could probably handle this. Maybe you should stay with the Jumper." John turns and scowls at him. Rodney wilts under his gaze. "...or not."<br>John activates the comms. "Daedalus, we're in position."  
>"Confirmed." Back on the Daedalus, Caldwell turns to Marks. "Launch 302s."<p>

From the Jumper, the team saw Half a dozen F-302s deploy from the ship and head towards the Cruiser.  
>"302s are approaching. Cue the Darts." McKay said. Obligingly the Dart Bay doors open and about eight Darts soar out. The Bay doors immediately begin to close again. "It's closing."<br>"I see that." John said.  
>"It's closing quickly."<br>"I got it."  
>John sends the Jumper racing towards the rapidly closing doors, turning the ship around ninety degrees so that it can squeeze through the gap. The doors slam shut behind them.<br>"Daedalus," John reports, "we're in."  
>Ronon pats John's shoulder in a congratulatory way. Outside, the F-302s engage with the Darts and fire their weapons towards the Cruiser. Some of them get through and impact the ship.<br>"It worked!" Jeremy shouted happily. "The Cruiser just lost main weapons."  
>"Let's hope that Sheppard has the same luck." Caldwell said.<p>

҉

**CRUISER**

Inside the ship, a couple of hybrids walk along a corridor. Once they're out of sight, John, Ronon and Rodney come out of hiding and make their way to a terminal.  
>All right. This won't take more than a couple of seconds." Rodney patches his computer tablet into the terminal and looks at his screen. "That's ... troubling."<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>"Michael's a lot further ahead with his repairs than I would have thought. Hyperdrive's almost back online. We've gotta make this quick."<br>"What do you mean, "quick"?" John asked.  
>"Well, like, fifteen minutes. It's not a lot of time."<br>"No, that's not a lot of time. So why don't you tell us where Illyria is, already?"  
>"Right. Right-right-right." He looks at his screen again. "Got it. OK. Follow me." He runs off down the corridor, then stops when he realizes that he'd rather have a heavily-armed soldier ahead of him. "Or you."<br>He gestures the way to go and follows after John as he heads off.

҉

**LAB**

Inside, Illyria is sitting on a bench, covered in sweat. Beside her was her father, King Tiberius. He squeezed her hand gently and said,

"You must hold, darling."

"I can't…"

"You must." He stressed. He took her face in his hands and said with a smile, "I did not go through this much trouble just to have you quit on my now, child."

"I'm sorry, father." She said quietly. "I never should have left-"

"You never should have joined bloodlines with a product of the Wraith." He said sternly. She lowered her head in shame. "But we will get into that later. For right now, you must concern yourself with the survival of the one you carry."

"But how can I when Michael shall take him as soon as he is born? There is no escaping this place."

Tiberius smiled knowingly. "Are you so sure about that, child?" Just then, Illyria heard gunfire from down the hall.

Amazed at her father's knowledge, she called out, "John?"  
>John's face came into view as he skidded to a stop in front of her door. His face relaxes in relief at the sight of her, but when he saw Tiberius, he, Ronon, and Rodney raised their guns.<p>

"John, no! Don't!" Illyria shouted, holding her hand out.

"You're not one of Michael's hybrids so who the hell are you?" John asked cooly.

Tiberius stood slowly as to not give the boys reason. He had a regal presence when he stood, confident yet cautious. "I'm assuming you're Colonel John Sheppard?"

"Who the hell are you?" John repeated, getting louder.

"King Tiberius." He smiled coldly. "Your father-in-law."

John lowered his gun a few inches. "W-What?"

"He's my father, John." Illyria said, reaching for Tiberius' hand.

"Oh…" John muttered, lowering his gun. Ronon and Rodney followed suit, looking just as shocked. "Um…it's nice to finally meet you, sir."

"As much as I enjoy making pleasantries, my daughter…"

"Right," John said, walking towards her. "We're gonna get you out of here!"  
>"Not a moment too soon!" Illyria smiled, struggling to her feet.<br>"We're gonna get you back to the Jumper." Ronon said.  
>As Illyria cries out in pain, crumbling to her knees, Tiberius whirls around to catcher. He eases her into a sitting position on the floor and John kneels down to her.<br>"You okay?"

"What a senseless question to ask." Tiberius said.  
>"Father," Illyria hissed. She turned to John. "It's the baby."<br>"What, is something wrong?"  
>Illyria shook her head. "No."<p>

"She has been having contractions for over an hour now. They're very close." He turned his head to his son-in-law, explaining as though he had no brain, "Her baby is coming."  
>John scowls at him as Ronon helps Illyria back to the bench and she sits down, gasping for breath, "I am sorry. I just need a moment."<br>Still kneeling on the floor, John takes his hand away from his side and finds his fingers covered in blood. "I'd carry her, buddy, but I'm not really up to it."  
>Tiberius rolled his eyes, exasperated, "How charming."<br>Ronon reaches for Illyria. "Okay, you ready?"  
>"No, I can walk. I just need a moment."<br>Rodney looks at his computer tablet. "Uh, say, friends? We have a small issue here."  
>"What now?" John said irritably.<br>"Looks like Michael's got his hyperdrive back online. It's powering up."  
>"Can you shut it down?"<br>"Well, not from this little thing. Look, the drive room is just down the corridor. You slap a C4 charge on that thing, it should certainly shut it down."  
>"Where?"<br>"Here. I have a map." He types onto the tablet and gives it to John.  
>"All right. Ronon, you're with me." John said.<p>

Ronon nodded, kissed the top of Illyria's head, and walked to the door.  
>John turned to Illyria, cupping her angel face in his course hands. "I'll be right back. Everything's gonna be fine." He kissed her lips softly and stood up, walking over to Rodney. "You take care of her."<br>As Ronon and John leave, Rodney turns and looks nervously at Illyria as she gasps in pain.  
>"So...how you doing?" He asked.<p>

"What is it with you hairless apes and asking-"

"Father!" Illyria gasped, squeezing his hand. "You are not helping." She looked up at Rodney. "The pain is very great."  
>"Oh yeah. Yeah, I had a kidney stone once. Incredibly painful. Same kind of thing, from what I'm told, so I hear ya. Actually, my cat and I had one at the same time. We were not fun to be around, I'll tell you that much. He got his 'cause he was eating too much of the dry cat food; I got mine 'cause I wasn't drinking enough liquids. That's why you always see me hydrating – I have no desire to experience that kind of pain again. Oh, it was just the-"<br>"Do you see what I mean, child?" Tiberius sighed, rubbing his eyes.  
>Illyria cries out in pain and sinks off the bench onto the floor. Rodney runs over and kneels down beside her as she continues to wail.<br>"OK, just-just-just breathe, breathe, OK?" He pursues his lips and starts panting rapidly. She and Tiberius looks round at him, appalled.  
>"What are you doing?!"<br>"Well, it's Lamaze. It's supposed to help with the ... Look, I don't know what I'm doing. What do you need me to do?"  
>As another contraction takes hold, Illyria screams and grabs her father's hand and squeezes it tightly. The bones in his fingers crunch unpleasantly and his face contorts in silent agony.<br>Through gritted teeth, he said, "OK, there, there. There, there you are." He pats her hand comfortingly. "There, there."  
>"The baby is coming." She looked up at him, worried. "Papa, I'm not ready."<br>"Hang on, child." He whispered soothingly. "Doctor McKay, is it?"

"Wh-What?" Rodney asked, realizing this was the first time he spoke directly to him. "Yes." Tiberius tilted his head to his daughter and Rodney got the message. "Right. We'll get you back to the Infirmary on the Daedalus and Keller can pull it...out."  
>Tiberius squinted his at his lack of comforting. Illyria shook her head. "No. The baby is coming now."<br>Rodney's eyes widen in horror.

҉

**HYPERDRIVE ROOM**

Ronon walks into the room and guns down a hybrid standing by the main control console. Two more hybrids turn but Ronon shoots one and John guns down the other. They look around to make sure nobody else is in the room, then look at the hyperdrive generator suspended over their heads in the center of the room.  
>"It's almost powered up."<br>"Give me your C4."  
>Ronon hands John a block of C4. John steps underneath the generator and tries to reach up to it but groans and doubles up in agony.<br>"Here. Give it to me." Ronon said.  
>"I got it."<br>"Give it to me. You don't have to do everything." Ronon said mock-tetchily. Snatching the block out of John's hand, he reaches up and attaches it to the generator, then sticks a detonator to it. "All right. You ready? Let's go."  
>They turn and hurry out of the room, gunning down some more approaching hybrids. They race around a corner and Ronon retrieves the computer tablet that he had hidden in an alcove. John takes out the detonation activator and flicks up the switch.<br>"All right. Let's hope we're far enough away."  
>"Yeah, we'll see."<br>"Fire in the hole."  
>He presses the button and the hyperspace generator explodes. The Cruiser shakes violently. On the Bridge, Michael and his hybrids struggle to stay on their feet as the lights go out and the engines begin to power down.<p>

"What happened?" Michael asked Kanaan.  
>"The hyperdrive just exploded!"<br>"No. That's impossible."  
>"Main power is out across much of the ship."<br>"An accidental overload?"  
>"It doesn't appear that way."<br>"How did they do that?"  
>"I will look into it."<p>

Kanaan he hurries away, Michael realizes the truth, "They're on board. How did they get on board?"

҉

**LAB**

Illyria is sitting on the floor with her back against Tiberius' chest. She has her knees drawn up and her legs open and is gasping in pain. Rodney kneels at her feet, staring at her in a panic.  
>"Well can't you just hold it in?"<br>"No, Rodney!" Illyria yelled.

"Are you not a doctor?!" Tiberius yelled.  
>"This doesn't happen this quick! No-one has babies this quick!" McKay asked, panicked.<br>"My water broke quite a while ago. I've been trying to-" Illyria gasps as another contraction takes hold. She holds her breath for a moment, then wails. Rodney stares down in horror.  
>"Oh, I can see its head!"<br>"That's good." She smiles through her pain. "That's a good thing, Rodney."  
>"Yeah, but am I supposed to...am I supposed to...am I supposed to touch it? Am I allowed to touch it? I don't know what to do!"<br>"Rodney, calm down. I need you to be calm."  
>"But I'm not an M.D! I've never been an M.D!" Rodney said, anything but calm.<p>

Tiberius sighed, exasperated. "Then why are you called Doctor?!"  
>"Papa, you are not helping!" Illyria yelled before turning to Rodney. "People have been having babies for thousands of years, most of them without doctors."<br>"Yeah, but before doctors the infant mortality rate was incredibly high!" He yelled hysterically. "It was something like one in three, I think! Look, a doctor is a very important part of this process! Trust me, we should-"  
>"Rodney. There are no doctors around. You have to do this. We don't have a choice." Illyria said firmly.<br>Rodney stares at her, wide-eyed, then grimaces and tries to pull himself together. "OK, OK." He looked up at Tiberius. "Have you done this before?"

"Seven children, Doctor McKay. Now, you need to catch him."  
>"Catch him?!"<br>"Yes." Illyria nodded. "You need to catch him when I push him out."  
>"Oh, God!" He screws up his eyes, turns his head away and holds his hands out. "OK. Well, just underhand him, all right? I've never been good at baseball."<br>"Rodney." Illyria said, anguished. He opens his eyes and looks at her. "Please."  
>For a moment Rodney screws up his eyes and turns away again, then forces them open and looks at her. Still half-hysterical, he said, "OK. I can do this. All right, look, I may have...I may have panicked a little back there but we're gonna do this." He takes off his jacket. "We're gonna do this. I am great with kids ... the little ones, the ones that don't talk back."<br>He scrunches up his jacket and holds it between her legs.  
>"Here it comes!" Illyria said. She grits her teeth and wails through them as she pushes against her father. Rodney makes noises of disgust, screwing up his eyes again but holding his jacket in place.<br>"OK! Almost there! Almost there!"  
>Illyria wails as she continues to push. Rodney wails with her. Suddenly the baby pops out, landing safely in the jacket. Rodney stares up at Illyria.<br>"I got him!" He laughs. "I got him!" He pulls the baby free and gently lifts him up. The baby starts to cry. "Hey! It's a boy!"  
>Illyria laughs in delight. "Watch his head."<br>"Right, right. OK." He supports the baby's head. "OK, little guy. OK." He looks at Illyria. "Do I get to cut the cord? I get to cut the cord, then, right?" She nods, smiling. "Okay." He lays the baby down to free up his hands. "OK, here you go. There, OK. So, OK!"  
>After the cord was cut, Tiberius picked up his grandson. He smiled proudly at his daughter and said, "Illyria, I would like to introduce you to your son."<br>He hands the baby, wrapped in Rodney's jacket, to his mother. She takes him, laughing delightedly. As she looks down at him, smiling, as John and Ronon run in and stop, looking at the scene in amazement.  
>"Wow!" Ronon said. John just stood there speechless.<br>"I caught it! Didn't hit the floor or anything!" Rodney said, delighted.  
>Illyria smiles up at John and Ronon. "He did a wonderful job."<br>Ronon walks over and squats down beside her, not bothering to glare at Tiberius.  
>"That's good. That's..." John said, "you did good, Rodney."<p>

Tiberius' head shot up. He stood and looked around the ceiling.

"Papa, what is it?" Illyria asked, holding her son closer.

"Trouble," He sighed. He knelt down in front of her. "I have to go. I'll hold as many of them off as I can, but you have to move fast." He looked down at his grandson. "Let me have him."

"What?" John said, stepping forward.

"I can get him out of here safely, child."

Illyria shook her head. "No."

"Illyria-"

"Father, please." She looked up at him pleading. "Protect my child by saving us."

Tiberius sighed, unhappy, but nodded. He stood up, looking at John directly, and said before disappearing, "You must move quickly."  
>"Ronon, you may need to help me." Illyria said as her father left.<br>Effortlessly, Ronon picks her up as she cradles the baby protectively. They hurry out of the room and make their way to the Dart Bay. John takes out the cloaking device activator and presses it but the Jumper doesn't appear.  
>"Why isn't it decloaking?" John asked.<br>"Let me see. What, did you break it?" McKay asked. He takes the activator and presses it. John walks forward, waving his arms in front of him in an attempt to find the invisible ship, but he doesn't make contact with anything.  
>"No, no, we parked the Jumper right here."<br>"Someone stole the Jumper?"  
>"Oh, this is not good."<br>"I told you you should have stayed here!"

҉

**LATER**

The team is making its way around the Cruiser.  
>"How the hell are we supposed to get off the ship now?" Ronon asked.<br>Everyone looks at Rodney. He stares back at them indignantly. "I just delivered a baby! That's not enough for today?!"  
>"Don't they have escape pods or things like that on a Cruiser?"<br>"No! They ... they ... wait. I know. We need to get back to a data terminal. A lot of their internal power's down. Maybe I can short out the jamming code. We can get the Daedalus to beam us out."  
>"Great. Lead the way."<br>Rodney hurries off down the corridor, the others following. They make their way onwards, then come face to face with Kanaan, who aims his stunner pistol at them. John and Rodney aim their own weapons back at him.  
>"Don't shoot!" Illyria yelled. She turned to Ronon. "Put me down." Reluctantly, Ronon lowers her to the ground. "It's all right, John. This is Kanaan. He is a friend."<br>She puts her hand placating on John's arm, then slowly carries her baby towards Kanaan. As she approaches him, he lowers and holsters his pistol, staring at her in amazement. The baby frets quietly. As she reaches him, Kanaan puts his hands gently onto her son, gazing at him in awe.  
>"This is our chance." She said softly, looking round to the others. "These are the friends I told you of. They can help you get back to your old self, but first you have to help us. We must get off this ship. Do you know a way?"<br>Kanaan nods. "Yes. Follow me."  
>John and Rodney have lowered their weapons but Ronon is still pointing his blaster at him. "No offence, Illyria. I don't trust this guy."<br>"He has tried to save me before. I trust him."  
>John walks forward to Kanaan. "Give me your weapon." Kanaan takes his pistol from its holster and hands it to John. "What's your plan?"<br>Sometime later, a single Dart heads towards Daedalus.  
>"Sir? We've got a Dart trying to hail us." Marks reported.<br>"What?! Let me hear it."  
>Marks activates the comms and John's voice can be heard. <em>"This is Colonel John Sheppard. Authentication code Bravo Delta Charlie Alpha Niner. Daedalus, please come in."<em>  
>"Authenticated. Colonel Sheppard, what the hell happened to your Jumper?"<br>"Well, I got all turned around in the parking garage. I was in a rush so I borrowed this Dart. I've got the team beamed into a storage device."  
>"Do you have your wife?"<br>_"Yes, and my son."_  
>"You beamed your son into Wraith storage?!"<br>_"No."_ John looks down into his lap where he has the baby safely cradled, still wrapped in Rodney's jacket. _"Got him right here. So feel free to do whatever you want to that Cruiser."_  
>"Copy that." He turns to Marks. "Major Marks, please make that ship go away."<br>"Yes, sir." Marks said happily.  
>As the F-302s race out of the way, Daedalus soars towards the Cruiser and fires an Asgard beam directly at it. A second beam follows and the Cruiser blows into a million bits.<br>"Colonel Sheppard," Caldwell said, "why don't you head down to the planet, beam your crew out and land that Dart? I'm pretty sure you can dial up that Stargate now."  
><em>"Copy that."<em>

He looks down at the baby and strokes his face gently. The baby yawns and snuggles down.

"Welcome to the world, little guy."

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Rodney walks through the corridors carrying a vase of flowers. He stops as he sees Jeremy with a couple of large bags over his shoulder.  
>"Hey. What's with the bags?"<br>"What's with the flowers?"  
>"Going to see Illyria. Oh, you probably heard I delivered her baby?"<br>"I did! And they tell me she's gonna name him Rodney!"  
>Rodney grins and punches the air triumphantly. "Yes! Really?"<br>"No. Not really."  
>Rodney's smile fades. "Ah, that's funny. Where are you going?"<br>"Back to Earth."  
>"What? Why?"<br>He smiled proudly. "Baby sister's getting married. Wants me to walk her down the aisle."  
>"Oh, well, congrats."<br>"Plus the I.O.A. wanna do an "exhaustive" review of my first stint in "command", so, you know, that can't be good."  
>"Are you crazy? They probably wanna give you a medal. You had a great time playing boss." Jeremy smiles at him. "I know my opinion doesn't mean much to those folks, but I think you've done an excellent job. I'm glad you took up the post even if it was for a little while."<br>"Thanks, Rodney. That means a lot." He turns to leave, then turns back for a moment. "Tell Sheppard the court martial will have to wait."  
>Rodney frowns uncomprehendingly, then turns away. "Sure. See you soon."<br>"Hope so!"

҉

**INFIRMARY**

John and Illyria lie in adjoining beds. Illyria is cradling the baby with Jennifer lying beside her; John is showing Patrick how to play one of the hand-held computer game.  
>"How long will the surgery take?" Illyria asked John.<br>"Doc says a few hours. I'll be off my feet for a week or so."

"But you can already walk…" Patrick said, looking up at him.

"Hardly," Illyria said. "I cannot believe you attempted to mount a rescue in your condition."  
>""Attempt"?! The last time I checked, I succeeded."<p>

"Yeah," Jennifer smiled up at her mom. "Daddy brought you back."  
>Illyria smiles. "That he did."<br>"How's the kid?" John asked.  
>"Doctor Keller says he's perfectly healthy." She smiles down at the baby. "I say he's perfectly everything."<p>

"He's fat." Patrick said, scrunching up his nose at the baby.

"And he smells," Jennifer chimed in.  
>"Mmm. That's great. That's great." John chuckled.<br>"I never gave up hope because I knew." Illyria said out of the blue. John lifts his head from his game, realizing that he has heard these words before in his dream. Illyria continues, still using the words she said in his dream. "I knew that you would come for me, John."  
>"You would have done the same for me."<br>"Possibly," Illyria winked at him.  
>Jennifer comes in, dressed for surgery, with a file in her hand.<br>"So," Jennifer said, straight-faced, "I have the test results you both asked for."

John and Illyria look at each other. John clears his throat. "Hey, kids, why don't you – uh – play with some bed pans while mommy and daddy have a little chat with the Doc."

"Is everything okay?" Jen asked, looking up at Illyria.

"Listen to your father." She patted the girl's bum. "Off you go, now."

Hand in hand, Jen and Patrick jog off towards the other room. John looks at Jennifer with a blank face and Illyria hold the baby tighter.

"So, doc, what's the verdict." John asked.

"I, personally, ran tests on the baby's DNA and compared it to DNA on file for you and Breen. And the baby's a match." She dropped the file on Illyria's bed. She glanced between Illyria's worried face and John's withdrawn face. She let the suspense continue until she turned to John. "Congratulations, Colonel, you're the proud father of a healthy baby boy."

John gasped; he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath the time Jennifer had been talking. Hearing that he was the father, he couldn't believe it. His head went light. He was official the father of one of his three children.

"I-I'm a dad…" He muttered, still happily shocked. He smiled at Illyria. "I'm a dad."

"Yes. Yes you are." Illyria whispered; happy that he was it and not her controlling, rapist of an ex-husband.  
>"All right." Jennifer clapped her hands together and rubbed them. "You ready, Colonel?"<br>""Ready"? From my understanding, I...I'm not doing anything."  
>"Well, that's right. You just have to lay still and let me play with your insides." She grins at him. John stares back at her straight-faced. Jennifer's smile fades. "Sorry. Um, let's go."<br>As the medics start to wheel his bed away, John turns to Illyria. "What are you gonna name him?"  
>"Well, if it's all right with you, I was thinking of John Junior."<br>"Really?!" John smiled widely.  
>"McKay's gonna hate that!" Jennifer smiled.<br>"And, since you hate your middle name," Illyria told John, who grimaced, "how about 'Carson'?"  
>John thought about it then smiled. "John Carson Sheppard…Junior."<p>

"I take it you like it?" Illyria asked as John was wheeled out of the room. He yelled over his shoulder, "I love it!"

҉

**EARTH**

**STARGATE COMMAND**

Jeremy comes through the Stargate and walks down the ramp. Richard Woolsey is waiting for him at the bottom.  
>"Colonel Renner."<br>"Mr. Woolsey. How are you?"  
>"Very well. Thank you for asking."<br>"So is this whole evaluation process gonna take very long? I mean, there's a lot of work to be done on Atlantis while Illyria's recovering and I'm kind of anxious to get back."  
>"I'm sure you are. However, the I.O.A. has decided that perhaps someone with a different skills-set would be more suited to lead the Atlantis expedition now. Someone other than Illyria."<br>"Excuse me?" Jeremy asked, shocked.  
>"I'm here to inform you that, effective immediately, you, and Illyria, are being removed from command."<br>Jeremy stares at him, lost for words for a few moments. "Um, who-who's replacing the Queen?"  
>"As a matter of fact," A calm, cool voice with hint of an Irish accent said. The owner stepped out from behind the Stargate and walked down the ramp. "I am."<p> 


	73. Chapter 71

**ATLANTIS **

**INFIRMARY**

Doctor Jennifer Keller sits working at a computer. Mrs. Illyria Sheppard walks in, cradling baby John Jr., with the twins trailing after her. Since her father's return, Illyria now goes by 'Mrs.' having been stripped of her title and position.  
>"Good afternoon, Doctor Keller!" The twins say in unison, stopping in front of Jennifer.<p>

Jennifer smiles. "Well, good afternoon to you, too! Here, I've got a surprise for you two."

Both of their faces lit up.

"Really?!" Patrick asked.

"I like presents." Jen said sweetly, clasping her hands together in front of her.

Jennifer turned around to her desk, opened the top drawer, and took two colorful lollipops out of it. She stands up and walks over to the family to give it to them.

"What do you say, children?" Illyria reminded them.

"Thank you, Doctor Keller!" The chorus before running off to play doctor.  
>Jennifer chuckles, watching them go, and asks Illyria, "How's my newest patient?"<br>Illyria smiles ruefully, continuing to walk around slowly as she speaks. "Today he's decided that he will only sleep as long as I hold him and keep moving. I've already walked half the city and back again."  
>"My parents used to put me in the car. My dad would have to drive around and around and around the block at three o'clock in the morning!"<br>"Hmm. That would be lovely. At least I'd be sitting down!" She smiles at Jennifer. "I wanted to thank you."  
>"For what?"<br>"I saw Kanaan today."  
>"How's he doing?"<br>"Much better." She smiles in delight. "As far as I can tell, he is himself once again in every way. In fact, I'm going to request that he and many of the others be allowed to return to the city - as soon as my father arrives on the Daedalus."  
>"I still can't believe Jeremy's not coming back."<br>"It is difficult."  
>Jennifer nods and goes back to sit at her computer. "Where'd they transfer him to? There can't be a whole lot a places to go after here."<p>

"From what the SGC has relayed back to me, Jeremy will be our voice, Atlantis' voice, on Earth." She smiled. "And who better?"

"I'll have to agree with you there. Speaking of your father," Jennifer said and Illyria grimaced, "why doesn't he just mist his way over here?"

Illyria sighed and Jennifer got the impression she has explained this many times. "My father and Captain Frio left their ascended lives freely with no attachments. They chose to come back."

"Can they do that?"

"You forget my father was the first to ascend amongst my people. If anyone can do it, I am quite sure it would be him. As for Marissa, well, she's my father's newest pet now."

"The way you're talkn' 'bout him sounds like you're not much of a fan."

Illyria sighed. "I'm not…happy he found my commanding skills unsatisfactory and feels the need to watch over me as if I am a child!" Jennifer raised her eyebrows at Illyria's little outburst. "I'm sorry…I'm tired is all."

"But you're happy he's at least here, right? The last time you saw him was then thousand years ago!"

Illyria smiled ruefully. "True…very true. I have missed him." She sighed, a smile returning to her face. "Now he can watch his grandchildren grow and they can have someone to look up to."  
>After a moment of thoughtful silence, Jennifer said, "Well, anyway, it wasn't me that cured Kanaan and the other hybrids; it was Doctor Beckett's retrovirus. And you could thank him in person if I could just get my head around all this Wraith medical data."<br>Illyria walks around to stand beside her as she looks at the Wraith text on her screen. "Do you believe the answer's in there somewhere?"  
>"Well, we know he was giving Carson a serum to keep his internal organs from deteriorating and I think I might have found the formula. I just need to be sure."<br>"At least we know he's safe for the moment." She looks down at John Jr. as he begins to fret quietly.  
>"Technically, yeah. I just hate the thought of him being stuck in that box."<br>"Mmm. I know that feeling quite well."  
>"You know, Rodney goes to visit him. Stands in front of the stasis pod and tells him all the latest news."<br>"Really?!"  
>"Mmm-hmm." She grins. "I walked in on him once by accident and he pretended like he was checking the system or something." The girls laugh. "He surprises me sometimes."<br>She smiles at her screen with a fond expression on her face. John Jr. begins to cry and Illyria sighs. "Well, this is me, once again being recalled to duty."  
>"Have a nice walk!" Jennifer called after her.<p>

"Jennifer! Patrick! Time to go!" Illyria called after them sweetly. Moments later they came skipping in.

"Where to next, mommy?" Jennifer asked, following Patrick out the door.

"You guys can pick our route." The kids shout happily as they races out the door. Illyria starts to walk away, then turns back. "Don't worry, Jennifer, I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."  
>As she leaves the room, Jennifer wipes her eye tiredly and gets back to work.<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Doctor Rodney McKay, Technician Banks and other crew are working at various consoles. Colonel John Sheppard walks in and Banks reports to him.  
>"Sir, Daedalus just dropped out of hyperspace. We're receiving a signal. He's coming down."<br>She stands up and the other technicians do likewise. Rodney frowns around at them until John looks at him pointedly. Sighing in exasperation, Rodney slowly drags himself to his feet just as an Asgard transporter beam deposits King Tiberius onto the balcony. John found his attire curious and looked him over from toe to head: he was wearing black dress shoes, black trousers, and a black two button dress jacket over a black vest with a lond sleeved white dress shirt and royal blue tie underneath it. John remembers thinking Tiberius looked more like a powerfull business executive rather than his commander.

John walks forward and shakes hands with him. "King Tiberius. Welcome back."  
>"Thank you, Colonel." He looks regally over the crew, saying, "It gives me great pleasure returning to my city and seeing it well taken care for. And for that, I thank you. I am greatly in your debt." He bows his head at the crew before turning towards John. "I shall be needing your last reports, Colonel. Yours as well, Doctor McKay."<br>"What, right now?" McKay asked.  
>He looked annoyed when he said, "I have been out of touch on the Daedalus for three weeks. I'd like to be brought up to speed as quickly as possible. We can have a full briefing in the morning." He turned to John and said, "May we speak in private?"<p>

John looked hesitant, but said, "Sure."

"Good," Tiberius smiled, placing his hand on John's shoulder. He guided them off to the side so as not to be overheard. He waited a few moments, assessing the man in front of him before saying, "You are one of the more highly skilled fighters on Atlantis, if I've done my research completely. When the Genii stormed my city, you fought them off almost single handedly. You are also an outstanding snap-shooter, able to draw, fire, and hit your target with unaimed fire from the hip and one-handed." Tiberius smiled at John.

"That's, uh, pretty accurate…sir." John said, a bit awkward. "But I take it that's not all you know?"

Tiberius chuckled and turned to stare over the banister. "No, John. You are an exceptionally skilled pilot, being able to fly a wide variety of ships, ranging from Wraith Darts to Atlantis City-ships. In fact, you have either piloted or assisted in piloting almost every known ship in the Pegasus Galaxy. You are a skilled fighter pilot, often flying an F-302 in space combat. Skill with Wraith Darts is less than with other vehicles, due to the unusual nature of Wraith technology and your lack of experience." He turned to John, his face serious. "You are an intelligent man, Colonel Sheppard. So when I say that my daughter's happiness is the most important thing to me, you'll take me at my word."

"Her happiness is important to me as well." John's brow furrowed. "You don't think I'm right for her?"

Tiberius gave a small, hidden smile then turned around and started to go, addressing Banks as he goes, "Please have the rest of my things sent directly to my quarters. Earth's trading has grown since my last visit."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>After he left, John turns to Rodney and said bitterly, "It's a nice speech. Very inspiring."

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer has fallen asleep at her desk, her head resting on her arms. She wakes up and looks around in confusion for a moment. Then she looks down in shock as she sees that her right hand is covered with lumps of clear goo. She lifts it off the desk, trailing strands of goo from the underside of her hand, and looks at it in surprise.  
>Shortly afterwards, she washes the goo off her hand under a tap. Frowning, she turns off the tap and dries her hands with a paper towel. Behind her, Marie, the head nurse, comes in with a male medic.<p>

"All right, let's do one more series; see if we can get the results." As the medic walks away, she sees Jennifer. "Doctor, you're still here."  
>Jennifer keeps her back to her as she continues to dry her hands. "Oh, yeah. Fell asleep at my desk."<br>"Well, if you don't mind me saying, I think you're pushing yourself a little hard. You should take it easy."  
>"I know. I'm gonna turn in now."<br>"Are you all right?"  
>"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, still keeping her back to her.<br>"OK. Night."  
>"Night."<p>

҉

**SHEPPARD'S APPARTMENT**

John was sitting on the edge of the bed getting undressed. The kids had just came in to yell their good-nights and smother him with affection before Illyria ushered them off to bed. Illyria returned with baby John in her arms, cradling him in a soft white cable knit blanket with his name embroidered into it with bright blue lettering. It was a gift from one of the techs in the science department.

"They asleep?" John asked, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it into the laundry bin.

"No," Illyria sighed. She walked over to the white wooden crib Ronon had beside the bed and placed baby John inside. She turned back to her husband and said, "They want you to read them a bedtime story."

John pulled his boots, belt, and pants off and pulled on a pair of sweatpants, leaving a shirt off. He stood up and kissed Illyria on the cheek. "You need some sleep."

She chuckled. "Don't we all."

John gave her a small smile and left the room and headed for the children's room. He's always like their room the most; it always reminded him of Earth – the ladder in between their beds that lead to a small loft; a toy chest in front of their beds; even the flannel blanket on their beds.

"Story time?!" Jennifer asked when she saw him, shooting up in her bed. Her golden brown hair braided into pigtails. She wore pick striped pajamas that enhanced her cuteness.

"Only if you're good." John smiled. "What 'Buster Bear' book are we on today?"

"Uh," Patrick said, thinking. "Buster Bear Becomes a Hero."

"Daddy, come sit over here! Daddy! Daddy! Over here!" Jennifer beckoned as John retrieved the book. As he was walking back, she took his hand and guided him to her bed. He sat down on the pink flannel sheets and Jennifer snuggled into him.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Patrick said. "You sat with her last time."

Jennifer just stuck out her tongue and smiled, snuggling deeper into John.

"Hey, your baby brother's asleep." John said sternly. "Mom wouldn't be too happy if you two woke him up. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." They both said.

John held out the arm that wasn't secured in Jennifer's vise and said, "Come here, Pat, there's more than enough room for the three of us."

"No! This is my bed, Daddy!" Jennifer whined.

Patrick just stuck out his tounge and smiled as he flopped own on the bed. John put his arm around his shoulders and smiled.

"Can I get on with the story now?" The twins' heads nodded and John began to read,

"The news that Little Joe Otter told at the Smiling Pool,—how Farmer Brown's boy had run away from Buster Bear without even seeing him,—soon spread all over the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest, until everyone who lives there knew about it. Of course, Peter Rabbit helped spread it. Trust Peter for that! But everybody else helped too. You see, they had all been afraid of Farmer Brown's boy for so long that they were tickled almost to pieces at the very thought of having someone in the Green Forest who could make Farmer Brown's boy feel fear as they had felt it. And so it was that Buster Bear became a hero right away to most of them.  
>A few doubted Little Joe's story. One of them was Blacky the Crow. Another was Reddy Fox. Blacky doubted because he knew Farmer Brown's boy so well that he couldn't imagine him afraid. Reddy doubted because he didn't want to believe. You see, he was jealous of Buster Bear, and at the same time he was afraid of him. So Reddy pretended not to believe a word of what Little Joe Otter had said, and he agreed with Blacky that only by seeing Farmer Brown's boy afraid could he ever be made to believe it. But nearly everybody else believed it, and there was great rejoicing. Most of them were afraid of Buster, very much afraid of him, because he was so big and strong. But they were still more afraid of Farmer Brown's boy, because they didn't know him or understand him, and because in the past he had tried to catch some of them in traps and had hunted some of them with his terrible gun.<br>So now they were very proud to think that one of their own number actually had frightened him, and they began to look on Buster Bear as a real hero. They tried in ever so many ways to show him how friendly they felt and went quite out of their way to do him favors. Whenever they met one another, all they could talk about was the smartness and the greatness of Buster Bear.  
>'Now I guess Farmer Brown's boy will keep away from the Green Forest, and we won't have to be all the time watching out for him,' said Bobby Coon, as he washed his dinner in the Laughing Brook, for you know he is very neat and particular.<br>'And he won't dare set any more traps for me,' gloated Billy Mink.  
>'Ah wish Buster Bear would go up to Farmer Brown's henhouse and scare Farmer Brown's boy so that he would keep away from there. It would be a favor to me which Ah cert'nly would appreciate,' said Unc' Billy Possum when he heard the news.<br>'Let's all go together and tell Buster Bear how much obliged we are for what he has done,' proposed Jerry Muskrat.  
>'That's a splendid idea!' cried Little Joe Otter. 'We'll do it right away.'<br>'Caw, caw caw!' broke in Blacky the Crow. 'I say, let's wait and see for ourselves if it is all true.'  
>'Of course it's true!' snapped Little Joe Otter. 'Don't you believe I'm telling the truth?'<br>'Certainly, certainly. Of course no one doubts your word,' replied Blacky, with the utmost politeness. 'But you say yourself that Farmer Brown's boy didn't see Buster Bear, but only his footprint. Perhaps he didn't know whose it was, and if he had he wouldn't have been afraid. Now I've got a plan by which we can see for ourselves if he really is afraid of Buster Bear.'  
>'What is it?' asked Sammy Jay eagerly.<br>Blacky the Crow shook his head and winked. 'That's telling,' said he. 'I want to think it over. If you meet me at the Big Hickory-tree at sun-up to-morrow morning, and get everybody else to come that you can, perhaps I will tell you.'"

"What's gonna happen next?" Patrick wondered, looking up at John. "Is Blacky gonna tell 'em?"

"I don't know, kiddo. Guess we'll have to wait till tomorrow." John stood up and slung Patrick into his arms and dropped him gently into his bed. "Go to sleep. You've got pre-k tomorrow. Mrs. Younghouse says you're doing math?"

"Yep!" Patrick nodded. "I'm pretty good at it, she says. She says I'm a year ahead!"

"Yeah, well," Jennifer said, budding for John's attention. "I can read better! Mrs. Younghouse says I can read big kid books if I wanted."

John's smile could've lit a room. "I'll tell you what, you two are a whole lot smarter than me when I was your age." He walked to the door, and called over his shoulder, "Night, you two."

"Oh, Daddy, wait!" Jennifer said before John could turn out the lights. She hopped out of bed, picked up her Hello Kitty plush bag and retrieved a paper from it. She smiled down at it and ran over to him. "Uncle Lorne and Aunt Marissa let us paint." She handed him the paper and ran back to her bed. "You can turn off the lights now, Daddy."

"You sure?" He smiled.

She nodded. "Mhhmm."

He shook his head with amusement and flicked off the lights. He headed to his room, stairing down at the paper.

"What's wrong?" Illyria asked when John walked in. She took off her reading glasses, closed her book, and placed them both on the bedside table. John sat down beside her on the bed and showed her.

John's head tilted. Farther to the right it leaned as his eyebrows bunched up. Finally the paper was turned sideways as he tried again.

"I don't get it."

A pair of bright brown eyes looked at the transfixed blues before them and regarded him for a moment. "What don't you get, John?"

"Here, you look." The paper was handed to the more intuitive of the pair and he continued to peer at it over her shoulder. Eyes quickly flitting to the page, Illyria righted the paper. Her eyebrows slowly knit together as well.

This didn't make any sense at all. Lines criss-crossed here and there and colors collided. She turned the paper herself and then back with confusion apparent on her face until finally, it clicked. A warm smile lit up her face at the design and she handed the paper back to John.

"Well? What is it?" His voice sounded irritated and it made the grin framing her features widen.

"You're looking too hard."

"Looking too hard? There's nothing here that makes any sense at all," John insisted.

Her eyes glinting up at him, Illyria complacently replied, "It's there."

Squinting now, he asked, "A double helix?" A head shake held his answer. "Simple, huh?" He seemed to mull it over. "A slinky?"

It couldn't be helped this time, an innocent laugh bubbled out and he gave a short growl in return. "Not quite that simple, John. You're getting closer. Look at the whole thing," his wife advised.

"This is like Spanish class studying the works of Pablo Picasso all over again," John grumbled.

"Here, I'll help you." Illyria's hand took his and dragged it along the paper until it rested on an area mostly colored blue. "The double helix you saw is really water colored in the easy way. The top part here is yellow, most likely indicating a setting sun. The rest of this mismatched area up here is…" His hand was made to encircle sharper, brighter lines toward the middle as she left him to figure it out on his own.

"Is," he continued then paused, forming his thoughts, "land?" Illyria nodded encouragingly. "Is it…" he stopped midsentence as realization finally dawned on him. "It's Atlantis."

"You've got it." An arm wrapped around his waist and she beamed at him in pride. He continued to stare at the paper their Jennifer drew for them and suddenly said, "Well that's the last time we have Lorne and Marissa babysit."

"Hey now, that's not too bad for only being five," Illyria defended.

"He's not babysitting because he'd hold her back," John clarified. Another small laugh escaped her lips as she tightened her hold on his waist. A kiss was deposited on his cheek. He was shaping up to be a great father.

҉

**DAY TIME**

**CONFERENCE ROOM**

Illyria is sitting at a new wooden table in the room, chatting with the battered Major Evan Lorne. The swelling around his right eye, nose, and jaw was going down considerably; the deep gash that ran from his left eyebrow to his bottom lip was now a pink line. His ribs were still heavily wrapped and he now had to walk with a cane.

Ronon Dex walks in and looks at the table before sitting down. Rodney and Jennifer are at the side of the room as Jennifer helps herself to some coffee.  
>"Did you get any sleep last night?" Rodney asked her.<br>"Do I really look that bad?"  
>"Uh, no, no, of course not. That's not what I meant." He said hurriedly. He gestures at his face, indicating her own. "'Cause, really, it's a lovely..."<br>Jennifer smiles at him sarcastically. "Thanks." She goes to the table as John walks in and sits beside his wife.  
>"Wow! New table, huh?"<br>"My father brought it with him." She smiled at a childhood memory. "He always had a gift for shopping. Every time we would go out, he'd bring something back."  
>"Twelve-foot long mahogany conference table." John nodded. He looked over at Illyria and smiled. "The old guy sure has taste." Illyria shook her head, smiling. "Where's J.J?"<p>

"J.J?" Illyria asked, confused.

"The baby. John Junior?"

Illyria raised an eyebrow. "That's what you're calling him? J.J?"

"What?" John said, looking around.

"Try again." Jennifer hinted, smiling.

"Johnny?" John asked. And Illyria shook her head. "Jace? Mini Me? Little guy with the smelly diapers…?"

"How about John Carson?" Rodney suggested. "Sounds more fluid."

"Hm," Illyria said, thinking. She turned her head and smiled at John. "I like."

John sighed. "John Carson it is then."

"To answer your question, it's Monday so the kids are at Pre-k and John Carson's in the nursery."

"We have a nursery here?" Lorne asked. "And a pre-k?"

"Amanda in the science department taught at a day-care during college." Illyria said. "Since she wasn't working on anything, she offered."

"I don't get it." Ronon abruptly said to Illyria. "I thought Colonel Renner and you were doing a good job."  
>"I agree. We defeated the Replicators; we thwarted Michael's plans; and the Wraith are in a state of disarray. All of this mostly happened while we both were leaders of Atlantis."<br>"That's the problem." John said.  
>"I don't understand." Jennifer said.<br>"Well, Illyria and Jeremy are both a victim of their own success. Now that the threat level is down, the I.O.A. is gonna jump at the chance to put a civilian back in command."

"But I am a civilian." Illyria said.  
>"It's not just that. I mean, you two didn't exactly stick to protocol." Rodney added.<br>"Neither did Doctor Weir." Lorne said.  
>"Right," Rodney continued, "so for four years they've been waiting to get someone in there who'll finally do things their way."<br>Illyria laughed out loud. "And Earth thinks my father is the one to do it?"

"He wouldn't be here without the I.O.A." John told her.

"He must have other reasons for coming back." She shook her head. "He wouldn't have become mortal, taken back his title, if it was for something small."

Jennifer turned to John. "Colonel, when you were in the future and you learned all those things that were gonna happen, wasn't this one of them, Tiberius taking over?"  
>"Well, the circumstances were different. Woolsey took over."<br>"Still, it is a little unsettling. I mean, maybe it's harder to change the course of events than we thought."  
>"Well, I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, the fact that Sheppard's here makes all the difference, right?" Rodney asked.<br>"Woolsey wasn't the weirdest thing about that timeline." John said.  
>"What do you mean?" Jennifer asked.<br>Glancing between Lorne, Jennifer and Rodney, John said, "...Never mind."  
>Rodney and Jennifer and Lorne look at each other nervously. Just then, Tiberius walks in wearing a black suit with a matching vest underneath, a light blue dress shirt, and a golden tie. Marissa walks in right behind him, wearing a black long sleeved turtle neck neatly tucked into a flat red skirt that came to her knees. She covertly squeezed Lorne's shoulder as she walked by.<br>"Now that everyone is here," He said, walking around the table to stand at the head. Marissa sat down beside him on his right, Illyria to his left. He drops a folder onto the table, and unbuttoned his jacket as he sits down. "Let us get started. First of all, I would like to congratulate all of you on the success you have had dismantling what is left of Michael's organization. And for saving my daughter and grandson." He smiled at Illyria, reached over the table to briefly squeeze her hand.  
>"Except one thing: we haven't found him yet." Ronon said.<br>"Your report states he was on the Cruiser you destroyed in orbit around M2S-445." He looked around at everyone's faces. "But I am assuming you believe there is a chance he may have made it off the ship."

"Yes, sir." Lorne nodded.

"You are…" Tiberius mused, flipping open a file, "Ah, Major Evan James Lorne. Atlantis Recognizances team two leader."

"Uh…yes, sir." Lorne said, confused. Tiberius made a motion for Lorne to continue. "One of Michael's ex-mercenaries has seen him alive recently."  
>"Major, this is one unsubstantiated report from a highly unreliable source."<br>"Well, someone stole our…your…Jumper off that ship." Rodney said.  
>"You need Atlantian DNA to pilot one."<br>"Not necessarily. We've developed a gene therapy that works...some of the time."  
>Illyria turned in her chair to look at her father. "He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. If there is even a chance that he is still alive, we must continue the search."<br>"The I.O.A thought you might say that and told me to pass along their orders." He opened another file, took out a piece of paper, leaned back in his chair and read, "The I.O.A cannot devote the resources of this base [Project Atlantis] to the never-ending pursuit of a single individual across an entire galaxy. Even if the members of [Project Atlantis] knew for a fact he were still alive, the I.O.A still would not authorize it –" He looked up from the paper and through it over his shoulder. He straightened up in his chair and smiled. "But I have found a…how do you say it…a 'loop-hole' in the I.O.A's directive. This is my city and I'll be damned if I let that abomination keep breathing."

"You want to…go against the I.O.A?" John asked.

"Problem?" Tiberius asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Nope. Not at all." John smiled and leaned back in his seat, looking around the table at everyone. "What's this loop-hole?"

"_Unless_ you have some new, _credible_ evidence as to his whereabouts we can't move foreward. Do you, Colonel?"  
>John sighed. "No."<br>"Then, for the time being, I have no choice but to consider the matter closed…_officially_. Unofficially, I consider this matter very much open. With every mission your secondary objective is to gather intel on Michael." He shuts the file and opens another one. "As to these prisoner hybrids, I understand they are being held in a camp on the mainland?"  
>"That's right." John nodded.<br>"And how is their rehabilitation progressing?" Tiberius said, looking at Jennifer. Jennifer is staring down at her coffee cup, lost in thought. "Doctor?"  
>Jennifer looks up, startled. "Um, right. Uh, well, um, we've had some success using a slightly modified version of the original retrovirus that created Michael in the first place. It weeds out the Wraith D.N.A. and allows them to resume their original human form over time."<br>"Without any lasting ill effects?"  
>"None that we've detected so far, no."<br>"Many have already completed the treatment. They're wondering when they might be released." Illyria told him.  
>"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Tiberius said without looking at her.<br>"These people are victims-"  
>"Maybe so, Illyria, but until very recently they were also enemy combatants."<br>"Fine. Well, then, we'll just keep them there forever." Rodney said sarcastically.  
>"No, we will keep them there until I am satisfied that they can be trusted." He closes the file and opens the next one. Rodney looks at him, slightly startled that he has been out-snarked for once. John smiles smugly at Illyria. "Now, regarding the situation with your friend in the stasis pod. The late Doctor Carson Scott Beckett." He looks up at Jennifer. "You seem to have been giving a significant amount of attention to him lately."<br>"Well, once we got our hands on Michael's medical research, I thought I should make it a priority to look for a solution."  
>Tiberius turns to her, looking more interested. "And have you found one?"<br>"Maybe. We found a serum that - in lab tests at least - seems to be capable of stabilizing the clone cells."  
>"So what is the problem?" Illyria asked, leaning forward.<br>"Carson was near death when we put him in that chamber. I don't wanna take him out until I know for sure. But lab tests can only do so much."  
>"But that problem is never going to go away, is it?" Tiberius sighed. He leaned back in his seat, rubbing his chin while he thought. "Alright," he said finally, sitting up. He looks around at everyone and says softly, "If you have reached the limit of what your research can tell you, then you need to make a decision: either proceed…or put the matter aside and get back to your regular duty."<br>Jennifer nods at him nervously. He nods back, closes the file. He moves to open another one, but Marissa said,

"There have been…numerous questions about the power structure in Atlantis."

Tiberius's brows furrowed. "Meaning?"

"Meaning that people are confused on who's running the show." Ronon said. "You or Illyria?"

"Ronon…" Illyria warned, glancing between him and her father.

"No," Tiberius said, raising his hand to silence his daughter. "It is a valid question. One that deserves and answer." He stood up and buttoned his jacket with his left hand. "I am in charge now, taking back my title as King. I realize where you come from, your homes before this, you did not have kings or Queens, but presidents, prime ministers, or chamberlains. Think of me as that. My daughter, Illyria, will take her place as my second. Other than that, everything will remain the same." He looks down at John. "Colonel Sheppard, I know it might seem strange, but I am asking you to welcome back Captain Frio. The United States Marine Corps back on Earth have reinstated her."

Everyone around the room clapped appropriately and smiled at Marissa. She looked around, caught Lorne's eye, and smiled.

҉

**STASIS CHAMBER**

Rodney and Jennifer stand outside Carson Beckett's stasis pod, together with a couple of medics with a gurney.  
>"You sure about this?" Rodney asked Jennifer.<br>"No, but we're never gonna be sure unless we give it a shot. If we don't take a chance now, he could be in there forever."  
>They look at each other nervously for a moment, then Rodney said, a little reluctantly, "All right, then."<br>He types onto his computer tablet and the stasis field surrounding Carson shuts down. Carson blinks and starts to collapse. The medics catch him.  
>"Get him on the gurney." Jennifer ordered. The medics lift him up and lay him on the gurney. "Careful."<br>Looking at Rodney anxiously for a moment, she injects Carson in the neck and the medics wheel him away.  
>"Now what?" Rodney asked.<br>"Now we take him to the Infirmary and watch for signs of more cellular degradation. We should know soon enough."

҉

**LATER**

**INFIRMARY**

Carson lies in bed with his eyes closed. Marissa, Rodney, John, Illyria and Ronon are standing around his bedside and a few moment later he opens his eyes.  
>"Hey there. How you doing?" Rodney asked.<br>"Fine. What happened?" Carson asked, blinking away the light.  
>"Well, what do you think?! We thawed you out!"<br>"It's nice to see you again, Carson." Marissa smiled, laying her hand beside his pillow.

Carson blinked a few more times before his vision could focus. When it did, his eyes bulged. He looked at everyone around his bed, half of them smiling, to see if she was actually there or if he was going crazy.

"M-Marissa?" He asked, hesitantly.  
>"Yeah, Carson, it's me." She squeezed his shoulder and a smile grew on his face. "It's been a while."<br>"Aye." He turned his attention from her to John. "How long was I in there?"  
>"Ah, two months, give or take."<br>"Did I miss anything?"

"You know, just the usual."

In the adjoined medical room, they could hear muffled shouting and equipment clattering to the floor. The doors opened and the shouting grew louder.

"Stop! Stop! You can't go in there!" A woman was shouting from the other room. "Stop right now!"

"No! Let go of me!" A little girl's voice rang out. Seconds later, the adult woman cried out and a bed pan clattered to the floor with a little boy shouting,

"Go! Go! Go!" the little boy shouted. "I got her, go!"

Just then, Jennifer Arin Sheppard, dressed in a blue shirt with the N.Y Yankees symbol labeled in white, white shorts, and bare feet with her long brown hair gathered into a ponytail that was pulled through the loop of her N.Y Yankees hat. She skittered into the room, nearly sliding into another bed, and ran straight to Carson's bedside. She jumped up on the bed, ignoring Carson's whining, and snuggled into his side.

"Ahhhh!" The little boy yelled. "Let go of me, you old hag!"

The woman let go, surprised. "Ah! Why you little-"

The little boy took this chance to run for it through the doors and into the other room. Unsurprisingly, it was Patrick Tiberius Sheppard. He was dressed in a faded white Captain America tee shirt, cargo shorts, bare feet, and a bed pan held fiercely in both hands. He was backing out of the other room and when he saw the woman was going after him, he dropped the pan and ran. Like his sister, Patrick hopped up on the bed and ignored Carson's wincing.

As the woman stormed through the door, dressed in the scientific uniform and slightly limping, Patrick and Jennifer looked at each other, nodded, and ducked under the covers. Ronon, Marissa, and John were smiling, trying to control their laughter; Carson and Rodney looked confused; and Illyria looked pissed.

The woman stopped short of the group, glaring at the lumps under the covers, but said to Illyria in a French accent, "Madam Illyria, I respectfully resign as your children's teacher. I can only hope you…understand."

Without another word, or before Illyria could say anything, the French technician left the room. The room was left silent, confusion and anger held heavy in the air, and from under the covers you could hear the children's whispers.

"Is the hag gone?"

"I don't know. Go check."

"Why don't you?"

"Because I'm older!"

"Nah Uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Children…" Illyria said calmly. Two heads slowly peaked above the covers, only their eyes could be seen.

"Yes, mama?" They said together as innocently as they could.

Before Illyria could open her mouth to scold them, John put his hand on her arm. "Let them have a moment with the Doc. We'll talk about it when we get home." Illyria just kept her eyes on the two lumps. John sighed and turned to Carson with a slight smile. "Like I said, you didn't miss much."

Carson chuckled, wrapping his arms around the kids when they finally surfaced. Jennifer walked in and hands a computer tablet to Carson.

"Well, I've got good news. At the moment, you're showing no signs of cellular degradation."  
>"You were able to recreate the treatment?"<br>"That's right." Jennifer said, smiling proudly. "I'll let them tell you about it."

She starts to walk away. John follows her. "Hey, Doc. Nice work."  
>"Well, it's not a permanent solution."<br>"It's good enough for now." He looks at her closely. "Go get some rest. If I didn't know any better, Id've thought you had kids."  
>She smiles and walks away.<p>

҉

**JENNIFER'S QUARTERS**

Having changed into her nightwear, Jennifer goes over to her bedside table and takes some tablets before turning out the lights and getting into bed. She pulls the bedclothes over her and settles down to sleep.

҉

**EXTERNAL BALCONY**

**MORNING**

Carson, now dressed, is standing on the balcony looking at the city. Rodney comes out to join him.  
>"There you are."<br>"Gorgeous, isn't it?"  
>"I ... suppose so." Rodney said, looking at the view.<br>"You know, I really did miss this place."  
>"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." Rodney said awkwardly.<br>"What's that supposed to mean?" Carson asked, turning to him.  
>"Look, I just found out. They're sending you back to Earth. There's a scheduled dial-out this afternoon."<br>"Oh, well. I suppose it's to be expected. I mean, even with these injections, I imagine it'll still be months before I'm in any sort of decent physical condition."  
><em> "Rodney, this is Marissa. Come in, please."<em>  
>Activating his headset, he said, "Go ahead."<br>_"I'm sorry to bother you, but I need your help."_

҉

**OUTSIDE JENNIFER'S QUARTERS**

Rodney and Carson join Marissa at the door. She is holding a computer tablet.  
>"What is it?" Rodney asked.<br>"It's Doctor Keller. She was supposed to join me for breakfast this morning but didn't show." Marissa said.  
>"Well? So maybe she's sleeping in."<br>"I figured as much and decided not to disturb her. That was four hours ago. Now she's late for her shift and she's not responding to radio calls."  
>"What do you want me to do about it?"<br>She handed him the tablet and raised her eyebrow. "Override the door controls."  
>"I am not breaking into her room."<br>"Rodney." Carson said. "There might be something wrong."  
>Taking the tablet with an exasperated sigh he said, "Fine. But if she's just in there sleeping, or naked or something, you guys are taking the blame." He takes the cover off the door panel and pulls out the middle crystal. "All right."<br>He starts working on the tablet as Marissa and Carson wait impatiently.  
>After a few seconds, Carson said, "Oh, for God's sakes, Rodney, hurry up!"<p>

Glaring at him for a moment, Rodney plugs a connection from the tablet into the crystal socket in the panel and the doors slide open. The room is dark inside.  
>"Jennifer, are you all right?" Marissa called out. "Jennifer?"<br>When there's no reply, Carson hurries into the room, followed by the other two. "She must be unconscious." He hurries over to Jennifer's bedside where she is lying on her back with her eyes closed. He kneels down at the side of the bed and peels one of her eyelids open. "Pupil's dilated."  
>Spotting something, Marissa pulled out her gun and stepped back a bit. "Carson, step away from the bed."<br>"What?"  
>"Step away now." She said urgently, raising her gun.<br>Carson stands up and backs away.  
>"What is it?" Rodney asked.<br>Marissa reaches down with one hand, takes hold of the top of the bedclothes and pulls them back. The three of them stare in horror.  
>"Dear lord!" Carson gasped.<br>A huge mass of red tendrils is covering Jennifer's stomach. It has spread to both sides over her arms and some of the tendrils have gone over the sides of the bed.  
>Marissa raised her hand to her headset and said, "Colonel Sheppard, this is Captain Frio."<br>_"Go ahead."_ John said, a little out of breath.  
>"John, we have a problem."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John runs into Jennifer's quarters, followed by a guard holding a Wraith stunner pistol, shouting, "What the hell's going on?"  
>"We're not sure. This is how we found her." Rodney said.<br>"It must've happened last night." Marissa said.  
>John crouches down beside the bed, staring in amazement at the mass on Jennifer's stomach.<br>"I've seen something like this before." Carson said, staring down at Jennifer, puzzled.  
>"Where?" John asked.<br>"One of Michael's labs. He was conducting some kind of experiment."  
>"We've gotta get it off her."<br>"I'm not so certain that's such a good idea. From what I can tell, the tendrils are attached to her and the bed frame. If we just start ripping them off, we could cause her serious injury."  
>"But we can't just leave her like this."<br>"We need to get her into an isolation chamber, and take the whole bed as well. That way, we can run a full examination and see what we're dealing with here."

҉

**LATER**

"These things are actually growing out of her body?" Tiberius asked as he hurries along the corridors with John.  
>"That's what it looks like."<br>"Is she conscious?"  
>"Beckett says her brain activity is consistent with somebody in a coma."<br>Tiberius nodded. "Doctor Beckett is not on active duty."  
>"He was the first one there. He says he's seen something like this before."<br>"While he was a prisoner?"  
>"He was forced to work for Michael for two years. Nobody knows this stuff better than he does."<p>

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Carson and a medical team are in the room, all wearing Hazmat. Team Sheppard, and Tiberius are in the Observation Room, watching the medical team on the cameras. Illyria walks in, cradling John Carson in his big knit blanket.  
>"I'm gonna try to cut some of the thinner strands." Carson informed everyone in the observation room before turning to his nurse. "Scalpel." One of the medics hands him a scalpel. "Thank you." Holding a thin tendril in place with a clamp, he cuts a piece of it free. "Here we go." He puts the tendril into a waiting receptacle held by a medic, and calls out to Marie. "Nurse?"<br>Marie checks the monitors. "No change."  
>Carson turned to the medic. "Get that analyzed right away."<br>As the medic turns and leaves, Jennifer's heart rate increases and an alarm sounds.  
>"Doctor!" Marie yelled. "Blood pressure's dropping. Pulse as well."<br>"That's what I was afraid of. She's crashing. Administer five milligrams of atropine." The alarm continues to sound. "My God. Come on."  
>Marie administers the dose to Jennifer. Moments later the alarm stops and the rhythms on the monitors become more regular.<br>"There she is." He sighs and looks into the camera. "I'm sorry. I don't dare make another incision."  
>In the observation room, Ronon turned around to look at everyone. "So much for cutting her loose."<br>"Doctor Beckett, I'd like a word." Tiberius said.  
>Handing the scalpel and clamp to Marie, Carson turns and leaves the room.<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Having taken the helmet off his Hazmat suit off, Carson hurries after Tiberius.  
>"Don't worry, I'll get her out. Once I get back to the lab, I-"<br>Tiberius stops, turns back to him and talks over him. "Doctor, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but our Earth dial-out is in one hour."  
>"I'll take a pass on this one, if you don't mind. If it wasn't for Doctor Keller, I'd still be locked in that stasis chamber, possibly forever."<br>"Doctor Keller's own report is abundantly clear: while your condition is stabilized, you've still suffered severe damage to your internal organs. You need to be in a hospital bed yourself, not running a medical investigation."  
>"I'll be fine. The first sign of trouble, I'll step aside, I promise."<p>

Clearly hearing what he was waiting for, Tiberius smiled and nodded. "You're convinced this has something to do with Michael?"  
>"Well, it's not a case of the hives, is it?"<p>

҉

**OBSERVATION ROOM**

Carson and Tiberius come back in.  
>"How's she doing?" Carson asked, walking over to Marie.<br>"Vitals have stabilized. Still showing minimal brain function. We did manage to get blood and tissue samples."  
>"All right. Then we've got some work to do." Carson said and he and Marie head off. Tiberius walks over to his daughter and Team Sheppard.<br>"You're not sending him back, huh?" John asked.  
>"Well, he is the closest thing to an expert we have." Tiberius said, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.<br>"It's not exactly by the book." Illyria said mock pointedly.  
>He leaned over and whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Don't get used to it."<p>

He pulled back and left with a small smile on his face. The team was beginning to realize, what Illyria and Marissa have already realized, that underneath all the 'Irish' muscle exterior, he was just a big teddy bear with sharp claws.

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

**INFIRMARY**

Carson is working on a computer when Rodney comes in.  
>"How's it coming?"<br>"Slowly. But I did find something in Jennifer's blood sample."  
>"Oh? What?" Rodney asked anxiously.<br>"Easy." Carson said gently as he calls up the image on the screen. "It's some kind of alien pathogen, so far unidentified. I'm checking it against the database."  
>"Is it possible she's turning into a hybrid?"<br>"No, I don't think so. I've seen several variations of the conversion process, but never anything like this."  
>"Well, it's gotta be something to do with Michael. I mean, she hasn't been offworld since she helped rescue us from that lab."<br>"That's what I was thinking. Of course, if that's where she came in contact with the pathogen..."  
>Rodney grimaced. "Oh, you think the rest of us may have been exposed as well."<br>"Well, aye, it's a possibility. I'm gonna need blood samples from everyone who was on that planet, including you, Rodney."  
>Groaning plaintively, Rodney said, "Oh, great."<br>"Doctor." Marie said as she came in and both Doctors McKay and Beckett simultaneously said, "Yes?"  
>Carson glances at Rodney for a moment, then turns back to Marie. "Yes?"<br>"She's awake."

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Rodney, wearing Hazmat, opens the door and stares in amazement at what he sees.  
>"Oh my God…"<br>Slowly he walks inside. The entire bed is now covered with tendrils. The mass is much thicker than before and covers Jennifer's entire body. Only her head is free, although tendrils cover the rest of the pillow. Other strands drape down all sides of the bed. Many smaller tendrils have grown out and covered all the equipment around the bed, and several large ones have spread out in various directions across the floor to the walls. Jennifer stares at him in terror as he comes closer.  
>"Rodney, what's happening to me?"<br>"We're not entirely sure. It looks like some kind of a cocoon. Does it hurt?"  
>"I can't feel anything. I can't move."<br>"OK, look." Nervously, he steps closer. "Don't you worry, OK? We're gonna get you out."  
>Jennifer looks around suspiciously. "Who else is here?"<br>"What do you mean? There's, there's no-one."  
>"I don't wanna go to sleep. I'm afraid I won't wake up." When she spoke, she wasn't looking at Rodney.<br>"Jennifer?"  
>"It's not my fault!"<br>"Of course it's not! It's an alien organism."  
>She looks at him briefly, then her eyes drift away again. "What?"<br>"Carson found it in your blood sample. He's gonna - he's gonna figure out what it is and then, then, we're gonna figure out how to kill it."  
>Finally meeting his gaze, Jennifer said, "My hand."<br>"What about it?"  
>"That's where it started. I saw it, a few nights ago."<br>"So why didn't you say anything?!"  
>"I was gonna run a scan. I don't...I don't know."<br>"It doesn't matter, OK? We're gonna fix this. I promise."  
>In the Observation Room, Carson and Tiberius are watching the footage from the Isolation Room.<br>"It appears to be affecting her mind." Tiberius noted.  
>"Aye. She claims to be hearing voices, like there's someone else in the room with her."<br>"How fast is it growing?"  
>"Currently it's doubling its mass every couple of hours." A medic brings him a computer tablet. "Thank you."<br>"This is not just about Doctor Keller anymore." Tiberius told Carson, turning to him. "I need to know if this thing is going be a threat to the city."  
>Looking up from the tablet, he said, "I'd say that's a definite yes."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Colonel Sheppard, Ronon, Rodney - everyone who was on M2S-445. They all tested positive. Whatever this is, they've all got it."<p>

҉

**THE SHEPPARD'S APPARTMENT**

John and Illyria were sitting on the small couch in the living room as Tiberius stands in front of them. The children were in the Infirmary being checked out by Carson for any trace of the pathogen.  
>"Right now," Tiberius said, "we are working under the assumption that this alien pathogen was present somewhere in that lab, perhaps as part of one of Michael's experiments. When the building was destroyed, it was released."<br>"We've been back for a month now!" John said. "If it was gonna spread to the general population, it would have already happened."  
>"I know. Doctor Beckett is now fairly confident that it is not contagious."<br>"Right. Then why confine us to our quarters?"  
>"You have seen what is happening to Doctor Keller."<br>"Yeah, but it's not happening to me!" John said angrily, standing up. Illyria still sat on the couch with a faraway look on her face.  
>"Not yet." Tiberius said sternly. "There could be any number of random physiological reasons why it started with Doctor Keller but that is no assurance that it is not going to happen to the rest of you. It could be a matter of days; it could be a matter of hours. Even Colonel Renner has been quarantined back at Stargate Command. John, I know it is hard for you to stay on the sidelines, but it is the right call."<p>

"What about the children." Illyria asked, looking up at her father. "Patrick, Jennifer, John Carson?"

"You and the children will be staying in my quarters once they have been cleared by Doctor Beckett." Tiberius reached out his hand and helps Illyria off the couch.

Illyria turns to John, hugs him close for a moment, c=burying her head in the crook of his neck, before leaving their home. Tiberius turns to leave, but John stands up and follows him down the small hall and towards the door. "In the meantime, what are we gonna do about Keller?"  
>Tiberius turns back to him with a sullen look on his face. "We are still assessing the situation."<br>He turns and leaves. A guard outside the door swipes the wall panel and the door closes, sealing John and inside.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Carson and Doctor Radek Zelenka are talking with Tiberius, reporting on the situation.  
>"We still don't know how the pathogen causes the physiological changes, but we've managed to complete our analysis of the sample extracted." Carson said as he pulls up an image on a wall screen. "Essentially, it's a biopolymer, similar to a polysaccharide but with organo-metallic compounds mixed in."<br>"For the unversed, please, Doctor?" Tiberius asked tiredly.  
>"It's like the material an insect or a crustacean uses to form its shell. At first, it's soft and pliable and then it becomes tough and leathery, and eventually it hardens into an incredible density, resistant to heat, pressure and even radiation."<br>"Yes. It's like the hull of a ship." Radek simplified.  
>"Aye."<br>"What are you saying?" Tiberius asked.  
>"Well, we always knew that Wraith ships were organic in design, right?" Radek asked. "They were essentially grown instead of constructed. We've just never witnessed it before."<br>"Are you telling me that a Hive ship is growing inside my Isolation Room?" Tiberius aksed.  
>"Actually, it's no longer just inside the Isolation Room. It doesn't register on our life signs detector but once we knew what we were looking for, we calibrated our internal sensors and we were able to pick it up." Radek pulls up an image of the Isolation Room and surrounding area on the screen. "It has penetrated the walls and the floors, consuming and converting the material as it goes."<br>"How far has it spread?" Tiberius, more alert, stepped forward.  
>Expanding the area shown on the image, Radek said, "Well, it's gone down three levels already and it has attached itself to the electrical system, siphoning off power as it goes. This seems to have accelerated its growth significantly."<br>"How do we stop it?" Tiberius asked Carson.  
>"Well, that's the part we're still trying to figure out."<br>After a moment, Radek suggested, "We could cut off the power. That should slow it down quite a bit."

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Many more tendrils than before have now snaked out from the bed, across the floor and up the walls. Jennifer, alone in the room, looks around as some of the lights go out in the room.  
>"What's happening? Marie, what's going on?"<br>Marie answers her from the Observation Room, "Doctor, we've been ordered to evacuate the building. I'm sorry."  
>As Jennifer stares around in terror, the screens and lights in the Observation Room go out. In the Isolation Room, the last of the lights go out, leaving only faint daylight coming in through the windows. She bites her lip, trying not to cry.<p>

҉

**RODNEY'S QUARTERS**

Marissa has come to tell Rodney what's happening.  
>"And they just left her there?!" Rodney yelled, infuriated.<br>"I don't think they had much of a choice. Carson is searching Michael's database to see if there's anything that can help us."  
>"I suppose it was Zelenka's idea to shut off the power?"<br>"I don't know. Why?"  
>Sighing in exasperation, he said, "OK, this is ridiculous. They've got us stuck in our quarters while the new guy takes advice from the B-team!"<br>"What is it, Rodney?  
>"They are assuming that it tapped into the electric grid by randomly spreading out through the walls and the floor. What if it actually grows towards electromagnetic fields, like a plant growing towards the sun? It's gonna head directly for the next available power source."<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Tiberius points to an area on a screen showing the power distribution database. "One of the city's main power conduits runs beneath the building."  
>"So, shut the power down in that section as well." Illyria said.<br>"No, no, we already did, right?" Radek said. "This conduit runs directly into the ZeeP.M. It's like an express lane. Uh, we've already shut off the rest of traffic but this one keeps moving along."  
>"The only way to stop it would be to pull the ZeeP.M. and shut off power to the entire city." Marissa said.<br>"I had no idea you were so familiar with the power distribution grid." Tiberius said to Marissa with a sly smile.  
>"I'm not…I spoke to Rodney." Tiberius and Illyria exchange glances and Marissa frowns. "Is there a problem?"<br>"The pathogen seems to have a psychological effect on the host." Carson told her. "At the very least, we know it can affect their judgment, possibly well before any physical symptoms appear."  
>"Yes, but he's not wrong about this. If it reaches the conduit, it will have access to virtually unlimited power." Radek said.<br>"And what would happen?" Tiberius asked.  
>"The growth would increase exponentially." Carson told him.<br>"And since we've shut this section down, we have no sensors in the area, so the only way to know how far it's penetrated is to do a visual inspection." Radek said.  
>"All right." Tiberius nodded. "Assemble a team. Marissa, you will take point."<br>Marissa nods and she and Radek leave. Tiberius turns to Carson. "I need some answers, Doctor. How do we kill this thing?"  
>"Well, we're working on a genetically engineered virus that might be capable of destroying the pathogen that's infecting Doctor Keller, but that wouldn't eliminate the biopolymer itself."<br>"What would?" Illyria asked.  
>"At this time, Illyria, Tiberius, I have no idea."<p>

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Marissa, Radek and several soldiers make their way along the dark corridor, lighting their way with torches.  
>"So the main conduit runs behind this wall here." Radek said. He and Marissa open the panel to reveal a long metal-walled corridor. "Here, we can access it through this panel."<br>Marissa turns to the soldiers. "Sergeant, take your men, split up and search the surrounding corridors. Look for anything that seems weird." As the men head off, Radek unfolds a small ladder from the conduit that will allow him and Marissa to get inside. Marissa looks at him. "All right?"

"Okay." They climb inside the conduit and immediately reach a T-junction. Radek looks to the left and said, "Right, I'll go this way."  
>"Stay in radio contact, Doc." Marissa told him.<br>"Right."  
>They head off in opposite directions.<p>

Radek turns a few corners, shining his torch ahead of him, then stops startled and activates his headset. "I think I have something." He walks forward. Tendrils are growing out of the wall ahead of him. "Looks like Rodney was right." He turns another corner and sees what's there. "Oh, my."  
>The dead-end ahead of him is smothered in a huge mass of tendrils.<br>_"What is it?"_ Marissa asked over the radio.  
>"Looks like it's attached itself to the power conduit."<br>_"I'm coming to you."_  
>Radek walks closer to the mass. "I'm going to see if I can determine how much power it's draining."<br>He holds up a small Ancient gizmo and activates it, holding it close to the mass. As the device begins to beep, a large tendril near the floor extends and makes its way towards him. It wraps itself around his right calf and yanks back, sending him crashing backwards to the floor. His head hits the floor hard and he loses consciousness. More tendrils move in and start to wrap themselves around him. After a few seconds Radek revives and looks in horror as the tendrils continue slithering over him, but just then a burst of automatic gunfire from Marissa sprays bullets all around the walls, severing many of the larger tendrils. The small ones withdraw from Radek's body.

Marissa runs forward and hauls him to his feet. "Let's go, let's go. Come on!" Clutching the back of his head, Radek stumbles away. Marissa runs after him, checking behind her frequently. They reach the original junction and stop. "Are you all right?"  
>Radek takes his hand away from his head. It's covered with blood. "I think so." Grimacing, he pulls a small piece of tendril out of the neck of his jacket. Making a sound of disgust, he throws it to the floor. "I had no idea it could move like that."<br>"Neither did I." She sighed. "This is much worse than we thought."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Radek sits on the side of a bed holding a pad to the back of his head as Carson shines a penlight into his eyes.  
>"Looks like it's just a minor concussion. He should be fine."<br>Standing behind Carson, Tiberius asked, "So it was not bad enough that this thing was slowly taking over the base. Now it is attacking people? We need to put a stop to this, now."  
>"It won't be easy." Radek said. "It's already siphoned off a massive amount of power."<br>"We should pull the ZeeP.M." Illyria suggested.  
>"That might not be enough." Tiberius shook his head. "We could sit here in the dark for weeks while it just keeps on growing."<br>"We need to get Jennifer out of there." Carson said.  
>"I want to save Doctor Keller as much as anyone else, but we have additional concerns now."<br>"Why did it attack Radek? Because it perceived him as a threat and took action. That indicates intelligence but as far as we know, it has no brain of its own."  
>"So you're saying it's using her?" Radek asked Carson.<br>"I'm saying it needs her - to plan, to coordinate, to identify threats and deal with them."  
>"That could explain why she was hearing voices. The organism takes over a portion of the brain and sets up a separate consciousness, like - like multiple personalities."<br>"Aye. Otherwise, why have a human host at all?"  
>"So if we separate her from the main body..." Illyria trailed off with her suggestion and Carson picked it up.<br>"...I'll wager the rest of it becomes as lifeless as a dead tree trunk." He goes to a cabinet and takes out a phial. "Now, this is the virus I was telling you about. It's called a phage and it should - at least theoretically - be able to attack and eliminate the pathogen that's inside Jennifer's bloodstream. And if I'm right about this, it should sever the connection."  
>"Sounds too good to true." Tiberius said.<br>"Aye, well, it's never been tested."

҉

SHEPPARD'S APPARTMENT

John is standing around his living room with Tiberius who has brought Rodney and Ronon with him.  
>"We turned the power back on briefly to get a look inside the building." Tiberius informed John as he handed him a computer tablet. "This is the ground floor, five floors below the Isolation Room." The boys look at the image. The walls and floor are covered with tendrils. "As you can see, access is almost completely choked off, but for this to work, I need someone to step right up to Doctor Keller's bed and inject her."<br>"Well, we can use the transporter to get them close, but-"  
>"-but you'd still have to run a gauntlet of over fifty meters," Tiberius said, cutting off Rodney, "and after what happened to Doctor Zelenka..." he looks at John "...well, you understand my predicament."<br>"Yeah." John nodded.  
>"What?" Rodney asked.<br>"As I have been informed, if Doctor Keller really is the key to this thing, there is an easier way." Tiberius said and Rodney shakes his head uncomprehendingly. "We would only need a couple of well-aimed shots at the Isolation Room."  
>"Wait a second. What, you're talking about drones? What, you're gonna fire drones at one of our own people?!" Rodney yelled.<br>Tiberius's face was stone at the accusation. "I did not come home to Atlantis with the intent of killing one of my senior staff inside of a week, but the I.O.A's only other option is to risk someone else's life on a solution that hasn't even been tested yet. Not exactly by the book." He looked at John. "Which is why I have another solution other than blowing out a chuck of my city."  
>"Which is?" Ronon asked.<br>"We test it, the drug. You all have the same bug." He held up a syringe filled with the liguid. "I am offering a third door."

"I'll take a shot right now." Ronon said.  
>"No. No, no." John said, taking the syringe from Tiberius. "I'll do it."<p>

Tiberius sighed. "I was afraid you were going to do that."

҉

**INFIRMARY**

John lies on a bed as Ronon and a technician strap his arms and legs tightly to the bed.  
>"Restraints, huh?" John asked.<br>"Aye. I'm sorry, but I'm anticipating a severe reaction." Carson said, walking up to the bed.  
>"Oh, great!"<br>"Now, you're absolutely sure about this?" John nodded. "And you're sure you don't want Illyria in here?" John grimaces. "Remember, the formula comes from Michael, so as far as we know, it could-"  
>"-turn me into a bug? Been there, done that."<br>"No, actually, I was going to say it could kill you."  
>"Just...give me the shot." He said tetchily.<br>"Okay…" Carson said and injected John in the neck. "Now, it should take a few minutes to kick in, so just try to relax." He pats his shoulder.  
>"Oh, OK, I'll, I'll just, I'll relax." John said sarcastically and Carson patted him on the shoulder before walking away with Rodney.<br>"Carson, Marissa said that Lorne and some of the others are beginning to show symptoms. Is that true?" Rodney asked.  
>"Aye, I'm afraid so."<br>"Oh, God." Rodney said plaintively.  
>"Why? Have you noticed something yourself?"<br>"My palms are very sweaty and-and my mouth is really dry. I'm having heart palpitations." He said nervously, rubbing his hands together.  
>"OK, so nothing out of the ordinary, then." Carson said calmly.<br>Back with John, Ronon walks closer to the bed. "You need me to call Illyria?"

John rolled his eyes. "What's it with everyone thinking I need my wife to hold my hand through everything?"

Ronon smirked and asked, "How do you feel?"  
>"I don't feel anything. I don't even think that-" He grimaces and starts to convulse gently.<br>"Sheppard." Ronon said, but he only convulsed. He turns to Carson. "Hey, Doc."

Carson and Rodney hurry over in time to hear John mutter, "Oh, I think these restraints were a good idea."  
>His convulsions become stronger.<br>"It's working." Carson said as they watch helplessly as John writhes in agony.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**  
>"What is our status?" Tiberius asked Radek as he walked in.<br>"Well, the Infirmary and a few other essential systems have been switched to emergency generators. We're ready."  
>"All right. Pull the plug."<br>Radek types and all the lights go out in the Control Room. Around the city, lights start going out and gradually the entire city is plunged into darkness.

INFIRMARY

John is still convulsing on the bed as Ronon holds him down.

"For God's sake, Carson, how long is this gonna go on for?" Rodney asked, gently biting his nail.  
>"I'm sorry, Rodney. I have no idea."<br>John's heart rate increases dramatically, then the monitors flatline and John stops moving.  
>"Doc!" Ronon yelled.<br>Carson runs over and checks John's neck pulse. "His heart's stopped. Bag him! Get a crash cart in here! Prepare to intubate!" Marie starts to pump air into John's lungs as Carson begins to pump his chest. Counting off chest compressions in time with Marie's air pump, he muttered, "One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Come on. One, two, three. One, two, three."  
>Finally the monitors stutter and then start to show a pulse. Carson checks John's neck again as Marie takes the air pump away.<br>"He's back."  
>John takes a breath on his own and turns his head weakly. "Aren't you glad you didn't call my wife?"<br>Sighing with relief, Carson pats his shoulder.

҉

**TIBERIUS'S OFFICE**

Carson, and Rodney are sitting down in various spots around the room while Tiberius paced slowly behind his desk.  
>"Are you sure it worked?" Tiberius asked, his arms crossed over his chest.<br>"Well, the blood screen came up negative. As far as I can tell, the alien pathogen has been eliminated." Carson said.  
>"Well done, Doctor." Tiberius gave him a grateful smile.<br>"Aye."  
>"Now we just need someone to go into the Isolation Room."<br>Almost simultaneously, Ronon and Carson said, "I'll do it." With Rodney, more hesitantly, "I'll...do it."  
>Ronon stands up and frowns down at Rodney as if to say, "Yeah, right!"<br>Tiberius hold out his hand to stop Ronon, turning to ask Carson, "I assume no special medical skill is required to administer the drug?"  
>"Well, no, not really. It's just a simple injection."<br>"Well, then, given your condition, I would not make you my first choice."  
>"That's why I said I'd do it." Ronon said.<br>"He doesn't trust us, 'cause we're still infected." Rodney sighed.  
>"Actually," Carson said, "that might not be a bad thing. When Colonel Sheppard was infected with the iratus bug D.N.A., he was able to walk right into that nest without being attacked."<br>Tiberius narrowed his eyes, following Carson's thought. "You think someone infected with the pathogen would be more likely to get through?"  
>"Well, it's possible."<br>Tiberius turns and nods at Ronon, who promptly turns away and heads off to get ready.

҉

**LATER**

Transporter doors open and Ronon, armed with his blaster and wearing his sword on his back, looks around cautiously.  
>"All right. I'm in."<br>In the Control Room, Tiberius looks at Radek. "Cut power to the transporter."  
>As Ronon steps out of the transporter, the lights go out and the doors close behind him. Over his headset, he could hear Tiberius's voice ask,<p>

_"How does it look?"_  
>"Not so good." He walks towards a narrow corridor in front of him. Tendrils cover the walls and floor and hang from the ceiling, almost completely blocking the corridor. "That stuff's everywhere."<br>_"Is it reacting to your presence in any way?"_  
>"No, not really."<br>_"All right. Be careful."_  
>Ronon walks to the edge of the mass of tendrils and shrugs off the sheath holding his sword.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY**

John wakes up on the bed to find Illyria sitting on the edge of the bed, listening intently into her earpiece.  
>"What happened?" John asked.<br>"It worked." She said after a moment. "My father just sent Ronon to give her the shot."

John sits up in the bed. "When?"  
>"He just got there. I had Rodney tap into the comm." She hands an earpiece to John, who puts it on just as Tiberius says,<p>

_"Ronon, what is your status?"_  
>In the corridor, Ronon is struggling to get through all the dangling tendrils. "Well, it's getting harder to move. There's too much of it."<br>_"Try not to make any sudden moves or threatening gestures."_  
>"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." He said dryly. He continues pushing his way through the tendrils, then reaches the end of the corridor. A thick membrane covers the way ahead. "All right. That's it. Can't go any farther. The corridor's completely blocked. All right, so what d'you want me to do?"<br>In the Control Room, Tiberius looks around at Radek and Carson but no-one has any ideas. In the Infirmary, John and Illyria are equally clueless.  
>"Screw it, I'm gonna make a hole." Ronon said as he drew his blaster and charges it.<br>_"Ronon, wait!"_ Carson yelled. _"The only reason you made it this far is because it senses the pathogen in your bloodstream. It thinks you're a friend. If you start shooting-"_  
>"Does anyone have any better ideas?"<br>No-one can answer him, but in the Infirmary, John had gotten up off the bed and picks up the syringe at the side of his bed and prepares another shot.  
>"What are you doing?" Illyria asked.<br>"If I'm right, this is about to go very, very wrong."  
>"You can't! We are quarantined, John!"<br>"Cured, remember?" Putting the syringe in his jacket pocket, he kisses Illyria on the cheek and heads off.  
>In the corridor, Ronon is still waiting for advice. "There's no other way through."<br>_"Once you start shooting, you will have to move quickly."_ Tiberius told him.  
>"Thanks for the advice…"<br>He fires several shots into the membrane and steps quickly through the hole. Holstering his blaster he unsheathes his sword. On the other side, tendrils start to move towards him. He hacks at them with his sword and for a few moments progresses forward but then as he lashes out at a tendril, another wraps itself around his wrist and pulls his arm out to its full length. As he struggles to pull it free, another tendril whips around his other wrist and he is pulled back against the wall. Two thick strands wrap themselves around his neck. He screams.  
>In the Control Tower, Tiberius leans anxiously against the comm panel. "Ronon? Ronon, what is your status?" No reply. "Ronon, come in?"<br>There's no reply.  
>"Oh my God." Carson sighed.<br>Tiberius closes his eyes in self-hatred. In the corridor, Ronon grimaces and groans as the tendrils tighten around his neck.  
>Shortly afterwards, John runs up the stairs into the Control Room. "What's happening?"<br>"Uh, we've lost contact." Radek said.  
>"Well, turn the power back on. Open up a channel to the Isolation Room."<br>"What? Why?"  
>"Just do it!" Radek glances nervously at Tiberius, who nods to him. He types. "All right, you have a channel."<br>John activates his headset. "Doctor Keller, this is Colonel Sheppard. Do you read?"  
>The voice that comes over the comms is clearly Jennifer's voice, but it is deeper and alien-sounding, "<em>I hear you, Colonel, but I'm not Doctor Keller anymore."<em>  
>"Well, who are you?"<br>_"I have no designation yet. I'll be given one when I'm complete."_  
>"What about Ronon?"<br>_"You mean the intruder? He's alive, for the moment. He's been neutralized."_ In the corridor, Ronon groans as the tendrils constrict around his throat. _"I can feel his pulse. It's weak. It would only take the slightest squeeze."_  
>"Yeah, but you don't wanna do that because he's - he's one of you, remember?" He deactivates his headset and points at Carson. "Keep her talking."<br>He starts to hurry away and Tiberius calls after him, "Where are you going?"  
>"I'm gonna go finish this." He runs up the stairs towards the Jumper Bay. Carson activates his headset.<br>"Jennifer, this is Carson."  
><em>"Doctor Beckett, I already told you. I am not Jennifer Keller anymore."<em>  
>"You're the voice she was hearing - the part of her mind that was taken over."<br>_"You can't stop me. I will become as I was meant to be."_  
>Up in the Jumper Bay, John runs into a Puddle Jumper and jumps into the pilot's seat. In the Control Room, Banks reports,<br>"Colonel Sheppard is powering up a Jumper."  
>"Get me a secure channel." Tiberius orders and Banks does so. "Sheppard, what are you doing?"<br>"I'm takin' a little shortcut. Sorry I didn't have time to fill out the paperwork." He flies the Jumper out of the roof and swings around towards the tower containing the Isolation Room. "OK. I see it now." The tower has a huge mass of tendrils on its outside wall. "That stuff is growing all over the place." As he braces himself, he said, "This may hurt."  
>He sends the Jumper towards the tower. The Jumper shakes violently as it smashes straight through the wall and skids to a halt inside.<br>Tiberius's hand flung to his radio. "Colonel Sheppard, report." There's no reply. "Colonel Sheppard?"  
>In the Jumper, John blinks woozily, then gets out of his seat and goes to a weapons case behind him. Opening it, he takes out a pistol and a clip. Loading the pistol, he takes the syringe out of his jacket pocket, then goes to the rear of the ship and swipes the panel to open the rear hatch. The hatch lowers and he looks out. There's a circular hole in the wall behind the Jumper and severed tendrils dangle from the ceiling. Some of them are still moving.<p>

He heads out.  
>Shortly afterwards, he walks cautiously into the Isolation Room. The bed is a mass of tendrils, and strands are moving all around the room. He walks closer to the bed and looks down at Jennifer, whose eyes are closed, her face covered in small vines. He reaches out and injects her in the neck. For a moment she doesn't react, then her eyes snap open and she stares upwards in agony.<p>

All around the room, the tendrils writhe in anguish. In the corridor, the strands around Ronon's neck tighten. In the Isolation Room, a large tendril lashes out and stabs straight into John's stomach. He crumples to his knees as Jennifer continues to stare upwards, wide-eyed and grimacing in pain. Clutching his stomach, John raises his pistol and aims it up at her head, but then her eyes close and she slumps into unconsciousness. All around the room, the tendrils sag and stop moving. In the corridor, the vines holding Ronon release him as they die and, wheezing for breath, he falls to the floor.  
>In the Control Room, Tiberius hovers over the comm's panel anxiously. "Colonel Sheppard, what's your status?"<br>In the Isolation Room, John is still on his knees, staring upwards and panting in pain.  
><em>"John?"<em>  
>"Wha'? I've been better."<br>"_What happened?"_ Tiberius asked and John could clearly hear the note of obvious relief.  
>"You'd better come get us." John said weakly.<p>

҉

**INFIRMARY **

John, having come back from post-surgery, is sitting up in bed with Tiberius standing at his bedside.  
>"How's Ronon?" John asked.<br>"He has a bruised larynx. Apparently he won't be able to speak for several days."  
>"Wonder if anyone will notice the difference?"<br>Carson walks over, followed by Jennifer who is back to her normal self. "Colonel Sheppard. Look who's finally out of isolation."  
>"Oh, it's good to see you, Doc."<br>"How're you feeling?" Jennifer asked, offering a smile.  
>"It only hurts when I breathe."<br>"You're really bad. It looks like my recovery's gonna be a lot easier than yours."  
>"Well, it's all right. I've got two doctors looking after me now."<br>"Well, no, I'm afraid not." Carson said. "I'm scheduled to leave this afternoon. That is, unless of course there's a major crisis in the next hour or so."  
>Tiberius and Jennifer smile and John said, "Wouldn't surprise me."<br>Carson offers him his hand. "Listen, you keep yourself out of trouble." They shake hands. "And I'll see you and that family of yours real soon."  
>"Good luck, Carson."<br>"Thanks, John."  
>He and Jennifer start to leave, but not before Tiberius said, "Welcome back, Doctor Keller." She smiles and Tiberius turned to Carson. "Doctor Beckett." He shakes his hand. "I cannot thank you enough."<br>"It's been my pleasure, King Tiberius."  
>Carson follows Jennifer out of the infirmiy and Tiberius turns to John. "Before I came down here, I was on a call with my 'superiors'," Tiberius said it in a tone that made John smile, "back on Earth. They were going over my preliminary report."<br>"What'd you tell 'em?"  
>"The truth: that in my first three days back as commander I violated at least half a dozen of their basic security protocols."<br>"That many, huh?!" John chuckled.  
>"I let Beckett run the investigation, in spite of his condition and the fact that he is technically no longer a member of this expedition. I sent Ronon to deliver the antidote, even though he was infected. I compromised the safety of my city to rescue someone who may well have been beyond our help anyway." Tiberius shook his head. "Earth. Gotta love them."<br>"But she wasn't, and we got her out, and if you had played by the rules, she'd be dead right now." John said, defending him.  
>Tiberius nods, smiling. "The I.O.A. would seem to agree with you. Apparently they are willing to let the matter drop."<br>John narrowed his eyes. "So what's the problem?"  
>Tiberius looks at him painfully. "The rules are there for a reason, Colonel. I swore, oh so many years ago, that the last time I broke my own law would be the last."<br>John looks at his anguished expression for a moment, then nods and smiles. He offers him his hand. Tiberius takes it and they shake hands.  
>"Welcome back to the Pegasus Galaxy."<p>

Tiberius chuckles. "Welcome to the family."


	74. Chapter 72

**ALIEN PLANET**

Illyria Sheppard, dressed in a thigh length red shirt with long sleeves with baggy cuffs that featured multiple sewn on patches across the elbows and back and wool tights underneath, and Ronon Dex are walking through a forest. Having just left the nearby village on a trading mission, he is carrying a couple of sacks and she holds a basket of fruit.  
>"Gettin' any sleep these days, Princess?" Ronon asked and Illyria smiled. Since her father's return and reclaim of the 'throne', she had been moved from 'Queen' to 'Princess'.<br>"Not much, I'm afraid, although things are a little easier now that Kanaan has volunteered to babysit the children."

"Your father okayed his request to return from the mainland?" Illyria nodded. "How's he liking life in the big city?"  
>"He's happy spending time with John Carson, but he's having difficulty adjusting to life in Atlantis."<br>Ronon laughs. "Yeah, I hear the shower scared him!"  
>"And you once stunned Doctor Garrett at your own surprise birthday party." Illyria said, poking Ronon lightly in the chest.<br>"He spooked me." Ronon smiled, not sorry at all.  
>"Uh-huh! It's difficult for Kanaan. He has few friends, but I still think he feels isolated."<br>"Yeah, well, he just needs to make some new friends. You should get him to come by the gym some time. We could spar."  
>"Thank you! That's very kind of you, but I need him in one piece."<p>

"Tell your kids that." Ronon said and Illyria lightly jabbed him in the side. "Ah, you're no fun!"  
>They laugh, but then Ronon spots something nearby. Someone wearing a black cloak is lying face down on the forest floor.<p>

"Hey, hey." He drops his sacks to the ground. As Illyria puts her basket down, he hurries towards the person. "Hey!"  
>He steps on a trigger and something explodes under his foot.<br>"Ronon!" Illyria yelled.  
>As Ronon falls, the cloaked figure rises to its feet and fires a Wraith stunner at him. Ronon manages to get onto his knees, snatches out his blaster and fires it towards the man. The man shoots him again. Ronon reels from the blast and the man fires a third time. Ronon collapses, unconscious. The man pulls back the hood from his face.<p>

It's Tyre of Sateda.  
>"Tyre!" Illyria yelled. Tyre aims his stunner and fires at her.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Colonel John Sheppard, Captain Marissa Frio, Doctor Rodney McKay, King Tiberius and Illyria enter the Conference Room and sit down. As the doors close behind them, Tiberius said,  
>"The Daedalus confirms the results of your initial search. There is no sign of Ronon's subcutaneous transmitter anywhere on that planet."<br>"That means he's still alive." John said and Tiberius looks at him. "If Tyre wanted him dead, we would have found the body."  
>"Unless he just took him somewhere to exact a slow revenge. I do not mean to sound overly negative but, from what I have heard, his mind is seriously perverted."<br>"And yet he didn't kill me." Illyria said, still dressed in her trading clothes. "It would have been safer for him to leave no witnesses, so perhaps - despite what the Wraith did to him - Tyre still possesses his Satedan sense of honor."  
>"It didn't stop him from ambushing you." Marissa said.<br>"We can use that "Satedan sense of honor" to help us find Ronon." John said.  
>"How do you propose we do that?" Tiberius asked, skeptical.<br>"…We get a Satedan to help us" Marissa said, following his thinking and John nodded.  
>"You happen to have one handy, do you?" Rodney asked sarcastically.<br>John pointed to his wife. "Illyria know where one is."  
>"Solen Sincha." Illyria nodded.<br>"Who?" Tiberius asked.  
>"He is a survivor of the Wraith attack on Sateda. Ronon and I encountered him on a trade mission to Belkan two years ago."<br>"Judging by your description, he isn't exactly the settle-down kind of guy." Rodney said. "I mean, what are the chances he's still gonna be there?"

"There's only one way to find out." Marissa said.

"King Tiberius," John said formally, "permission to go off-world to Belkan?"

"You have a go." He nodded, raising from his chair. John, Marissa, Illyria, and Rodney get to their feet as well and head for the doors, which obligingly open. "Illyria?" The team went on to gear up as Illyria turned around. "Will you be accompanying AR-1?"

"I thought that was understood?" She asked, confused.

"Really?" Tiberius raised a brow. "I thought it was understood, between us at least, that you no longer partake in off-world missions."

"Yes, but-"

"Illyria," Tiberius said more quietly, more gently, his eyes softening. "You have three small children to think of. Why must you do this?"

"Because it is my job, Papa. As I recall, you made the same choices."

Tiberius's face stiffened a fraction. "Those choices were made in times of war and they were often the hardest decisions I had to make."

"By taking a member, a citizen, of our city is an act of war. Do I you're your permission to accompany the team to Belkan, or not?"  
>Tiberius deliberately hesitates before saying, "You do."<p>

҉

**ANOTHER ALIEN PLANET**

Sitting on a chair with his ankles and wrists bound to it, Ronon jerks awake and looks around as he tries to pull himself free. He is in a darkened room.  
>"Illyria!" Ronon yells, struggling against his bindings. Looking to his right, he sees Tyre sitting in the shadows watching him. "Where's Illyria?"<br>"I left her back on the planet. Don't worry, she's fine. You know I would never hurt the wife of the Great Colonel John Sheppard, the mother of his children, the daughter of King Tiberius himself."  
>"Do I?"<br>"I accept the fact that you no longer trust me, but I'm hoping that will change in time."  
>He leans forward so that his face comes into the light. He looks exhausted and unwell and has dark rings under his eyes. "Sateda is gone. We're the last of our kind, Ronon. We're brothers, not enemies."<br>"We're brothers?! So I should just forgive you for setting me up last year?!"  
>Tyre stands up. "If you had just listened to reason, things could have been different. Ara and Rakai would still be alive and we'd all be working together again."<br>"As Wraith worshippers and traitors to the memory of Sateda? Hell, no!"  
>"Of course not. I see that now. You're blinded by the past; lied to by your so-called friends on Atlantis. But I still have faith in you, old friend. You just need to open your eyes to the truth."<br>"All right. Just untie me and I'll listen to what you have to say."  
>Tyre chuckles and picks up a cup. "Would that be before or after you try to beat me unconscious?"<br>"I don't know. You choose. Or I could just surprise you." Ronon said, smiling unpleasantly.  
>"I don't doubt it." He lifts the cup towards his mouth, but his hands are shaking so violently that he can't get it there.<br>"What's wrong with you?"  
>"I'm not well." He puts the cup down. "But I've been worse. D'you know where we are?" Ronon shakes his head. "You remember Sarif Sur, don't you?"<br>"Yeah, you almost died on that run."  
>"We both nearly died because you refused to leave me behind. You risked your life to save me." He walks closer to Ronon and takes a pendant from around his own neck. He holds it up, his hands still shaking. "Today I return the favor."<p>

҉

**BELKAN**

John, Rodney, Marissa and Illyria, who had changed into off-worlding gear, walk across the tavern to where Solen Sincha is sitting at a table with his head on his arms. A bottle is on the table in front of him.  
>"Solen Sincha?" Illyria called out to him kindly.<br>"Go away." Solen groaned. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"  
>John drops his pistol noisily onto the table in front of Solen's head. Solen lifts his head and looks at it, then straightens up and looks up at the team. "We need your help."<br>"Ronon Dex is in trouble." Rodney said.  
>"Ronon Dex is always in trouble." Solen said.<br>"Well, his life is in danger."  
>"Again, what else is new? What kind of trouble has he gotten himself into this time?"<br>"He was abducted by a fellow Satedan - a Wraith worshipper by the name of Tyre." Illyria informed him.  
>Solen sighs in exasperation. "You mean former Wraith worshipper. Word is the dog disappointed his masters so they turned him loose."<br>"That's uncharacteristically kind of them." Rodney said.  
>"Not exactly. So long as he's on the run, he's a living breathing example of what happens to humans who disappoint them. Tyre's a marked man now. Most anyone I know would kill him on sight. It's just a matter of time."<br>"He was once a proud Satedan, not unlike yourself." Illyria said, stepping forward. "He was subjected to unimaginable torture. Perhaps he had no choice."  
>"There's always a choice. He could have chosen death like a true Satedan."<br>John sighed. "Any idea where we can find him?"  
>"If I knew that, he'd already be dead."<br>"All right. Tyre's not thinking straight, right?"  
>"Sure." Solen waved his hand.<br>"So it's probably just a matter of time before he slips up, and when he does, I'm assuming your leads will hear about it."  
>"Probably."<br>"So what do you say you contact us when you hear something, we'll deal with Tyre and save you the trip?"  
>"All right." Solen picks up his bottle and raises it in a toast. "To Ronon."<p>

҉

**SARIF SUR**

Ronon watches Tyre as he stumbles across the room.  
>"Look at you. You can barely walk. Let me get you some help."<br>Slumping onto a chair, Tyre said, "I'm beyond your help."  
>"So why're you doing it? What did they do to you?"<br>"At this point, it's not so much what they did to me as what they aren't doing to me."  
>"Keeping you alive? Reverse-feeding or whatever the hell it's called?"<br>"It's hard to describe. The sense of euphoria it offers is..." He trails off, unable to find the words.  
>"You became addicted to it."<br>"You can't understand unless you've experienced it yourself. It was a gift - one that was denied me after I allowed you and your friends to escape us."  
>"Hey, free me and I'll get you some help. I promise."<br>"Help is already on the way - for both of us."  
>"What does that mean?" Ronon turns his head as he hears footsteps approaching. "What the hell did you do?"<br>The door opens and two Wraith guards walk in, followed by a male Wraith. Tyre stares at it hopefully, then turns to Ronon. "I've saved us."  
>"Ronon Dex." The Wraith sneered. "I looked forward to the day when you would finally serve me."<br>"Well, then, I'm gonna feel real bad disappointing you."  
>"Oh, I'm sure you'll try, but in the end, you'll come around."<br>It slams its hand onto Ronon's chest and begins to feed.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

Illyria walks to the doorway of Tiberius's office as he unpacks boxes, makeing the office his own once again, and has his hands full of books.  
>"You never could help yourself, could you," Illyria said with a smile as she looked around and the walls and certain surfaces that were littered with art from various worlds and many Earth countries.<br>"Illyria." Tiberius smiled, putting books on a bookshelf. "Any news on Ronon?"  
>"Not yet."<br>"I'm sorry. I suppose we can draw comfort from the fact that he is a proven survivor. He challenged the odds for many years as a Runner."  
>"Yes, he did." She said with a sad smile.<br>Tiberius indicates with his head that she should come in. She comes a few paces further into the room as he continues to unpack. "You are not only here for small talk-"  
>"I wanted to apologize."<p>

"For what, child?" He asked, confused.

"For not having come to you sooner with my decision on off-world missions."  
>Tiberius smiled knowingly and sat down on the edge of his desk, taking his daughter's hand and pulling her closer. "I understand how difficult this is for you. For most of my life, I never imagined the possibility of leaving you and your mother, not even for a moment, and then circumstances changed." Illyria looked down. "And after realizing a far more important role on the battle field, I never imagined the day would come when I would have to let it go. I have made my choice, long ago, and now I must honor it, but now here that day is for you." He cups her face with one hand and offers a small smile. "Believe me, I know - priorities change."<br>"And sometimes they don't." She said thoughtfully.  
>"Child, I am sure John will support you, whatever decision you make.<br>"Yes." She smiled. "Of course he will. Thank you, Papa."

҉

**SARIF SUR**

The Wraith still has its hand on Ronon's chest. Ronon looks old and grey and ravaged, but slowly his youth returns to him and his appearance goes back to normal. The Wraith pulls its hand away. Ronon gasps in exhaustion.  
>"How does it feel to have your life stolen - to be pushed so close to the darkness, only to be pulled back from the brink? From what I understand, it's a magnificent sensation."<br>"To be honest, I've felt better." Ronon grins at it with contempt.  
>"Defy me all you want. Your fellow Satedans were no different. Like them, you will eventually submit."<br>Ronon glares at it. "I'll die before I submit."  
>"No. You won't."<br>It slams its hand back onto his chest and begins to feed again. Ronon screams.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**EVAN LORNE'S APPARTMENT**

**MORNING**

Evan lay completely naked, his bedspread pulled up to his hips, watching as Marissa dressed herself; soft yellow rays of morning light spilling onto her. He heard the familiar sound of Marissa strapping on a thick leather upper armband with a white claw of a Superwraith strapped to the middle.

"Why do you always wear that?" Evan asked her, curling onto his side as Marissa turned back towards him.

"I was under the impression that clothes were acceptable in society." Marissa smiled, moving to the bed beside Evan, sitting gingerly beside the Major. Her eyes lingered over Evan's bare chest, making a mental list of the marks that she put there.

Evan smiled at her, playfully flicking her arm. "You know what I meant, Mir." Marissa said nothing, so Evan continued. "Why do you always wear that damned band?"

Marissa's eyes move to her own hands, refusing to look at Evan as he answered. "To remember."

Evan propped himself up on one elbow, suddenly intrigued. It was so easy to forget that Marissa had died. It had been a while since the thought of Marissa having died had even crossed his mind, but now that it was there, it was liable to stay for a while.

"Why remember?" he asked curiously, carefully gauging Marissa's reaction.

Marissa sat, frozen, on Evan's bed, barely breathing. It was like her worst nightmare had finally come true - the one thing she had tried so hard to keep from Evan, the one thing she would have given anything to keep Evan from seeing, from knowing, was the one thing Evan wanted to see, wanted to know.

She was petrified with fear. The thought of Evan seeing the hideously shaped scars made her feel sick to her stomach. She always keeps them hidden under a constant shirt; even when she and Evan make love, she always wears a shirt.

"Can I see them?" Evan asked, sitting all the way up and putting his hands on Marissa's hips. Marissa was still terrified, too terrified to answer. Not that it mattered. She knew Evan, and was stubborn enough that he would find out anyway. He would leave her, too. He would see the hideous scars and laugh at her, make fun of her for thinking that he could love anyone with a chest like that.

Evan waited patiently for an answer, but there was none. Marissa's breathing was reaching unheard of speeds, and her eyes were wide with panic, but there was still no answer. Evan did what anyone would do in his place: He began to pull up Marissa's white tank top.  
>"No!" Marissa's cry was panicked; her hands pushed Evan's away. "Please, Evan, don't!" Her voice picked up speed. "Evan, don't do this to me!"<br>Evan was taken aback by Marissa's panic, but his curiosity had grown. He pulled Marissa close to him, running his hand through her long hair as his other hand rubbed soothing circles into her back. "Relax, Mir."  
>"Don't, Evan." Marissa was crying. Tears were actually sliding down her cheeks, her blue eyes looking sorrowfully up into Evan's. "Please, don't. I don't want to lose you."<p>

A sob escaped Marissa, and Evan held her tighter, determined to calm her down.

"It's okay. Breathe, Mir, breathe. It's okay," his voice was soothing to Marissa, but not to the point that his panic would completely disappear. "Why would you lose me?" Marissa looked up at him, breaking into a fresh round of sobs. Evan had never seen her like this; he knew she came back damaged and if he ever found the bastard who had destroyed her, he'd kill him. He'd fucking strangle him with his own small intestine.  
>"My scars…" Marissa said, as if that answered everything. Evan moved his hands back to Marissa's hips, gently pushing up the shirt. "No!" Marissa cried, attempting to jerk out of Evan's grasp.<br>Evan's arms tightened around Marissa. "Mir, beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, before slowly moving his hands to Marissa's shirt hem. He slowly pulled it up over her head, Marissa moving to help him, resigned to the inevitable fate. Evan was going to hate her scars, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.  
>She felt the warm air hit her chest and heard Evan's sharp intake of breath. There were more than the scars the Superwraith had caused: recent, thin pink lines were scattered over her stomach and upper chest. Someone else had hurt her, Evan thought furiously. He was silent, and Marissa was scared to look at him. I knew it, I knew it, Marissa thought to herself, he hates them, he hates me. He thinks they're ugly-<br>"Can I touch them?" Evan asked quietly. When Marissa mustered up enough strength to actually look up at him, she could see his features were carefully blank. Marissa nodded, very uncertainly, but Evan took no notice.  
>Evan's hand reached hesitantly towards them, scared that if he touched them Marissa would vanish. His fingers connected gently with the lines, experimentally rubbing them.<br>"You kept them hidden all this time?" Evan asked quietly and Marissa nodded. "Didn't it hurt?"  
>Marissa nodded again. "The pain was nothing."<br>Evan maneuvered his hands through Marissa's mass of hair, finding her slender face and cupping his hands around it. "Never hide them again, Mir." He breathed into her hair, before leaning down to kiss her.

"But, Evan-"  
>"No buts, Mir," Evan smiled warmly, one hand resting on Marissa's waist, the other on her scars. "They're beautiful, and they're part of you."<br>"Y-you really think they're beautiful?"  
>Evan kissed her again, nodding as he pulled away. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," he repeated. Marissa nodded, an unspoken agreement passing between the two as Evan wiped away any traces the tears had left on her cheeks. Beauty was in the eyes of the beholder. And the only beholder that mattered to Marissa - that would ever matter to Marissa, from this point until the end of time - was Evan.<p>

"Oh, gross," Marissa said, back to her old self. She lifted her hand and wiped her nose, looking down in disgust and embarrassment. Evan laughed and Marissa lightly punched him in the chest. "Where're the tissues?"

He nodded to them with his head. "By the bed."

Leaning over him to reach for the tissues, she said, "I'm going to blow my nose, finish getting dressed-"

"And then come back to bed for me to take it all off again." Evan smiled, handing her her shirt.

"Tempting," She whispered as she gave him a quick kiss, "but I can't."

"I know, I know, if you don't leave soon, someone's going to see you leave." He picked at the covers and mumbled. "Can't have that now can we."

"Or…we let them see." Marissa suggested, not looking at him as she pulled on her shirt.

"Oh, right, says the Captain to the Major she's sleeping with." Evan said, lying back down. "You know it wouldn't look good, for either of us. Against all rules, Air Force and Marines."

"I know…" Marissa sighed. "I just wish someone would know so I don't feel like we're doing something…dirty."

Evan smiled wickedly. "We are doing something dirty."

"You know what I mean, Evan."

He sighed. "You said Colonel Sheppard and Ronon saw you with me in the infirmary, right?" Marissa nodded. "There you go, two people know."

"Yeah, one being our commanding officer." Marissa shrugged on her jacket and pulled out her hair from under it.

"Look, Mir, what do you want me to say?" Evan asked, sitting up on his elbows.

"I don't know, Evan!" She snapped. "I honestly don't know. It seems like I don't know much of anything anymore."

"Mir, you know I didn't mean it like-"

"I'll see you tonight, yeah?" She asked, pecking him on the cheek before scurrying out of him apartment. She was closing the door behind her when she bumped into someone, spilling a cup of coffee on both of them. "Hey, watch it – King Tiberius?! W-What are you doing over here?"

"I got turned around." He said, staring down at the dark stain on his grey suit jacket. When he looked up at her, he could see her bruised lips and messy hair. "I would ask what you would be doing here, seeing as how your apartment is on another level, but I already know the answer."

"King Tiberius, I can explain-"

"No, no," He said, holding up his hand. He smiled lightly and said, "I know."

"You know? Know what?"

"Do not play coy with me, Marissa." His eyes darted towards Evan's apartment door. Following his eyes, she said,

"Oh, you…know."

He chuckled and started walking, Marissa following. They were halfway down the hall when Tiberius asked, "Tell me, exactly, how long it is that you've been working here?"

"Minus my death - Two years, seven months, three days and, I suppose, what," she pulled up her jacket sleeve and checked her watch, "two hours?"

"And how long have you been in love with Evan, our enigmatic Major?"

"Ahm," She smiled bashfully, "two years, seven months, three days and, I suppose, an hour and thirty minutes."

Tiberius sipped his cup and smiled over it. "I thought as much."

Her concern growing, she asked, "Do you think everybody knows?"

"Yes." He drinks down whatever coffee is left. "Do you think Evan knows everybody knows?"

Covering her face in shame, she muttered, "Oh that is bad news."

"Well I just thought maybe the time had come to do something about it."

Coming to the transporter, they both step in and she sighs, "Like what?"

He turns around and presses a part of the city. "Invite him out for a drink and then after about twenty minutes casually drop into the conversation the fact that you would like to marry him and have lots of sex and babies."

Marissa's jaw drops and Tiberius smiled as the white beam whisked them away.

҉

**MESS HALL**

Rodney walks in and grimaces at the selection of food on the table. It looks like Tiberius has initiated a healthy eating regime, as the choices seem to consist mostly of fruit and juice. Sighing in exasperation, he looks around and sees John sitting at a table.  
>"Hey. You're up early."<br>"It's ten a.m."  
>"It is?" Rodney looking at his watch and groans. "Ah, God! I didn't sleep at all! I was up all night, thinking about this Ronon situation."<br>He sits down opposite John.  
>"You got anything?"<br>"Ah, nothing. I tried everything: pacing, snacking, bathing-"  
>"Bathing?"<br>"Yeah, like Archimedes."  
>"You mean the Greek scientist who had a crush on Marissa?"<br>"No, like the Greek mathematician who came up with the Archimedes principle. The physical laws of buoyancy? According to legend, the idea came to him when he was sitting in the bath, so ... Look, the point is that the revelation occurred while he was, you know, relaxing, not thinking about the problem. The solution, as it turns out, was right in front of him all along."  
>"You think we've overlooked something?"<br>Exasperated, he said, "I don't know. Maybe. Look, all I know is I was up all night going over it and I'm drawing a blank, so, look, I could use a fresh perspective."  
>"I'm not takin' a bath with you."<br>Ignoring him, Rodney said, "Let's just go over what we know."  
>"According to Solen, Tyre's on the run, and we can assume he's operating alone because if he had back-up, they would've been in on the ambush."<br>"Right. He's alone, with Ronon, on the run. So where would someone like that go? Well, I can think of something like two hundred planets that would be perfect. Where d'you wanna start?"  
>Major Lorne comes over to the table, his eyes faintly pink from lack of sleep. "How about Sarif Sur?"<br>"What?" John asked.  
>"We just got a message from Ronon's buddy Solen. He hears that Tyre and Ronon are holed up on a planet called Sarif Sur."<br>"Thank you, Archimedes!" Rodney shouted.  
>"Major, get your team and gear up." John ordered.<br>"Yessir!"

҉

**SARIF SUR**

Ronon sits in the chair, his head lowered in exhaustion. Tyre crouches beside him, looking almost as exhausted himself.  
>"There's no point in holding on. You're just putting off the inevitable. It's better if you just accept it."<br>"You mean better for you, don't you? The Wraith cut you off and this is your way back in, by offering me up as sacrifice."  
>"No." Tyre said, shaking his head.<br>Tearfully, Ronon said, "You are not the man I risked my life for. You are a traitor to the memory of our people! You have no honor."  
>The door opens and the Wraith comes back in. "Things are progressing too slowly. I have other matters to attend to. We can continue this process back at the lab."<br>It turns to leave. Tyre stands up and stumbles towards it. "And when will I receive my reward?"  
>Behind him, the guards walk over to Ronon and shoot him with a stunner. The Wraith turns back to Tyre. "Your reward?"<br>"I brought him here as we agreed. In exchange, you promised to restore our previous arrangement."  
>"Huh. Did I?" It turns away.<br>"You promised!" Tyre yelled heatedly.  
>The Wraith turns, surges back towards him and seizes him around the throat with one hand. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint, since your usefulness has come to an end."<br>It hurls him across the room. He slams into the wall and crumples to the floor. The Wraith turns and leaves. The guards, having untied Ronon, drag him out of the room.

҉

**ATLANTIS GATE ROOM**

The Stargate kawhooshes. John, Rodney, and Team Lorne come into the room, loading their rifles. John looks up at the Control Room balcony where Illyria is standing.  
>"We'll get him." John nodded.<br>"Stay safe."  
>The teams head into the Gate.<p>

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>SARIF SUR<strong>

**NIGHT TIME**

The men make their way into an abandoned village. John, Rodney and Marissa go in one direction while the other three go another way. Sometime later, John sounds exasperated as they search the umpteenth house.  
>"Nothing."<br>"So we were wrong." Rodney sighed. "It has been known to happen. Hey, I always said this was a long shot."  
><em>"Colonel, this is Lorne. We've got something."<em>  
>"I knew it!" Rodney shouted.<br>They hurry outside. Lorne comes to meet them. "Over here." He leads them back into a house where Tyre is lying unconscious on the floor. "We checked his pulse. It's barely there. We've gotta move him or we lose him."  
>"Where's Ronon?" Rodney<br>"Good question." John said.

҉

**ATLANTIS INFIRMARY**

Tyre, twitching in his sleep, is lying on a bed, his wrists and ankles held in restraints. Doctor Jennifer Keller reports to John and Rodney.  
>"His injuries are minor but both his heart rate and blood pressure are elevated. He woke up about an hour after you brought him in. He was delirious. He was sweating, nauseous, trembling, so I sedated him and ran some tests." She leads them to a wall screen and pulls up a scan of Tyre's brain. "After giving him a drug that blocks opioid receptors, I noticed a drop in dopamine levels here - a central link in the brain's reward circuit."<br>"Meaning...?" John trailed.  
>"Meaning this type of neurochemical activity is identical to that of reforming substance users. He's going through withdrawal."<br>The three of them leave the Infirmary and are walking down the corridor.  
>"I need you to save him, Doc." John ordered. "Right now, he's our only lead. If he dies, our chances of finding Ronon go with him."<br>"Of course, but it could be days before he's coherent enough to tell us anything."  
>Marissa runs to join them. "John. Why wasn't I told about the mission to rescue Ronon?"<br>"We were playing on a hunch. We had to act fast."  
>Realizing how this conversation is going to continue, Rodney looks awkward. "I'm gonna, um, see if they're still serving lunch. It's Taquito Tuesday."<br>"I think I'll join you." Jennifer added and they hurry away.  
>"I'm shocked that you were quick to move without me." Marissa said.<br>"Don't put this on me." John looked around, leaned in and lowered his voice. "You're the one sleeping with a major, _Captain_. I cannot risk the chance of Lorne pulling favorites every time our teams go off-world."  
>Marissa looked stunned, his harsh words stinging. "Wh-What the hell does that mean?!"<p>

"It means it wasn't an easy decision for me."  
>"You think you're the only one feeling pressure?!" Marissa shouted in a whisper, looking around to see if anybody was watching. "I just came back from the <em>dead<em>! You don't think I'm getting pressure – my family wants me to quit the Military and come back home; and Evan…" She sighed, looking defeated. "With Evan I have no idea what's going to happen next."  
>"What do you mean?" John's voice softened. He knew, probably more than anyone on the base, what true heartache felt like.<p>

"I mean that, before I died, Evan and I were engaged. Secretly, of course, but still engaged."

"So, what's the problem?"

"What's the problem?! I _died_, that's the problem! Didn't Illyria's death kinda null-and-voided your marriage? And then, all the sudden, she was back. Put a strain on things, didn't it?"

"It did." John was quite for a few moments. "But we were married none the less. We had kids and another on the way; there was no time to think about ourselves."

"But-"

"No buts, Marissa." John pointed his finger at her. "You and Lorne don't have kids, you're not pregnant; there will always be time. Don't do anything until you talk to him about it. Now, if you wanna stay on the team, great. Make it happen. But if you wanna spend time with Lorne, I understand. I do, I really do. But you've gotta make a decision."

҉

**YET ANOTHER ALIEN PLANET**

A derelict Wraith Cruiser lies in the middle of a desert. Inside it, Ronon has been tied to a wall. The Wraith approaches him.

"You are finally awake. The procedure can be very taxing. You've been unconscious for the better part of a day."  
>"You're wasting your time. I'll die before I turn, just like Merika and Hemi."<br>The Wraith chuckles. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. Your friends didn't die because they were strong. They died because they were too weak to withstand the process. Their minds and bodies eventually shut down under the strain. But you..." It starts to walk towards him. "...you're stronger, and it is your strength that will prove your undoing."  
>Once again its hand descends onto Ronon's chest and it begins to feed. He screams.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS ISOLATION ROOM**

Tyre screams, writhing on the bed as he tries to pull free of his restraints. Up in the Observation Room, John, Jennifer and Tiberius are watching him.  
>"He broke through his restraints this morning and injured two guards," Jennifer reported, "so I thought it would be best to put him in Isolation. At least this way, if he breaks free again, he won't be an immediate danger to anyone."<br>"How long's it gonna take him to go through this?" John asked, wincing as Tyre flailed about below.  
>"To be honest, I'm not even sure he will."<br>_"Please! You're killing me! Please!"_ Tyre screamed.  
>"Can't give him something for the pain?" John asked.<br>"Sedatives'll make him more comfortable, but they'll also slow down his recovery."  
>"I want this to go as quick as possible. No sedatives." Tiberius ordered.<br>Down in the Isolation Room, Tyre writhes, convulses and screams. Thrashes, eyes wide with agony. He sobs in anguish. When he is finally clam, he closes his eyes and drifts into sleep.  
>In the Wraith Cruiser, Ronon writhes, convulses and screams as the Wraith withdraws its hand after another session. He grimaces as the Wraith approaches again, its hand outstretched, and begins to feed again. His hair, grey with age, restores to its normal color. As the Wraith withdraws its hand once again, he grimaces, then stares ahead blankly. The Wraith looks at him with interest.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**SHEPPARD'S APPARTMENT**

**BEDROOM**

John Carson lies asleep in his cradle which Illyria is gently rocking while she reads the twins a book. The laid on their stomach's by the bed, heads propped up on their heads, and listened. The front doors open and John walks into the apartment.

The twins looked at each, a smile plastered on their faces, and hopped off the bed. They ran through the bedroom door and attacked John's legs. A few moments later, John slowly walk in with Patrick wrapped around his right leg and Jennifer on the other. Illyria covers her mouth to suppress a giggle. John looks at his infant son in surprise, whispering, "He's already sleeping?! Why does it take longer when I try to put him down?"  
>"You worry you're going to break him." Illyria whispered. "Perhaps he senses your anxiety."<br>"Or maybe he likes mommy best." Patrick said, smiling up at John.  
>Illyria closes her eyes briefly, then stands up from the rocking chair she was sitting in. "Well, there may be times when he will have to learn to do without."<p>

John's eyebrows scrunched. "What do you mean?"

Illyria bent down to the kids and whispered, "I need you two to guard baby John while Daddy and I talk outside. Can you do that for Mommy?"

The twins clambered off of John's feet, untangled themselves from his legs, stood up and saluted Illyria before taking their posts by either side of the crib. John saluted them back with a smile before he and Illyria went out of the room.

"It means," Illyria said in a normal voice, "that I have accepted my father's offer as his second."

"And as his second you'll be doing…what exactly?"

"Going off-world for peace treaties, meeting new villages…" She looked down and sighed, twisting her wedding band on her finger. "These dark times we live in may call for more of that."

"I thought you loved meeting new people?"

"I do, it's just that…" She sighed and looked back up at John. "How can step through that gate with the knowledge that every time there is a chance that I might not come back? That, given the dangers, there is a possibility that our sons and our daughter will grow up without a mother? A father?"  
>They both look at their bedroom door, before John turns back to his beautiful wife. The woman who had blessed him with three amazingly loving children. He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. "You have a responsibility to them, but you also have a responsibility to the people of this galaxy."<br>She looks at him in surprise. "Have you been talking to my father?"  
>He smiled. "Tiberius knew this would be diffulcult for you. He wanted you to follow your heart without remorse."<p>

"How do you do it, John? Wake up everymorning, kiss the children, and then leave?"

"I take comfort in knowing that I'll be safeguarding the future of our kids and many more just like them. Just promise me you'll be careful out there?"

Illyria smiled up at him kissing his nose. "As long as you do the same."

҉

**CORRIDORS**

John had just came out of his apartment when Jennifer came rushing down to him. "He's been awake and lucid for about ten minutes now."  
>John motioned that they should walk. It wasn't until they were in the transporter, clear of wandering ears, that John asked, "What'd he say?"<br>"Only that he wanted to talk to you." The transporter doors opened up and Jennifer lead him into the Isolation Room where Tyre lies weakly on the bed.  
>"I know where they've taken Ronon." He said softly.<br>"Can you give us a Gate address?" John asked.  
>"Better: I'll lead you right into the heart of the facility."<br>"Well, you're still recovering."  
>"Doctor Keller told me there were no longer any traces of the Wraith enzyme in my system."<br>"That's not the point."  
>"Colonel, please! Let me help you get Ronon back. Would you not want the same if our roles were reversed?"<p>

҉

**WRAITH CRUISER**  
>"No retreat in the face of battle. No sympathy for the fallen. No mercy for our enemies." The Wraith said.<br>Ronon, released from his restraints, is kneeling in front of the Wraith. He looks up into its eyes, his face savage. "No retreat in the face of battle. No sympathy for the fallen, and no mercy to your enemies."  
>"<em>Our<em> enemies." It is holding Ronon's sword and now holds it out to him. "Atlantis."  
>Ronon stands and takes the sword. "Atlantis."<br>The Wraith grins. "No mercy."  
>As it walks away, Ronon tosses his sword into the air, catches it and then swings it around experimentally, preparing for battle.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

John and Tiberius are talking in a corridor.  
>"He seems rational. Says he wants to help us." John said.<br>"Fine, but we trust him only as much as we have to. Use his intel, but he stays here, under guard."  
>"Well, if you wanna hit that Wraith facility, we're gonna need all the help we can get, and apparently he knows that place inside and out."<br>"Yes, and is thus in the perfect position to lead you right into a trap."  
>"All right, all right, look." John stopped Tiberius. "I think as much as he'd like us to believe it, this is not about regaining some lost honor or some Satedan revenge thing. Pure and simple, this is about a desperate guy who is willing to do anything to help his buddy."<br>"And how can you be so certain of that, Colonel?"  
>"Because I've been there." John face gave nothing away. "Now, we have a chance to get Ronon, and I'm gonna take it, and you're gonna need to trust me on this."<br>Illyria has just walked past, cradling John Carson in her arms, but comes back as she hears the conversation.  
>"All right." Tiberius said after a hesitant pause. John turns and walks away, but Tiberius calls after him, "Major Lorne's team will be accompanying you."<br>"What is it? What is happening?" Illyria asked, looking between her father and husband.  
>"We know where Ronon is." John said, he ducted in for a swift kiss before running off.<p>

"Remember that promise, John!" Illyria called out.

Once John turned the corner and was gone from view, Tiberius turned to his daughter and said, "What promise?"

"That, dear father," She said with a smile, "is none of _your_ business."

"You, young lady, _are_ my business."

҉

**WRAITH CRUISER**

As two guards walk along a corridor, Tyre comes out of hiding and slashes at both of them with his sword, killing them. He turns to Teams Sheppard, once again joined by Marissa, and Team Lorne.  
>"This way."<br>They make their way to a room containing Wraith computers. A guard is in there but Tyre hurls a knife at it and the blade impacts right in the middle of its forehead and it crashes to the floor. He runs over and retrieves his knife.  
>"What is this place?" Marissa asked, looking around.<br>"You were looking for a target area that'll maximize the effects of your explosives. Well, this is it - the facility's power relay chamber." Tyre said as Lorne unzips a bag and starts handing out blocks of C4 to the team. "Hide your charges to avoid discovery."  
>"Let's go." John said and the team gets busy secreting their C4 around the room.<br>"I assume you have a means to remote detonate from a safe distance?" Tyre asked.  
>"Well..." John takes out a detonator control and demonstrates it to Tyre. "...just flip, and click."<br>Later, the group is back in the corridors. Tyre points to something. "This way."  
>They make their way into the Wraith equivalent of an elevator. Once everyone is inside, Tyre activates the controls and a transporter beam whisks them away and deposits them elsewhere in the facility. The group moves on, then stops as Ronon walks into view.<br>"Ronon!" John called.  
>"Sheppard." He smiles. "It's about time."<br>"What's going on, buddy?"  
>The Wraith walks into view behind Ronon. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up." Team Lorne spins around as Wraith guards walk in behind the group, aiming their stunners at them. "You're at a disadvantage. You can attempt an escape but you'll have to sacrifice your friend's life to do so."<br>"Ronon, get out of the way." John said, aiming his rifle at the Wraith.  
>"I can't do that."<br>"Ronon. Step aside."  
>Ronon doesn't budge. As John stares at him in shock, Tyre grabs Marissa from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck and holding a knife to her throat. "His life won't be the only one forfeit."<br>"Marissa!" Evan yelled. He made a move to go after, but John shot his arm out to stop him.  
>"Evan, don't!" Marissa yelled.<br>"Lower your weapons." Tyre ordered.

Everyone looks to John, who reluctantly lowers his rifle. The others follow suit. Ronon walks towards John.  
>"Take them away." The Wraith ordered.<br>"Ronon, what's happening here?" John asked and Ronon punches him ferociously in the face.  
>"Ronon!" Marissa screamed.<br>Two guards seize a dazed John and drag him away. The rest of the guards escort the other Atlanteans away. Tyre and Ronon walk over to the Wraith.  
>"I assume this is a prize worthy of reward?" Tyre asked.<br>"Welcome back." The Wraith said and walked away. Ronon claps Tyre on the back and they follow.

҉

**WRAITH CELL**

John sits on the floor with his back against the wall while Evan cleaned the small cut Tyre had made on Marissa's neck. Rodney is pacing and talking nervously.  
>"Well, you know, on the bright side, at least we'll never have to go back to Atlantis and hear your father-in-law say, "I told you so.""<br>"We're gonna get out of here." John said.  
>"Oh, sure. I mean, all we have to do is escape from this cell, right? I mean, get past all of the armed Wraith that are guarding the facility, and free Lorne and his team from wherever they're being held, to get back to the Jumper which is probably being disassembled as we speak, and - right, of course - we've got to rescue Ronon who - I don't know if you happened to notice or not - isn't quite himself."<br>"We're gonna get Ronon and we're gonna go back to Atlantis."  
>"And even if we do, then what, huh? I mean, Tyre's recovery hasn't exactly been the rousing success we were hoping for."<br>John speaks slowly, emphasizing the point as he sternly stares up at Rodney. "We're going to get Ronon back."  
>Rodney wilts under his gaze. "Yeah. Of course." He paces across the cell again, rubbing his hands nervously. When he reaches Teyla, he gives her a thumbs-up. Unconvincingly saying, "We're gonna get him back."<br>Elsewhere in the facility, Ronon and Tyre are talking with the Wraith.  
>"You waste a huge opportunity by killing them." Ronon said to it.<br>"They have no use to me beyond the information they can provide."  
>"You underestimate their value."<br>"Is it their value I underestimate, or your loyalty I overestimate?"  
>"Ronon's right." Tyre said. "They're much more useful to you alive and co-operative."<br>"They just need some convincing." Ronon said.

҉

**WRAITH CELL**

In brainwave mode, Rodney goes into one of his finger-clicking routines.  
>"All right, I got it. We tell them we have some vital information that we're willing to give up, but we will only share it with Ronon. So, they send Ronon, he shows up, we appeal to him ... I mean, the part of him that's still ... him."<br>"Well, I can only think of three things wrong with that plan, but go on." John said.  
>"He hasn't been brainwashed as long as Tyre, which means he might be more susceptible to our influence. We convince him to let us out or, or, or lead us out of here and then, you know, worst case scenario, he's not entirely convinced ..."<br>"That's your worst case scenario?" Evan asked.  
>"Hey, I'm just spinnin' here, but, um, we could, you know, take advantage of that moment of uncertainty and, and, and, and-"<br>"Sheppard." Everyone looks around as Tyre, accompanied by a Wraith guard, walks into view. The cell door slides up. "You've been summoned."  
>"You wanna go over the plan one more time?" Rodney said quietly to John.<br>"No, no, I think I'm good." He turns to Tyre. "Guess it's my turn for the sales pitch, huh?"  
>Tyre nods and turns away. Clapping Rodney on the arm encouragingly, John follows and the door closes behind him. Tyre leads him along the corridor, followed by the guard, but after a while he stops.<br>"Wait." He turns to the guard. "I need to get something."  
>He turns down a side corridor. The guard pushes John in the same direction.<p>

҉

**LATER**

The Wraith is waiting in a small chamber with Ronon standing nearby. Tyre escorts John in, shoving him in the back to get him into position in front of the Wraith. It smiles.  
>"Kneel." The Wraith commanded.<br>"You know, what'd be really creepy and unexpected is if you knelt instead." The Wraith glowers at him. Tyre fiercely kicks the back of John's knees. Grimacing, he crumples into a kneeling position. John painfully said, "I guess not. All right, I'll try and make it work."  
>"I appreciate your defiance."<br>John looks at Ronon. "Ronon, I really need you to snap out of it about now."  
>Ronon stares down at him impassively. The Wraith smiled and said, continuing from his last statement, "It will make turning you all the more enjoyable."<br>Snarling in anticipation, it raises its hand palm-forward towards John and slowly reaches forward. But just before it reaches his chest, Tyre snatches out his sword and slashes the Wraith's hand off at the wrist. As the Wraith cries out in pain, Ronon unsheathes his own sword and he and Tyre begin to fight. John pulls out a pistol from his waistband and fires four bullets into the Wraith, which falls to the floor. As the swordfight goes on behind him, he pulls out a second pistol and starts gunning down the many guards that start to charge into the chamber. Ronon and Tyre fight on until Ronon manages to slash Tyre across the stomach. Tyre stumbles back in pain. Ronon snarls.  
>Elsewhere, Lorne's team look out of the cell in surprise at the sound of automatic gunfire. The guards outside the cell crumple to the floor as Lorne, Marissa, and Rodney run into view and activate the wall control to open the door.<br>"Major!" One of Lorne's men said, "How'd you get out?"  
>"Tyre freed us." Lorne hands out weapons to the team. "OK. Come on, guys."<br>In the chamber, Tyre charges at Ronon again while John continues gunning down guards approaching from two different directions. Some way into the fight Tyre loses his sword but manages to keep ducking out of the way of Ronon's and gets in close enough to go hand to hand with him. He punches him hard enough in the face to make him lose his grip on his sword but Ronon grabs him, lifts him and slam dunks him to the floor, dropping down with him and punching him repeatedly in the face. At last the cavalry arrives in the form of Marissa who fires a stunner rifle at him. It has no effect and he continues punching Tyre. She fires again. His punch rate slows down but he still keeps going. She fires a third shot and finally he drops to the floor unconscious. She turns to Rodney and a soldier.  
>"Go, go, go!"<br>They run over to join John. "How's it going?"  
>"Not so good!" Rodney yelled.<br>They keep firing at the guards. Lorne runs in. "My guys are holding them off, but not for much longer."  
>John runs over to Marissa and grabs her pistol. "Give me that." He goes over to the Wraith lying on the floor and aims the gun down at it. "Tell them to back off."<br>"My life will be a small price to pay for the lives of you and your team."  
>John kicks it savagely in the stomach where he shot it. It grunts in pain. Tyre walks over and takes the detonation device from John's pocket. "And how about the destruction of this facility?" He shows the device to the Wraith. "Is that a small enough price as well?"<br>"You lie." The Wraith snarled.  
>"I told them where to hide the charges for maximum effect. Enough explosives to destroy this place and all its research. Any advantage your Hive may hold over its rivals will be gone with the push of a button."<br>The Wraith glares up at him, still not sure whether to believe him or not. He flicks up the cover and puts his thumb over the button.  
>"Wait!<br>Shortly afterwards, the team races down the corridors, dragging the Wraith and an unconscious Ronon with them. They continue gunning down approaching guards but more are coming.  
>"Tell them to let us through." John demanded.<br>"What's to stop you from triggering the explosives from a safe distance?" The Wraith asked.  
>"My presence here." Grimacing against his injuries, Tyre moves closer to the Wraith. "You let them go, I'll remain behind."<br>"Tyre?" Marissa asked.  
>Tyre held up the detonator. "Once they have reached the Gate, I'll trade you this device for my freedom. Or we all die together."<br>The Wraith glares at him for a moment, then calls out. "Let them go!"  
>Slowly the guards back away and disappear from view. As the team stands up, Tyre walks over to John and gives him his sword. "I'll be right behind you."<br>He looks at John and nods to him slowly. John knows from his expression what he really means, and nods back in acknowledgement. He jerks his head to his team.  
>"Let's go!"<br>Two of the soldiers haul Ronon up and pull his arms around their shoulders. Everyone hurries off and they make their way through the corridors, undisturbed by guards, and finally reach the exit. Back in the corridor, Tyre slams the Wraith against the wall, glaring up into its eyes.  
>"You turn your back on an incredible gift." The Wraith spit.<br>"Actually, you turned your back on me first - and I thank you for it."  
>"<em>We're clear<em>!" John radioed.  
>"You are not beyond forgiveness. It's not too late for you." The Wraith pleaded.<br>"Yes it is. For both of us."  
>Holding up the detonator, he presses the button.<br>John and the teams watch as a huge explosion goes off near the bottom of the ship. Secondary explosions begin to go off nearby and gradually the whole ship goes up. And from out of the devastation soars a Puddle Jumper, flying safely away.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

In the Observation Room, Illyria, Jennifer and Tiberius are watching as - in the Isolation Room - Ronon grunts and writhes furiously against his restraints. John is near the others, looking into the room below with his face full of pain. Rodney has turned away, unable to bear the sight any longer.  
>"What kind of a time frame for recovery are we looking at?" Tiberius asked Jennifer quietly.<br>"It's impossible to predict. He has so much of the enzyme running through him that his body can hardly process it. When it eventually does, that's when he'll come down."  
>"<em>Let me go<em>!" Ronon yelled furiously and John grimaces. "_Sheppard!"_  
>"And he'll come down hard." Jennifer added.<br>"I'm gonna talk to him." John said. He walks downstairs and goes to the doors, addressing the guard. "Open it."

The doors open and he goes inside. Ronon glares at him. "There he is." He sits up as far as his restraints will let him. "Hey, buddy."  
>"'Buddy'?"<br>Ronon stares at him wide-eyed. "So - how long are you planning on keeping me prisoner?"  
>"As long as it takes to clear your head."<br>"My head is clear."  
>"You may be feeling fine right now, but things are gonna get pretty rough for you. We're gonna get you through this."<br>"Whatever you've got planned, it's not gonna work. You've got a choice: you can either kill me, or you let me go. And if you let me go, I promise I won't come after you or Atlantis. And you tell Tyre I won't come after him either."  
>"Tyre's dead." Ronon narrows his eyes at him. "He sacrificed himself taking out the Wraith lab."<br>"Yeah, well, he was a traitor."  
>"No, he was a good friend. We all are. You're gonna realize that pretty soon."<br>He turns to leave, but Ronon calls out to him, "Yeah, well you just kill me or you set me free." John leaves the room without looking back. "Sheppard! You kill me or set me free! Sheppard!"

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

Illyria, cradling John Carson, and John are in the Observation Room watching helplessly as Ronon weeps in agony, curled up against the pain of his withdrawal. He rolls onto his back, his eyes wide and bloodshot, and screams up to the ceiling.  
>"Kill me, please! Please, kill me!"<br>John and Illyria look away in anguish.  
>Time passes and still Ronon writhes, weeps, screams and struggles. And all the time there's at least one member of his team watching over him from the Observation Room. During one session, Rodney watches as Jennifer walks across to Ronon. He stares at her wide-eyed as she mops his brow for him. Later, John is in the Isolation Room with him as he is wracked with tremors. And finally - finally - Ronon lies quietly with his eyes closed. Rodney is sitting on a chair beside him chattering away. He has probably been doing it for some time and isn't even looking at Ronon as he blathers on.<p>

"... what they call "piano fingers," so slim, nimble, you know? Really no surprise my family signed me up for lessons. My first teacher, of course, hailed me as a natural." He smiles. "Big Russian woman, er, Polanski or Branski..."  
>"Sheppard." Ronon said weakly.<br>"...definitely a 'ski.'" He looks around in surprise. ""Ronon? Ronon groans and Rodeny stands up. "Hey, uh, how d'you feel?"  
>Ronon opens his eyes and looks at him tiredly. "Like hitting someone."<br>"Anyone in particular?" Rodney said nervously.  
>"You, if you don't loosen these straps and get me something to eat."<br>"Hey, that is a good sign. That's a good sign." Rodney smiles. He turns and hurries to the door, opening it. "He's back! He's back!"

҉

**CONFERENCE ROOM**  
>"He is fully recovered?" Tiberius asked Jennifer.<br>"Well, physically he's still weak, but his blood work shows no traces of the enzyme in his system, so he should be back to his old self in no time."  
>"Good to hear. It is late." Tiberius stands, loosening his tie. "I think I will head back to my quarters and change into something a little more relaxed. Good night."<br>He walks out the doors and Rodney followed him, hounding him about a science project. Illyria turns to John, a demure smile on her face.  
>"You know, my father could watch the kids tonight…"<br>"Oh?" John asked, catching on with a smile.

҉

**LATER**

Loud classical music is coming from Tiberius's quarters as Illyria, with the twins on either side of her, stood outside. The doors open and Tiberius, wearing a steel gray long sleeved military Henley tee that showed strong muscles for a man his age and holding a glass of red wine, looks out at her.  
>"Sweetheart. Come in." He smiled down at the kids and swung Jennifer up in to his arms. "Kids! What an unexpected surprise!"<p>

"We're staying with you tonight, Grandpapa!" Jennifer said sweetly, hugging his neck.

Tiberius looked over at Illyria, who picked up a remote control and turned down the music, with surprise on his face. "Are you now?"

Illyria just smiled. "John and I need to…talk."

"Uh huh, 'talk'." Tiberius put Jennifer down and she and Patrick took off. "Can I offer you a drink?"

"No, thank you, Papa." She sat down on the couch, Tiberius sitting next to her, and said, "I spoke with John and now I would like to make it official. I'm accepting your offer."  
>"You're sure this is what you want?" Tiberius asked, taking a sip of wine.<br>"Very much so." She smiled. "I've worked with you before, have I not?"

"Nearly destroying Atlantis-" Illyria picked up a pillow and gently wacked him with it. Tiberius chuckled. He raises his glass to her. "Welcome back."  
>"Good night, Papa." Illyria whispered as she kissed his stubbled cheek.<br>"Good night, darling."  
>She walks to the doors, swipes the wall panel to open them and leaves. Tiberius turns the volume back up on the music and chases after the twins.<br>As the music continues, Illyria returns to her quarters where John is sleeping on the bed cradling his son. Illyria smiles, changes into a nightgown quietly, and lays gently next to her sweet boys.  
>In Rodney's quarters, he is relaxing in a very sudsy bubble bath. Suddenly he jerks upright as he gets an idea. Shaking as many bubbles off his arms as possible, he reaches for a computer tablet on a cabinet beside the bath, picks it up and starts to type, smiling in satisfaction.<br>Ronon has been transferred to the Infirmary and is sitting up in bed and looking a lot better. Jennifer comes in and holds out Tyre's sword in its scabbard. Ronon looks at it for a long time, then Jennifer lays it gently down on the bed beside him. They exchange a long look, then she leaves. His face full of pain, Ronon picks up the scabbard and unsheathes the sword, holding it up and looking at it as the memories flood through him.

Eventually he lays it gently across his chest and begins to weep.


	75. Chapter 73

**ATLANTIS**

A meeting in the Conference Room has just ended. Colonel John Sheppard and Doctor Rodney McKay, together with various other members of the expedition, are leaving the room. John and Rodney head towards the Control Room.  
>"What are you talking about?" John asked.<br>"I'm telling you, she's hiding him from me."  
>"She's not hiding him!"<br>"Oh yeah? Every time I go to see him, she tells me that he's just settled down."  
>"Can you blame her? You dropped him."<br>"I did not drop him! He jumped."  
>"Jumped?!"<br>"Well, he wiggled out of my arms. Look, I said I was sorry. Besides, how much damage could I possibly have done? He fell, like, maybe two feet. Stuff like that happens all the time. I was dropped like a dozen times when I was a kid."  
>"Well, that explains a lot. Why do you even care? You don't even like kids."<br>"It's the principle of the thing! Everyone else gets to hold your kid - why shouldn't I?"  
>Chuck the technician, sitting at one of the Control Room consoles, reports. "Colonel, we got a new contact. Looks like a ship."<br>"How far out?"  
>"It's in orbit."<br>"Well, how come we didn't detect it?"  
>"I don't know. We didn't even detect the hyperspace window. It just appeared out of nowhere."<br>"Hang on a second." Rodney said, moving Chuck over. "We're getting I.F.F. It's the Daedalus!"  
>"Daedalus?" John asked. "How can that be? They're on their way back to Earth."<br>"Well, they were - or they were supposed to be."  
>"Open up a channel." Chuck activates his controls and points to John to indicate that the channel is open. John activates his headset radio. "Daedalus, this is Atlantis, please come in." There's no reply. "Daedalus, please respond."<br>Rodney looks at his console in shock. "They're not gonna answer."  
>"Why not?"<br>"'Cause I'm not reading any life signs."  
>"What are you telling me, Rodney? This thing flew here by itself?"<br>"I don't know how they got here, but there's no-one on board. At least, no-one alive."

҉

**LATER**

A Puddle Jumper flies towards Daedalus. John and Rodney are on board, together with Princess Illyria Sheppard and Ronon Dex.

"Again, I don't see why I have to go," Illyria said from the co-pilot's seat.

"Well, Marissa's sick with…something, I can't remember, so we're a man – woman – down." John said. "Thought you could use a little break."

"Did Tiberius okay this or are you kidnapping me?"

"It's…he's…"

"Kidnapping, then." Ronon smiled.

John looked over at Illyria. "I thought you could use some fresh air."

_"Colonel, we just got confirmation from Stargate Command."_ Chuck said over the radio_. "The Daedalus is in the Milky Way, on course and on schedule. They expect to reach Earth in two days."_  
>"Understood."<br>"So that's not the Daedalus, then?" Ronon asked.  
>"Well, not unless it can be in two places at once."<br>"Perhaps it's the Apollo or one of the other ships?" Illyria suggested.  
>"It wouldn't be sending Daedalus' I.F.F. - plus it doesn't explain how they got here or why we're not picking up life sign readings." Rodney said.<br>"All right, I'm taking us in for a closer look." John said and he takes a close pass underneath the ship. Ronon comes forward and stands between John and Illyria, and the three of them lean forward and crane their necks to look up. There are a lot of long black marks along the underside. "Wow. You see that?"  
>"Scorch marks." Illyria muttered. "What do you think - weapons fire?"<br>"Huh. Wherever she's been, she's been through some pretty hard times." Rodney's console beeps from behind John. He turned around and asked. "What's that?"  
>"I'm picking up an energy reading. It's coming from the ship."<br>"Is it dangerous?" Illyria asked.  
>"I don't think so, but I have no idea what's causing it."<br>"Can you get the Bay doors open?" John asked.  
>"If the ship's command systems are as familiar as the rest of it, it shouldn't be a problem." Rodney types while John gets the Puddle Jumper into position. The Bay doors open and the Jumper rises up in front of Daedalus and stops level with the Bay. The team looks inside.<br>"No F-302s, but there's a Jumper." John spotted.  
>"You sure there's no-one else inside?" Ronon asked Rodney.<br>"As far as I can tell."  
>"All right. We're going in." John flies the Jumper inside and lands it next to the other one. The team disembarks.<br>"Why is it so cold in here?" Illyria asked.  
>"The ship's operating on emergency power." Rodney said. "Look, some of the systems are barely registering."<br>"Except for the whole weird energy thing." Ronon pointed out.  
>"Can you do something about it? It's freezing here." John said.<br>"Oh, sure!" Rodney shrugged. "I just have to get to Engineering."  
>"You and Ronon are together." John turned to his wife. "Illyria, you and I are gonna check out the Bridge. Radio me if you find anything." They head off in different directions. John and Illyria make their way to the Bridge and shine the lights from their rifles around. "No bodies in here."<br>Illyria sees something of interest. "John."  
>John walks over to where she's looking. She is shining her torch on the ship's name plate on the wall. "It's the Daedalus, all right." Just then all the lights come on. John looks nervous. "McKay, is that you?"<br>_"Of course it was me. Who else would it be?"_ Sitting at a console in Engineering, he smiles smugly, sarcastically saying, "D'you think we've got a ghost on board or something?" Just then he ducks and cowers at a noise behind him, but it's just Ronon kicking a box across the floor. "Will you please not touch anything?!"  
><em>"What's our status?"<em> John asked over the radio.  
>"I've restored basic power to most of the ship. It should be warming up any second now."<br>_"Good. Check on that energy reading. Try to figure out what it is, all right?"_  
>Sighing at the obviousness of the suggestion, he said, "I'm on it."<br>Back on the bridge, Illyria said, "John." John walks over to where she is standing at a console. "Ship's log. Last entry."  
>She calls it up on the wall screen. A woman appears on the screen, wearing a standard Daedalus uniform.<br>_"Preparations are almost complete. We've beamed down the last of our supplies and any equipment we think might be useful. I'll be taking the last of the F-302s down myself. Of course, we haven't had time to do a proper survey of the planet's surface but it seems habitable enough: plenty of fresh water, arable soil - not that different from our own. I realize our chance of rescue is slim, but it's become obvious that we no longer have a choice. This is Colonel Sobel, Commander of the Daedalus, signing off."_  
>The entry ends.<br>"Do you recognize her?" Illyria asked, turning to John.  
>"I've never seen her before in my life."<br>"It appears as if they abandoned ship."  
>"Yeah. The question is, why?"<br>Illyria sighed. "I'll check previous entries."

҉

**ENGINEERING**  
>"Man, this ship has been through the wringer!" Rodney whistled. "Hyperdrive, sub-space communications are all damaged beyond repair; the shields are virtually depleted."<br>An alarm beeps and Ronon's head snaps towards Rodney. "What is it?"  
>Rodney looks at his computer tablet which he has hooked up to the console. "It's the energy reading. It's spiking." He activates his headset. "Sheppard, come in."<br>_"Go ahead."_  
>"Something's happening. The energy reading - it's going off the charts."<br>_"Do something. Turn it off."_  
>"I don't know how! Look, it's not coming from any of the main systems!"<br>Major Lorne radios them from Atlantis' Control Room with Radek Zelenka is sitting at a console nearby. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis. We're picking up some kind of power surge coming from the ship."  
><em> "Yeah, we noticed it. We're trying to check it out ourselves."<em>  
>"Their levels are still rising." Radek informed Lorne.<br>"Colonel, should we send another Jumper to assist?"  
><em> "No, stand by."<em> Just then, Daedalus starts to shake violently_. "Scratch that, we're leaving." _John radioed in to Rodney and Ronon. "Everyone back in the Jumper."  
>He and Illyria turn to leave the Bridge, but suddenly a bright white light envelops the entire room. They cover their eyes against the glare, John groping the air for Illyria. When he reaches her, he pulls her in. From an outside perspective, Daedalus disappears from above the planet. The light fades on the Bridge.<p>

John looked down at Illyria with concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah…what the hell was that?"

"That's what I'm going to find out." John lets go of Illyria and clicks his head set. "McKay, wanna fill me in?"  
><em>"Love to, but I have no idea. The energy reading's gone back down the way it was, though."<em>  
>John switched channels. "Atlantis, are you reading anything unusual?" There's no reply. "Atlantis, come in." When there's still no response, he activates the ship's comms from the command chair. "Atlantis, do you read?"<br>On Atlantis, Lorne walks anxiously to the edge of the balcony. "Colonel Sheppard, do you read? Daedalus, this is Atlantis, please respond." He turns back to Radek. "What the hell's going on?"  
>"I don't know. One moment they were there and the next minute, they were…gone."<br>On Daedalus' Bridge, John radios to Rodney. "Rodney? I'm having problems with communications. I can't reach Atlantis."  
>Rodney is already scanning the planet's surface. "Wait a second. That can't be right!"<br>"What?" Ronon asked.  
>"I'm not seeing the city on any of my screens!"<br>_"What are you talkin' about?"_ John asked.  
>"I just did a sensor sweep, and there's nothing down there but ocean!"<br>_ "Well, maybe they cloaked."_  
>"They wouldn't have done that without telling us."<br>_"Well, I don't know - maybe there's a Wraith ship in the area."_  
>"I'm not reading anything."<br>_"Are we certain it's the same planet?"_ Illyria asked. _"Perhaps the energy burst shifted our position."_  
>"No. According to our instruments, we haven't moved at all."<br>_"What do you want me to believe, Rodney, that Atlantis just disappeared?" _John asked.  
>"Look, I don't know. Just give me a second and I'll figure it out, all right? In the meantime I've managed to localize the source of the energy reading. It's coming from a hold on Deck 9." Rodney looks at Ronon, who heads off.<br>_"All right, keep trying to reach Atlantis. We'll check it out. Sheppard out."_

҉

**DECK NINE**

John, Illyria and Ronon have met up and are cautiously making their way along. Rodney radios them.  
>"<em>Sheppard, I think I've got something. It's the residual radiation from the flash. It's similar to what happens when you open a hyperspace window, but different enough that the sensors wouldn't have picked it up automatically."<em>  
>"What the hell does that mean?" John asked.<br>"_I think we're looking at a new kind of drive."_  
>"I thought you said we didn't go anywhere." Illyria said.<br>_"We didn't - at least not according to the ship's navigational systems."_  
>"So, a malfunctioned drive?" John asked.<br>_ "Maybe. Just hang on."_ John, Illyria and Ronon go into a room and look around. In Engineering, Rodney's tablet beeps. _"Oh my God. Sheppard!"_  
>"Stand by, Rodney."<br>_"No, you don't understand. I know what it is! Look, the residual radiation - it's exactly what we recorded when my double arrived on Atlantis from an alternate reality. I can't believe I didn't see this before!"_  
>Ronon has found something and calls to John. "Sheppard, hey."<br>_"It's a drive, all right, but it didn't move us through space. I think it's moved us to a parallel universe!" _Rodney was still chattering on.  
>John and Illyria are looking at what Ronon has spotted. "Well, that would explain a lot of things."<br>They stare at the sight of four dead people lying on the floor. The four people are John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Illyria Sheppard and Ronon Dex.

҉

**LATER**

The team has moved their dead alt-selves into a side room and Ronon is covering the bodies. As he does it, he asks, "How long have they been dead for?"  
>"This place was like a meat locker. They could've been preserved like this for months." John said. They leave the room and close the door. Rodney was outside waiting.<br>"They look just like us." Illyria said, still visibly shaken.  
>"It's 'cause they are us - alternate reality versions of us." Rodney said.<br>Illyria shuttered. "I feel like someone just walked over my grave."  
>"Take it easy." John said soothingly, rubbing her arm. "Everything's fine."<br>Rodney looks at the tablet he is holding. "Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no-no. This is very bad."  
>"What now?" John sighed.<br>"This tablet belonged to the other McKay. They weren't part of the original crew. They came here just like us. Look, a ship appeared in orbit over their Atlantis. They came to check it out."  
>"That would explain the other Jumper in the Bay." Ronon said.<br>"The ship jumped to another reality and they were stuck." Rodney explained. "They couldn't get back. Look, eventually their supplies ran out and-and they...they-"  
>"All right, all right." John cut across him. "Mystery solved. Let's move on."<br>"But don't you realize what this means? They were us and they _failed_." Rodney said.  
>"Well, they're not us. We're still alive. Let's go." John firmly said as he leads the team back into the room where they found the bodies. "The answer's in here somewhere. Can you power up the systems?"<br>"Uh, yeah." Rodney looks around and finds an electrics box on the wall. "Just hold on." He opens the cover. "All right." He starts to tinker around with the controls and a moment later the room lights up and all the control consoles switch on.  
>"All right, that's a start." John said.<br>Ronon looks at an unusual looking doorway at the end of the room. "What's behind here?"  
>Looking at the doorway, Rodney said, "Huh. That's a good question."<p>

He walks over to the console in front of the doorway and types. A five-sided device in the center of the door pops out a little and, as a small wheel in the center of the device spins around like the dial on a safe, three red lights come on. The lights then turn green and the door opens, revealing a large turbine behind it.  
>"I'm guessing that's our alternate reality drive."<br>"Can you figure out how to control it?" John asked.  
>"Off-hand, I'd say no. That's what the other McKay was trying to do, and he had weeks."<br>John looks at him sternly. "Rodney."  
>He sighed petulantly. "Fine. I'll start with his research. It'll at least give us a head start."<br>"Yeah, that's better. We're gonna go and look for supplies."  
>"What, you don't think the other us wouldn't have already tried that?"<br>"Get to work!'

҉

**SUPPLIES LOCKER**

Ronon is searching through the boxes in the room but all of them have already been opened and are empty. Illyria comes in and asks,  
>"Did you find anything?"<br>Ronon pulls a scanner-type device out of a box and holds it up. "Not unless you know a way to cook this." He drops it back into the box and continues searching.  
>"Then perhaps we should consider going down to the planet to collect supplies."<br>"Sheppard says it's too risky. The drive could kick in and the ship could take off without us, then we'd be stuck here.  
>It was silent for a moment. Illyria opened her mouth and asked quietly, "The others that we found - do you think their lives were very similar to ours?"<br>"Who cares."  
>"How can you say that?"<br>"We've seen our doubles before."  
>"Not Replicator-manufactured copies - these were real people with real lives. I can't help but wonder who might still be waiting for her back on her Atlantis."<br>"D'you mean did she also have kids?"  
>"The thought had crossed my mind."<br>"Look, yeah? I've heard McKay talk about this stuff before. Supposedly there's a million different realities out there, with every possible variation, which also means there's a million different Jennifer's, Patrick's, and John Carson's. You can't worry about every one of 'em."  
>"No. It's difficult enough worrying about three."<br>Ronon smiles at her sympathetically. "I'll bet it is. Come on."

Ronon draped his arm over Illyria's shoulder and they leave the room.

҉

**DRIVE ROOM**

John comes back in and looks around to see that the door they opened earlier is closed again. He turns to Rodney.  
>"Why is the blast door closed?"<br>"Hello?! Residual radiation?"  
>"Oh, right." John shrugs it off. "Have you made any progress?"<br>"As a matter of fact, yes we have."  
>"'We'?"<br>"Me and the other McKay, who - unsurprisingly - is a genius. Not only that, but it looks like the drive was created by yet another McKay from the original reality."  
>"What makes you say that?"<br>"Well, there's a certain, um, elegance to the design that I recognize."  
>"I'm sure that's what the crew were saying when they abandoned ship."<p>

"Well admittedly there are problems, but it is still a monumental achievement."  
>"So, so, what do we do? Can we just throw this thing in reverse?"<br>"Uh, yeah, it's a little more complicated than that. The first problem is navigation. They've developed a co-ordinate system to identify the various realities and allow them to get back, but, uh, obviously that didn't work."  
>"Obviously!"<br>"That's not what bothers me."  
>"Well, it kind of bothers me!"<p>

"It's power generation. I mean, jumping from one reality to another requires massive amounts of power. We're talking ZedP.M. levels here. Obviously they didn't have one of those rattling around, so they created a capacitor that's constantly drawing power from sub-space." An alarm beeps on one of the consoles. "And looks like it's almost charged."  
>"Is this your long-winded way of telling me you just can't turn it off?"<br>"Think of it like a tap pouring water into a bucket. When the bucket is full, the drive engages - except this particular tap has no valve."  
>"It seems like a pretty serious design flaw, don't you think?"<br>"Exactly. Which leads me to believe they were tampering with it in a vain attempt to generate more power." The ship begins to shake. "As they got further and further from their own reality, I guess they figured they needed to get back." The shaking becomes more violent as the generator reaches 99 percent, then goes to 100 percent. "And here we go."  
>A white flash briefly envelops the ship. Rodney grimaces and blinks as the glare fades.<br>"OK. Where are we?" John asked, blinking furiously.  
>"Don't look at me. I haven't had time to route the main systems to these control panels. I'm flyin' blind down here."<br>John picks up his rifle and activates his headset. "Ronon, Illyria, meet me at the Bridge."  
><em>"On our way."<em>  
>"Keep it up, Rodney."<br>Rodney grunts as John leaves the room.

҉

**BRIDGE**

Illyria is looking at the wall screen as John comes in. "John, Atlantis is back. I'm picking them up on the sensors." She types on the console and John looks at her, curious.  
>"You know how to work this stuff?"<br>"The last time the Daedalus was in orbit, Major Marks generously offered to give both of us..." she looks at Ronon "...some preliminary training."  
>"I was busy." Ronon said, smiling sarcastically at her.<br>John activates his headset. "Atlantis, this is Sheppard, come in." No reply. "Atlantis, do you read?" He goes to the command chair and activates the ship's comms. "Atlantis, this is Sheppard, come in."  
>"Maybe they already have a Sheppard." Ronon said.<br>John switched his comms. "Rodney, what are the odds of us randomly jumping back into our own reality?"  
><em>"I'd say slim to none."<br>_ "I'm detecting another ship in orbit." Illyria said called out.  
>"What kind?" John asked.<br>"I'll see if I can pull it up on screen." She types, and the external cameras show the other ship.  
>"I don't recognize it." He points to a part of the ship. "What's that?"<br>Illyria types and the cameras zoom in on the area and show a symbol painted on the side of the ship. It's a vaguely X-shaped symbol presumably either giving the ship's or the race's designation.  
>"You know it?" Ronon asked John.<br>"No."

Illyria's console beeps. "John, I believe the ship is powering weapons."  
>"What's our shield status?"<br>"Minimal."  
>The alien ship begins to fire multiple energy bursts down towards the planet.<br>"It's firing on Atlantis." Ronon called out.  
>"The city's shields are failing." Illyria reported.<br>Hurrying over to the weapons console and sitting down, John said, "Rodney, do we have enough juice to power up the Asgard beam?"  
><em>"Maybe. I mean, you might be able to get a couple of shots off. Why?"<em>  
>"There's some alien ship attacking Atlantis."<br>_"So?"_  
>"What do you mean, "So?" It's Atlantis!"<br>_"Yeah, well, it's not our Atlantis. We have no idea who's down there. Look, we should just stay out of it."_  
>"If we do not intervene, John, the city will be destroyed." Illyria said.<br>"Yeah, we need help. My gut tells me we're better off going with the people on that planet than whoever's on that ship."  
><em>"I hope you're right!"<em>  
>"Yeah, well, me too."<br>Daedalus turns and fires a single Asgard beam which strikes the alien ship. She fires a second beam and the bombardment of the planet ceases. Illyria reports, "The ship's been damaged. It's stopped firing."  
>"Hopefully we took out its main weapons." John said.<br>"Wait." Illyria's hand shot up. "Something's happening. They're launching fighters!"  
>A whole lot of small craft deploy from the ship and head towards Daedalus.<br>"Ronon." As Ronon walks towards him, John vacates the chair. "Should've took Marks up when you had the chance. Now you're gonna have to learn fast." He points to the console. "Rail gun targeting systems. Those buttons on the right control radar, tracking and target acquisition. Use the red button to fire."  
>Ronon sits down in the chair and looks at the controls blankly as John takes the pilot's seat. However, shortly afterwards he gets at least the vague hang of it, because the rail guns begin to fire towards the approaching fleet. The fighters continue to soar towards Daedalus, firing at her. Her weakened shields can't keep everything from getting through and Rodney cowers in the Drive Room as consoles explode around him.<br>High pitched in indignation and terror, Rodney yells through the comms, "_What the hell was that?!"_  
>"We're under attack. Any change of getting that hyperdrive back online?"<br>_"No! It's completely shot! I already told you that, Sheppard!"_  
>"Great!"<p>

Multiple explosions go off on the Bridge.  
>"There's too many of them." Ronon called out. "I can't do this."<br>"Keep trying!"  
>A lucky shot hits the rear of one of the fighters and it rolls, trailing smoke from behind it. It turns and plunges towards Daedalus, breaking through the shield and smashing into the top of the ship. Everyone reels as the ship shakes violently and more explosions go off on the Bridge and in the Drive Room.<br>"We've lost sub-light!" John yelled.  
>"We have a hull breach." Illyria reported. "We're venting atmosphere. I don't know what to do."<br>John gets up and hurries over to her station, pushing her out of the way. He types. "I've sealed off damaged areas. We should be OK for the moment."  
>"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ronon said and John hurries back to the pilot's seat.<br>_"Sheppard! I have an idea!"_ Rodney said.  
>"Let's hear it."<br>_"I've set up a few protocols that should increase the efficiency of the alternate reality drive. If I enable them, we might be able to jump sooner."_  
>"And, what, jump to the next universe?"<br>_"Exactly. But if I do this, I can't undo it. I mean, we'll just start jumping faster and faster."_  
>John considers the issue for a moment but realizes that they can't stay where they are. "Do it."<br>Rodney starts typing. Outside, three fighters draw into tight formation and, as Daedalus fires wildly at them, they head towards her, possibly on a kamikaze run. But shortly before they reach her, a bright light envelops the ship and she disappears.  
>On the Bridge, the white light fades and, instead, the room is bathed in red light coming from outside.<br>"It worked!" John yelled.  
>Ronon frowns at the sight out of the front windshield. "Where are we?"<p>

He and John stand up and walk towards the front of the Bridge. Illyria looks down at her console. "We have a problem. Temperature in the hull is rising rapidly."  
>"What the hell is this?" John asked.<br>Coming to join the others, Illyria said coolly, "According to the readings, we're less than two million kilometers from the surface of the sun."  
>"I thought we always jumped to the same place in every reality?"<br>"As did I."  
>Alarms start beeping and Illyria hurries back to her console. "Hull temperature is approaching critical. If we do not restore shields…"<p>

"...we're gonna burn."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

John has explained their situation to Rodney over the radio.  
><em>"Are you sure about this?"<em>  
>"Well, we're not imagining it, Rodney."<br>_"All right. Well, let me transfer the sensors down to this station and then at least I can..."_ His console beeps as he gets the sensor readings_. "Ho! Oh, you're definitely not imagining that."_  
>"Thanks for the vote of confidence!"<br>_"I don't understand it! We always jump to the same relative position in space."_ Rodney begins to type. _"Unless..."_  
>"Unless what?"<br>_"You said when you went to the future you saw our sun expanding into a red giant, remember?"_  
>"What, you're saying we're jumping through time now?"<br>_"No, no-no-no-no, but maybe what eventually happens in our reality is happening in this one, only much sooner. Look, we didn't go to the sun - the sun came to us."_  
>"So how does this help us?" Ronon asked.<br>_"I don't - I don't know. I just - I found it interesting."_  
>"What's "interesting", Rodney, is a way out of this without getting fried, by getting the sub-light back on so we can get the hell out of here." John said.<br>_"Actually, I think our best bet is just to transfer as much power as we can to the shields and ride it out 'til the next jump."_  
>"When does that happen?"<br>_"Well, the time the capacitor takes to charge is different now that I've enacted those new protocols. You know, um ... I have no idea."_  
>"You're not exactly selling the plan, Rodney!"<br>_"I have no idea how long it would take me to fix the sub-lights, either! Look, I've gotta run a diagnostic, but theoretically, transferring power to the shields should be relatively easy."  
><em> "What do we do?" Illyria asked.  
><em>"All right, the first thing I need you to do is head down to Engineering."<em>  
>John turned to Illyria and Ronon. "Let's go."<p>

҉

**LATER**

The three of them arrive in Engineering.  
>"All right, we're here. What do we do?" John asked.<br>_ "I need you to kill all power to non-essential decks, which means you're gonna have to access the main administrative interface. That should bring up a list of all available override commands."_  
>Illyria sits down at a console and finds the appropriate program.<br>"Got it." John said.  
>Standing near the door, Ronon hears a clanging noise in the distance. Busy looking at the console, the other two don't notice.<br>_"OK, choose the command for life support." _Rodney instructed. _"You're gonna have to designate the decks one by one."_  
>As Illyria starts to work, Ronon walks outside the room and looks around suspiciously, then walks slowly down the corridor. Reaching a junction, he looks in all directions and is just about to turn back when something clunks behind a nearby closed door.<p>

Drawing his blaster, he walks to the doorway and activates the controls. The door opens and a 'Borg' is standing on the other side. Dressed in a dark grey outfit, the male humanoid has grey skin, no hair and has a red glowing implant in the side of its forehead. Startled, Ronon starts to raise his blaster but the drone seizes his arm and slams him against the door frame before swinging him across and slamming him against the other door frame.

Ronon struggles with it but it pushes him out into the corridor and smashes him viciously back against the wall several times before throwing him across the floor.

In Engineering, Illyria looks at the console. "I think that's all of them."  
>In the Drive Room, Rodney has taken his jacket off and is looking at his own console. "Dammit! That didn't buy us nearly as much power as I would have thought."<br>_"Well, there's gotta be something else."_ John said.  
>"Right, um, all right, look, the ship has auxiliary power modules for most of the main systems. Most likely they're depleted but, if not, well, they might buy us a little more juice."<br>_"Well, there you go."_  
>Out in the corridors, the drone has pinned Ronon to the floor and, snarling, has a hand around his throat and is trying to throttle him. Ronon punches its face several times but it has no effect and the drone continues to snarl and roar as it keeps up the pressure around his throat. With its other hand it is holding his right arm down so that he can't bring his blaster into play but Ronon manages to lift the gun a little and fires it repeatedly off to the side.<p>

In Engineering, Illyria stands up and she and John turn to look at the doorway as the firing continues in the distance.  
><em>"What the hell was that?! Was it gunfire?"<em> McKay yelled through the comms.  
>"Where's Ronon?" John turns to Illyria. "Keep working."<br>He chases off and Illyria sits down again. "Stay focused, Rodney." Rodney whimpers plaintively. "Tell me what to do next."  
>"All right…" He said nervously.<br>In the corridor, the drone continues to strangle Ronon. John finally arrives and fires a hail of bullets at it. It turns, snarling, releases Ronon and charges towards John. Instantly Ronon rolls over and fires his blaster repeatedly into its back while John continues firing into it from the front. The dual onslaught is too much for it and, groaning, it falls to the floor. John approaches it cautiously as it lies twitching in its death throes.  
>John asked Ronon, "You OK?"<br>"Yeah." He gets up. "Where the hell did he come from?"  
>John kneels down beside it and points to a marking on its uniform. "Check it out. It's the same symbol that was on the alien ship."<br>"How'd he get on board?"  
>"They crashed into us, penetrated our hull, remember?"<br>"You think he did it on purpose?"  
>"It's a good question."<br>Ronon pulls a blaster from a holster on the drone's leg. He shows it to John. "Hey."  
>He aims it at the ceiling further down the corridor and pulls the trigger. A blast similar to the one that comes from his own blaster blows a hole in the ceiling, but this beam is bright green instead of Ronon's red. John looks at the blaster.<br>"Let me try that..."  
>Just then a green blast heads towards them from down the corridor. They dive either side of the doorway as more green blasts head in their direction. Leaning out of hiding, the two of them fire back at their attackers as they see two more drones at the end of the corridor.<br>In Engineering, as the gunfire continues outside, Illyria reports to Rodney, "That's it. That's all of them. I need to go help Colonel Sheppard and Ronon. Good luck, Rodney." Picking up her rifle, she stands up to leave.  
><em>"No-no-no-no-no-no-n'-no! It's not enough!"<em>  
>"What do you mean?"<br>_"Without sub-lights, our orbit is decaying which means more radiation slamming into the shields. The alternate reality drive is only charged to seventy percent, which means it'll never make a hundred before the shields fail."_  
>Sinking back into her chair, she said, "Well, what do we do? We have no more power!"<br>_"Look, ju-just give me a second."_  
>In the corridor John slams another clip into his rifle and rejoins Ronon in firing at the drones. In Engineering, Illyria looks anxiously towards the door.<br>"Rodney, John and Ronon are under attack!"  
><em>"All right, I got it. I got it. Drop the shields."<em>  
>"What?!"<br>_"Drop the shields. I will transfer all available power to the drive. Hopefully it'll be enough to induce a jump."_  
>"'Hopefully'?!"<br>_"It is our only option, and every second we argue about it is less of a chance it's gonna work."  
><em> "Very well. Dropping shields." She types the appropriate commands into the console. Immediately an alarm starts to sound. "Hull temperature is passing critical."

_ "OK, transferring power to the drive now."_ The counter on the screen races up from 70 percent into the nineties, but when it reaches 97 it hesitates, then clicks up to 98 and stops there. _"Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no-no!"_  
>"What is it?"<br>_"It's not enough! It's only ninety-eight percent!"_  
>At Illyria's station, the alarm continues. "Rodney, the hull is beginning to deteriorate."<br>Rodney stares at his screen in anguish. After a moment, the counter clicks up to 99 percent. "Come on! Come on!" At long last, the counter clicks up to 100 percent. "That's it! Sheppard, we're jumping!"  
>Daedalus begins to shake. Ronon and John duck out of sight of the drones and John slips a clip into his pistol. A white flash briefly envelops the ship as she jumps into a different universe and John and Ronon take advantage of the distraction to charge out of the doorway and gun down the drones.<p>

One goes down immediately; the other one crumples to its knees and Ronon rushes forward and clubs it down with the butt of his blaster. He flips his gun around and catches it and aims it down at the drones but it doesn't look like they're getting up again.  
>"Nice work, Rodney." John commented.<br>_"Uh, you may wanna hold off on the congratulations."_  
>"Now what?!"<br>_ "I think I've overtaxed the drive. Look, it's not completely blown but we've only got a handful of jumps before it's burned out."_  
>"All right, then what happens?"<br>_"If we haven't found our way back by then, we will be stranded forever."_

҉

**LATER**

Ronon and Illyria are standing by the windshield on the Bridge looking out at a large field of rocks floating past.  
>"What happened to the planet?" Ronon asked.<br>"Rodney believes that in this reality it was destroyed by an impact, possibly millions of years ago. All that remains is this asteroid field."  
>Rodney comes in and walks over to John who is sitting at the weapons station. The other two come over to join them. "All right, I think I've got something. In fact, it was staring me in the face the whole time. I was just too busy trying to avoid imminent death to notice it."<br>"What are you talking about?" John asked.  
>"The mistake was focusing on the navigation system. I should have known that was never gonna work."<br>"So, what then?" Ronon asked.  
>"So, in a spectacular feat of multi-dimensional mathematics, I have discovered a way to send the ship back along the path it's previously travelled, bypassing the navigation system altogether."<br>"Wait a minute..." John sighed. "You're talking about putting this thing in reverse?"  
>"Exactly."<br>"I just suggested that two hours ago!" John said irritably.  
>"And naturally I dismissed it out of hand, but then I realized that - including the original designer - not one but two versions of myself have failed to make this thing work. I had to think not like me - in fact, I had to think like the opposite of me, and it doesn't get much more opposite than you."<br>John narrowed his eyes at him. "I'll take that as a compliment.'  
>"So can we get back or not?" Illyria asked.<br>Rodney walked to the pilot's seat and sat down. "Well, not directly, no. It's impossible to calculate the relative position of our original starting point from where we are now, but we can retrace our steps, passing through each reality in turn until we reach the right one."  
>"Well, there's a slight problem, Rodney." John said. "We barely got out of those realities alive."<br>"If we don't restore the shields, the radiation from the red giant will kill us." Ronon said.  
>"Not necessarily." Rodney said. "Look, we know that the ship carries its momentum in real space from one reality to the next. Now, we may not have sub-light engines but we do have maneuvering thrusters. You know, one long continuous burn along the right trajectory from now until the next jump should be enough to allow us to establish a higher, more stable orbit around the sun."<p>

"So the radiation will not affect us?" She asked.  
>"I wouldn't go that far, but at least it'll be not quite as deadly." Rodney activates the console. "OK, that's it. Course is already plotted."<br>"Whoa, what about those alien dudes?" John asked. "They know we're the ones that shot at 'em."  
>"Maybe they'll be gone." Ronon said.<br>"I wouldn't count on it. Look, time is passing at the same rate in each of the realities, which means...well, which means it hasn't been that long. To get past those aliens, we're gonna need sub-light engines..." Rodney stands up and starts to leave, "...and I'm gonna need to fix them in time."  
>"Wait-wait-wait, but you said you don't even know what's wrong with those." John said.<br>"Well, I haven't had a chance to check it out. I'm sorry I can't do ten things at once! I already told you, the drive is gonna burn out, soon. We have to do something. Who's to say the next reality won't be even worse?" With that, Rodney leaves the Bridge.

҉

**LATER**

**DRIVE ROOM**  
>"All right. All the modifications to the drive are in place. Here we go." Rodney said.<br>John grips the control console on the Bridge. Daedalus winks out of existence in the asteroid field and reappears above the red giant but this time she's a little further away. John, Ronon and Illyria look out of the front windshield.  
>"It worked." Illyria smiled over at Rodney. "You did it, Rodney."<br>"All right, I'm gonna head up to Engineering and get to work on the sub-lights."  
>John turned to Illyria. "What's our status?"<br>"Hull temperature is rising but not as rapidly as it did before. I think we'll be okay."  
>"So much for the frying pan. Let's hope we make it through the fire."<p>

҉

**ENGINEERING**

Rodney was pulling out a wall panel and was swapping crystals around when Illyria came in.  
>"How's it coming?" She asked.<br>"Hullo. Oh, it's not good. Look, the main systems are completely fried. I'm gonna have to do a full bypass."  
>"Can I help?"<br>"I doubt it." He picks up his computer tablet. "Okay." He types and the panel lights up. Several of the crystals promptly explode. Cowering from the sparks, he yelled, "Oh, jeez! What the ...?!"  
>Illyria quickly runs to the central console and activates some controls. The panel powers down and the crystals stop sparking. Straightening up, Rodney clears his throat in an embarrassed way.<br>"Thanks…"  
>"Perhaps a separate diagnostic of the auxiliary system might be useful."<br>"Uh, sure." Trying to mask his embarrassment that he hadn't thought of that before, he gets to work. Illyria sits down at the console and looks up at him.  
>"Thank you, Rodney."<br>"For what?"  
>She offered him a small smile. "For not giving up."<br>Rodney looks at her in surprise, then smiles in realization. "Oh, I know what this is. It's your first 'mission' since Little John. Look, I am not about to let it be your last, OK?" Illyria smiles at him, but then an alarm begins to sound. "Oh, no. That's what I was afraid of." He runs over to one of the consoles.  
>"What is it?"<br>"The drive's charging a lot faster now." He activates his headset. "Sheppard! Looks like the next jump's gonna happen a lot sooner than we thought."  
><em>"How's it coming with the sub-light engine?"<em>  
>"I'm gonna need a few minutes."<br>_ "Do we have a few more minutes?"_  
>"I doubt it." Rodney plaintively said.<br>John looks across to Ronon who is sitting at the weapons station again. "All right, let's split rail gun positions. I'll take forward; you take aft."  
>"You really think that's gonna make a difference?"<br>"Without shields, probably not, but we don't have much of a choice."

҉

**LATER**

Daedalus jumps realities again.  
>"Where's the alien ship?" Ronon asked.<br>"I'm not sure."  
>"Well, maybe they left."<br>John's console beeps. "No such luck. They're right behind us." The alien ship moves into position behind Daedalus and fighters begin to deploy from it. He activated his headset. "We've got fighters closing in on our position. How's it going down there?"  
><em>"Look, just give me a second."<em>  
>On the Bridge, John and Ronon wait anxiously. "Rodney!"<br>Rodney points to Illyria. "OK, try it now." Illyria activates some controls and the crystal panel lights up again. "That's it! I've got it! Go-go-go-go-go-go!"  
>John activates his controls and the sub-light engines fire up. Daedalus soars away with the fighters in pursuit. In Engineering, Rodney and Illyria look at each other nervously.<br>"John? How're we doing?" Illyria asked gently.  
>John looks at a panel showing the relative position of Daedalus and the fighters. <em>"They're gaining on us. Can you get us more speed?"<em>  
>"There's not a chance!" Rodney yelled. "Look, I've barely got this thing working as it is! If we tax it any more, we're gonna blow the whole system!"<br>_"All right, well, then, we've got a real problem."_  
>The panel shows the fighters getting even closer.<br>"They're in weapons range." Ronon said.  
>The fighters immediately open fire and more explosions go off on the Bridge.<br>"Return fire!" John yelled.  
>"I'm trying!" Ronon yelled back.<br>As the fighters continue their approach, firing all the way, Ronon tries his best to shoot them down but finally loses his temper and starts repeatedly slamming his fists down on the console.  
>"Easy, Chewie! Those buttons are your friends! Just keep trying!"<br>"I'm trying!" Ronon yelled furiously.  
>In Engineering, Rodney and Illyria duck from the explosions going off all around them. The console Illyria ducked behind burst. She screamed as the bright orange flames licked her arm before she scurried away. The crystal panel sparks out and powers down.<br>"That's it - sub-lights are gone for good this time!" Rodney yelled, pulling Illyria to her feet as she cradled her arm.  
>The fighters continue closing on Daedalus, firing all the time. She returns fire but nothing much impacts with her attackers. But suddenly a new weapon soars in from the side and smashes into one of the fighters, blowing it to bits, and a swarm of F-302s enters the fray, engaging with the enemy ships.<br>"What the hell was that?" Ronon asked, frowning.  
>"F-302s. It's Atlantis!" John yelled.<br>The 302s chase the alien fighters around the sky, making a good fight of it and wiping out several of them. In Engineering, Illyria and Rodney look around, clueless as to what's going on outside.  
>"What's happening?" Rodney asked.<br>"Looks like we're getting some help from some friends. Guess we bet on the right side after all." John said from the bridge.

A voice comes over the comms. _"Daedalus, this is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. Do you read?"_  
>John stares in surprise. Ronon frowns round at him. <em>"Daedalus, do you read?"<em>  
>"Uh, yeah, Daedalus ... uh, this is Daedalus, come in."<br>_"Who? Who is this?"_  
>"It's a long story."<br>_"Well, whoever you are, you saved our asses when you took out their main weapons. We figured the least we could do is return the favor."_  
>"Much appreciated!"<br>An alarm beeps and Ronon turns to John. "Uh, Sheppard."  
>He clears his throat and points out of the windshield. John's eyes widen as he looks. One of the fighters, trailing smoke behind it, is making a kamikaze run directly towards the front of the ship.<br>"Oh, crap!"  
>He reaches for his weapons controls. Ronon grimaces and hunkers down in his seat as the fighter plunges towards the ship. The rail guns fire round after round at it but can't stop it as it gets ever larger in the windshield. Finally a shot hits it and it explodes moments before it strikes the ship. Huge chunks of debris smash into the windshield but everything holds firm.<br>_"Sorry about that. One of 'em got through. Nice shooting, though."_ Alt-Sheppard said.  
>"Oh, thanks!"<br>The battle continues but the F-302s are vastly superior and eventually take out the final fighters. _"All right, looks like that's the last of 'em, so, uh, so what happens now?"_  
>"Well, we go our own ways."<br>_"Just like that?"_  
>"Pretty much."<br>_"Well, the thing is, we do have a few questions. See, the Daedalus we know was destroyed two years ago in a battle with Replicators."_  
>"Sorry to hear that, but this isn't exactly our Daedalus. We're just...borrowing it for a while."<br>_"OK, I have no idea what that means."_  
>"Like I said, it's a long story."<br>_"All right, Alt-Daedalus, good luck."_  
>"Thank you, Colonel. And one last thing..."<p>

_"Sure, what is it?"_

"Just curious, but…do you have a wife? Kids?"

_"Actually, got married a few months ago."_

Rodney and Illyria have joined the others during the conversation, and now look at each other in a mixture of amusement as John continues with a smile on his face.

_"How 'bout you?"_

"Three kids and a wife and crew who wants to get home." John smile over his shoulder. He cleared his throat and continued.

"You're obviously a man of great integrity here, and a dedicated commander, and a very skilled pilot."  
>Ronon frowns at him.<br>_"Well, that's funny. I was gonna say the same to you."_  
>John grins smugly. The F-302s head back towards the planet, and Daedalus blinks out of existence in a flash of white light.<br>"All right!" Rodney clapped his hands together. "The alien ship's gone and I'm reading a planet with no energy signatures. It's the first reality we jumped to. One more and we're home!"  
>"Let's get down to the Hangar Bay." John suggested.<br>They head off. Walking along a corridor, Rodney leads the way towards a closed blast door and activates the door controls. The door slides open and a drone comes into view at the far end of the corridor. It fires and hits Rodney in the right arm. He screams as his arm bursts into flames. Illyria charges at him and shoves him out of the way, shielding her own burn armed, as Ronon races forward and fires his blaster at the drone. John also opens fire as it ducks around the corner. Nearby, Rodney holds his arm, high-pitched in pain and indignation.  
>"I got shot!"<br>John and Ronon continue firing at the drone. "Thought we got 'em all."  
>"Apparently not!"<br>John catches the drone in a hail of gunfire as it comes out of hiding. As it reels, Ronon also fires his blaster at it and the dual onslaught sends it crumpling to the floor. John fires a few more shots from his pistol into it for good measure as they approach it.  
>"Think there's any more of them?" Ronon asked.<br>"Not waiting around to find out."  
>Just then an ominous beeping comes from the drone. Its arm flops onto the floor and reveals that it has activated a self-destruct mechanism.<br>"Move, move, move!" John yelled, grabbing his wife by the collar of her jacket and hulled her to her feet. Ronon did the same to Rodney as he howled.  
>They raced back the way they came. Ronon throws Rodney around the corner and out of the way before sliding in, but the explosion catches John and Illyria and sends them flying across the corridor. Luckily the blast doors close behind John and the worst of the explosion is contained. John acts like a cushion as they skid across the floor, slamming into the wall.<p>

"You okay?" Illyria asked, shifting slight off her husband to keep from crushing him. He moaned out something that sounding like and 'okay'. Illyria patted his leg with her free hand. "Good…good."

"We are so taking a vacation after this." John groaned, sitting up.

"Sounds like a plan," Ronon breathed, leaning against the wall.

An alarm starts to sound. Rodney, still clutching his arm, stumbles across to a console in the wall and activates it. He looks at the screen, then turns around wide-eyed.  
>"The explosion's caused a hull breach. The whole section's been depressurized, including the Hangar Bay. We just lost the Jumpers!"<br>"Our stop is coming up, Rodney." John said as he stood up. "It's time to get off this train."  
>"Look, there's no way off!"<br>"Once we jump into our own reality, Atlantis will detect us and they will send help." Illyria said, standing up, too.  
>"We broke orbit to get away from the fighters, remember? Look, we carry our momentum and relative position in space from one reality to the next, which means by the time we next jump, we're gonna be, like, half a million kilometers out. They're never gonna get to us in time!"<br>"We've got C4. I say we wait until we get back and we'll blow the drive." Ronon suggested.  
>"That could work - or it could tear a hole in the space-time continuum, not only killing us but destroying the entire solar system!"<br>"Well, we'd better think of something fast!" John yelled.  
>Everyone looks at Rodney expectantly. He stares back at them, in pain and without a clue.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM**  
>"Another contact just appeared on our screens." Chuck announced.<br>"Is it the Daedalus?" Lorne asked, walking over to his station.  
>"They're too far out for us to get I.F.F." Zelenka reported.<br>"Try sub-space." Lorne ordered. Chuck activates his controls and nods to Lorne. "Colonel Sheppard, do you read?" There's no reply. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne. Do you read?" He looks at Chuck. "Was there a hyperspace window?"  
>"No, sir. They just appeared out of nowhere."<br>"It's gotta be them. Alert King Tiberius." Lorne looks at Radek. "Doc, you're with me. Let's go. Come on."

҉

**LATER**

A Puddle Jumper heads out into space with Lorne and Radek are on board.  
>"All right, we should be within radio range." Radek said.<br>Lorne activated the comms. "Colonel Sheppard, come in. Doctor McKay, this is Major Lorne, do you read?"  
>They get nothing but static.<br>"There's too much interference." Radek reports and his console beeps. "I'm picking up some kind of energy reading. It's spiking."  
>The Jumper heads towards Daedalus but just then a bright white light envelops her and she vanishes.<br>"What the hell just happened?" Lorne asked, looking around his windshield.  
>"They disappeared."<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa, what are you talking about?"  
>"Well, they're - they're just...gone." His console bleeps. "Oh, wait a minute. I'm picking up four life signs."<br>"Okay," Lorne sighed, "where?"  
>"Dead ahead."<p>

They peer through the windshield as the Jumper slows down. Four tiny shapes can be seen in the distance.  
>Lorne activated his headset. "Colonel Sheppard, is that you?"<br>_"Major, nice of you to stop by. Kind of hard to get a cab in this neighborhood."_  
>Lorne and Radek grin. "Yes, sir!"<br>He sends the Jumper towards the four members of Team Sheppard, all safe within spacesuits.

҉

**INFIRMARY**

Rodney is sitting up in bed, having had his arm treated. He is working on his alt-self's computer tablet. John sits by his bedside playing on his hand-held computer game.  
>Not looking up from his game throughout the ensuing conversation, John asked, "How many jumps d'you think that drive has left in it before it burns out?"<br>"Half a dozen, tops, then it'll be completely inert."  
>"Good. I'd hate to think of somebody else getting trapped inside that thing like we did."<br>"Actually, you know, I'm thinking about that. Now, true, the navigation system was flawed to start, but the basic principles of the drive are fundamentally sound."  
>"Forget it, Rodney."<br>"I've saved the relevant data. Minor adjustments and I should be able to have this thing up and running-"  
>"Like I said, forget it." John looks up and smiles as Illyria approaches, holding John Carson. "Hey, look who's here!"<br>"How's your shoulder, Rodney?" She asked.  
>"Uh, it's pretty bad, but, you know, better. Your arm?"<p>

She looks down at her white gauzed arm and shrugs. "It'll heal." She smiled. "Is your shoulder well enough to hold him?"  
>John raises his eyebrows and looks at Rodney pointedly.<br>"Really?!"  
>Illyria shrugs. Rodney pushes his tablet down the bed and reaches for John Carson as Illyria brings him over. Before Rodney could touch him, John held out him hand and said, fiercely, "Don't drop him."<br>Rodney gingerly takes John Carson, taking most of his weight on his left arm but still grimacing from the pain in his right. Once he's got the baby settled in his arms, he looks into his sleeping face and smiles.  
>"Hey there, little guy." He grins. "I think he likes me."<br>"It suits you." Illyria said, walking over to John and sitting in his lap.  
>"You think so?"<br>"I think you'll make an excellent father someday."  
>Rodney looks a little dubious and glances towards John, whose face screws up in disbelief. Before he could say anything, a female technician from the Gate Room walked over to them, tapped Illyria on the shoulder, and said, "Ma'am, we've established a wormhole. You're good to go for gate travel."<p>

"Ah, thank you." Illyria smiled, standing. "Can you please inform my father?"

"Yes, ma'am. What about the twins?"

"I'll pick them up," John sighed, standing, and the technician left. He kissed his wife's cheek. "Gives me time to see if they're all packed or not."  
>John left and Rodney looked up at Illyria curiously. "Packed? Gate travel…?"<p>

"John thought it would be nice for a change of scenery for a little bit."

"Oh, what's the occasion?"

"Wedding anniversary." Illyria smiled. "The first one we actually get to spend together. Plus, the twins birthday is coming up and I hear that there is a world called _Disney_ that is extremely fun."

Rodney chuckled then looks nervously up at Illyria. "D'you wanna, um...?"  
>Reaching for John Carson, she said, "I think so."<br>"Yeah. Watch out..." Illyria gently takes John Carson back from him and he settles back in bed with a sigh of relief. "Right."

"Get well soon, Rodney." Illyria said as she turned away.

"Hey, take lots of pictures for me!" Rodney called after her.


	76. Chapter 74

**AUTHOR'S NOTE::** John Carson Sheppard Jr. is referred to as: John Carson, J.J, or Junior.

Extremely sorry for the long a** wait!

Atlantis was in a flurry for the long awaited arrival of the Sheppard family. For what was supposed to be a two weeks turned into two month stay on Earth for their late honeymoon and the twin's sixth birthday. Now, aboard the Daedalus, they would be here any minute. Waiting in the control room was Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay, Marissa Frio and Evan Lorne.

"So why do you think they stayed so long?" Rodney asked.

"I could take a couple guess." Ronon smiled at the group.

Ignoring the small banter behind him, Rodney continued. "I can't blame them for staying for two months. They didn't have to stay on Earth, though. The past two months here have practically been vacation; no Wraith, no replicators, no apocalyptic size events that need us to save the world. _Again_. All in all, a very quiet two months."

"Too quite." Evan said.

"Well, I for one hope they had an extremely pleasant time." Marissa said, reaching over to hold Evan's hand. Something on her finger shone in the light. "They deserve it after all that's happened since they got married."

"I think a lot of people deserved the quite two months." Evan gently shoulder bumped her. With a smile, she stood up on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

"Oh God, the horror," Tiberius said, in a snobbish mock-British accent, exiting his office with a tablet in hand. "Please do make it stop. This unnecessary display of affection makes me quite ill."

"Just jealous you're not gettn' any." Ronon said with a trace of a smile.

Tiberius just lifted his eyebrow. "As far as you're concerned."

Marissa snorted. She quickly lifted her hand to cover her mouth, looking around to see if anyone noticed, as everyone's eyes turned to her. They all shared a glance before laughing at Marissa's snort as her face reddened.

Rodney rolled his eys. "When's their E.T.A?"

"Well," Evan said, as a white beam of concentrated light came down from the ceiling, centered in the middle of the Gate Room floor. "Now."

The beam of light evaporated and out stepped the Sheppard family. Even from their high location, the team could tell something has changed and it wasn't just physically: Illyria had cut her hair shorter - The length is blunt cut to sit on the shoulders, worn behind one ear showing allowing the opposite side to show off the layers added for shape and the jagged cut bangs were swept to the side to soften the face; John had also cut his hair, shaving it close to his head on the sides and leaving about two inches on top and smoothly slicked it back in a dapper fashion.

There were tattoo's as well: John was wearing a steel gray, long sleeved military styled Henley tee and where the sleeves were bunched up at his elbows, they could see two thin lines that crossed to make an X on his inner left forearm; in each small section were the letters: A (Top)/ H (Right)/ S (Bottom)/ D (Left). They each stood for - Awareness / Humility / Sacrifice / Dependence. The words "Till my dying day" were tattooed on the right side of his left ring finger. Illyria also had this tattoo, as well their kid's birthday's in Roman Numerals between her shoulder blades –IX XV MMII (Jennifer/Patrick – 9.15.02) VII XI MMVIII (John Carson – 7.11.08) as displayed by the cutout back of the maxi dress she wore.

But as the team had noticed, it was more than a physical change. Their faces were drawn and tight, exposing no emotion other than the polite smiles they donned on as they were greeted by expedition members.

"Something's not right." Tiberius mused, tapping the silver ring on his ring finger on the rail. He slid his hand along the railing as he walked to the main staircase and called out, "Children!"

Jennifer and Patrick's heads swished to Tiberius, their faces lighting up. "Grampa!" They dropped their suitcase on the ground and raced to meet him on the stairs, shouting, "Grampa! Grampa!"

Tiberius knelt down on his knees, arms outstretched, and a wide grin on his face. They collided into him, both a once, with enough force to knock him on his back for a few moments. But he just laughed heartily and straightened up. "Ah, you've grown! What are you know, twelve?!"

"No!" Jennifer smiled, shaking her head. "We're this many!"

She held up six fingers and Patrick said, "Six!"

"That's right, it was your birthday." Tiberius said, smiling fondly at the two in his arms. "I suppose you got many gifts from your mother and father?"

And at that they both started talking at once, telling their grandfather all about Disney World, Earth, and their presents, Tiberius listened dutifully, smiling, nodding, and giving small opinions here and there to keep them going. A few workers took their luggage to their apartment and now John, Illyria and the baby were with them, joined by the rest of the team. After the children finished their story about the flying elephants and magic teacups, they all moved into Tiberius' office to give them the rest of their presents.

From Rodney, a chemistry set for Jennifer and a Snap Circuits Jr. for Jeremy. All projects are simple to build and understand. All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease. "Perfect for the novice engineer," as Rodney proudly stated. "Flying Saucer, Music Alarm Combo, Pencil Alarm, Space War Flicker, Voice Controlled Lamp, exedra."

From Jennifer Keller, a pair of Walkie-Talkies. From Evan, red and blue steppers (cup seize buckets) connected to braided lines; immediately, Jen and Pat were walking around on them. From Marissa, a scooter for each – one red one blue. From Ronon, weapons – for Patrick, a Bokken (a long wooden sword made from oak) and a Jo (a simple wooden staff about 4-5 ft long with Patrick's name carved into the side); for Jennifer, a wooden recurve bow with Jennifer's name carved into the side and with white feathered arrows. All hand carved by Ronon.

Tiberius' gifts were more special. He gave his granddaughter a porcelain doll, as fragile as glass that looked remarkably like her. Her eyes lit up even lighter and sat down with her mom to ogle at. For Patrick, Tiberius knelt down in front of him, pulled up the boy's sleeve and strapped on a leather armband with a small crystal rod held in the center.

"Do you know what this is?" Tiberius asked the boy. "No? Well, I was a bit older than you, a bit taller, when I was tasked by my father to build this city. I did and when it was done, there was a problem. We had no power. That was until I found this," Tiberius tapped the crystal with his finger.

"This little rock?" Patrick asked.

Tiberius chuckled. "Well, what did you expect? Even in our darkest of days, in the smallest of places, this little rock powered the entire city when we needed it most. It was a beacon of hope, a symbol of change. And that, my dear boy," Tiberius said more softly, touching one side of the boy's face with an open hand, "is what you must become."

"Now?" he asked, his eyes widening. The guests around the room giggled and laughed.

"No, of course not. You most certainly have plenty of time." At the door there were three knocks and a techie popped his head in, waving a piece of paper. Tiberius smiled at his grandson. "I on the other hand, do not."

Tiberius walked outside and talked with the techie about the paper in his hands. John watched, wondering what the paper was, and out of the corner of his eye saw Ronon staring at him.

"What'cha looking at?" John asked.

"Oh, nothing." Ronon smiled. "Just your fucked up haircut."

At that the room broke out in laughter; everyone was thinking it, but nobody had said it. Not even Illyria. John just gave a tight lipped smile and waved on the humiliation. When the last giggle subsided, Marissa finally asked,

"How did you get that haircut?"

"Long story short," John began, starring down at Patrick who was trying to hide behind his steppers. "Pat thought it'd be nice to give Daddy a haircut while he was sleeping." Ronon winced. "Woke up to 'Lyria prying the electric razor out of his hand and a stripe shaved into the side of my head."

"What about the tattoos?" Evan asked. "I'm pretty sure those aren't magic marker."

"The kids were asleep and John and I wanted a drink." Illyria said, shifting John Carson in her arms.

"And one drink led to another, and another-" John added.

"And we found ourselves wandering into a tattoo parlor."

"What do they mean?" Rodney asked, pointing to John's first.

"I honestly don't know about that one." He scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked down at his forearm. "I was pretty…out of it, but luckily the guy saw my military I.D. He said he'd give me something fitting." John tilted his head. "Gotta say, thank God he did. Probably would've gone with a dragon."

"And the fingers?" Marissa asked.

Illyria smile and held up her ring finger. "'Till death do us part' was just too long. But, hey, enough about us," Illyria smiled knowingly, "couldn't help but notice something…shiny?"

Evan pulled Marissa close to his chest. "I don't know what you mean…"

Marissa rolled her eyes and patted his chest. "Took a while, but," She pulled the ring off her left hand ring finger and passed it along to Illyria, "we're finally and officially engaged."

Illyria held in her hand a beautifully crafted 18K white gold vintage sapphire and diamond ring, featuring brilliant blue sapphire baguettes alternating with round diamonds and surrounded by delicate milgrain. The band was hand-engraved in a fanciful floral pattern, adding distinctive appeal.

"Wow…this is-"

"Overwhelmingly beautiful?" Marissa said, smiling. "Yeah, I know."

"Nice job, Major." John smiled, handing the ring back to Marissa. "When'd you pop the question?"

"You know that planet with the cotton candy colored trees? About a month ago, I took her out for a picnic date and-" He coughed uncomfortably and looked down at the kids playing. "And the rest we all know."

Rodney was just about to tell them how the trees looked like puffs of cotton candy when Tiberius walked with the Techie's paper.

"Sorry to cut the party short, but…you've got a mission." There were a series of groans and moans that chorused throughout the office. "I know, I know, but this one came from the SGC via Colonel Caldwell."

"What do they want us to do?" John asked.

"Scout out a new off-world base. Too many bad guys have known about our bases in the past, so I want this one played close to the vest, alright? No one outside of this room knows what's happening."

Team Sheppard nodded their heads and left to gear up. Tiberius watched as the happiness in his daughter's face morph into a blank stare.

"You do not have to worry, darling." Tiberius told her. He came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist.  
>"That's like telling water not to be wet, Papa." She said, laying her head back to rest on his chest.<p>

҉

**ALIEN PLANET**

A Puddle Jumper is flying up from the planet. On board is Team Sheppard who is talking about what they had just seen down on the planet.  
>"What the hell was that thing?" Ronon shouted.<br>"It just appeared out of nowhere." Marissa said.  
>"And that shriek scared the crap out of me." Rodney sighed.<br>"Kind of a...flying monkey." John guessed, his head shaking slightly in disbelief.  
>"Flying monkeys!" Rodney shouted. "What is this, the planet of Oz?!"<br>"It leapt rather than flew." Marissa said.  
>"That was one hell of a leap." Ronon muttered.<br>John continued, "Well, I said it looked like a monkey - you know, hair, arms, legs-"  
>"-a beak." Rodney cut in.<br>"It didn't have a beak!"  
>"Look, here - I uploaded it. There."<br>He shows his computer tablet to John. The creature he photographed was obviously moving fast as he took the picture and it is so blurry that there's no way of telling what the creature looks like.  
>"Oh! You know, that really clears things up!"<br>"What did you expect? It was trying to kill me."  
>"What the hell is that thing?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, let's send a team of biologists down there - let them figure it out. It might be a good place for an Alpha site." John suggested.  
>"The planet did seem suitable." Marissa agreed. "Good climate; abundant food and water; excellent choice for an off-world base."<br>"Aside from the flying monkeys!" Rodney shouted.  
>"All right, we're coming into range, Rodney." John said. Ahead of them is a space Stargate. Rodney dials the D.H.D. and the Gate kawhooshes. The Jumper approaches, but just then the lights inside the ship flicker and an alarm starts to beep. "Rodney?"<br>"Oh, serious power spike!" Rodney looks at his console. "That's strange."  
>"What's wrong?"<br>"I don't know. I mean, these readings are all screwy."

The lights flicker again.  
>"I just lost steering."<br>"Really?"  
>"The drive pods won't retract."<br>Ronon turned to Rodney and growled, "Do something."  
>"I could if I knew what the problem was."<br>Ahead of the Jumper, the Gate is getting closer.  
>"Rodney…" John warned.<br>"Just-just-just hang on, hang on."  
>"Yeah, but if those pods don't retract-"<br>"I know, I know! Just-just give me a second."  
>"We don't have a second."<br>A bolt of electricity surges across the cabin, nearly hitting Marissa before Ronon yanked her down to the floor. Everyone looks round in shock as Marissa slowly got up off the ground.  
>"What the hell?!" Marissa shouted, patting herself down.<br>All the lights go out and the engines power down and Rodney astutely observed, "We just lost power."  
>"All right, you'd better hold on." John said.<br>Everyone braces themselves as the Jumper continues heading towards the Gate. It's not lined up properly and the nose smashes into the edge of the Gate. Luckily the Jumper's speed is such that it pushes the Gate out of the way and then continues onwards. The Gate goes into a spin but then automatic attitude control thrusters around its edge fire to stabilize it again. The Jumper - slowed down by the impact - rolls helplessly in space. Rodney consults his computer tablet.  
>"OK, good, good. I was wrong. We still have power; we're just not getting any to the primary systems ... or the secondary systems either."<br>"Why not?" John asked.  
>"I don't know. It's some kind of interference. I'm getting spikes all over the place. It's completely haywire. Thank God the inertial dampeners weren't affected."<br>"Well, not yet." Another electrical surge sparks across the front console. John and Rodney duck back from it. "Jeez! What the hell is that?!"  
>"It's displacement current - high voltage. Do not let it hit you."<p>

"Oh, you think?!"  
>"Maybe it's something we picked up on the planet." Marissa suggested.<br>"That is doubtful, OK? There was nothing technological - I mean Ancient or other - on that planet. It was totally primordial. I didn't detect anything unusual in the planet's magnetosphere. Look, it's gotta be some kind of a - of a glitch in the Jumper's capacitor. Just give me a second - I'll figure out how to-" Rodney stares at his tablet. "Oh no."  
>"What?" Ronon sighed.<br>"Hitting the Gate decreased our speed, which means we're in decaying orbit. Look, if we don't get power back, we're gonna burn up in the atmosphere."  
>"All right, try to get the D.H.D. working - we can dial the Gate, radio for help.<br>"Well, I'll try, but the radio communications were affected as well."  
>They stare at each other as they hear something. John says, "The drive pods are powering up."<br>Looking at his tablet, Rodney said, "Only one of them, and it wasn't anything I did. I mean, it just came back online."  
>"By itself?" Ronon asked.<br>"It doesn't make any difference. Keep working on that D.H.D. - I'm gonna and get us back in range." Flying on just the one drive pod, John manages to turn the Jumper and flies it back in the direction of the Gate. Rodney works on his tablet.  
>"OK, I've got bad news and I've got good news."<br>"What is it?"  
>"Slim to no chance of getting the D.H.D. working. The system is completely out of whack. It's gonna take some incredibly intricate rerouting to the power-"<br>"Whoa-whoa-whoa. What's the good news?"  
>"That was the good news." He sighed apologetically. "The bad news is we lost life support."<br>"So, no air." Marissa summed up.  
>"Right. That's-that's why it's bad." He said quietly.<br>"All right." John clapped his hands together and rubbed. "We're back in range. Just keep working on the D.H.D. This may be our last shot."  
>A huge bolt of electrical energy surges through the rear cabin. Everyone cringes, but then the lights come on and the Jumper starts to power up.<br>"What just happened?" Marissa asked.  
>"I don't know, but we're back online." McKay said hurriedly.<br>"D.H.D.?" John asked just as rushed.  
>"Everything! We've got propulsion, life support, you name it."<br>With both drive pods now working properly, the Jumper heads towards the Gate. John activates the comms. "Atlantis, this is Sheppard. We're coming in for approach but our systems are a little whacked. If we're not there in about ten seconds, send a Jumper for us."  
><em>"Copy that, Colonel."<em> Chuck replied.  
>Looking round at the others, John said, "You'd better brace yourself again."<br>Everyone braces themselves as the Jumper heads for the Gate. However, it makes a textbook approach and plunges safely into the event horizon.

҉

**WORMHOLE TRAVEL  
>ATLANTIS<strong>

Sometime after their safe arrival, John is walking with Tiberius.  
>"Any of the other Jumpers reporting trouble?"<br>"No. Probably an isolated incident but McKay and Zelenka are checking into it. We should probably ground the Jumpers 'til we know what the problem is, though."  
>"All right." Tiberius nodded, walking with his hands clasped behind his back. "But the planet - suitable for an Alpha site?"<br>"Yeah, perfect - well, except for the monkey-like creature flying around, but I think we can handle that."  
>Tiberius stopped and looked skeptically at John. "Monkey?"<br>"Yeah. McKay's got some photos - he'll show 'em to you." John walks away with Tiberius, still standing there, calling after him,

"_Flying_ monkey?"

҉

**PUDDLE JUMPER**

Rodney and Radek Zelenka are in the rear compartment of the ship checking its system when John came in.  
>"So, how's it going, boys? D'you get it fixed?"<br>"There's nothing to fix." Radek pointed out.  
>"What?"<br>'We ran a battery of tests." Rodney explained. "The Jumper's in perfect condition."  
>"How come the systems were all screwy?" John asked.<br>"You got me."  
>"We couldn't recreate any of the so-called anomalies." Radek said cynically.<br>"Hey, Sammy Skeptic," Rodney pointed to John, "He saw it too, as did Ronon and Marissa. All of our primary systems went down."  
>"That's OK. I believe you." Radek sighed disbelievingly.<br>"I don't think you do."  
>"It's just that I think that maybe the problem might have been caused by something that you unwittingly-"<br>"I didn't do anything - wittingly or "un"!" Rodney yelled indignantly.  
>Exasperated, John starts to back out of the ship. "OK, OK. There's nothing wrong with the Jumper."<br>"Well, not anymore!" Rodney whined.  
>"Well, I don't think there ever was anything…" Radek turns and starts to leave the ship.<br>"OK, enough!" Rodney sighed, annoyed.

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Looking at a computer tablet, Tiberius walks along until he reaches a transporter. He swipes his hand over the wall panel and the doors open. The cover over the back panel opens and he walks in and presses the area where he wants to go. As the doors close, he continues working on his tablet. The lights in the transporter fritz for a moment and the wall panel cover closes.

Tiberius frowns at the panel, but then the doors open and he looks back down, turns and walks out, still working on his tablet. He takes a few steps forward and then bumps into the railing of a balcony. He's outdoors, looking over one of the piers. Exasperated, he turns back to the transporter but the doors close before he can reach them. He swipes his hand over the wall panel but it beeps negatively and the doors stay closed.  
>Briefly expressing his outrage in muffled Atlantian, he sighed and activated his headset radio. "Control Room, this is King Tiberius. The transporter I was on malfunctioned and dropped me off at one of the east piers. Now the transporter door won't open. Can you locate me and open it, please?" When there was no reply, he activated his headset again. "Control room?"<p>

Tiberius cursed under his breath some more, pulling the earpiece out of his ear. "Looks like I'm walking." He looks around and smiles slightly. "Just like old times."

He took off his red v-neck sweater, unbuttoned a few shirt buttons and started walking.

҉

**CORRIDOR**

"Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad!" Patrick shouted, tugging on John's sleeve while he skipped next to him.

"Easy buddy," John said, shifting John Carson in his arms. "What is it?"

"Is Aunt Rissa having a baby?"

"What makes you say that?" John asked, looking down at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Well," Patrick dragged out, taking a long breath before continuing, "When you an Mommy dropped us off at Uncle Evan's so you could go to work and Mommy went to work with Grandpapa, he let us paint. I like to paint with Uncle Evan; he has the best paint. Did you know that? He all sorts of colors; there's one that looks just like the sun! And-"

"Patty!" John chuckled. "What does paint have to do with Aunt Rissa?"

"I was getting to that!" Patrick muttered under his breath, "Rude." John smiled, knowing he picked it up from his mother. "Uncle Evan was teaching us how to paint land with a house on it. He was too busy putting J.J to sleep; he was crying and crying and crying-"

"Patty…"

"Right. So Jenny spilled paint all over the floor and Uncle Evan didn't notice so she ran off to get some towels. Her mess, not mine. She threw a brush at me!"

"I'll talk to her about that, but continue."

"So I helped her find a towel. I know Uncle Evan has some near his bed so I looked there. That's when," Patrick stopped and dug around in his pocket, sticking his tongue out, and pulled out a small box with little circular pink pills inside, "I found these. Mommy as some bed her bed-"

"Jesus Christ, Patrick," John muttered, shifting John Carson in his arms to take the box, "did you steal this?"

Patrick lowered his eyes, "Just borrowing it…"

John sighed, putting the box in his pocket, "You are in deep trouble, mister." He smiled slightly and lifted up the boy's chin, "Didn't your parents teach you not to steal?"

"You?" Patrick said, mock accusingly.

John put his arm around his son and began to walk again. "You are the smartest six year old I know, yet you can be a real kid at times. You know you're going to have to give the box back to Aunt Rissa, right?"

"I know…" Patrick stopped and frowned, hiding behind his dad, as the lights flicker off and on. "Daddy, what's going on?"

"Hold on, buddy," John switched on his radio. "Rodney?"  
><em>"Go ahead."<em>  
>"Are you messin' around with the power again? The lights are flickering and it's scaring my son."<p>

"Not true!" Patick yelled, then said more quietly, "I didn't want J.J to start crying. He's a baby."  
>In the background of the radio, John heard Rodney working on a computer in his lab as he said, <em>"Yeah, I'm getting reports from all over the place-"<em> Rodney was cut off as the lights go off and then come on again several times.

"Hello? Rodney?" John asked, clicking on and off his radio. John looks around, fearing the worst. "Hey, buddy, I need you to hop up on my back. Got that?" Patrick nodded and crawled on John, hugged his neck.  
>John hurried down the corridor where the lights are also flickering on and off, then ducks back, protecting his sons, as an electrical bolt surges between the walls just in front of them.<br>"Rodney?!" John yelled, huddling John Carson close as he wailed. Patrick was too terrified to say anything.  
>Back in Rodney's lab, Radek rushes in. "Have you noticed-"<br>"Yes."  
>"Well, do you have any-"<br>"Not yet."  
>"Is it localized?"<br>"No. There are power disruptions all over the city."  
>"Z.P.M.?"<br>"Still online, plenty of power. It's just suddenly become…" The lights flicker off and on again. "...unstable."  
>Going to another computer, Radek said, "Sounds not unlike what you said happened in the Puddle Jumper."<br>"Yes, remarkably not unlike it." Rodney said sarcastically.  
>"Well, perhaps the anomaly's spread to the city's systems."<br>"Naah, it's impossible. I disabled the network connection between the Jumper and Atlantis before we even came through the Gate."  
>Just then, all the computers power down. He and Radek lift their hands from their keypads in surprise.<br>"Well. So, coincidence, then?!" Radek said.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Rodney and Radek are working on consoles as John stomps up the stairs, John Carson in his arms, crying, and Patrick on his back, stunned.  
>"I tried to radio you!" John said angrily to Rodney. He slid Patrick off his back, put him in a chair, and had him hold John Carson. He check them both over as Rodney said,<p>

"Yeah, communications are down."  
>"Yeah, obviously." John muttered. When he saw that his kids were alright and that John Carson was beginning to calm down, he stood and asked, "What's up?"<br>"We're working on it."  
>"Well, we just almost got zapped by a bolt of lightning."<br>Rodney looks up at him, then the kids, in surprise. "Are they okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah," John waved. "Nothing hit them, they're just shook up."

"Okay, that's good…that's good." Rodney shook his head, realizing what John had just said, "But, wait, displacement current? Here?"  
>"Yeah, right there in the corridor, just like the one we had in the Jumper."<br>"So, not a coincidence." Radek said.  
>An alarm beeps. Chuck looks up from his screen and reported, "We just lost power to the Stargate."<br>"What?" Rodney asked.  
>"Maybe a virus uploaded itself or something." John suggested.<br>"No-no, I disabled the Jumper's network connection for this very reason. There is no way the anomaly jumped to the city's systems."  
>A huge bolt of lightning surges across the room and hits one of the consoles. John lunged to crouch down to cover his kids as everyone cringes, then looks in shock at the shattered screen of the console.<p>

"You okay?" John asked Patrick, scanning him over. Patrick nodded and huddled John Carson closer. John looked over his shoulder and said, "You'd better figure it out, because whatever was in that Jumper is now in the city."

҉

**NIGHT TIME**

Tiberius walks slowly, yet confidently, into the Control Room with a half empty bottle of water in his hand.  
>"Where've you been?" John asked, his eyebrow raised. Tiberius' skin had sheen of sweat covering his face and hands; his nice baby blue dress shirt was blotched with sweat by his lower back and armpits.<br>"On the other side of the city," Tiberius said slowly, slightly out of breath. "A transporter malfunctioned and sent me to the East Pier. I had to walk and partially climb all the way back."

Chuck got up voluntarily and offered his seat to Tiberius, "Here you go, sir."

"Ah, thank you, Chuck." Tiberius sighed, sitting down. He chuckled. "I forgot how out of shape I was."

"Eh, you look gorgeous." John smiled. Truly, the guy looked in peak condition for his age: salt-and-peppered grey hair well kept, mentally strong, and physically built like a soldier.  
>"How flattering of you." Seeing Rodney, Tiberius asked, "So what the hell is going on with my city, Doctor?"<br>"We've got power disruptions all over the city. Look, nearly every system's affected."  
>"We think whatever's wrong with the Jumper has infected Atlantis," John explained.<br>"It's one of several possibilities we're looking into."  
>"'Several'?!" Radek asked, walking up.<br>"It's a possibility, all right?" Rodney said. "Look, the point is, we have no idea what's going on here."  
>"I was almost hit by a bolt of lightning." Tiberius said, a cold façade on his face.<br>"Yeah, join the club!" John muttered.  
>"Look," Rodney said, "the energy builds up in one area and then discharges in a high-voltage displacement current. Very erratic, and very lethal."<br>"I tried to radio you." Tiberius said. "Explain that."  
>"Yeah, well, communications are also down." Radek said.<br>"So's the Stargate." John gestured to the room below the railings.  
>"Are you telling me that we cannot dial Earth?" He said slowly and deliberately, his 'Irish' accent showing.<br>"Don't worry, all right?" Rodney said. "I will figure it out. I've just gotta run a few diagnostics, narrow down the-"  
>All the lights go out, and all the computers power down. The Control Room is plunged into darkness. A few seconds later, the shattering of glass and a child's cry was heard. John's head shot to the direction of Tiberius' office where Illyria and they kids were staying. As the glass stopped falling, Illyria stepped out of the office, clutching her bloody right elbow, and said as she looked around the room,<br>"Well, that can't be good." She walked forward through the glass. "The entire city must be dark."

"What the _hell_?!" John said, rushing over to her, grabbing her arm to look at the elbow.

"Sorry about the window, Father." Illyria said over John's shoulder.

"Forget about the bloody window." Tiberius said, walking towards them. "What were you thinking, smashing a window-"

"I could feel the room charging. I touched something and nearly got my hand blown off." She held up the hand of the same injured elbow, he fingers dripping blood. "I thought if I opened the door, the surge would go through there or I could at least get the kids out."

"Couldn't just open the door?" John asked. He has already taken his jacket off and wrapped it around her elbow. He began to wipe blood off her neck and face.

"Think I didn't try that? The power cut off, now that wouldn't affect the doors, but somehow it did." She looked John in the eyes this time. "I needed to protect our children."

"As long as they're okay. Chuck, can you stay with the little ones? I don't want them walking in the glass." Chuck nodded and headed off. "Okay," Tiberius backed up and clapped his hands, "we need to organize some teams, fan out through the city, keep everyone calm until we figure out exactly what the-"  
>He stops as a small light comes on.<br>"Hey, the laptop just booted up!" Rodney stares at it in surprise.  
>"It's probably just the battery." John said.<br>"No-no-no-no, it's drawing power from the system."  
>"So everything's out except your computer?" Tiberius said suspiciously.<p>

Rodney rolls his eyes. "I am as confused as you are."  
>Text begins to scroll across the screen. It's all gibberish but eventually settles into reading: ALM... SHUKRSH...FHSZZR...DSTTUBE…<br>"What is that?" Illyria asked.  
>"Looks like some kind of a code." John said.<br>"Maybe..." Rodney trailed.  
>"Could be a message?" Radek suggested.<br>The text alters and becomes longer. Still none of it makes sense. It wraps onto the second line, then some of it deletes until the second line reads only "HLE." It deletes again and becomes "HEL", then "HLEPP", then finally settles into the word "HELP."  
>"'Help'?" Tiberius asked.<br>Rodney reaches down and types "Who are you?" The computer replies, constantly correcting itself.

_BEI RI  
>BETH WRI<br>EITLBZT WI  
>EIABT WR<br>EYAIABTE WER  
>EYIVABTEH WEER<br>ELIZABETH WEIR_

Everyone, besides Tiberius, stares in shock.

"Doctor Weir…" Tiberius thought the name over. "Doctor Weir was the leader of this expedition, wasn't she? Before my daughter? I thought she was dead."  
>"So we've been told." Illyria said softly.<br>Tiberius looks at Rodney. "Perhaps you should answer her."  
>Rodney stares at him, still in shock, then pulls himself together a little. Nervously saying, "Right." He types: 'Where are you?'<br>The computer replies:

_CO/8  
>COPL<br>CRORMP  
>CORMP<br>COMTR  
>COMPUTER<em>

"In the computer?" Tiberius asked, looking around it, even lifting it up. "How can she be in the computer?"  
>The computer continues:<p>

_DIFT  
>DIFIC<br>DIFICULT_

The word remains and the computer moves to a new line, still constantly correcting itself:

_CR  
>CRRNTET<br>CRRUNTENTCD  
>CURENTENTCD<br>CURRNTENT COD  
>CURRNENT CONDN<br>CURRENT CONDITION_

Rodney types: 'What happened to you?'  
>The computer replies, again correcting itself all the time:<p>

_KTPSASS  
>KTPTRSAS<br>BSUBSPTR  
>BSUBSPUTTR<em>

_SUBSPCTARE  
>SUBSPACE<em>

It moves onto a new line. Still it struggles to get its words right but eventually settles on:

_DIFFICULT CONTROL  
><em>

The next line eventually reads:

_TRYING TO_

Just then all the lights and computers come back on. Everyone looks around for a moment, then Rodney types: 'Did you do that?' The computer tries to reply but can produce only gibberish. Rodney types: 'Are you still there?'  
>The cursor flashes for a moment, and then the computer types two more words: '<em>HELP ME'<em>  
>Everyone looks at the screen in anguish. Tiberius just looks curious.<p>

**҉**

**LATER**

**POWER ROOM**

Radek finishes tweaking a wall panel. "Right." He activates his headset. "Rodney? Rodney, come in. Rodney, can you hear me?"  
><em>"Go ahead."<em>  
>"I've completed the patch. Go ahead and try it whenever you're ready."<br>In Rodney's lab, Team Sheppard, Tiberius, and Illyria (in one of John's old white T-shirts with a heavily bandaged elbow and a few cuts on her face) are with him.  
>"OK. Fingers crossed."<br>"What are you doing?" Illyria asked.  
>"Well, whatever this entity is, it's completely overwhelming the city's systems. Now, it's spread out. It's like dozens of fragmented programs that are fouling up power management, communications - you name it. Now, I've managed to merge them, to patch them together into one incredibly large program that will (a) hopefully render our systems slightly more stable and (b) allow us to better communicate with whoever or...whatever is that's claiming to be Doctor Weir."<br>"Isn't merging all these programs potentially dangerous?" Marissa asked.  
>"Well, hell, yeah! But it's no more dangerous than allowing this thing to continue wreaking havoc on the city's systems."<br>"Or getting zapped by bolts of lightning." John said.  
>"OK, so..." Rodney types. "Let me see if I can synthesize a voice to communicate with 'Elizabeth.' If I make the proper calibrations, she should be able to hear us too. Now..." He types some more, then turns nervously. "Elizabeth?"<br>A deep male computer voice replies, "Rodney."  
>Everyone looks at Rodney, who rolls his eyes and gets back to work on his computer.<br>"Is it just me, or does 'Elizabeth' sound a little different?" John asked jokingly.  
>"I'm on it. I'm on it." Rodney types as he speaks, "Let...me...do...that..." He finishes working and turns back to the screen. "Are you Elizabeth Weir?"<br>This time the computer speaks with a female voice. It doesn't sound anything like Elizabeth but at least it's a woman's voice. "Yes, Rodney. It's me."  
>Quietly, to the team, he said, "It's the best I can do."<br>"I'm sorry to cause all this trouble." The computer said. "Who's there with you? Is - is John Sheppard there?"  
>John hesitates for a long time, then speaks nervously. "Hi."<br>"It's so good to hear your voice again."  
>"We, uh...thought you were...dead."<br>"I suppose I am - my...my physical body, anyway, but my consciousness is still intact."  
>"What happened?" Illyria asked.<p>

"Who is that, Illyria?" The computer mechanically laughed. "Illyria, you're here! I thought had died…"

"Yeah, well, join the club."

"What happened?" John repeated.  
>"Right. Do you remember the day I ordered you to leave me behind?"<br>John has a flashback to the moment when he and Ronon found Elizabeth in the corridor on the Replicator homeworld surrounded by Replicators shooting at them.  
><em>"Come on!"<br>"Elizabeth!" John shouted, anguished.  
>As Replicators hurry down the corridor from behind Oberoth, Elizabeth turns and yells at John, "Go!"<br>John's last glimpse of Elizabeth is her frantic face as Replicators surround her. As they seize her arms, John and Ronon race off around the corner._  
>"Yeah. Yeah, I remember." John said. He grabbed Illyria's hand and squeezed. She regarded him carefully, knowing he had had nightmares because of that mission.<br>"Well, after that, the Replicators took me to a lab." The computer continued, leading them into a flashback through her eyes. "I laid on a table. Three Replicators stood over me as tiny particles begin to rise up from around me. The nanites in my body were unleashed and allowed to replicate. I joined the population. But even in my new form, my original consciousness was still there. I was still me. I tried to hide it but a few of the others could sense it. Most of them take no notice of me but a couple of them turn and look. They were remnants of Niam's old group. I believe you encountered some of their handiwork - Replicator-built human versions of me and your team."  
>John frowns suspiciously at Rodney. "Hmm. You heard about that, did you?"<br>"Only after they were killed."  
>"Now, the other you - the human one?" Rodney asked. "She thought you'd been destroyed."<br>"That's what the leaders of our group wanted her to believe. They kept us apart deliberately for security reasons." The computer said.  
>"This is all very interesting," Tiberius sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sure, but none of it explains how you've come to be a disembodied voice in our computer system."<br>"Who is that?" The computer asked cautiously.

"My father-" Illyria started by Tiberius help up his hand and stepped forward towards the computer.

"King Tiberius. This is my city you breached."  
>"I see." The computer said. "I apologize, Your Highness."<p>

"So, what-what...what happened?" John asked. "How did you ...end up...in there?"  
>"We were on the run. Oberoth and the others were hunting us down for our heretical beliefs. It was only a matter of time before we'd be captured and destroyed, unless something miraculous happened. And something did. We hid in our warship in the middle of the debris field left by the destruction of the Replicator homeworld. On the Bridge, two Replicator technicians sit at consoles either side of the Command Chair…my chair. One technician confirmed that the homeworld was destroyed. There was no trace of Replicators cells."<br>"Uh, well, that wasn't a miracle - that was us. We destroyed the Replicator homeworld." John said.  
>"I know, and we owe you a debt of gratitude because it allowed us to pursue our goal in peace."<br>"You mean ascension?" Marissa asked.  
>"Exactly, Marissa. We found a suitable planet and began our work. I did what I could to help them. I tried to lead them in meditation - to teach them how to release their burden. But it was difficult."<br>"Let me guess. You ran into the small hiccup of the fact that you're all machines?" Rodney asked.  
>"Yes."<br>"Well, much as I'd like to say we didn't see that coming, we...you know, did." John said.  
>"One of our group, Koracen, argued that it was a mistake to try and run away from our technological origin, that we should embrace it and find a technological solution." The computer continued.<br>**Flashback**

_In a lab on the ship, looking through Elizabeth's eyes, a young female Replicator is sitting on the side of a bed. The other Replicators are standing nearby while a male, Koracen, explains his idea.  
>"We know that a Replicator mind can be digitized and transferred from one body to another, but I've discovered a way that will allow us to exist indefinitely as fields of energy, effectively uploading ourselves into sub-space where we'll be free to move about the galaxy unencumbered by physical existence."<br>Another female Replicator asks him a question. "What will happen to our bodies?"  
>"The nanite bonds holding them together will be severed."<br>"You mean they'll be destroyed."  
>"Yes, but we'll no longer need them."<br>"Koracen, if this doesn't work..."  
>"It will work." He looks at Elizabeth. "You told us that ascension is achieved when the physical body is transformed into pure energy. I can make that happen for us. Once in sub-space, nothing can prevent us from continuing on to the next plane of existence." He walks over to the young female Replicator sitting on the bed. "Are you ready?"<br>Glancing a little nervously around at her colleagues for a moment, the woman eventually lies down on the bed. Koracen activates some controls and lightning arcs down and through her body, disintegrating it into tiny bits.  
>"It's done."<br>(End flashback.)_  
>"Machine ascension!" Rodney yelled, elated.<br>"Except it didn't work." The computer said. "There was no next step - no ascension in any meaningful sense of the word. We've been stuck in sub-space ever since."  
>"What is it like?" Marissa asked softly, remembering her own feelings.<br>"Oh. Constant motion and deafening noise. I believe you remember the migraine?"

Marissa and Illyria both shivered; Tiberius just closed his eyes for a moment, remembering a different feeling.  
>"I don't know." Rodney said. "I've had some pretty horrendous migraines in my time."<br>"We started searching the galaxy, looking for a way to regain any kind of physical form." The computer said. "We came across a few other technologically advanced societies."  
>"Really? In this galaxy?"<br>"You'd be surprised how many more are out there, keeping themselves hidden from the Wraith. We occupied various computer systems - even Wraith tech for a short while."  
>"Wraith technology?! Really?" Tiberius asked, surprised.<br>"It was extremely unpleasant. In fact, no matter where we looked, we couldn't find any technology that would allow us to exist as anything even remotely like what we were before."  
>"Which is why you came here." Rodney concluded. "You knew that Atlantis' computers were big enough and powerful enough to house your entire program."<br>"The others were growing increasingly frustrated and bitter. I broke away from them and started looking for you on my own. I searched the galaxy for months, then I detected your Puddle Jumper and connected with it."  
>"Nearly killing us in the process." Ronon said.<br>"I'm sorry for that." The computer apologized. "My current condition is extremely volatile - difficult to control, especially during the initial moments trying to interface with new tech. But I didn't know where else to turn. You're the only friends I have."

҉

**LATER**

Tiberius and Team Sheppard are on the outside balcony of the Control Room.

"If you ask me, it's a trick - someone just pretending to be Doctor Weir." Ronon said, leaning against the railing.  
>"But what if it is her?" Rodney looks at Tiberius. "Look, we still have the Ancient machine I used to build FRAN. I can easily build another Replicator to house-"<br>"No." He said, holding up his finger.  
>"I'd put in fail-safes - a kill switch. Look, what I'm saying is that with all of the advancements I've been able to make-"<br>"With all due respects," Tiberius cut across again, "to the advancements you have made, one thing remains constant: Replicators are far too powerful to even think about trusting them. They have been the scourge of two galaxies. You and I know better than anyone how difficult it was to get rid of them."  
>"Then what should we do with her?" Marissa asked. It was clear she was bothered by the whole thing.<br>"She can't stay where she is. She's frying the city's computers." Rodney said.  
>"Well," Illyria said, stepping out into the balcony with John Carson cradled to her, "maybe we can upload her, or it, or whatever this thing is into a virtual reality like we did with Ava."<br>"That could work, but it wouldn't be easy, especially if she doesn't wanna go." Rodney said.  
>"Well, talk to her." John said.<br>Radek hurries out. "Rodney, we've just detected anomalous energy levels in the South Pier lab."  
>"What, the Replicator machine?"<br>"She's building herself a body." Ronon growled, pushing off from the rail.  
>"She must have found it in the database." Rodney said.<br>"Shut down power." Tiberius ordered Radek.  
>"I-I tried. I've also tried to radio down there but communications are still offline."<p>

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

As the lights in the corridor fritz on and off, Team Sheppard, Tiberius and Radek hurry towards the closed doors of the South Pier lab. Several soldiers are outside and one of them is trying to open the doors but the wall panel beeps negatively at him.  
>"What's going on?" John asked.<br>"Doors slammed shut, sir. Can't get it open." A soldier reported.  
>"OK, move." Rodney pushes the soldier out of the way and takes the cover of the panel off.<br>John turned to the soldier. "Go get some back-up, some heavy arms; and clear every corridor out of here. And get some C4 - we're gonna have to blast this door."  
>"Yeah, this panel is toast." Rodney shook his head. He puts the cover back onto the panel, then looks up in surprise as the lights stop flickering and stay on.<br>Tiberius turned to John. "If I remember correctly, there is another door-"  
>Just then the doors to the lab slide open. Standing on the other side is a Replicator. It's an exact copy of FRAN. John and Ronon aim their weapons at it as it stands there quietly.<br>"Hello," was all it said.

҉

**LATER**

The group has moved inside the lab. Soldiers are aiming their weapons at Replicator Weir while Rodney checks over the equipment.  
>"Listen to me." Replicator Weir pleaded. "I'm Elizabeth Weir."<br>"Obviously she was in a hurry." Rodney said. "She just used the previous Replicator template that was already in the machine...which was F.R.A.N."  
>"John, I'm not a threat to you." Replicator Weir said.<br>"Well, whatever you are, I'd say building a Replicator body's a pretty big threat."  
>"Elizabeth Weir would never do this." Marissa said.<br>"OK, the machine is deactivated." Rodney announced. "I've removed the control crystal, which means no-one will be building any more Replicators."  
>"Believe me, I was just as concerned about doing this as you, but the adjustments Rodney's made to this technology eliminate any danger." Replicator Weir said. "I can't replicate, and since my consciousness is controlling this body I truly-"<br>"Your consciousness?" Tiberius scoffed. "I mean no offence, but I am not completely sold on your being who you say you are."  
>"That makes two of us." Ronon muttered.<br>Replicator Weir sighed. "I understand your skepticism, but I am Elizabeth Weir. I wish there was some way I could prove it to you."  
>"That will be difficult. Any personal information or memories could have easily been mined from Doctor Weir's consciousness when the Replicators captured her." Tiberius said.<br>"I know." She nodded its head. "At least let me start by offering something of value."  
>"Let's hear it." John said.<br>"The technical specs of several of the systems we've inhabited since our transformation, including Wraith tech." She looks at Rodney. "I've already uploaded them to your computer."  
>He looked surprised. "Oh, really? Well, that's...great."<br>"All I ask is that you give me a chance to earn your trust. I would never ever do anything to harm any of you, or Atlantis."

҉

**DAY TIME**

**TIBERIUS' OFFICE**

As Rodney stood in front of Tiberius' desk, updating John and Tiberius on the Replicator Weir situation, a crew of technicians worked on installing a temporary window. In the in corner by the desk, Illyria was dressing John Carson in a Ralph Lauren French navy blue solid Kimono set as she rocked back and forth in the wooden rocking chair Ronon had made.  
>"Well," Rodney started, "the good news is that now she's downloaded herself into the Replicator's body she's not screwing up Atlantis' computers. Power's stable, the Gate's working and communications are back online."<br>"You sure she can't replicate on her own?" John asked. He was sitting on the white couch, pushed up against the wall, with his feet resting on the wooden coffee table.  
>"Positive. I mean, she instituted every safeguard. If we move her to a secure location, then I think we'll be able-"<br>"Wait a minute." Tiberius interrupted. "Are you suggesting I entertain the idea of keeping her here?"  
>"Well, I'm just saying that if we keep her under constant guard, it'll minimize any threat she poses - if she even poses a threat - and it'll give us more time to study her." Rodney spoke like a true scientist<br>"That machine in there," Tiberius pointed to the monitor hanging on the wall across from his desk, "is not the woman you once knew. She is a _replicator_. There are far too many ways this can go wrong, even if she's kept under constant guard."  
>"Everyone doubted the first FRAN I built, and she turned out to be perfectly safe and perfectly reliable."<br>"That's right - you built FRAN; you created her consciousness." Tiberius stood up from his desk, walked around to the front, and sat on the edge. "Now, as much as you want to believe that this new FRAN is indeed Doctor Weir, we cannot be certain of that. For all we know, it could be Oberoth inside that body."  
>"That's creepy." Illyria muttered. John tried to hide his smile.<br>"What if it is Doctor Weir?" Rodney asked. "This is my fault-"

"If it's anyone's fault, it should be mine." Illyria said. "I was the one you infected her a second time, reactivating them."

"No, no, I'm the one who created this mess." Rodney insisted. "I think I should be the one to, you know, fix it." He looks at John pleadingly. "I owe it to Elizabeth."  
>"I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous." Tiberius shook his head. "We stick to Illyria's plan: upload her consciousness into a virtual reality, let her prove herself there, where she can't do any damage."<p>

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

**MINUTES LATER**

FRAN/Elizabeth has been moved into the room and was sitting on a chair as Marissa stood opposite her. As Marissa cought her up on the latest news and gossip, two armed me stood guard in the room.  
>"Another child?!" FRANElizabeth gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh, John must be so happy! Tell, me, is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy." Marissa smiled.  
>"Two boys and a girl. I bet Jennifer doesn't like those odds." FRANElizabeth joked. "What's his name?"  
>"John Carson Sheppard. There's a Junior tacked on to the end, but I doubt the Colonel's middle name is Carson."<br>"John, named after his father, and Carson – Doctor Beckett?"  
>"Yes."<br>"How kind of them. Did he deliver?"

"No, that was done by our very own Doctor McKay."

"Really?" FRAN/Elizabeth smiled, a bit shocked.

Marissa lost her smile for a few moments. "Carson risked his own life multiple times to save both them; Illyria and the baby. Naming their son child after him was the least they could do."  
>FRANElizabeth nodded, changing the topic. "Speaking of children…how's that going for you and Major Lorne?"  
>Keeping her expression cautiously neutral, she said, "I don't know what you mean."<p>

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Marissa, please. I saw the ring on your finger…and I heard some of the soldiers talking about it."

Marissa looked deflated. "What'd they say?"

"Said that a Captain was engaged to a Major," FRAN/Elizabeth shook her head. She reached out to touch Marissa's hand, but the cocking of guns from the guards caused her to pull back. She sighed. "Do you love him? Evan?"

"Yeah, why else would I be marrying the fool?" She smiled.

"Well, there you go. As long as you love him, it doesn't matter what people say."

"Sorry to interrupt." John said, as he walked in.  
>Marissa stood quickly. "That's all right. We were just finishing." She smiles politely at FRANElizabeth and leaves the room. John gestures awkwardly at the guards.  
>"Sorry about all this."<br>"It's OK. I understand. Amazing news about Illyria. Congratulations."  
>"Yeah." He frowns. "Yeah. Um, look, we all wanna believe you are who you say you are..."<br>"I understand. You have to be cautious. But it really is me, John. You just have to give me time. You'll see that..." She trails off and gazes into the distance. "Oh no."  
>"What's wrong?"<br>She stands up. Again the guards raise their rifles. John holds his hands out to them. "They've found me."  
>"Who?"<br>"The other Replicators. They're on their way to Atlantis."

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

John has told the others and was with Rodney at a console when Tiberius hurried in.  
>"How many are coming?"<br>"Eight of them." John reported.  
>"We saw what kind of damage one could do." Rodney said.<br>Tiberius nodded. He kept quick for a few moments before sharing his thoughts. "We pull the Z.P.M, but only as a last resort. We're not there yet, gentlemen. Meanwhile I'll need you, Doctor McKay, to affect any potential countermeasures we can come up with." He asked John, "How soon will they get here?"  
>"Minutes, if that."<br>"Is there anything we can do to protect the city?" Chuck asked from his consol. "Could you put up some kind of firewall?"  
>"A firewall won't work. You can't block 'em." Tiberius shook his head. "They appear and disappear out of sub-space-"<p>

"They're here; they're there - it's impossible to predict." Rodney concluded. He has an idea and starts clicking his fingers rapidly. "I could write a program that immediately quarantines any anomalous behavior in the system, like an anti-virus software. It's gonna take some time, though."  
>"Do what you can." Tiberius nodded his approval as he and John walk away. "Keep FRAN, Doctor Weir, or whoever she is, under guard. We won't upload her to the V.R. just yet. We may need her help dealing with them."<p>

҉

**ISOLATION ROOM**

John comes in and storms angrily over to FRAN/Elizabeth. "You set us up."  
>"No. I honestly believed I had broken away without them being able to track me."<br>"You tell them to stay away from Atlantis."  
>"I'll try, but it'll get easier as they get closer. Look, I'm sure they don't intend to hurt anyone."<br>"No, you tell them to keep moving; go someplace else. It might go-" He looks up as the lights begin to flicker. Rodney's voice comes over his headset, very distorted.  
><em> "Sheppard!"<em>  
>"Go ahead, Rodney." Rodney shouts into his earpiece but it's so garbled that John can make no sense of it. "Rodney?"<br>In the Control Room, as the lights flicker on and off around the room, Rodney continues trying to report.  
><em>"Their combined forces are completely overwhelming the main power grid."<em> John doesn't reply - or if he does, Rodney can't hear him. _"Sheppard!"_  
>Tiberius hurries in, geared heavily in a tactical uniform with Anti-Replicator weapons attached. "They are here, Doctor McKay."<br>"All eight of them, slamming the city's computers."  
>"What about the anti-virus program?"<br>"I didn't have time to finish it. Look, it probably wouldn't have worked anyway." He activates his headset. "Radek, I need you to pull the ZedP.M. and power down all the central naqahdah generators. Radek?" He looks up in exasperation. "Communications are down again!"  
>In the Power Room, Radek is also trying to get his comms to work. "Rodney? Rodney, I'm trying to divert power but it's become far too unstable. Perhaps now we should pull the ZedP.M.?"<br>He gets nothing but static from his earpiece and takes it out, cursing in Czech. A lightning bolt zaps across the room, narrowly missing a technician and slamming into a wall computer.  
>"Let's go. Pull the ZedP.M. Shut down all the power except for the main tower." As the technician moves to comply, another lightning bolt shoots across the room and strikes him. He crumples to the floor. Radek runs over to him, squats down and shakes him. "Hey."<br>As another technician runs over to him, Radek straightens up, staring down at the man in horror.  
>"Oh God. He's dead."<p>

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

The lights have settled down as John, Ronon and a guard escort FRAN/Elizabeth into the room. Tiberius noticed when John raised his eyebrow at him. "I can hold my own in a fight, if that is your concern. We've established contact with the Replicator known as Koracen. He claims to speak on the others' behalf."  
>"Koracen, it's Elizabeth Weir."<br>The deep male computer voice which Rodney originally activated earlier speaks from the computer. _"Elizabeth. We were worried about you."_  
>"Listen to me. You need to leave this place. You're causing a lot of harm."<br>_"We will do. But first we wish to be given bodies, as you have."_  
>"As I have already told you, that is out of the question." Tiberius said.<br>_"And yet Elizabeth has been given one."_  
>"It was not our choice, and we are not planning on letting her keep it." Tiberius said more forcefully. FRANElizabeth looks at him in shock.  
><em>"We do not wish to harm anyone."<em>  
>"One of our guys is already dead, so you can save your 'we come in peace' crap." John said.<br>"Koracen, please." FRAN/Elizabeth pleaded. "Just leave the city and let me negotiate with them. I'm sure we can figure out some way to help you."  
><em>"The way to help us is by replacing the control crystal in the Ancient machine so that we may build Replicator bodies. That is what you will do."<em>  
>"And if we do not?" Tiberius asked.<br>he voice modulator showing on the computer screen disappears.  
>"Koracen?" FRANElizabeth asked. She got nothing in reply besides the sounding of an alarm.  
>Running to another console, Rodney muttered, "Not good. Not good."<br>"Uh, Gate's down again." Chuck said.  
>"We're losing control of the city. They just shut the Jumper Bay doors." Rodney reported.<br>"They're trying to keep us from leaving." Tiberius growled. "Over-ride it!"  
>"I'm locked out!" A computer beeps. Rodney looks at its screen. "Oh no. They just engaged the ZedP.M. Energy levels are rising rapidly."<br>"Why? What are they doing?"  
>"They're sinking the city!"<br>Tiberius turns to Chuck. "Raise the shield!"  
>"They've disabled it-"<br>The city shakes violently. From an external perspective from the end of one of the piers, the water slowly begins to rise as the city starts to lower into the ocean.  
>Tiberius sighed impatiently. "Any ideas?"<br>"No. We're goin' down." Rodney looked horrified. "The water's already cresting the lower decks of the outer piers. It's gonna breach the city corridors any second now."

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

The water continues to rise around the city. In a lower corridor, a couple of soldiers splash their way through ankle-deep water to the nearest doorway. One of them tries to activate the door controls but sparks of electricity make him withdraw his hands every time he tries. In the Control Room, Jennifer ran up the stairs, tears streaming down her face, and launched herself at Tiberius.

"Grandpapa!" He scooped her up into his arms, cradling her to his chest as she cried.

"Papa?" Patrick's voice drifted up the stairs. He sounded lost and unbelievably scared.

"Up here, buddy," John called out. Soon after, Patrick carefully waked up the stairs with a little blue bundle in his arms. "Patrick, what's – is that J.J?" John quickly knelt beside his sons. He took the bundle into his own arms and held Patrick's hand. "Where's your mother?"

"Mommy dropped us off at the stairs. Said we were to stay with you and Gandpapa." He said between contained sniffles. "She ran off with some of the nurses. I'm sorry, Daddy, I-I'm-"

"Shh, shh," John hushed him, pulling him close. "It'll be okay, Buddy. Mommy'll be back soon."

John looked up at Tiberius. He nodded and turned to Tiberius turns to FRAN/Elizabeth. "I want you to send them a message from me."  
>FRANElizabeth shook her head. "Your highness, I've been trying to communicate with them; telling them to stop. They won't listen to me."  
>"That is not what I want to tell them."<br>"It's not?" Rodney asked, surprised.  
>"Tell them to go ahead. Sink the city. Destroy their only chance of ever regaining any kind of physical form." Tiberius instructed FRANElizabeth. He walks closer to her, looking at her with determination. "You have searched the entire galaxy. You know the Replicator homeworld was destroyed. The only place remaining with the technology you need to achieve your goals is right here. So go ahead: destroy it. Stay trapped in limbo forever."  
>FRANElizabeth closes her eyes and concentrates. Ronon titled his head to him in respect.  
>"Level one of the South Pier is completely under water." Rodney reported.<br>Tiberius continues to watch FRAN/Elizabeth as she tries to communicate with the Replicators. After a moment she shakes her head and opens her eyes. "They won't stop."  
>"Fine." Tiberius turns away from her, strategically covering her ears. "Then we'll all die together."<br>Once his back is to her, his steely look fades a little. His only focus now was comforting his distraught granddaughter. John turns and looks at FRAN/Elizabeth as he bounces John Carson, his expression showing his full agreement with Tiberius' decision. Rodney stares at Tiberius, his eyes wide with fear. Marissa too looks round at him all the while trying to keep Patrick calm. Rodney tries to keep a brave face on, but his fear is evident. A couple of moments later, Rodney's computer beeps. He looks at the wallscreen.  
>"They're powering down the ZedP.M.! The city's stabilizing!"<br>Tiberius sighs in relief and bows his head, aware of how close he came to getting everyone killed. After a moment he pulls himself together, letting Jennifer down to run to Marissa, before turning back to FRAN/Elizabeth.  
>"All right. Now we can negotiate."<p>

**҉**

**LATER**

**TINERIUS' OFFICE**  
>"I have a proposal." FRANElizabeth said. "I've already communicated it to the others and convinced them to agree to it."  
>"Let's hear it." Tiberius nodded.<br>"Human bodies - nanite-manufactured but consisting of flesh and blood, like the other Elizabeth Weir you once encountered."  
>"Uh, we don't have that kind of technology here." Rodney told here.<br>"But we do. If you give us temporary Replicator bodies and a lab to work in, we can assemble them ourselves."  
>"What, and you'll transfer your consciousness from the Replicator body to the human body?"<br>"Exactly. As human beings, we would be every bit as vulnerable as anyone else. We would eat, sleep, get sick and die - preferably of old age."  
>"What about ascension?" John asked. "I'm assuming that's still on the agenda."<br>"It is." FRAN/Elizabeth nodded.  
>"Wait a second. Building humans - that's gonna take time, isn't it?" Rodney asked. "I mean, first you have to create the technology to do it. We're talking nanites organically assembling each body inside out, starting at the molecular level. Well, then you have to create the machine to transfer the consciousness. I mean, that's gonna take God knows how long!"<br>"Replicators, as you know, work very fast - no need for breaks or food or sleep."  
>John turned to Tiberius. "It's worth thinking about."<br>Rodney turned to him as well. "Look, he may be right, I mean if only to regain control of the city. While they're in our computer systems, Atlantis is in serious trouble."  
>"If we do this," Tiberius said slowly after a moment, "I want severe restrictions placed on their capabilities: no replicating, no shape-shifting..."<br>"The basic model. You got it. I mean, no bells, no whistles. They'll be able to affect some minor repairs but that's about it." Rodney nodded.  
>"Seal off the lab, put a force-field around it." FRANElizabeth suggested. "Do whatever you need to do to feel safe, but I've already convinced the others that this is their only option. They won't give you any trouble. You have my word."  
>Tiberius exchanges a glance with John, then looks back to her. "Do it."<p>

҉

**LATER**

A guard escorts FRAN/Elizabeth into a lab and stays outside. The doors close, sealing her in. Looking through a window to the lab, Rodney activates his headset.  
>"OK. Initializing force-field."<br>A shimmer runs all around the walls of the room and across the floor. Once the force-field is fully activated, FRAN/Elizabeth walks across to the Ancient Replicator machine.

҉

**CORRIDOR**

Tiberius and John are walking, still dressed in full military gear.  
>"Are your teams in place?" Tiberius asked.<br>"Round the clock watch."  
>"Good."<br>"Once these human bodies are made and they're downloaded into them, what happens then?"  
>"Well, seeing as they will be just like any other human beings, I see no reason not to let them go. They could become valuable allies."<br>John thought for a moment. "What if one of them decides to stay?"  
>Tiberius looks at him, knowing which one he's referring to. "Let's cross one bridge at a time, all right?" John walks away while Tiberius goes into the room overlooking the lab. "How is it going, Doctor McKay?"<br>"Almost done. They're just finishing up the last one."  
>The two of them go over to the window where Ronon is standing and glaring through the glass at FRANElizabeth, who is working on the Replicator machine as a silvery-looking body lies on top of the table. Seven other human-form Replicators are standing nearby. She types on the machine and the body slowly takes on a fully human appearance and sits up.  
>"That was fast." Tiberius smiled proudly at the scientific ingenuity of his former staff to build such a machine.<br>Going back to his seat, Rodney said, "Actually creating Replicators is fairly simple - comparatively speaking. Humans, not so much."  
>Following him, Tiberius said, "Well, the sooner they get it done, the better. And once the last transfer is complete, I want those Replicator bodies destroyed." Rodney nods. Tiberius looks at the monitors overlooking the lab. "They certainly do not waste any time, do they?"<br>"No, they don't." They look at the Replicators busy working. "There's no breaks, no chit-chat, no social interaction whatsoever. Just the perfect working environment."  
>He smiles appreciatively. Tiberius looks across to Ronon who is still glaring through the window. "Ronon, you do not have to stay there the whole time, you know."<br>"I'm good." He said, without turning around.  
>"Talk, talk, talk, that's all he does. You can't shut him up!" Rodney muttered sarcastically.<br>Tiberius smiles, turning to Rodney. "Keep me apprised."

"Wait, where are you going?" Rodney asked as his king left.

Calling out from the hallway, "To find my daughter!"

҉

**MUCH LATER**

Rodney has his head down on his desk and is asleep. Ronon is still maintaining his vigil at the window. Koracen walks over to one of the cameras monitoring the lab and looks up into it for several seconds, then turns his head and looks at Ronon. Instantly all the lights in the lab and the observation room go out and all the computers switch off.  
>"McKAY! Power's out!" Ronon yelled.<br>Jerking awake, Rodney said, "What the...?"  
>Ronon charges out of the room, drawing his blaster, and makes his way around towards the doors to the lab. Suddenly Koracen comes out of the darkness, grabs him and hurls him yards down the corridor. He crashes hard against a wall and crumples to the floor. A couple of guards run around the corner and open fire on Koracen but their bullets have no effect and he hurries away. They chase after him, leaving Ronon on the floor, still winded.<p>

҉

**LATER**

The entire city is in darkness again. John comes into the lab where guards are holding the other Replicators at gunpoint.  
>"What happened?"<br>"One of the Replicators escaped - Koracen, the leader." Rodney reported. "Must have written some kind of hidden program that was timed to kill power as soon as they were downloaded into the Replicator bodies. It disabled the force-field and they were able to pry open the doors."  
>John shines the light on his rifle around the room. "Where is she?"<br>"She went after Koracen." A woman, Lia, said.  
>"Three teams are in pursuit. We've lost all radio contact." A soldier reported.<br>To some other guards, John said, "Go join 'em." He turns to Rodney, "Go to the Control Room, try to get the power restored."  
>Rodney rushes out the door where he runs into Marissa as she rushes in. "I heard there was a breach-"<br>"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rodney waved her talking down. "Follow me." As he led her to the control room, they heard him ask, "You brought the Anti-Replicator gun…right?"  
>A soldier gestured to the rest of the replicators. "What do we do with them?"<br>"Shoot 'em." John ordered. "Keep shooting 'em. They'll go down eventually."  
>He turns to leave.<br>"Wait!" Lia shouted. John turns back to her. "We knew _nothing_ of Koracen's plan. If we were part of it, we would not be standing here right now. Please – we are complying with your wishes."  
>John walks back towards her but stops at the soldier's shoulder. "Nothing gets through that door. They move an inch, shoot 'em."<br>he soldier nods and he and his colleagues raise their rifles higher, aiming them directly at the Replicators as John hurries away.

҉

**LATER**

John makes his way through the dark corridors, the only light coming from his rifle. He sees movement as something disappears around the corner ahead of him and hurries after it. Running around the corner he sees Koracen at the end of the corridor.  
>"Hold it!" Koracen stops with his back to John and raises his hands. "You just couldn't wait for those human bodies, could you?"<br>Koracen turns around slowly, his hands still raised. "The human body is frail, weak; every second that much closer to dying."  
>"Yeah, and this whole ascension thing - you're just giving up on that, huh?"<br>"Not at all. I'm certain there's another way - and with this body, I'll have plenty of time to discover it." He lowers his hands and starts to run towards John, who opens fire. As multiple bullets hit Koracen, who is seemingly unaffected, one round rebounded of his leg and grazed John's side. John nearly drops his gun, giving Koracen enough time to shove him so hard, he went flying down the corridor. As John scrambles painfully to his feet, Koracen turns and walks away. John chases off after him with his blood leaving a substantial trail.

҉

**CONTROL ROOM**

Radek comes into the dark room, lighting his way with a torch. He goes over to where Rodney - with Tiberius standing nearby - is sitting at a console typing on the only working laptop. Radek leans over Rodney's shoulder to watch what he's doing.  
>"Any luck?"<br>"They've shut just about everything down. The power's cut to most of the critical systems."  
>"Except for the D.H.D. and the Gate." Tiberius pointed out. "They're obviously going to try to dial out."<br>"Now, I've managed to gain remote access to the mainframe. I'm creating a work-around to allow the resumption of naqahdah power to the central tower's primary systems. It's minimal, to be sure, but from there at least we'll be able to-"  
>"-over-ride the Replicator program and restart the remaining systems." Radek finished for Rodney.<br>"Just hurry." Marissa ordered. "We need power back, now."  
>"OK, is there anything you want me to do?" Radek asked Rodney.<br>"Yes, well, for starters you could, um, stay out of my way."  
>"Oh, yes, sorry. All right." Straightening up from leaning over Rodney's shoulder, he looks around vaguely for something else to do. He can't think of anything. Blowing air out of his mouth, "Uh..."<br>"And be quiet."

҉

**CORRIDORS**

John charges around a corner and stops, holding his side with one hand and with the other he aimed his rifle when he sees FRAN/Elizabeth ahead of him.  
>"John, stay back. Let me handle this."<br>Walking closer, he asked, "Haven't you done enough already?"  
>"I'm trying to help you."<br>"By what? Escaping?"  
>"I didn't know that Koracen would do this."<br>Walking into view behind John, Koracen said darkly, "Of course she knew." John swings his rifle around to aim it at him, snatching out his pistol with his bloodied hand and aiming it in the opposite direction at FRAN/Elizabeth. "Elizabeth has been a willing participant in our goals from the very beginning. It was her idea to come here in the first place."  
>John turns to look at FRANElizabeth, raising his pistol higher. "You said you broke off from them - that they couldn't track you."  
>"Track her? She was the one who alerted us, when the time was right, to come. We were only following her commands."<br>"John, listen to me." FRAN/Elizabeth pleaded. "I had to bring them here. It was our only chance; our only way out. I didn't know that Koracen would cause this kind of trouble." John looks between the two of them, almost as if deciding which one to shoot first. "I didn't think that anyone would get hurt."  
>"What did you think we were gonna do: just give you a bunch of Replicator bodies and send you on your way?" John asked.<br>"I truly believed that we were no threat to you."  
>"You may still think that you're Elizabeth, but you're not."<br>FRAN/Elizabeth looks at him, hurt. As she bows her head in pain, the lights come on. Taking advantage of the distraction, Koracen charges at John, clawing at the graze in his side, pulls his rifle out of his hand and hurls him hard against the wall. As he slumps to the floor, FRAN/Elizabeth races over and grabs Koracen, slamming him angrily back against the wall. Before he can react, she pushes her fingers into his forehead and concentrates. John looks up from the floor in painful confusion. She pulls her fingers out again and Koracen disintegrates into tiny pieces.

҉

**LATER**

**TIBERIUS' OFFICE**

Power has been restored to the city. With his closest advisers, Illyria and John, nearby, Tiberius is talking with FRAN/Elizabeth.  
>"If you'd like to resume your work, I've decided to allow it."<br>"We would re-engage the force-field of course." Illyria insisted.  
>"Beef up security." John said. He walk was a bit off since the stiches and bandages were new. Breathing was difficult from a few cracked ribs, so he held his side when he talked.<br>"It's too risky." FRAN/Elizabeth shook her head. John frowns uncomprehendingly. "I thought that bringing the others here would be safe. I was wrong. I can no longer guarantee there won't be any more trouble from them, or even myself."  
>"All right, um...what do you wanna do?" John asked.<br>FRAN/Elizabeth looks at Illyria. "I remember after you reactivated the nanites cells inside me, I said this was a bad idea." Illyria looks anguished. "So much has gone wrong since then, but I think I know how I can finally set things right."

҉

**LATER**

Lia has joined FRAN/Elizabeth in the Control Room and is standing at the D.H.D. control console as the other Replicators are escorted in. Tiberius turns to Lia.  
>"Go ahead."<br>She dials an address and the Gate dials out and then kawhooshes. FRAN/Elizabeth leads Lia and the other Replicators down to the Gateroom, escorted by Team Sheppard, Illyria, Tiberius and some marines.  
>"If you need anything else for your work, let us know." Rodney told her.<br>"Thanks, Rodney."  
>"Once again, you have given me your word to stay put until you are finished constructing the human bodies. No leaving your homeworld; no communication with any other civilization except Atlantis?"<br>"I gave you my word." She stops and turns to him. "It's an honor to have met you, your Highness. It's comforting to know Atlantis is in capable hands."  
>"It was comforting to return to my city known it had been so well kept."<br>She smiles gratefully at him. "Thank you." She turns to her Replicator colleagues. "Shall we?" Lia looks between her and Tiberius suspiciously. FRAN/Elizabeth smiles encouragingly. "It's OK. I'll go first."  
>She walks towards the Gate. John takes a step forward, hating to see her go. She stops just in front of the event horizon and looks back, meeting his eyes and smiling. He lowers his eyes, his face full of pain. FRANElizabeth turns and walks into the event horizon.  
>For a moment the other Replicators stay where they are, their eyes closed in concentration, presumably awaiting a sub-space message from her from the other side. Finally Lia opens her eyes and looks around at her colleagues.<br>"It's safe."  
>She walks into the event horizon and reappears on the other side. Instantly she starts to drift forward, her eyes full of horror as she sees FRANElizabeth floating in space in front of her. Behind her, the other Replicators appear through the event horizon. Lia stares in anguish for a few moments, then the cold of space overtakes her, her eyes close and she shuts down. The Gate closes down behind her.  
>In the Gateroom of Atlantis, Illyria and John gaze sadly at the Gate as it closes down. Tiberius bows his head as Marissa, Evan, Rodney and Ronon come forward to join them. He turns his head to Rodney.<br>"You're sure the D.H.D. reconfiguration worked?"  
>"Yes. They were sent to a space Gate." Rodney said quietly. He pauses for a moment then resumes, his voice full of pain, softly saying, "I guess that answers the question as to whether it was really Elizabeth."<br>Slowly each one of them turns away and leaves the room. John remains where he is, staring at the Gate in grief, before Jennifer came out of nowhere and took his hand. She smiled up at him.

"It's okay, Daddy."

John rubbed the back of her small hand with his thumb, smiling sadly at her. "Sure it is, sweetie." He painfully bent down and picked her up. "Let's go see what Grandpapa's up to."  
>On the other side of the Gate, FRANElizabeth floats helplessly in space. Gradually her eyes close and she ceases to function. Her body slowly drifts into the void.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE –**

** Any Questions, Comments, or Reviews are appreciated. **


	77. Chapter 75

**AN:/ MASSIVE APOLOGIES! I know I haven't updated in a loooong time – thesis papers are BITCHES to say the least. Now I'm back for a little bit so I might as well update a few things. After this chapter, there might be one or two more.**

**SPACE STARGATE**

A Puddle Jumper flies through the Gate, its engine pods deploying. On board are Team Sheppard – Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, Doctor Rodney McKay, Captain Marissa Lorne and Ronon Dex - together with Doctor Jennifer Keller.  
>"I still say we should've brought back-up - another Jumper, a marine unit, something." Rodney was saying.<p>

"Frio _is _our Marine Unit," John joked.

"Lorne, now," Ronon reminded him.

John shook his head. "Keep forgetting you and the major got hitched."

"Figured," Marissa snorted with a smile. "You drank your weight at the bar."

"It was a very beautiful ceremony," Jennifer said, patting Marissa's ring hand – on it accompanying her engagement was a beautiful silver band with their initials engraved on the inside. "Sorry you guys couldn't have a longer honeymoon."  
>"Beautiful ceremonies aside," Rodney continued, "I still think we need more for this one."<br>"This is intended to be a diplomatic mission, Rodney. What kind of message would that send?" Marissa said to him.  
>"A strong one, hopefully!"<br>"Everybody's gonna be fine if they don't panic." John directs the last word specifically at Rodney.  
>"Easier said than done." He said plaintively.<br>"That's what my kids say…" John muttered, looking through the windshield. "There they are."  
>A Wraith Hive ship comes into view. Jennifer stares at it wide eyed. "My God! How big is that thing?"<br>"Never seen a Hive in space, huh?" John smiled.  
>"I've never seen one, period. I mean, I've seen video logs but never in person."<br>"Ah, you never forget your first." Rodney smiled.  
>"They know we're here." Ronon said as the console beeped.<br>"Apparently. I'm receiving a transmission."  
>"Docking instructions." John said predicted.<br>"What, no 'Hullo, greetings weary travellers'?!" Rodney feigned shock.  
>"Guess not. So much for the red carpet."<br>As the Jumper heads into the docking bay and lands, Jennifer asked, "So, what happens now?"  
>"If history's taught us anything, this is the part where we get double crossed and taken prisoner."<br>Marissa slapped his arm. "That won't happen this time, Rodney. We were invited, remember?"  
>"And that makes a difference!" He yelled sarcastically.<br>Someone knocks twice on the outside of the rear hatch of the Jumper.

"Right on cue." John said and nodded to Ronon.  
>Ronon takes out his blaster and twirls it. John stands up and the two of them walk to the rear hatch. Jennifer remains seated for a moment, looking terrified. Rodney throws her a sympathetic and understanding glance before standing up and following Marissa to the rear of the ship. John, holding a rifle, pushes the button to open the rear hatch and he and Ronon aim their weapons out at the Wraith guards who are standing outside and aiming their stunner rifles at the team.<br>"This looks a little familiar." John muttered.  
>A familiar voice came from behind the guards, "Lower your weapons." The guards do as commanded and Todd walks into view and faces the team. "My apologies. You understand: you can't be too careful." John and Ronon lower their own weapons. Todd opens its arms grandly. "Welcome to my ship."<p>

҉

**LATER**

As they're walking along, Todd is looking over each crew member.

"Something wrong?" John asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes," Todd's eyes guided back to John's. "Is was under the assumption your wife would be accompanying you as you….ambassador."

"Are we not up to your standards?" Rodney asked.

"Let us just say that you manners of delegation are not as," Todd paused to look at Ronon, "refined as your Princess's. Her father, King Tiberius, has taught her well."

"Well, I'd like to think I taught her a thing or two…" John said leadingly and Todd chuckled.

"I'm sure you have; three beautiful children to show for it, too." Todd smiled. News of another Atlantian Prince had not escaped even the ears of the Wraith. "Yet, as I was saying, where is she?"

John hesitated a moment. "Our daughter, Jennifer, is sick. Illyria wanted to stay with her until the fever broke."

"I am sure your doctors could have taken care of her, but it seems maternal instincts have won out." Todd leads the team into a room where a male Wraith is waiting. "This is my second in command. I've asked him to be a part of these discussions. Please, sit."  
>The team walks into the room, where a long wooden table surrounded by several chairs has candles, drinking cups and a couple of bowls of fruit on it.<br>"Hmm. Fruit bowl - nice touch." John said as he and the others sit down. Rodney picks up a pear from one of the bowls.  
>"Well, we picked them up on our travels. I thought it would make our discussions more comfortable. I hope they prove as delicious as the farmers who grew them." Todd smiles wickedly at Rodney, who looks awkward and lowers the pear.<br>"All right, let's just get this over with." John sighed.  
>"So, I understand you have a proposal - a breakthrough of some kind?"<br>John and Rodney look at Jennifer. "This is Doctor Keller. She's our Chief Medical Officer and she's gonna explain everything to you."  
>Jennifer coughs nervously. "Well, um, as you may already know, we recently stumbled across a lab belonging to Michael - the Wraith that we-"<br>"I know who he is." Todd slightly snarled at the memory of the hybrid.  
>"Uh, of course you do."<br>"Word of your success against him spread rapidly among my kind. We are very grateful." Todd bowed his head.  
>"Trust me, we didn't do it for you." John said.<br>"Anyway," Jennifer continued, "we recovered a database from his lab that allowed us to continue his research into-"  
>"For what purpose?" Todd interrupted.<br>"We've come up with a gene therapy that alters Wraith D.N.A. in a small but significant way. In a nutshell, we think we can make it so that you and any other Wraith we treat will never need to feed on humans again."  
>"Todd and its second in command exchange a glance.<br>"This is absurd." The Second stated.  
>"Well, actually, it's not as big of a change as you might think. Your bodies already contain all the organs necessary to digest food."<br>"Here..." John tosses a fruit across the table to Todd, who catches it, "...try this."  
>"If I consume this, it may give me a moment's pleasure, but it will not sustain me." Todd puts the fruit down on the table.<br>"But that can change - at least in theory." Jennifer said, gesturing to the fruit that lay abandoned.  
>"Why would we want this? Of what benefit is it?" The Second asked.<br>"Well, think about it: you could put yourself on regular food; you could give up all those tiresome cullings." John said, a smiling hinting at his lips.  
>"It would give you a significant advantage over other Hives." Marissa added.<br>"Not to mention I could stop waiting for the chance to kill you - in theory." Ronon added, this time with a smile.  
>"Our current feeding process gives us strength, our ability to heal, our longevity." The Second said.<br>"Well, um," Jennifer hesitated, "we're not entirely sure how this change would affect your, um ... gifts. They may continue, although possibly in a diminished form."  
>"'Possibly'?" Todd repeated.<br>"It's difficult to know from lab tests. We can't be sure until we administer it to, um, live subjects."  
>"Let's not forget that Michael spread the modified Hoffan drug to dozens of worlds - possibly more." Rodney said. "I mean, no-one knows for sure, right? Which means that every time you feed, you're takin' a risk."<br>"Bottom line is: there's not enough food to go around. That's why you Wraith are at each other's' throats, so...here's your chance." John finished.

҉

**LATER**

The team has been left alone in the room. Ronon is pacing around, wringing his hands. "This is wrong. We shouldn't be here."  
>"I don't know. From where I was sitting, things seemed to go pretty well." Rodney said.<br>"Yeah!" John nodded.  
>Jennifer looks at his expression. "You don't seem too happy about it."<br>"Aside from the fact he likes to talk about my wife, I was just expecting a little more resistance."  
>"Well, he hasn't said yes yet."<br>"Yeah, but something makes me think he wants to."  
>"And why not? It is a reasonable offer." Marissa said.<br>"Why are we thinking of ways to fix them when we should be thinking of ways to kill them?" Ronon growled.  
>"We've been trying to do that for four years." Rodney gestured around the room with his hands, "And they're still here. Obviously, something is not working."<br>"The Wraith don't deserve our consideration, but as John pointed out, we're not doing this for them." Marissa said.  
>"There's something goin' on here somebody's not tellin' us." John mused over.<br>"What a surprise!" Ronon said sarcastically.  
>Footsteps can be heard outside the room. Instantly Ronon charges his blaster and turns to point it at the open doorway. He lowers it again as Todd comes into view.<br>"I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?" Todd asked, raising a thing eyebrow in curiosity.  
>"Come in." John said.<br>Entering the room, Todd said, "I have considered your offer."  
>"That was fast."<br>"I believe your idea has merit - if you can make the treatment work."  
>"It'll work." Jennifer assured him.<br>"Of course, converting a single Hive would be pointless. It would make little difference to the humans of this galaxy and it would make us pariahs amongst our own kind."  
>"Wait a minute." Rodney held up his finger. "I thought you worked with a whole group of Hives."<br>"I do, but I may have...exaggerated my position within the alliance." Todd admitted hesitantly.  
>"He doesn't have the clout!" John shouted.<br>"Then he's no good to us." Ronon said smugly.  
>"There is only one you need to convince." Todd quickly said. "Among all the Queens in the alliance, one sits above the rest. We call her the Primary."<br>"The uber-Queen?" Rodney said jokingly.  
>"Convince her, and the rest will fall into line."<br>"Then convince her." John told him.  
>"She will only speak with another Queen."<br>"And your Queen was killed last year in the skies above Atlantis." Marissa sighed.  
>"Regrettably, yes." Todd dipped his head. "But the Primary does not know this."<br>"You bluffed your way into the alliance and convinced them you still have a Queen?!" John yelled again.  
>"They would not have accepted me otherwise. Up 'til now I've been able to maintain this subterfuge, but a face-to-face meeting - that would be difficult. In fact, there is only one person who could help me."<p>

Slowly, Todd pulled an folded piece of paper out of his Wraith uniform. Ronon quickly had his gun on him until John waved him off. Todd slowly slid the paper across the table towards John. When John picked it up and saw that is was not a piece of paper but of photo –

"My wife?!" John said, staring down at the photo, his eyes widening in surprise.

Illyria sat regally on a stool in front of Tiberius as he sat in his throne chair. To the left, with his hand on Illyria's shoulder, was her then husband Breen; cruelty and malice filling every crevasse of his tightened face. To the right were two men John had never seen before – one stood behind the throne with his hand on it, the other was standing beside the throne chair. John could not see their faces because they had been burned off.

҉

**ATLANTIS**

**SHEPPARD'S APARTMENT**

John walked in and was greeted by J.J's cries and Patrick frantically whispering for him to stop. As headed towards the living room, he saw J.J laying on a mountain of blankets in the middle of the floor. Patrick was kneeling next to him with his favorite pacifier.

"Come on J.J. Please?" He was whispering. "Mama said we have to stay quiet. You're not being too quiet."

"That's because he's hungry, buddy." John said quietly.

"Daddy!" Patrick shouted, hopping up and running over to John to hug his legs.

"Shhh!" John said, rubbing the little guy's hair. Once Patrick let go, John reach down and scooped up his youngest son. "Whatcha guys been up to, today?"

"Nothin'." Patrick pouted as he followed John to the kitchen. "Mom said we had to be quite today because Jenny needed to sleep. She was gonna have Grandpapa watch J.J but I says, 'I got it, Mama! I'm six now. Six is old enough to babysit'."

"Is it now?" John asked with a smile as he heated up a bottle. "And how'd it go?"

"Great! That is until he started crying." Patrick pouted.

John chuckled. "Where's mom?"

"She's with Jenny – hey, can I do that?" He asked as John took the bottle out.

John looked down at him. "You want to feed J.J?" Patrick nodded eagerly. "Okay, hop up here and I'll show you how."

About ten minutes later, John was walking towards the twin's room, padding his shirt with a wash towel. He opened the door and saw his little girl lying in bed, sweat shinning on her forehead, her eyes quickly darting beneath her eyelids. Next to the left side of the bed was Illyria, leaning over so her head rested on the bed on her crossed forearms.

"Hmm…" Jennifer moaned, her face contorting in un-comfortableness as she squirmed under the sheets.

John walked over and sat down on the right side of the bed. On the nightstand was a water filled basin with a washcloth floating in it. He picked it up, wrung it, and mopped Jennifer's face to cool it down. It seemed to settle her and she went back to sleep. John continued washing her face and neck for a few more minutes until the cloth itself was hot. He put it back in the basin, kissed his daughter's forehead and stood up. He walked over to Illyria and gently shook her shoulders.

She lifted her head and looked around, confused. "Patrick…."

"Definitely not Patrick," John muttered against her lips.

She smiled, letting the tiredness show in her eyes. "When did you get back?"

"A few minutes ago."

Her brow furrowed. "From that look on your face I'm guessing the negotiations didn't go to well?"

"The worst." John looked over at his sleeping daughter and shook his head. "Not here."

Illyria nodded and followed him into their bedroom where he explained what Todd wanted. Illyria sank down onto the bed, rubbing her eyes.

"And you've talked to my father?"

"Yeah, he met us in the Jumper Bay," John said, sitting down next to her to watch her face as he said, "He didn't say anything except to talk to you about it. He looked more….stone faced than usual."

She looked confused. "There's something else troubling you, too. What is it?"

"This," He said as he pulled out the photo Todd gave him and handed it to her.

She took it gingerly and stared at it in amazement. "Where did you get this…?"

"Todd gave it to me." He studied her face as he continued, "he said it would help pursued you." A single tear rolled down her cheek ad she brushed her thumb over the unknown faces of the two men.

"Have you showed this to my father?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"No…I-"

"Good." She said quickly and stood up, activating her comms. "Ms. Clearwater?...yes, she's fine, thank you. Would you mind terribly watching them….two hours at the most…Thank you, Penelope."

"'Llyria, what's that all about?" John asked. She was rushing around the room, stripping out of her PJs and into jeans and a t-shirt, not bothering with shoes. "What the-"

She was out the bedroom door before he could finish. "Patrick," she called out as she walked swiftly to the doors, "Ms. Clearwater will be here in a few minutes. Mommy has to have a little talk with Grandpapa."

Sharing a bewildered with Patrick, John rushed after her while calling over his shoulder, "Watch after your brother and sister until Ms. Clearwater gets here!"

҉

**TIBERIUS'S OFFICE**

Tiberius' head was in his hands, his fingers buried in his silver hair. A half empty bottle of cognac and an empty glass sat in front of him on his desk, paperwork pushed off to the sides. He reached out to grab the glass but instead knocked it off the desk by accident.

"Son of a bitch…" He sighed. He bent down to retrieve the glass yet something else caught his eye – outside the glass office, he saw his daughter sprint up the control room steps, barefoot and clutching something madly in her right hand, and storm angrily through the technicians. Her eyes were intent on his office door. It could have been his inebriated mind playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn that she looked more like her mother now than she ever has before.

When she stiff armed the door, the first thing Illyria heard was her mother's name coming off her father's lips; the second, the half-empty bottle of cognac on his desk. She carefully looked him over, noting the wrinkles in his normally well-kept suit; the missing tie and unbuttoned collar; and the glazed over look in her father's eyes.

"You are drunk." She stated, locking the door behind her. She caught a glimpse of John running up the control room stairs. He caught her eye and watched as she waved her hand over the control panel in the office to tint the glass walls. No one could see into the office, yet Tiberius and Illyria could see out.

"Aella," Tiberius sighed again, looking longingly at his daughter.

Illyria briefly lost the anger in her face only to replace it with greif. She knelt in front of her father's chair and took his hand gently in hers. "No, papa."

Tiberius squinted his eyes, his mind working through the haze. "Illyria?" She nodded her head. "Oh, my dear daughter…"He lifted the hand she still held up to her cheek and gently stroked it. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand.

After a moment, she opened her eyes. '_I need him to know'_, she told herself as she turned away from his affection, picked his glass up off the floor, and stood in front of him. "We need to talk, father."

"This is not the time for talking, Illyria." Tiberius looked up at her and she saw the red rim around his eyes.

"There you are wrong." She said quietly as she laid out the picture on the desk in front of him. He slowly took it in his hands and stared at it. It seemed to sober him up once he realized what it was.

"Where did you get this?" He asked her. When she didn't answer him, he looked up at her menacingly and yelled, "Tell me, child!"

Illyria was not fazed by his anger. "The Wraith named Todd."

"And the creature got this how?"

"John never said."

"Your husband never mentioned this to me." Tiberius said accusingly. Illyria kept her mouth closed. Tiberius looked back down at the picture. "Their face are gone. What happened to them?"

"Scratch off. Burned off. Who knows." Illyria sat down in a wing chair facing her father, hand lying in her lap. "What I want to know is why."

Tiberius straightened, gently sliding the picture across his desk. "You apparently know about as much as I do. Perhaps your husband neglected-"

"My husband neglects nothing." Illyria defended. "And you know what I am referring to." She leaned forward and jammed her finger into the faces of the men obscured in the photo. "Why _them_."

Tiberius' eyes became dark. He stood up, leaned forwards with his hands placed firmly on the desk. "You know damn well why. You and I both were with them!"

"So why are their faces obscured?" Illyria kept calm.

"It's the Wraith!" Tiberius waved his arm. "Do we ever know why they do the things they do other than to commit acts of terror in pursuit of their own pleasure?!"

Illyria thought for a moment. "So we are not considering Todd's proposal?"

"Of course not. It's completely out of the question!" Tiberius sat back down, pouring himself another drink. "Has it yet to cross your mind that this photograph is a hit-list?" Illyria looked puzzled. Tiberius drank the whole glass he just poured and sighed. "Think, child! Your brothers, your husband, and now you with this offer? They are trying to take my family away! To cripple me!"

"Father, you are drunk." Illyria sighed. She tried to take away the glass but he swatted her hand away. Illyria stiffened. "Fine, believe what you will, Father." She stood up, the chair sliding back with a retched sound. "When you are sober come talk to me, but until then, I am going through with this."

Illyria was out the door before Tiberius could say another word. He tapped his fingers on the rim of the glass before he furiously stood up and threw his glass across the room. He leaned heavily against his desk for support.

His vision was already blurry, his balance terrible, so he stumbled slightly as he walked a few feet towards his bookcase. But instead of bending down to pick up the glass shards, he stared straight at the shelves. Among the collector edition books and mementos for other world was a medium sized ornate lead box.

Tiberius picked the heavy object up and held it in his hands as if it were an infant. He stumbled back to his desk, sank down heavily in his chair all while looking at this box. He spent the next several minutes stroking the outside, his fingers dancing along the ridges. After a few seconds, he opened up the box and pulled out a photo.

It was the original of the scorched one.

Tiberius sat in his throne chair looking every bit the king he is, with his daughter sitting on a stool at his feet. He hands were clasped on her lap with her back ram-rod straight. To the left of the throne chair, with his hand on Illyria's shoulder, was her then husband Breen. Tiberius often wonders when their marriage had turned sour. To the right of the throne chair were the two men everyone wanted to know about.

His sons – the Princes of Atlantis.

Standing behind the throne, with his hand on it, was Tiberius' oldest son, Salus. Tiberius smiled sadly, noticing how much his son resembled him – a square face with angular cheekbones, a prominent chin, and a jaw-line that could break a fist. His almond shaped eyes were a clouded hazel that carefully hid the demons that followed him from battle. A long nose over silently thin lips that would never give anything away without thought. Crew cut dusty brown hair was clipper cut short around the back and sides while the top length was left longer. The uniform jacket he wore over his broad shoulders had neatly polished buttons, and the scarf around his neck was tied so that the ruffles perfectly filled the space left open by his coat. He stood straight, his face held forward in a steady gaze, and had an air of authority that was palpable.

Salus was the oldest, next in line for the throne before Illyria and his youngest son, Demitrius.

Demitius, who stood beside the throne chair, would only have been twenty-one at the most when this picture was taken, yet he was already a great warrior among his people. Ronon would have found a suitable match against him. He was as tall as Tiberius, 6'2", with sunbaked skin that showed from the black short-sleeved shirt he wore under the military vest that showcased strong arm muscles, broad shoulders, and a tight chest. Tiberius chuckled as a memory of his son surfaced – they were training outside and as a group of young women came by, Demitrius took off his shirt to flaunt his physical prowess. His face was square with a wide forehead (used more for head-butting than thinking), high cheekbones and a pointed chin. His strong, square jaw-line was covered by a heavy five o'clock shadow. His dark eyes were small and spaced evenly apart, sitting below trim eyebrows that seemed to curve as a natural extension of his broad, rounded nose. He kept his mouth closed in a thin, straight line, and his black hair was cut very close to his head.

Tiberius closed his eyes and brought forth the painful memories of their deaths that always seemed to surface when he drank. Demitrius was the first to go. He was leading a ground assault on one of the Wraith compounds, freeing people and setting as many charges he could around the base. When a firefight broke out, he ordered everyone out. It was just like any assault, except the Wraith had captured Demitrius' girl. He was a lot like John and Ronon combined, now that Tiberius was thinking about it – Ronon's warrior heart and strength and John keen military mind and passion to go to whatever length to get back the ones he loves. The Wraith knew this and acted upon it. The captured Demitrius and made him watch as they drained the life out of his lover. What the wraith didn't count on was that Demitrius knew this would turn into a suicide mission and blew himself up along with the Wraith compound as his team and freed prisoners escaped.

It was a few years later when he lost his other son. Salus was the captain of his own ship – the Aella – named after him mother, the Queen, and it was Atlantis' main delegation vessel. He and several negotiators flew out into neutral ground under the pretense of an alliance call from the Wraith. Several hives came out of dead space once Salus established that no one friendly was there to meet them. Acting quickly, Salus ordered his crew to abandon ship and seek refuge on the planet below and to not hesitate on going through the Stargate. In his last radio call home, Salus mentioned that three crew members volunteered to stay behind with their captain, their _king_. His finale words were, "I'm sorry, Father", before he was blasted out of the sky.

The box that Tiberius held was made out of the haul of the wreckage of the Aella. He laid his palm on the crest on top of the box and silently wept for all his loses.

҉

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

**SHEPPARD'S APPARTMENT**

Illyria and John had just gotten the kids into bed and changed into their own sleep clothes when John brought up what happened earlier. Illyria explained everything (She and John renewed their vows on their honeymoon to include not keeping secrets from each other) – about the photograph, her brothers, her father's drunken theories, and even what she thought about Todd's proposal.

John wasn't too happy about the last part.

"This is crazy."

"Believe me, this is not a decision I am taking lightly." She told him as they both pulled back the covers of their bed and crawled in.  
>"But d'you realize what he's asking you to do?" John asked, still standing beside his side of the bed.<br>"Doctor Keller assures me that the procedure is completely reversible and will have no lasting effects." She held out her hand and after a moment he took it and allowed himself to be pulled down into her embrace.  
>"I'm not talking about the procedure." He muttered into her chest where his head rested, his arms snaking around her waist, his leg overlapping hers.<br>She sighed and stroked his arm. "I know."  
>"Look," he said, sitting up, "even if this works, even if all the Wraith stop feeding, you think they're gonna become nice and friendly overnight? No. They're gonna have a massive technological advantage."<br>"You're suggesting they'll enslave the people of this galaxy rather than feed on them."  
>"I've seen the same thing happen in my galaxy."<br>"You didn't voice this objection before." Illyria said, her head tilting to the side as she tried to remember all that Dr. Keller told her about the meeting.  
>'Nobody was asking you to risk your life." He reached out his hand and cupped her cheek.<br>She smiled and kissed his palm. "My new Wraith D.N.A. makes me the only possible candidate. Anyone else would be detected by the Queen immediately."  
>"Well, that's fine, but-but my question is: why now? The Wraith are busy killing each other - why don't we just sit back and watch?"<br>"Eventually one faction will emerge victorious and then everything will go back to the way it was."  
>"But maybe not for a while, so we can afford to wait." He said simple enough as he plopped down onto his back.<br>Illyria sat up straighter. "And if Todd's alliance is destroyed? We may never have another chance like this again. I admit, this may not solve the Wraith problem once and for all, but there are people _alive_ today who will be culled in the coming weeks and months, and if I can save even some of them," She paused, taking John's hand and holding it to her chest, "I have to try - if not for myself, then for our children."  
>Technician Banks' voice came over the comms on the nightstand. "<em>Colonel Sheppard, come in?"<em>  
>John reached over and picked up the device to put in his ear. "This is Sheppard. Go ahead."<br>"_King Tiberius wanted me to inform you, sir. He's here."_

"Who's here?" Illyria asked as John rolled out of bed and began to re-dress himself.

Once he was finished, he turned to her and said, "Todd."

"So we are going through with this…?"

John sighed, walking over to the other side of the bed. He bent forward to press a soft kiss on her lips. "Get some rest. You've got a big day tomorrow."

҉

**NEXT MORNING**

**ISOLATION ROOM**

Jennifer, dressed in scrubs, walks over to Illyria sitting on the side of an operating table wearing an operating gown.  
>"You sure you're ready for this?" Jennifer asked.<br>She sighed heavily. "As ready as I'll ever be."  
>I'm sorry. I ... I feel like you're being pressured into this because of my research."<br>Shaking her head, Illyria said proudly, "I have not been pressured into anything. And your research may save thousands, even millions of lives. Remember that."  
>"Right." The Doctor said, smiling gratefully.<p>

҉

**CORRIDORS**

A door opens and four marines escort Todd towards the Isolation Room. It stops as Ronon steps into its path.  
>"Can I help you?" Todd asked politely.<br>Ronon walks closer and gets right into Todd's face. "Just remember: if anything happens to her, there won't be anywhere in the galaxy you can hide."  
>"Ah. Is that all?" Todd asked politely. Ronon grins unpleasantly, mouths, 'Yeah,' at it and then steps aside.<p>

"Right." Todd walks past him and heads into the Isolation Room. "How is my patient?"  
>"She's fine."<br>Todd walks to a pair of computers that have been set up for it. The operating table has been surrounded by a plastic tent and Jennifer and her team are now wearing surgical gowns, hats and masks. Illyria is lying on the table, her body and hair covered.  
>"Very well. Let's get started." Todd stated.<br>Jennifer looks down at Illyria. "Don't worry. He's just here as a technical advisor. I'm gonna be performing the surgery." She looks round at her team. "All right. We're ready."  
>The anesthetist gives Illyria an injection. As the drug starts to take hold, Illyria glances nervously up towards John who gave her a reassuring smile. She blows out a quiet breath and her eyes close.<br>As time passes, the surgery goes just as well as they planned. Up in the Observation Room, John, Rodney and Ronon watch through the window, then Rodney can't bear it anymore and walks away.

҉

**HOURS LATER**

The boys, Evan and Marissa have moved to an area near the entrance to the Isolation Room. Rodney is pacing anxiously like a nervous first time father.  
>"When are we gonna get to see her?"<br>"Give it some time." John sighed. He could have sworn he's told Rodney this a hundred times already. "Just relax."  
>"I can't. I had, like, three cups of coffee and I'm completely wired."<br>"Really? I hadn't noticed." Tiberius said sarcastically and Ronon chuckled.  
>The doors open and Jennifer comes out. "All right. You can see her now."<br>She leads them into the room. They walk to the bed and stare in amazement. A flanged voice greets them from the bed, "How do I look?"  
>She looks like a Wraith Queen. Her skin is greeny grey, oily and veined. Her eyebrows are gone and there are slits either side of her nose. Her hair is black, her teeth are sharp and her eyes are yellow and slitted.<p>

Tiberius walked about not two seconds after he walked in.

҉

**TODD'S HIVE**  
>"Now, assume your throne." Todd commanded.<br>Illyria, dressed appropriately for a Wraith Queen, steps up to the throne, sits down and wriggles into a comfortable position.  
>"Are you trying to get us both killed?" Todd spat.<br>"I do not understand." Illyria sighed, frustrated, for he's said the same thing for the last half-hour.  
>Todd's voice becomes angrier as he speaks, "At the first sign of deception, the Primary will not hesitate to slit our throats!"<br>Standing, Illyria yelled, "You said she would sense my Wraith D.N.A."  
>"It is not your D.N.A. that concerns me. It is your manner, your bearing. You project apprehension!"<br>"Well, given the circumstances -"  
>"It may be understandable, but it is not acceptable! Above all, you must never show weakness. Now - again!"<p>

҉

**MEETING ROOM**

In the room where the team first met with Todd on the Hive, the boys are waiting anxiously.

"Why isn't Marrisa with us?" Ronon asked.

"She and Evan still have paper work to fill out for the SGC." John said. "Tiberius has orders not to let them out of the city till its done."  
>"How long's this gonna take, anyway?" McKay asked anxiously, cutting through the conversation.<br>"Until Todd's satisfied she can pass as a Wraith Queen - and personally I'm not inclined to rush this thing." John said.  
>"It's already too convincing, if you ask me. Creeps me out."<br>"She's still Illyria underneath all that." John reminded himself.  
>"Maybe that's the problem." Ronon said.<br>"Look, I'm not any crazier about this than you guys. The fact is, Todd's putting his life on the line too. I don't think he'd go in there with her if he didn't think she could pull this off." The doors to the room open and Todd walks in. "Where's my wife?"  
>"Resting. You'll be pleased to know we've received word back from the Primary's Hive. We've been instructed to meet them at their current location."<br>"So, what's the plan?" Rodney asked.  
>"Once we arrive, we make contact with the ship and make our way over. Then Illyria will put forward my proposal."<br>"Oh, your proposal?!"  
>"Believe me, the less the Primary knows about my dealings with the humans of Atlantis, the better."<br>"If she doesn't know it's coming from us, what are the chances she's gonna buy it?" John asked.  
>"Our alliance has recently been dealt a number of setbacks."<br>Ronon smiling smugly said, "You're getting your asses kicked."  
>"Indeed," Todd growled, "although the Primary would never admit it out loud. But the one thing stronger than her pride is her instinct for survival."<p>

҉

**SPACE**

Todd's Hive comes out of hyperspace and approaches another Hive. Todd walks across the Bridge to Illyria, who is looking anxious, and asks, "Don't be nervous."  
>"I'm not." She said unconvincingly.<br>Todd frowns at her for a moment as she tries to calm herself. "It will help you to think of your days at Court so many years ago. Become a Queen once more, yet more dignified than when I first met you, and just maybe we will survive the night."

Illyria's back stiffened. "I do not need your advice on how to act like a Queen."

"A human Queen, an Atlantian Queen, no. But a Wraith Queen?" Todd turned his whole body to look at her. "You will heed my advice."

"And what _advice_ do you have for me now?" She said sarcastically.

"Yes," he answered back just as sarcastically before turning stern. "Harden your heart. Let no emotion seep through – for your husband, for your children – none of that will matter if we're all dead," he said before nodding to a Wraith technician who activates the comms between the two ships. The Primary Queen's face appears on a viewscreen.  
><em>"So. At long last we meet."<em>  
>"Indeed." Illyria said cooly.<br>_"Many among my crew were beginning to think you didn't exist."_  
>Illyria steps closer to the screen, her eyes cold. "You must point them out to me so that I may remove all doubt from their minds."<br>The Queen chuckles. _"That will no longer be necessary. Make your way to my ship - and do not keep me waiting again."_  
>The screen goes blank. Todd walks over to Illyria, a satisfied grin on his face. "I see you took my advice," he said as he walked away.<p>

҉

**MEETING ROOM**

The boys stand as Illyria walks in. She spared them no glance as she did so and John was partly thankful for that because he didn't think he could contain the horror on his face when he saw her.  
>"How'd it go?" John said after he cleared his throat.<br>"Apparently quite well." Illyria said, still taking Todd's advice to act as Queen-ly as possible. "They are preparing the shuttle to take me over to the other Hive."  
>"Hell, we can pull the plug any time you want. You just give us the word-"<br>She held up her hand to silence him. "No. We've come this far. I intend to go through with this."  
>"Well, we'll be right here. Anything goes wrong..." He trailed off.<br>"But nothing's going to." John quickly added.  
>"Well, of course not, but I'm just saying: if it does-"<br>"Rodney." John said firmly.  
>"...which it won't."<br>Ronon walks closer to Illyria. He quickly noted the cold stare in her eyes – like all the things that made her who she was were slowly slipping away. "Hey. Just be careful over there."  
>She cut him a cool glance before nodding a single time. Then, she swept that glance around the room, her eyes settling on John and announcing, "Leave us, all of you. I require a few moments alone with Colonel Sheppard."<p>

"Illyria-" Todd tried to say, but Illyria swiftly, with no hesitation, spun around and grabbed him by his throat. With all her force, and Todd's surprise catching him off guard, she slammed him into the wall. All the men pulled out their weapons and aimed them, yet John held out him hand to signal that they should wait.

In the meantime, Illyria's face was a breath away from Todd's, her other hand – her feeding hand – hovered above his chest.

"Who do you mistake me for, Wraith?" She hissed in hushed tones. "I am your _Queen_!"

"I was merely suggesting-"Illyria would have none of that – she slammed him against the wall again. Todd got the point and slowly said as audibly as he could with her hand around his throat, "As you wish, my Queen." She let go of his throat, drawing her hand away slowly. Todd straightened up, pulling at his uniform. "This way gentleman," he said to Ronon and Rodney, leading them out the door.

It was a tense moment between the couple. They stood on opposite ends of the conference table. When somebody finally did say something, it was John and he said sternly, "What the hell was that?"

"Authority," Illyria said calmly, turning to fully face her husband.

"Choking the guy who's gonna keep you alive is authority?!"

"I am the one who is keeping me alive!" Illyria shouted back. "The Wriath is just a guide."

John stared at her in utter shock. "What the hell you doing 'Llyria?"

"The job. What else?"

"No, no, no," John said, shaking his head and stepping closer. "You're acting like this is more than 'the job'."

"John-"

"No, God damnit!" John yelled, slamming his hand down on the table. He furiously stalked around the table. Illyria stood her ground. "You have been avoiding telling me the truth ever since the first meeting with Todd. Now do you want to tell me what the hell this is all about?"

For the first time since boarding the hive ship, John actually saw a glimmer of Illyria in the Wraith Queen's eyes. "Please John…I-I-"  
>"You can't?" John guessed. The anger had run out of his face and now only exhaustion registered. John shook his head and walked out of the room.<br>Shortly afterwards, a Dart shuttle leaves Todd's Hive and heads towards the other ship. Inside that ship, a large group of guards is waiting, headed by a bald male Wraith. Doors open in front of the group to reveal Illyria and Todd. She can't help but take a nervous breath, but then steps forward. The bald Wraith bows to her.  
>"Welcome to my ship."<br>"Where is your Queen?" Illyria demanded.  
>"You will meet her in time." The Wraith leader turns its head to one of the guards. "Inform the Bridge they're on board. Take us to hyperspace."<br>"This was not part of the agreement." Todd said, glowering at the leader.  
>"You did not expect us to conduct this meeting here, within weapons range of your Hive?"<br>"We are part of the same alliance - unless you do not trust us."  
>"I make it a practice to trust no-one I do not know. This is how the Queen wishes it. Follow me, please." The Wraith leader turns and walks away. Illyria and Todd exchange a glance, then Todd bows to her and gestures for her to follow the Wraith Leader. The Hive soars away and jumps into hyperspace.<br>On Todd's Hive, John and the others hurry onto the Bridge and go over to Todd's second in command.  
>"What's going on?" John asked as soon as he was in view.<br>"The Primary's Hive just went into hyperspace."  
>"What?!" Rodney shouted.<br>"That wasn't part of the deal." John growled.  
>"No, it was not." The second in command said matter-of-factly.<br>"Where'd they go?" Ronon asked.  
>"I do not know. There is no way to track them."<br>"He's lying." Ronon growled. He snatches out his blaster, charges it and aims it at the Wraith. All around the Bridge, guards raise their own stunners and aim them at the team. Rodney looks at them nervously.  
>"Uh, Ronon ..."<br>The second in command looks at Ronon, who has the muzzle of his blaster pressed against its throat. "I assure you, I know nothing of this."  
>"Ronon." John said and, reluctantly, Ronon lowers his blaster.<br>"It appears we have no choice but to trust each other." The second in command said.

҉

**PRIMARY QUEEN'S HIVE**

The Wraith Leader precedes Illyria and Todd into the throne room, then turns back to them. "The Queen shall see you shortly."  
>It leaves the room. Illyria walks closer to Todd, growling, "What have you done?"<br>"I swear I did not expect this to happen. We're in no danger. If the Queen did not believe us, we'd be dead already." Todd told her.  
>"And if she begins to suspect, we are trapped on this ship."<br>"Everything will be fine, provided you continue to play your part. We must proceed as planned."

Doors open and Illyria and Todd turn and see the Primary Queen looking at them. "What is he doing here?"  
>Todd bows to her and backs away to a wall as the Queen walks over to Illyria. "I thought his presence would be useful, as he is the one you have been dealing with up until now."<br>"I do not like surprises."  
>"Nor do I - and yet you are the one who took your ship into hyperspace the moment we stepped aboard."<br>"If you were in my position, you might understand the need for such precautions."  
>"Very well," Illyria bowed her head a fraction to show understanding.<br>The Queen glances across at Todd, who lowers its gaze deferentially. She looks back at Illyria, "Come. Let's sit."  
>She starts to walk towards her throne. Todd snatches out a knife, runs up behind her and stabs her in the neck. She clutches at her neck, gasping.<br>"What have you done?!" Illyria yelled.  
>Todd holds out a hand to keep her back. Still gasping and holding her neck, the Queen falls to the floor. With her other hand, she scrabbles for a pendant hanging around her neck and presses it. Instantly an alarm begins to scream around the ship. The Queen's gasps become quieter as she dies.<p>

Todd walks quickly over to Illyria as she demands, "What is the meaning of this?"  
>Taking her hand, Todd presses the knife into it and closes her fingers over it. "Forgive me, Princess, but this is the way it must be. You must say that you killed her."<br>"Are you insane?!" She whispered sternly, her eyes wide in disbelief.  
>"This is how it's done with our kind. This is how power changes hands."<br>Illyria was shaking her head. "But I do not want-"  
>"Listen to me." He placed both hands on either side of her face, his tone urgent. "The crew will not be happy, but nor will they wish to be without a Queen. <em>You<em> caught her off guard. Many will perceive that to mean that she was growing weak. All you need to do is convince them that you are a capable replacement and they will accept you."  
>"And if I can't?" She whispered.<br>"Then we're both dead." He said just as silently, his hands lingering on her face before pulling away as other Wraith arrive.  
>"What is this?!" The Wraith leader demanded as he storms into the room followed by several guards.<br>Illyria's back stiffens and she grips the knife in her hand. "I have taken what is rightfully mine."  
>The Leader runs over to the dead Queen and kneels down at her side. He presses the pendant to turn off the alarm. "You killed her!"<br>"Yes," she said casually, "and you are the better for it."  
>The Leader stands, pulling out a stunner and aiming it at her. "You will die for this."<p>

"How dare you point a weapon at your Queen!" Illyria shouted, stepping closer menacingly.  
>Pointing down at the Primary, the Wraith Leader shouted back, "This was my Queen!"<br>"Not any more." She said calmly, punctuating every word.  
>Todd casually strolls in front of Illyria, blocking the Leader's shot. "She was growing weak. She no longer had full control over the alliance. If you can't see that, you're a fool."<br>Illyria slams her hand onto Todd's shoulder and punches it in the back, forcing it to its knees as she pushes the knife against its throat. "Did I ask you to speak for me?"  
>"No, my Queen."<br>"Wag your tongue like that again and I will remove it. Is that understood?" She pulled the knife closer to his throat to make her point clear.  
>"Yes, my Queen."<br>Illyria pushes him away and dramatically hurls the knife to the floor before turning to the Leader. "Now, drop us out of hyperspace and run a full diagnostic. I wish to know the state of my new flagship." She looks down at the Primary's body. "And have this thing removed from my sight."  
>The Leader looks down at the Primary for a moment, then looks up at Illyria again. "Yes, my Queen."<br>Shortly afterwards, the Hive drops out of hyperspace. Illyria is pacing alone in the throne room when Todd comes in.  
>"I've surveyed the crew. You'll be pleased to know they were entirely fooled."<br>"What were you thinking?!" Illyria spat. "You put both our lives at terrible risk."  
>"I know. If you'll allow me to explain-"<br>"How could you do this?" She asked in a lower tone.  
>"It was necessary. The former Queen was never going to accept your proposal."<br>"And so you killed her and forced me to take the blame." She explained for him.  
>"If I had taken the blame I would have been killed and you would have been held captive. That was not the desired outcome. You must understand: our culture is different from your own. We govern ourselves by different rules. It was important for you to claim ownership of the act of killing the Queen."<br>She gave herself pause. "You should have informed me of your intention to make me Queen of this Hive."  
>"Perhaps, but I doubt you would have gone through with it had you known."<br>"You're right. It was a foolish, reckless plan."  
>"Most Wraith seek to be ruled. They fear being without a Queen. I knew that if you presented yourself as a viable substitute, most of them would just fall in line."<br>"'Most of them'?" She quoted.  
>"The point is, we have achieved what we set out to do. You are now effectively in control of the alliance. We may now implement Doctor Keller's plan without hindrance."<br>"Then there is no further need for us to continue this charade. Take me back to your ship."  
>"Soon." He nodded. "But first you must allow some time for order to be restored, for things to return to normal. Once they do, you may take your leave, and no-one on this crew will be the wiser."<p>

҉

**TODD'S HIVE**

John, Rodney and Ronon are talking just outside the Bridge.  
>"I still say this was a setup." Ronon said.<br>"I don't know. Kenny seemed pretty surprised when that ship disappeared." John mused.  
>"Who?" Rodney asked, his eyes scrunching in confusion.<br>"Kenny - the second in command." John pointed over his shoulder at the bridge.  
>Rodney was about to asked something, but Ronon spoke first. "Maybe he wasn't in on it."<br>"I don't know," John shrugged. "If Todd wanted to kidnap my wife, he would have done it the second we arrived. Doesn't add up."  
>"So what are we gonna do?" Ronon asked.<br>"Well, we can't stay here. We're stuck in a Hive surrounded by Wraith - not exactly our strongest position." Rodney said obviously.  
>"All I've got is a Jumper. Where do you wanna go?" John sighed.<br>"Well, we get to a Gate, we gate back to Atlantis, and then we figure out where they took Illyra.  
>"How, exactly?"<p>

"...OK, so I haven't quite worked out the details yet, but-" He stops and nods over John's shoulder to indicate an approaching Wraith. It's 'Kenny'.  
>"We have something." He announced, leading them back onto the Bridge. "The Primary's Hive has dropped out of hyperspace."<br>"How do you know?" John asked.  
>"We're receiving a signal." A star map appears on the viewscreen. A red flashing dot indicates the location of the other Hive.<br>"It's Todd's sub-space transmitter." Rodney pointed out.  
>"They're in empty space on the edge of a large nebula." Kenny pointed out.<br>"Well, what are they doing out there?"  
>"Who cares?" John asked. "This is our chance to go after 'em."<br>"I've already plotted the course," Kenny said and turned to them, "but you should know that it will arouse suspicion for us to arrive unannounced."  
>"Well, let's worry about that later." John turns and looks at the flashing light on the viewscreen. "For now, this is the closest thing they've got to a distress signal."<br>The Hive jumps into hyperspace.

҉

**PRIMARY HIVE**

The Wraith Leader walks into the throne room where Illyria sits in animated but quiet discussion with Todd. The Leader bows to her.  
>"I'm sorry to disturb you, my Queen. We've received an urgent report." He holds out a computer tablet to her.<br>Illyria disparagingly said, "You intend to make me read it?"  
>The Wraith Leader bows again. "A Hive belonging to another alliance has been detected above one of our feeding grounds not far from here."<br>"Have you tried to contact them?"  
>"They are not responding."<br>"Dispatch the closest Hive to investigate."  
>"We are the closest Hive. It falls upon us to intercept."<br>"We must remain here." She said finally.  
>The Leader looks at her suspiciously. Todd turns and bows to her, its eyes full of warnings. "My Queen, perhaps we should discuss this in private."<br>Illyria sighs in mock exasperation, then turns to the Leader. "Leave us."  
>The Leader bows, but not as deeply as before, and leaves the throne room. Outside the room as the doors close behind him, he stops, clearly dubious about the way the Queen is behaving. Inside the room, Todd leans closer to Illyria.<br>"We must respond to this. To do otherwise will read as weakness. The crew will not understand."  
>"Then let them be confused." She said firmly.<br>"Spoken like a true Queen," Todd said, kneeling before her, placing a hand on her throne chair, "but you risk breeding suspicion. For the moment, they believe you and are prepared to serve you, but if you break that trust by making irrational decisions, they will quickly fall away from you."  
>"What about your ship?" She narrowed her eyes. "It is probably already on its way."<br>"They will pick up on our new location as soon as they arrive."  
>Illyria looks unhappy but realizes she has no choice. "Inform the Bridge to set a course."<p>

҉

**TODD'S HIVE**

John and the others have returned to the Meeting Room to talk privately.  
>"Now, Kenny's right about one thing: the second we drop out of hyperspace, the Primary's Hive ship's gonna know something's up." John stating, walking through the doors.<br>"Could we drop out early, go the rest of the way by Jumper?" Ronon asked.  
>"It's gonna take too long. We need a diversion."<br>"Hmm. What, uh, what kind of a diversion?" Rodney asked.  
>Ronon turned to John and said, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"<br>"Yeah. I don't think we can rely on Kenny to give the order, though."  
>"We don't give him a choice."<br>"What are you talking about? What order?" Then it hit Rodney, "…Oh, no, wait a minute, wait a minute. You're not - you're not thinking about attacking the other ship?!"  
>"Look, it's the only way to keep 'em occupied long enough to get on board, get Illyria and get back." John explained.<br>"Yeah, but it's also incredibly risky! I mean, look, either of the ships could be destroyed!"  
>"Well, we'll just make sure we get her out of there before that happens. Look, I realize the odds aren't exactly in our favor, Rodney, but the longer we wait to get Illyria, the more likely it is we never will. We just have to keep all of our options open."<p>

҉

**SPACE**

The Primary Hive comes out of hyperspace and heads towards a nearby planet and another Hive ship above it. Illyria is walking towards the bridge with Todd beside her saying, "We have reached the feeding ground. They will attempt to negotiate a concession but you must stand firm. They may even threaten to attack. They will not want to fight any more than we do."  
>They walk onto the Bridge where the Leader is waiting. "The other Hive is trying to contact us."<br>"Ignore them. Charge weapons." Illyria orders.  
>Todd stares at her in confusion. The leader shares the same emotion in his voice. "You wish to attack unprovoked?"<br>"We were provoked. They have encroached upon our territory. I want them destroyed. Now."  
>Todd and the Leader exchange a puzzled look, but a few moments later the Hive turns towards the other ship and starts to fire upon it. Todd walks closer to Illyria and speaks quietly to her.<br>"What are you doing?"  
>"What does it look like?"<br>"I told you to talk to them."  
>"You also told me to show no weakness."<br>The Hive shakes as it is struck by weapons fire. The Leader reports, "They're returning fire. We're taking hull damage.'  
>"Deploy the Darts," Illyria orders.<br>"Under these conditions, they will suffer heavy losses."  
>"I'm fully aware of the costs, but we must take a firm stance against intrusions such as this."<br>Todd looks at her, horrifying realization striking. "You are doing this on purpose - to kill Wraith."  
>As weapons fire continues to impact the Primary Hive, its Darts head out towards the enemy ship. Many of them are struck by the incoming fire.<br>"Half the first wave has been destroyed." The Leader reported, some malice escaping in his voice.  
>"But the survivors are now too close to be affected by the ship's weapons and they can attack at will."<br>"Until the enemy launches their own Darts to intercept."  
>"That will take time. With any luck, we have caught them off guard."<p>

҉

**TODD'S HIVE**

The ship comes out of hyperspace to the last known location of the Primary Hive. John, Rodney and Ronon are on the Bridge with the second in command.  
>"They're not here." Kenny noticeably pointed out.<br>"Where the hell are they?" John growled.  
>"They've moved to one of our more populated feeding grounds."<br>"What for?" Ronon asked.  
>"I do not know. I'm not on the ship." Kenny growled sarcastically. "But if I had to guess, I would say they've gone to cull."<br>"What now?" Ronon asked John.  
>"What else can we do? We go after them." Rodney said.<br>"If they jump into hyperspace, we're gonna lose 'em again, right?" John asked Rodney.  
>"Pretty much. Todd's locator beacon doesn't work in hyperspace."<br>"We've gotta stop playing catch-up." John turns to Kenny. "Is there a Stargate on that planet?"  
>"Of course."<br>"Then drop us off. We can get there faster in the Jumper."

"How do you intend to get on board their ship?"  
>"Don't worry about it. Just get us to the nearest Stargate."<p>

Above the planet, the enemy Hive's Darts have deployed and a fierce space battle is going on as the Hives continue to fire at each other.  
>"My Queen, our Darts are outnumbered two to one. If we do not recall them now, they will be wiped out." The Wraith Leader told her urgently.<br>"And their sacrifice will be remembered when this alliance rules the galaxy." She told him as a large impact rocks the Bridge.  
>"What was that?" Todd shouted.<br>"We just lost the medial weapons array," a technician reported.  
>"Keep firing all other batteries." Illyria instructed.<p>

On the planet, the Puddle Jumper soars through the open Stargate and cloaks as it heads up into the sky.  
>"All right, we should be coming up on them now." Rodney reported, starring at his console. "Wait a minute - there's two of them."<br>"What?" John and Ronon asked in unison.  
>"And they're fighting! They're not pulling any punches either!"<br>"You still picking up that signal?"  
>"Yeah." He pulls up the H.U.D. onto the windshield to show the two Hives above the planet. He points to the right-hand ship. "It's that one. And they're not doing so good."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"They must have lost some of their weapons, and they're seriously outgunned."<br>"We've gotta do something." Ronon told John.  
>"You know, just last week I was talking to Zelenka about trying to reverse-engineer a Daedalus beaming system for the Jumpers." Rodney suddenly said.<br>"And?" John asked hopefully.  
>"Oh, well, no. No, we're nowhere near close." John closes his eyes and grimaces. "I mean, the Asgard technology's incredibly complicated-"<br>"Well, what the hell are you bringing this up for now?"  
>"I'm just saying that this would be the perfect situation for something-"<br>John groans in annoyance. "All right. Everybody hold on. We're goin' in."  
>"What are you doing?"<br>"Trying to tip the scales a little."  
>The Jumper races towards the enemy Hive and decloaks as it reaches its underside.<br>"Are you nuts?!" Rodney shouted. "They can see us!"  
>As the Jumper soars underneath the Hive, John fires four drones which impact with the ship. He fires another volley for good measure before racing away, recloaking the Jumper as he goes.<br>"Think that did it?" Ronon asked.  
>"We're about to find out."<br>Behind them, as another barrage of shots from the Primary Hive impacts the ship, it explodes. Darts soar in all directions to get away from the shock wave. On the Primary Hive, the Wraith Leader stares in disbelief.  
>"That's impossible. The enemy Hive just exploded."<br>Todd is clearly as bewildered as the Leader but takes advantage of the moment and turns to Illyria and bows to her. "Well done, my Queen."  
>Illyria turns imperiously to the Leader. "Perhaps next time you will not be so quick to question my tactics."<br>She turns and marches off the Bridge. Todd bows again to her as she passes, then pauses to throw a smug look at the Leader before following her. The Leader watches them go, its face full of suspicion, but turns its head to one of the technicians.  
>"Recall the Darts." <p>

In the Jumper, Rodney looks at his console. "The Darts are heading back. Bay doors are open."  
>"All right, that's our cue. I'm goin' in."<p>

҉

**LATER**

The boys are on board the Primary Hive and lurking around a corner as guards walk past. Rodney is checking a life signs detector.  
>"Where do we go?" John asked.<br>"I don't know." Rodney plaintively said.  
>"What do you mean, you don't know?" Ronon growled in a whisper.<br>"It's hard to tell. I think we're on the wrong level, plus the signal keeps moving around."  
>"That's a good sign Todd survived." John said. "Still doesn't tell us anything about my wife."<br>"All right." Rodney points. "It's this way ... I think."  
>They head out and make their way carefully through the ship. Later they reach a corridor blocked by two Wraith guards. John ducks back into cover and whispers to the other two,<br>"Whoa. We're gonna have to circle back."  
>"Oh great!" Rodney looks down at the detector. "I've gotta figure this out all over again!"<br>Ronon turns to go back the way they came but sees two more guards approaching. "Another patrol coming this way."  
>"So what are we gonna do?" Rodney asked.<br>"We've got no choice." John said.  
>Rodney groans plaintively and gets his pistol out as John and Ronon turn in opposite directions and open fire on the guards. He ducks down and cowers behind Ronon's legs, turning his head and firing his pistol blindly towards the guards but succeeds in bringing one down single handed as John and Ronon take out the rest.<br>"Let's move." John ordered.  
>"Which way?" Ronon asked.<br>John turns his head as he hears the sound of many running feet approaching from behind him. "I guess that answers that."  
>He runs off in the other direction, the others following. Doors slide open in front of them and more guards are on the other side. The boys instantly gun them down, but more guards approach from behind, opening fire with their stunners. Rodney is shot down immediately and Ronon is struck in the back a moment later. John turns and drops to his knees, firing back at the guards but there are too many and eventually a stunner blast hits him in the chest. As usual, Ronon stubbornly refuses to fall until he's been struck several times but eventually he too falls to the floor. The guards step aside as the Wraith Leader walks into view and looks down at the team.<br>"Inform the Queen. We have intruders."

҉

**LATER**

The boys have been put into a cell. Rodney is standing at the door staring out anxiously.  
>"Now what?"<br>'Well, if I had to guess," John said, "I'd say we'll be taken in front of the Queen who will demand answers and threaten to feed on us - at which time, I hope to have a plan to get us out of here."  
>"Very reassuring!" Rodney said sarcastically.<br>A door opens a short distance away. Ronon nods his head towards it. "Hey."  
>The door opens fully and Illyria comes into view.<br>"It's Illyria! She's alive!" Rodney shouted.  
>"Hey, quiet." John said. He walks over to the door as Illyria approaches, speaking firmly to the guards outside the cell.<br>"Leave us." She watches as they leave the area, then walks closer to the cell door. Smiling as much as her alterations will allow, she said, "John, Ronon, Rodney. It is good to see you, but you should not have come for me."  
>"Why? What's going on?" John said. He walked closer, holding out his hand to touch her face, but Illyria pulls away.<br>"I will explain later, but you must not attempt to escape. You are in no danger. I am now Queen of this Hive."  
>"Wait, what?!" Rodeny shouted.<br>"It is a long story." Illyria ushered him to keep his voice down.  
>"We've got a Jumper here; we can leave right now." John urged her.<br>"No." She shook her head. "I must solidify my position first. It is the only chance we have to ensure the alliance will accept the treatment. Otherwise this will all have been for nothing."  
>The boys look at each other, reluctant to allow her to remain in danger. Eventually John turns back to her. "All right. We'll let it play out - for now." He stepped forward, ignoring her first protest, and kissed her forehead. "Be careful."<br>She nods and takes a long look at her friends before turning and walking away. Hidden around a nearby corner, the Wraith Leader has been listening to the entire conversation.

҉

**SHORTLY AFTERWARDS**

Illyria walks into the Queen's quarters and approaches a throne in the room. The Leader walks up behind her.  
>"My Queen."<br>She whirls around and glares at him. "What are you doing here? Who authorized you to wait in my quarters?"  
>"I let myself in. I needed to see you in private."<br>"I do not wish to speak right now. Come back later."  
>"I'm afraid I can't do that."<br>"I am your Queen. I command you-"  
>"You are not my Queen."<br>"How dare you speak to me like this! Remove yourself from my sight immediately."  
>"I saw you talking with the prisoners from Atlantis."<br>"And? I may not interrogate prisoners on my own ship?"  
>"Oh, you may, though it is odd that you refer to them as prisoners. I overheard what you said to them. You knew them, and they know you, and I ask myself: how is such a thing possible? I suspected you right from the moment you set foot aboard my ship." Illyria tries to make a break for the door but the Leader steps into her way. "And against my better judgment, I allowed you to remain on board..." he pulls out a sword "...where you committed treachery after treachery. It was my duty to defend this ship and I failed."<br>He slashes at her but she ducks underneath the blade. Snatching out her knife, she jams it into the Leader's waist. He grunts in pain but backhands her and she falls back onto the throne. Pulling the knife out of himself and dropping it to the ground, he seizes Illyria's arm and hurls her across the floor, following her and pulling her up into a sitting position. Kneeling down behind her, he wraps one arm around her neck and holds the edge of the sword against her throat.  
>"I'm afraid your reign is over, my Queen."<br>A stunner blast hits him in the back. As he screams, Illyria pulls herself free and scrambles to her feet as another blast strikes him. He tumbles to the floor as Todd walks in, kneels down to the Leader and snaps its neck. As Illyria stares, Todd stands up and looks at her.  
>"He will not be bothering you any further."<br>Sighing in relief, she said, "Thank you."

He held out his hand and she took it, pulling her to her feet. "Anytime," then with a smile he added, "My Queen."

҉

**LATER**

Todd and Illyria are walking through the corridors.  
>"My Hive arrived moments ago." Todd told her. "I've arranged for Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Doctor McKay to be transferred there immediately."<br>"Good. When do I join them?"  
>He stopped in the corridor and turned towards Illyria. He brushed a small strand of hair out of her face. "As soon as this is all over."<p>

҉

**THRONE ROOM**

Illyria sits imperiously upon the throne and addresses the many assembled Wraith.  
>"And thus I will be taking my leave of you and returning to my former Hive." She gestures to Todd. "I am leaving behind my trusted commander. Let me be clear: you will still fall under my protection, but in my absence you will heed his every order as if it were my own. When he speaks, it is as though I am speaking through him. Is that understood?"<br>A male Wraith, the new Leader of the Hive, replies. "Yes, my Queen."  
>"Good. Then it is time." She looks at Todd. "Escort me to my transport."<br>Todd bows to her as she stands. The new Leader turns to the other Wraith. "The Queen departs."  
>As one, the Wraith turn to form an honor guard and bow their heads respectfully, leaving a walkway for their Queen to exit the room. Illyria walks through them, followed by Todd, and they head into the corridors.<br>"Well done. I believe you have managed to allay all suspicions."  
>"Just remember why we did this: to disseminate Doctor Keller's treatment to as many Wraith as possible."<br>"Of course, although I think it might be wise to let matters settle for a time first."  
>Illyria stops and turns to him. "How much time?"<br>"Not long."  
>She looks at him suspiciously. "You're not planning on going back on our agreement, are you?"<br>"No, no. I'm just saying that to press such a radical agenda so soon after the change in leadership ... well, it may invite unwelcome questions."  
>"Very well, but bear in mind that, as far as this crew is concerned, I am still their Queen."<br>"Oh yes," he smiled, chuckling a bit.  
>"I will be watching you, and should you step out of line, I will not hesitate to make a reappearance and have you removed," she said, trying to hide her small smile.<br>"Very well." He nodded.  
>"Permanently." She said, dropping her smile. For the first time in their conversation, Todd looks a little nervous. Illyria glares at it a little longer, then walks away smiling.<p>

҉

**ATLANTIS**

"Morning, Daddy." Patrick trailed into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and playing idly with the bottom half of his shorts.

The only thing he still needed before they could go were his shoes, and his little socked feet swung idly as he hoisted himself up into the chair at the table.

John moved away from the frying pan long enough to gently ruffle his hair. "Morning, Buddy." The enticing smell of breakfast began to float around the small kitchen. "Eggs okay?"  
>"Yes, please!" He smiled, tapping the table. John Carson gurgled in his high chair, smiling toothlessly.<p>

"Your sister up yet?"

"No, 'cause she's slow!" Patrick yelled over his shoulder.

"Am not!" Jennifer yelled back for their roon.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too, Poo-Poo Head!"

"Take that back!" Jennifer shouted as she ran into the room, wielding a stuffed rabbit. "You take that back, Patty!"

"Stop hitting me and I will!" Patrick yelled, holding up his arms to protect himself from the rabbit blows.

"Baby, baby," John said, swing Jennifer into his arms. "You're still a little sick. Let's try not to play too much, okay?"

"Playing?!" Patrick shouted. "Jenny could've killed me, Dad!"

"Oh, hush up, Patty." Jennifer said, wiggling out of John's arms and onto the floor. She clambered into a chair beside her brother.  
>John shifted back to the stove, slowly solidifying eggs with a fork, looking back over his shoulder at his children. Patrick fussed with the collar of his nice dress shirt, Jennifer played with her corkscrew curls with a finger, and John Carson happily looked around the room.<p>

John turned back to the stove, poked at the eggs a few more times, and turned off the burner. "Your hair looks beautiful," he said carefully, reaching for a plastic plate. "Are you excited to see mom today?"

When he turned around, plateful of eggs on one hand and a fork in the other, Patrick was looking down at the bar, Jennifer was fiddling with her fingers and gnawing a bit on her bottom lip – a habit she'd picked up from her mother.

"Sort of." Jennifer muttered, accepting her plate.

"Just sort of?" John asked.

"She's scared." Patrick said.

"Am not," Jennifer said, kicking him under the table.

"Are too, scardy pants," Patrick said, kicking her back.

"Stop it, you too," John said, putting eggs in front of Patrick. "Everybody gets a little scared sometimes." Jennifer kept poking around the eggs with her fork, looking utterly unconvinced. "What're you scared of sweetie?"  
>Jennifer shook her head. Patrick answered for her. "She's afraid mama won't wake up and that she won't come home and that J.J won't get get to hear mama read Cat In The Hat with all the voices and that you'll have to cook for us our whole lives which would be bad because you don't make the eggs right." He put his fork down and picked up his milk cup. "You got the milk right, though."<p>

"I-I did?" John asked, looking down at their plates. He turned to Jennifer. "Do the eggs not taste good? No?" Jennifer tried not to smile as she shook her head. "What, too much goo? Not enough goo?" He looked to the twins. "Come on, you guys are my only critics! Don't stop now."

"Mommy makes them better." Jennifer said simply.

John chuckled and ruffled Patrick's hair. "Eat a little bit more then we'll head out."

**҉**

**INFIRMARY**

Jennifer and John walk into the Infirmary. He stares at the sight ahead of him, a look of shock on his face.  
>"What have you done to her, Doc?" His head whips around towards the Doctor. "The hell you do to my wife?!"<br>Lying in bed, Illyria - restored to her normal self - rolls her eyes and smiles at him. "Very funny!"  
>"How are you feeling?" Jennifer asked, checking the chart at the foot of the bed.<br>"Better. There's still some soreness, but for the most part it's gone."  
>"Good. Well, I have rounds but I'll come and check on you later. Make sure he doesn't give you a hard time."<br>Illyria laughs as Jennifer walks away. John frowns after her, then strolls to her bedside. "Sure you're feeling OK?"  
>"Yeah, baby," she took his hand, squeezing it. "I'm okay."<br>"No lingering desires to feed on anything?"  
>"Only on solid food. The blended concoctions given to me by Doctor Keller are not very satisfying."<br>"Well, it's not much better than my eggs, so…" Illyria raised her eyebrow but John shook his head. "It's only been two weeks. Give it some time. Look, um, I haven't had the chance to tell you that what you did took a lot of guts."

"I'm just glad it worked out for the best." She pulled him down to sit on the bed beside her. "Has there been any further word from Todd?"  
>"Not really. We're supposed to meet with him in a few weeks about this whole gene therapy thing. Word has it he's solidified his position as a..." he makes air quotes "..."leader" of the alliance." Illyria looks away thoughtfully. "What?"<br>"Don't you find it strange that as a result of all of this, Todd now personally has control of that entire alliance?"  
>"You think that was his plan all along, huh?"<br>"The thought had crossed my mind, yes."  
>"Well, regardless, I think we're better off than we were before."<br>"Yes, I suppose you're right."

John cleared his throat. "On a much lighter note…." John waved his hand towards the door but nothing happened. He cleared his throat louder and said, "On a much lighter not…." John sighed and turned back to his smiling wife. "I swear, we practiced this a hundred times."

"Really?" Her smiled grew. "I bet."

"They're probably eating Jell-O or trying to get J.J to eat it." He rubbed his legs and stood up, bending down to kiss Illyria's head. "Be back soon. Prepare yourself, your Highness, a storm of tiny hands and feet are coming."

Laughing, she watched her husband walk out the door.

**AN:/ **

** Chance Meetings is coming to an end, sadly. But how will it end? Mass murder or perhaps a happily ever after? **

** I'm leaving it up to you! Please contact me through Review or Private Messaging to share your ideas.**


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